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Cinema loves to celebrate intense, overwhelming love. It’s full of romances in which two people feel such a desperate compulsion to be together that, in the end, the whole world has to make way for them. In real life, however, people caught up by such feelings may not want to disrupt or damage the world around them. The may have other priorities and, at least rationally, want to escape from their attraction. Sean Garrity’s The Burning Season, which screened as part of the 2024 Glasgow Film Festival, examines a situation like this, travelling back in time from one liaison to another to uncover what lies at the heart of it.

It begins at a wedding – the end of the film, chronologically speaking, as it is in many a romcom, and a lot of the tropes of that genre are present. The bride is Poppy (Tanisha Thammavongsa), the groom Jb.

A summer love, picturesque woodland setting and a dark secret makes The Burning Season a film with oodles of intrigue that keeps you wondering.

The familiar team of director Sean Garrity and Jonas Chernick return to the Glasgow Film Festival yet again but this time with something distinctly different to last year’s The End of Sex.

Of course, sex is indeed on the cards in this story where we are introduced to Jb (Jonas Chernick) and Alena (Sara Canning) who begin an illicit affair and rekindle a summer love at the same cabin retreat where they met as teenagers.

In that summer they met it would prove to be pivotal as they now share a secret that binds them.

Chernick stars and also takes on script duties with Diana Frances in a tense drama that from the beginning makes its mark in its unusual way of telling the story backwards.

The Burning Season

From their very first days, the movies have always been in love with love. Intense, passionate, obsessive love most of all – and often with little concern for what that means for supporting characters whose lives are left in disarray thanks to the central couple. The Burning Season – directed by Sean Garrity, written by Jonas Chernick and Diana Frances, starring Jonas himself opposite Sara Canning – takes a rather different approach. opening at a wedding and unfolding backwards in time, it explores a connection which both Jonas and Sara’s characters find damaging and try to resist.

Although we need to take care to avoid spoilers, there’s lots to explore here. Nonetheless, when I caught up with the team as preparations were underway for the film to screen at the Glasgow Film Festival, I couldn’t help but begin by wondering out loud why Jonas, whom I last.

A story of mystery, love and trauma is at the heart of The Burning Season in a film told in an unusual way.

With Sean Garrity directing and Jonas Chernick starring but also on writing duties with Diana Frances, the team bring another film for its UK premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival.

This story sees Chernick star alongside Sara Canning who become embroiled in an illicit affair each summer at a cabin retreat. The pair burden the trauma of a secret from their past that forever binds them together.

We have a chat with Jonas, Sara and Sean to talk all things summer love, the setting of the incredible Canadian wilderness and more!

You can watch the full interview below:

The Burning Season screens at Glasgow Film Festival on March 3rd followed by a Q&a session with Jonas, Sara & Sean – tickets available here

The post Jonas Chernick, Sara...

Actress Naomi Watts poses for the February 2024 issue of “Marie Claire” (Australia) magazine:

Watts made her film debut in the Australian drama "For Love Alone" (1986), then appeared in the Australian TV series "Hey Dad..!" (1990), "Brides of Christ" (1991), "Home and Away" (1991), followed by the film "Flirting" (1991).

In the US, Watts obtained parts in the films "Tank Girl" (1995), "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering" (1996), "Dangerous Beauty" (1998) and the TV series "Sleepwalkers" (1997–1998).

Watts played an aspiring actress in director David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" (2001) and starred in the horror remake of "The Ring" (2002).

She subsequently received an Oscar nomination as a grief-stricken mother in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "21 Grams" (2003). Her next films include "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), "King Kong" (2005), "Eastern Promises" (2007) and "The International" (2009).

For her role as 'Maria Bennett' in the disaster film "The Impossible" (2012), Watts received another Academy Award nomination for 'Best Actress'. She appeared in "Birdman" (2014), "St. Vincent...

Actress Naomi Watts poses for the November 2023 issue of "Tatler" magazine, wearing Giambattista Valli, Valentino, Stéphane Rolland and a whole lot more, photographed by Daniel Sachon:

Watts made her film debut in the Australian drama "For Love Alone" (1986), then appeared in the Australian TV series "Hey Dad..!" (1990), "Brides of Christ" (1991), "Home and Away" (1991), followed by the film "Flirting" (1991).

