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It’s common for stars of blockbuster franchises to turn to independent cinema as their career progresses, trying on new avant-garde roles for size in a complete change of pace. It‘s a seemingly natural trajectory, tread by Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, The Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood, and, of course, Twilight star Robert Pattinson. A24 anti-heroes and thick-accented Southerners were the roles Pattinson picked following his fame as the diamond-skinned vampire Edward Cullen. The British actor has proved that he’s more than a pretty face and a romantic love interest, donning our screens as space-bound or on-the-run criminals, abusive period officers, and historical figures such as Salvador Dal, Dennis Stock (James Dean’s photographer) and Louis of Guyenne (son of King Charles VI of France).

Unafraid of difficult accents and niche artistic tastes, Pattinson likes a challenge—not to mention range. But the Team Edward-icon...

Elijah Wood has seemingly tied the knot with longtime love Mette-Marie Kongsved!

The 43-year-old The Lord of the Rings actor referred to Mette-Marie, 33, as his “wife” in a new interview and sources have revealed details about their recent wedding.

“I’m beyond grateful for my family and my kids and my wife,” Elijah said while speaking on the Inside of You podcast with Michael Rosenbaum.

So, when did they get married?

Keep reading to find out more…

Sources told TMZ that Elijah and Mette-Marie “got married in Sweden on New Year’s Eve in what was described as an intimate ceremony with about 80 friends and family members.”

The couple has been together since at least 2018 and they share two children together – a son born in 2019 and a daughter born in 2022.

Mette-Marie is a movie producer and worked with Elijah on the 2017 movie I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore.

We can slander Freud and make all the memes we want about him, but the man wasn’t wrong about Daddy issues. Ant Timpson’s “Come to Daddy” is a sublime take on the subject, which is pretty easy to guess by the title. Elijah Wood with his bowl cut and shabby moustache delivers one of his best performances in a movie which is mostly ignored by the mainstream audience. “Come to Daddy” is a fun, raunchy, slightly scary comedy that managed to keep me entertained and psyched throughout the runtime, and here follows a summary of the film.

Come to Daddy (2019) Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis: Why does Norval visit his Dad?

So first things first, despite having a deadbeat father who abandoned Norval when he was five, the kid grew up in a pretty loaded household in Beverly Hills. When he finally gets a letter from his father decades later,...

Christian Bale As Gorr ( Photo Credit – Wikimedia )

Christian Bale’s role as Gorr, the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder, had everyone buzzing—until it didn’t. As soon as Bale was cast as the iconic MCU villain, fans expected a show-stealer. After all, this guy gave us one of the most unforgettable performances as Batman. But when the movie dropped, it quickly became clear: while Bale did elevate the character, his experience playing Gorr was much less thrilling than we might have imagined.

Bale’s first hurdle? The costume. “I did have a look briefly and said, ‘He’s got a G-string on. Nobody wants to see me like that,’” Bale recalled, sounding as mortified as anyone would if faced with a Gorr-like wardrobe choice. Add to that the fact that Gorr in the comics was a muscle-bound powerhouse, and Bale—who was shooting a film where he...

Bookworm Photo: courtesy of Photon Films

After his 2019 directorial debut feature Come To Daddy, New Zealand filmmaker Ant Timpson pares back the black comedy for the more family-friendly Bookworm. As he reunites with British screenwriter Toby Harvard, no one is chained up in a basement, there's no violent fight in a motel that is hosting a swingers' convention, and this time around, Elijah Wood's character doesn't get stabbed by a prostitute. It all sounds a little dull, but Bookworm brims with creativity and charm. At the heart of the story is 11-year-old bookworm Mildred (Nell Fisher), who takes her estranged father, the failed American illusionist Strawn Wise (Wood), on an adventure to track down the legendary Canterbury Panther.

Before the interview gets underway, Timpson tells me that he and Harvard are cynics, but admits, "I guess we're also soppy sentimentalists at heart." It shows in Bookworm, which gradually embraces sentimentality.