In the US, Watts obtained parts in the films "Tank Girl" (1995), "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering" (1996), "Dangerous Beauty" (1998) and the TV series "Sleepwalkers" (1997–1998).

Watts played an aspiring actress in director David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" (2001) and starred in the horror remake of "The Ring" (2002).

She subsequently received an Oscar nomination as a grief-stricken mother in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "21 Grams" (2003). Her next films include "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), "King Kong" (2005), "Eastern Promises" (2007) and "The International" (2009).

For her role as 'Maria Bennett' in the disaster film "The Impossible" (2012), Watts...

Upon its August 2023 premiere, the Amazon Prime Video original film “Red, White & Royal Blue” quickly gained a massive audience, a large portion of which reportedly created new subscriptions just so they could view it. Now, the two-hour adaptation of Casey McQuiston’s 2019 novel of the same name is set to embark on a 2024 TV awards run that, of course, won’t include the delayed 75th Emmys but could more than reasonably begin with the 81st Golden Globes. If it does make its way into the upcoming Best Limited Series/TV Movie lineup, it will be the first one-off film in seven years to earn Golden Globes recognition as a general program.

Directed and co-written by Tony winner Matthew López (“The Inheritance”), “Red, White & Royal Blue” stars Taylor Zakhar Perez (“The Kissing Booth” franchise) and Nicholas Galitzine (2021’s “Cinderella”) as two fictional world leaders’ offspring whose bitter rivalry unexpectedly evolves into a romance.

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys

2023 Emmy Predictions:

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie Dahmer. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. (L to R) Evan Peters as Jeffrey Dahmer, Richard Jenkins as Lionel Dahmer in episode 108 of Dahmer. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Cr. Courtesy Of Netflix © 2022

Weekly Commentary: There...

Over a year after his untimely death in May 2022, Ray Liotta has just been honored with a Primetime Emmy nomination for his supporting performance on the Apple TV+ limited series “Black Bird.” This recognition comes after he received Critics Choice and Gold Derby TV Award notices for the same role. As the 11th person (and first in 25 years) to posthumously compete for an Emmy as a non-continuing program performer, he is just one step away from breaking new ground as the first deceased limited series acting winner in TV academy history.

Liotta’s “Black Bird” character, James Keene Sr., is the father of real-life convict James Keene Jr., whose 10-year prison sentence for dealing narcotics was ultimately shortened after he helped coax a confession out of serial killer Larry Hall. Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser also received 2023 Emmy nominations for their respective lead and supporting performances as Keene Jr.

Ray Liotta’s performances live on, as the late actor received a posthumous 2023 Emmy nomination for his role in Apple TV+’s Black Bird drama.

Liotta, best known for his turn as hustler-turned-mob rat Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, died on May 26, 2022. He was 67 years old at the time.

On Wednesday, Liotta received his posthumous Emmy nomination in the best supporting actor in a limited or anthology series or movie category for one of his final roles in the limited TV series for Apple Studios, where he played ex-cop Big Jim Keene.

Liotta’s daughter, Karsen, in a statement welcomed the posthumous recognition of her late father for one of his final roles. “I am so grateful to the members of the Television Academy for honoring my Dad with this nomination. He was so incredibly proud of his performance in Black Bird, and it would mean the world...

Lance Reddick’s unexpected death in March 2023 halted a thriving acting career that consisted of many memorable performances, including several voice-over gigs on TV series like “Castlevania,” “Duck Tales” and “Rick and Morty.” In addition to half a dozen mid-production projects, his legacy could include a posthumous Emmy victory in honor of his vocal work on the Amazon Prime Video animated series “The Legend of Vox Machina.” After Chadwick Boseman, who won the 2022 Best Character Voice-Over prize for “What If…?” two years after his death, Reddick would be the second posthumous recipient of any voice acting Emmy.

Reddick joined the recurring cast of “The Legend of Vox Machina” in its second season, which concluded less than a month before he died. His character, Thordak, is the leader of a group of dragons known as the Chroma Conclave, whose destructive plans are encumbered by the heroic, interspecific members of Vox Machina.

Take a look at new images of Australian actress Naomi Watts posing for the latest issue of "As If" magazine, photographed by Tatijana Shoan:

Watts made her film debut in the Australian drama "For Love Alone" (1986), then appeared in the Australian TV series "Hey Dad..!" (1990), "Brides of Christ" (1991), "Home and Away" (1991), followed by the film "Flirting" (1991).

In the US, Watts obtained parts in the films "Tank Girl" (1995), "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering" (1996), "Dangerous Beauty" (1998) and the TV series "Sleepwalkers" (1997–1998).

Watts played an aspiring actress in director David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" (2001) and starred in the horror remake of "The Ring" (2002). She subsequently received an Oscar nomination as a grief-stricken mother in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "21 Grams" (2003). Her next films include "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), "King Kong" (2005), "Eastern Promises" (2007) and "The International" (2009).

For her role as 'Maria Bennett' in the disaster film "The Impossible" (2012), Watts received another...

Take a look at new images of actress Naomi Watts posing for the latest issue of "Harper’s Bazaar (Taiwan)” magazine:

Watts made her film debut in the Australian drama "For Love Alone" (1986), then appeared in the Australian TV series "Hey Dad..!" (1990), "Brides of Christ" (1991), "Home and Away" (1991), followed by the film "Flirting" (1991).

In the US, Watts obtained parts in the films "Tank Girl" (1995), "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering" (1996), "Dangerous Beauty" (1998) and the TV series "Sleepwalkers" (1997–1998).

Watts played an aspiring actress in director David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" (2001) and starred in the horror remake of "The Ring" (2002). She subsequently received an Oscar nomination as a grief-stricken mother in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "21 Grams" (2003). Her next films include "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), "King Kong" (2005), "Eastern Promises" (2007) and "The International" (2009).

For her role as 'Maria Bennett' in the disaster film "The Impossible" (2012), Watts received another Academy Award nomination for 'Best Actress'.

Fresh off his Emmy win for his supporting turn on “Mare of Easttown,” Evan Peters is sitting pretty in first place in our Screen Actors Guild Awards odds for limited series/TV movie actor. Just like at the Emmys, this would be his first SAG Award nomination, and should he take home the prize on Feb. 27, he’ll become the category’s second youngest winner ever.

Peters turns 35 on Jan. 20 and would be just the second thirtysomething to win the award after Darren Criss, the youngest winner at 31 when he triumphed for “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” in 2019. Prior to Criss, Gary Sinise was the youngest champ, having been 40 when he prevailed for “Truman” in 1996. Sinise nabbed a second statuette two years later for “George Wallace.”

The average winning age is 53.85. The two oldest champs are legends who never had a chance to win a SAG Award...

This year’s seventh edition of the Ibero-American Platino Awards (Premios Platinos) will honor Mexican actor, director, producer and festival organizer Diego Luna with the Platino Award of Honor. An itinerant award show by design, this year’s Platinos will be held on Oct. 3 in Madrid.

At just 41 years old, Luna will be the youngest recipient of the career achievement honor, joining previous winners Miguel Rafael Martos Sánchez, often simply referred to as Raphael, one of Spain’s most iconic entertainers of the 20th century; Adriana Barraza, the Oscar nominated Spanish-English-language crossover star of Alejandro Iñárritu’s “Babel” and “Amores Perros”; Oscar and three time Primetime Emmy nominee Edward James Olmos (“Stand and Deliver”); Oscar nominee Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”); and Primetime Emmy (“The Burning Season”) and Bafta (“Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos”) nominee Sonia Braga.

A child actor who excelled from an early age, Luna’s first...

Take a look at new images of Australian actress Naomi Watts posing for the latest issue of "As If" magazine, photographed by Tatijana Shoan:

Watts made her film debut in the Australian drama "For Love Alone" (1986), then appeared in the Australian TV series "Hey Dad..!" (1990), "Brides of Christ" (1991), "Home and Away" (1991), followed by the film "Flirting" (1991).

In the US, Watts obtained parts in the films "Tank Girl" (1995), "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering" (1996), "Dangerous Beauty" (1998) and the TV series "Sleepwalkers" (1997–1998).

Watts played an aspiring actress in director David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" (2001) and starred in the horror remake of "The Ring" (2002). She subsequently received an Oscar nomination as a grief-stricken mother in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "21 Grams" (2003). Her next films include "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), "King Kong" (2005), "Eastern Promises" (2007) and "The International" (2009).