Is Elijah Wood one of the best costars an actor can ask for? Michael Smiley thinks so. Smiley, currently starring in Season 2 of Bad Sisters, plays the antagonist in the Elijah Wood-led father/daughter New Zealand adventure film, Bookworm. In a recent MovieWeb interview, Smiley praised Wood, with whom he also worked in the horror romp, Come to Daddy. Both films were directed by Ant Timpson.

He's a great example of what it is to be a man, Smiley beamed about Wood, who plays a fallen magician in the film and a man hoping to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Mildred (Nell Fisher). When asked about how Wood is on set and his acting process, Smiley added: I wouldn't be arrogant enough to tell you what I think his process is, because it's his process. But what I know of him from working with him is that he's so generous.

Mister Smith Entertainment has closed multiple international sales for the adventure comedy Bookworm, starring Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher.

The feature, from Come to Daddy director Ant Timpson follows 11-year-old Mildred (Fisher) whose life takes a wild turn when her estranged father, a washed-up Las Vegas illusionist Strawn Wise (Wood) suddenly reappears. Strawn is left to care for Mildred while her mom is hospitalized and the pair set off on a trip to find the mythological Canterbury Panther.

Mister Smith closed deals on the film for Photon Films in Canada; Metropolitan in France; Plaion Pictures in Germany, Italy and Switzerland; and La Aventura in Spain, among other territories. Vertical Entertainment picked up the film for the U.S. earlier this year. Signature Entertainment will release in the U.K.

Written by Toby Harvard, Bookworm is produced by Emma Slade, Roxi Bull, Victoria Dabbs, Mette-Marie Kongsved and Laura Tunstall. It is...

Directed by Ant Timpson, Bookworm is a family-friendly adventure and comedy movie starring Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher. The film tells a heartwarming story about a young girl whose life takes a wild turn when she and her estranged washed-up illusionist father go camping in the New Zealand wilderness in search for proof of the mythological Canterbury Panther. Bookworm debuted in theaters and on demand on October 18.

In an exclusive interview, Cbr sat down with director Ant Timpson to discuss the excitement and challenges of filming Bookworm in the New Zealand wilderness. He describes the initial inspiration behind the creation of the film, the New Zealand myth behind the Canterbury Panther, and his favorite memories while filming the movie. He also reveals what it was like to work with Elijah Wood, Michael Smiley, and Toby Harvard again to create another film together.

Cbr: You are the director of Bookworm. What...

Elijah Wood cant contain his excitement over the writer/director Osgood Perkins upcoming supernatural horror comedy, The Monkey. An adaptation of Stephen Kings brilliant short story from 1980, The Lord of the Rings star recently told MovieWeb about his role in the 2025 film, calling it really bloody. He added:

Its truly a horror comedy and really funny. Listen, I'm a huge fan of Osgood Perkins. I have been for years. As a writer/director, he's made some extraordinary films, and I'm thrilled that he's having a moment now where people are finally recognizing how brilliant he really is.

Perkins (son of Anthony Perkins of Psycho fame) has long been a horror auteur, but is definitely having a moment, nicely surfing off Longlegs, a terrifying horror romp that gave us one of the trippiest performances by the ever-eclectic Nicolas Cage. Wood had more to say about The Monkey, which also stars Theo James...

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Director Ant Timpson speaks to MovieWeb's Greg Archer about reuniting with Elijah Wood after their film, Come to Daddy. Now, in the film Bookworm, they've made an adventurous family epic, which Timpson discusses at length.

In Bookworm, Mildred's life is turned upside down when her mother lands in hospital and his father, Strawn Wise, comes to look after her. Strawn takes Mildred camping in the rugged New Zealand wilderness and the pair embark on the ultimate test of family bonding.