For her role as 'Maria Bennett' in the disaster film "The Impossible" (2012), Watts received another...

Although the late Chadwick Boseman did not attract much awards attention during his brief film career, his final performances in “Da 5 Bloods” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” have now brought him plenty. He is now the second man (after Jamie Foxx in 2005) to receive double SAG nominations for individual film roles. By garnering ensemble bids for both films, he has also set a record for most SAG nominations for film in a single year.

In the supporting actor category, Boseman faces off against Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”), Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”), Jared Leto (“The Little Things”), and Leslie Odom Jr. (“One Night in Miami”). All are new to the category except Leto, who brought home the award for “Dallas Buyers Club” in 2014. Baron Cohen and Odom are also up for the ensemble award this year, while Kaluuya won it two years...

Update: Transformers star Josh Duhamel is officially boarding the Lionsgate Jennifer Lopez movie Shotgun Wedding. Jennifer Coolidge and Sonia Braga are also joining to respectively play the moms of Duhamel and Lopez’s characters.

The announcement was made by Erin Westerman, president of production for the Lionsgate Motion Pictures Group.

“We couldn’t be happier for our bride and groom of this Shotgun Wedding,” said Westerman, confirming the casting of Duhamel. “We know Josh and Jennifer will make a compelling and sexy on-screen couple and they will be fun sparring partners as their dream destination wedding erupts into a memorable nightmare. We are also thrilled to bring Jennifer and Sonia on to our cast as Mothers of the Bride and Groom. Their acting and comedic talents will add another fun layer to this already-rich action-comedy.”

Logline: Darcy (Lopez) and Tom (Duhamel) gather their lovable but very opinionated families for the...

Ben Whishaw claimed Best TV Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes in 2019 for “A Very English Scandal.” Could he win that prize again for his role in season four of “Fargo”? It’s actually pretty rare for actors to win this category twice. In fact, only five have ever done so before.

The biggest winner in the history of this category is Ed Asner with three. He won twice for playing the iconic Lou Grant in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and once more for “Rich Man, Poor Man” (1977).

SEEFunnyman Chris Rock on cusp of Golden Globes nomination thanks to tragic role on ‘Fargo’

Four other actors have won the award twice: James Brolin, Edward James Olmos (“Miami Vice” in 1986 and “The Burning Season” in 1995), Donald Sutherland (“Citizen X” in 1996 and “Path to War” in 2003) and Vic Tayback (“Alice” in 1980 and 1981).

It’s hard to repeat at the Globes under any circumstances,...

We’ll eventually see him return as Rick Grimes in those planned Walking Dead movies, but before that, here’s Andrew Lincoln in something completely different.

Later this month, drama film Penguin Bloom launches on Netflix, and this new trailer for it promises that it’ll be a heartfelt tale that may bring some awards buzz for its leading lady, Naomi Watts. The Academy Award-nominated actress stars as Sam Bloom, “a dedicated wife and mother of two whose idyllic home on the Australian shore becomes a self-made prison as she struggles to cope with paralysis in the wake of a freak accident.” Her unlikely light at the end of the tunnel comes in the form of an injured magpie that Sam’s children take in. She bonds with the bird and it helps her along the road towards her own “soulful recovery.” Lincoln plays Sam’s photographer husband, Cameron, who...

“Frasier.” “Friends.” “ER.” “The X-Files.” It’s amazing how just the mention of a TV show can take you back in time, and with this list it’s no surprise that we’re offering our flashback 25 years to 1995, remembering the 47th Emmy Awards. It was a night with no one big winner among several now-classic series, a new Egot recipient, some sentimental moments and a memorable homage to TV theme songs. Jason Alexander of “Seinfeld” and Cybill Shepherd of “Cybill” led the festivities on September 10.

Perennial favorite “Frasier” held on to its title of Best Comedy Series for the second year, a streak it would continue until 1999, winning for each of its first five seasons. It beat out popular sitcoms “The Larry Sanders Show,” “Mad About You,” “Seinfeld” and newcomer “Friends.” Kelsey Grammer won his second of four Best Comedy Actor Emmys for playing the title character, while his onscreen brother,...

Just two months after passing away at the age of 86, Fred Willard received a posthumous Emmy nomination for his guest role as Phil’s (Ty Burrell) father Frank Dunphy on the 11th and final season of ABC’s “Modern Family,” which comes 10 years after his first and only other bid for the series. Also a three-time nominee for his guest turn on “Everybody Loves Raymond” (2003-05), Willard received all five of his Primetime Emmy noms in the Best Comedy Guest Actor category, in which he now ties Nathan Lane as the individual with the most citations.

The late actor contends for the 11th episode, “Legacy,” in which Phil visits his father in Florida after he was found roaming around the grocery store he once owned. In the diner that he and his late wife would frequent, Frank meets his son, who is unable to broach his father’s worrisome condition,...

The Emmys are pretty stingy when it comes to giving out posthumous awards. A 2017 Goldderby piece proclaimed that the reason the Emmys haven’t honored the dead is because the voters are not sentimental. I think that’s part of the reason, but I also think it’s just so sad when they do win. To clarify, it’s not that they shouldn’t have won, it’s just so emotional to see spouses, friends, children and co-workers go up on stage and accept the award in their honor.

Remember John Travolta’s impassioned acceptance speech for his late girlfriend Diana Hyland, and “Boy in the Plastic Bubble” co-star who won the Emmy for outstanding performance by a supporting actress in a comedy or dramatic special? She had died in his arms of breast cancer in March 1977 at the age of 41. The audience was crying as hard as Travolta. “Wherever you are,...

Joseph Baxter Feb 17, 2020

Netflix’s I Am Not Okay with This stars It’s Sophia Lillis as an angsty teen who discovers that she has telekinetic powers.

I Am Not Okay with This may sound like a contemporary PSA shown in a mandatory Hr meeting, but it’s actually a teen-aimed Netflix television series adapting a graphic novel from Charles Forsman, the writer behind the comic source material for the streaming giant’s subversive coming-of-age series, The End of the F***ing World.

Sophia Lillis continues to parlay momentum from It and It Chapter Two, starring here as Sydney, a 15-year-old who’s already dealing with a lot of issues – grief over her war casualty father, hormonal crises and a case of body image dysmorphia – when her problems exponentially increase to supernatural levels upon the discovery that she possesses telekinetic powers; the thing is, she can’t quite control said powers,...

Sorry, Darren Criss, but your reign as the youngest Screen Actors Guild Award winner for limited series/TV movie actor looks to be short-lived. “When They See Us” star and Emmy champ Jharrel Jerome is the frontrunner to take the prize in January, and like Criss just did, he’d destroy the record.

Criss was nine days shy of his 32nd birthday when he prevailed on Jan. 27 for “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,” becoming the first person in his 30s to win the award and shaving nine years off of the previous record held by Gary Sinise, who was 40 when he won for “Truman” in 1996. Sinise took home a second statuette two years later, for “George Wallace,” and currently occupies two spots in the top five youngest winners.

At 22, Jerome would, obviously, be the first twentysomething to win — just like he was at the Emmys — and knock off another nine years.

Exclusive: It franchise star Sophia Lillis has inked with CAA.

Lillis played the young Beverly Marsh of the Losers Club in both pics which have together amassed over $1.15 billion. She’s also the star of the Warner Bros. film Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase and played the teenage version of Amy Adams’ Camille Preaker in HBO’s Golden Globe winning Sharp Objects limited series.

Lillis will also star as Gretel in United Artists Releasing’s Gretel and Hansel directed by Osgood Perkins, which is set for theatrical release Jan. 31, 2020, and has the lead role in Netflix’s upcoming original series I Am Not Okay With This, co-created by Jonathan Entwistle and Christy Hall with 21 Laps producing.

She recently wrapped filming on Alan Ball’s new feature Uncle Frank, opposite Paul Bettany for Miramax, and is currently attached to The Burning Season for director Clair McCarthy.

Lillis is managed by...

Gretel & Hansel is putting a new twist on the classic fairy tale, pushing Gretel into the spotlight this time around. Today, we have a first look at the movie featuring It and It Chapter Two breakout star Sophia Lillis. She looks ready for gothic freights.

Sophia Lillis (It: Chapter 2) is Gretel in Orion Pictures' upcoming&#160Gretel & Hansel. Directed by Osgood "Oz" Perkins, the dark reimagining of the classic fairytale we know and love creeps into theaters nationwide on January 31, 2020.&#160

This version of Gretel & Hansel will be a straight up horror movie, giving us something exciting to look forward to in the first month of the year. January used to be a dumping ground for bad movies, but over the last half decade, studios have been using the month to showcase smaller movies and horror hits that have the potential to be early blockbusters.

The movie is introducing Sammy Leakey alongside headliner Sophia Lillis.

The last 30 minutes of David Lynch’s 2001 brain-bending masterpiece “Mulholland Drive” offer up a harrowing free-fall into a woman’s unraveling psyche — thanks to a mesmerizing performance by Naomi Watts, who subtly shifts from wide-eyed credulity to broken-down hysteria and back again, as the gravity of her character’s situation comes into shattering focus.

In a clip below that has recently surfaced on Twitter, watch as Watts gives a master class in wordless acting during a pivotal scene where her character, who is at this point Diane Selwyn, realizes she’s being dumped by not only her director (Justin Theroux), but also her would-be girlfriend (Laura Elena Harring). As it takes place in the film, the whole scene is excruciating to watch — and no doubt one of the most uncomfortably real depictions of a mind processing a breakup ever.

Naomi Watts gets applause from David Lynch and crew for her powerful non-verbal acting performance pic.

“It was this amazing, insane story … Immediately we started spitballing, and before they were caught or captured we already had an outline for the entire limited series,” reveals Brett Johnson about how he and co-creator Michael Tolkin conceived of “Escape at Dannemora” while the real events were still unfolding. The seven-part Showtime drama recounts the 2015 prison escape by Richard Matt and David Sweat with the help of prison worker Joyce Mitchell. Watch our exclusive video interview with Johnson and Tolkin above.

“The great thing about limited series television is that it’s so novelistic. You can go deep into something, and you can end,” says Tolkin. That’s part of what drew him to this story and this format. He has a background as a novelist in addition to his Oscar-nominated (“The Player”) and Emmy-nominated (“The Burning Season”) screenwriting. “It’s very exciting telling a story with such rich characters...

She might only be 17 years old, but if Sophia Lillis of the new adaptations of Stephen King's It seems familiar, it's because the young actress has already made her mark in many other projects. From children's films to thrillers for adult audiences, Lillis has already demonstrated a wide range of skills in her short career.

Related: It Star Sophia Lillis Cast in Hansel & Gretel Retelling

Lillis is also starring in a number of upcoming projects, including the titular role of Gretel in the fantasy-horror film Hansel and Gretel. She will also be starring as a runaway named Ally in Before I Sleep and as Cecilia, a scientist's daughter, in the drama The Burning Season. Naomi Watts will play her mother in the movie.

Darren Criss not only completed his awards sweep at Sunday’s Screen Actors Guild Awards for “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,” but he’s now the youngest winner ever in the limited series/TV movie actor category.

Criss, who turns 32 on Feb. 5, is the first person to win the award in his 30s and is nine years younger than the former record holder, Gary Sinise, who was 40 at the time of his victory for “Truman” in 1996. Sinise won a second statuette two years later for “George Wallace” and is twice in the top five youngest champs of all time.

Like the corresponding Emmy and Golden Globe categories, older actors rule this SAG Awards winners roll call, but the former two groups have given their awards to younger men. Criss is the second youngest Emmy champ behind Anthony Murphy (“Tom Brown’s Schooldays”), who was 17 at the 1973 Emmys,...

Darren Criss became the second youngest person to win the Best Limited Series/TV Movie Actor Emmy for “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” in September. He could be the third youngest to win the Golden Globe equivalent next month. And if he wins the corresponding Screen Actors Guild Award, he’d set a new benchmark as the category’s youngest winner ever.

Criss, who will be nine days shy of his 32nd birthday at the Jan. 27 ceremony, wouldn’t just break the record; he’d smash it. No one has won that category while in their 30s. The youngest champ is Gary Sinise, who was 40 when he prevailed for “Truman” at the second SAG Awards in 1996; he won a second one two years later for “George Wallace,” so he occupies two of the top four youngest spots. Reigning champ Alexander Skarsgard (“Big Little Lies”), at 41 years and 149 days,...

In today’s film news roundup, Disney announces key promotions in film marketing, Film Independent announces more than two dozen grants and Alamo Drafthouse will celebrate the VHS format.

Marketing Promotions

Walt Disney Studios has promoted Ryan Stankevich and Martha Morrison to the posts of senior vice president of marketing.

Studio marketing president Asad Ayaz made the announcement Tuesday. Stankevich will focus on titles from Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm, while Morrison will oversee titles from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios.

They will also handle Disney’s other live action film projects and lead global campaigns and strategy for Disney’s entire theatrical slate.

“This is a truly amazing team and I’m so proud of the work we’ve done together over the past several years,” said Ayaz in a statement. “Martha and Ryan are talented and fearless leaders who will set a bold course for our film campaigns,...

This year, Emmy voters paid respects to Anthony Bourdain, who committed suicide on June 8, with six nominations for his CNN series “Parts Unknown,” and another for its digital expansion. But whether these accolades end up in the win column as well remains to be seen. If history is any judge, the Academy delivers a mixed bag on posthumous trophies, with sentimentality playing an uneven role.

“The Emmys are quirky,” says awards consultant Jonathan Taylor of Robertson Taylor Partners. “With peak TV there [are] so many shows that anybody who says they know how voters are going to vote is lying.”

Ingrid Bergman won her Emmy for “A Woman Called Golda” in 1982, a month after she died of breast cancer. Audrey Hepburn earned hers in 1993, several months after her death, for “Gardens of the World.” Raul Julia died in 1994, but earned a trophy the next year for “The Burning Season.”

Diana Hyland,...

Could Miguel Ferrer become a posthumous Emmy nominee for “Twin Peaks: The Return”? The veteran character actor died of throat cancer in January 2017 after he shot the Showtime revival, in which he reprised his role as FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield. The TV academy often rewards stars who have died with nominations for their final performances, so could Ferrer compete for Best Movie/Mini Supporting Actor? Despite a long list of TV credits including “The Stand” (1994), “Crossing Jordan” (2001-2007), “NCIS: Los Angeles” (2012-2017) and many more, he never earned an Emmy nomination during his lifetime.

Ferrer first appeared in the original “Twin Peaks” in a recurring role as an abrasive and sarcastic FBI forensics specialist assisting Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) in his murder investigation in the title town. And he also appeared in the 1992 prequel film “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.” The 18-episode limited run in 2017 found him...

Seventy-three unproduced screenplays comprise this year’s Black List, an annual ranking of well-regarded scripts that have yet to make the leap from page to screen. More than 250 executives in the film industry voted on this year’s edition, and their consensus is that Elyse Hollander’s Madonna biopic “Blond Ambition” is the “most liked” of them.

Previous screenplays that have appeared on the Black List and gone on to be produced include “Spotlight,” “Arrival” and “Manchester by the Sea.” Full list below:

“Blond Ambition” by Elyse Hollander (48)

“Life Itself” by Dan Fogelman (35)

“The Olympian” by Tony Tost (35)

“The Post” by Liz Hannah (35)

“Voyagers” by Zach Dean (28)

“In the Blink of an Eye” by Colby Day (25)

“O2” by Christie LeBlan (22)

“Untitled Lax Mandis Project” by Seth Spector (22)

“Dark Money” by Matt Fruchtman (21)

“Letters from Rosemary Kennedy” by Nick Yarborough (21)

“Linda and Monica” by Flint Wainess (20)

“Hala” by Minhal Baig (19)

“The...

Film Independent has announced the producers selected for its 16th annual Producing Lab. Participating with a project they’re in the process of producing, the four-week program is designed to help the filmmakers develop their skills as independent producers.

Seven projects and a total of nine producers will participate, and through the Lab will develop a strategy and action plan to bring their project to life, as well as meet professionals who can advise them on their craft and the business of independent producing.

Read More: San Francisco Film Society Announces Fall 2016 Narrative Filmmaking Grant Finalists

This year’s Creative Advisors are Karin Chien (“Circumstance”), Heather Rae (“Tallulah”) and Daniel Wagner (“Miles Ahead”). Guest speakers include Charles Howard, Tri-Star Pictures President Hannah Minghella CAA Agents Maren Olson and Tristen Tuckfield, and Jason Berman (“The Birth of a Nation,” “Mediterranea”).

“We are thrilled to welcome this dynamic group of producers to the Lab.