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

Alien: Romulus (Fede Alvarez)

It’s a dire, inhospitable environment, wherein corporate interests can give way to ghoulish monstrosities, and those just trying to navigate the chokehold of capitalism are doing their best to survive. In a way, Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus may be the most meta Alien film to date. No stranger to playing in others’ sandboxes, the Evil Dead helmer is, at first glance, an encouraging fit for the sci-fi horror franchise. Like the original, 2017’s Alien: Covenant––an underrated high point for these films––was at its peak when threading its headier notions with gleefully mean-spirited cynicism towards its human subjects. Alvarez has that same kind of nasty streak in him, and much of Romulus’ mandated fan service...

Michael Smiley joins forces with Elijah Wood and Ant Timpson once again to play a trickster Irishman in the upcoming family adventure and comedy movie Bookworm. The film is a heartwarming story about a young girl whose life takes a wild turn when she and her estranged washed-up illusionist father go camping in the New Zealand wilderness in search for proof of the mythological Canterbury Panther. Bookworm will debut in theaters and become available on demand on October 18.

In an exclusive interview, Cbr sat down with Michael Smiley to discuss his supporting role in Bookworm and what makes it so special as a family film. He describes the joy of working with Elijah Wood and Ant Simpson again, his favorite memories while filming with the cast, and how his character compares to his previous roles. He also reveals how he feels about nature and what it was like to work...

A quirky Kiwi misadventure is the basic foundation of Bookworm, director Ant Timpson's impressive follow-up to his much darker first film, Come to Daddy. He brings along the star of that movie, Elijah Wood into this enjoyable tale, which finds two souls in flux and hoping to find lighthearted resolution in their lives.

Meet Strawn Wise (Wood), a washed-up American magician/illusionist who returns to his young, estranged daughter Mildred (Nell Fisher) during a time of crisis. Raised by her financially strapped Mum, Mildred has been immersing herself in lavish literary adventures, and now, when life has become most challenging, she wants to go on a real one. In the New Zealand wilderness, in fact, and perhaps with her befuddled pops. The mission: to discover a mythical black panther.

Theres enough in that premise alone to attract audiences of all kinds, but thanks to the taut script by Toby Harvard,...

Mildred is an inquisitive young girl living in New Zealand who loves exploring the stories between pages. When an accident leaves her mother in need of care, her estranged father Strawn appears after years away, bringing his own curious tales from America. Though their reunion is rocky, together they embark on an unexpected journey through the countryside, seeking answers about a mysterious creature said to prowl the local forests.

Directed by Ant Timpson, Bookworm released in 2024 as a delightful expedition blending whimsy and heart. At its center are eleven-year-old Mildred, played with spirit by young star Nell Fisher, and Strawn, an illusionist portrayed warmly by veteran actor Elijah Wood.

Mildred stays poised beyond her years through clever words yet yearns for connection. Strawn aims to entertain with imperfect magic as he navigates unfamiliar parenthood. Their differences fade against the scenic vistas of New Zealand, a land itself engaging in wonder and mystery.

The new family adventure Bookworm stars Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings) as a once-famous Vegas magician unexpectedly thrown into fatherhood when his estranged daughter’s mother has an accident. They go on an adventure in the New Zealand wilderness, searching for the mythological Canterbury Panther, hoping to earn the reward for a sighting to pay off her medical bills.

Bookworm is an adorable, wholesome, and poignant adventure flick with great performances from Wood and his young co-star, Nell Fisher. At the film’s Fantastic Fest US premiere, we spoke with Elijah Wood and its director, Ant Timpson, about making the film and why it stands out in the pantheon of family films. Check out the interview below!

Bookworm Interview

FandomWire: This is the second film you guys have made together after Come to Daddy. What do you think works so well about this collaboration?

Elijah Wood: Well, we’re friends first,...

An effulgent love letter to ’80s kid cinema laced with a distinctly quirky, Kiwi dryness, Ant Timpson’s heartwarming Bookworm reunites star Elijah Wood both with his Come to Daddy director and New Zealand (this time sans hobbit feet). It also gives pre-teen star Nell Fisher a breakout leading role as the precious kid to end all precocious kids.

Wood turns the quirks of his starry-eyed but hilariously inept dad into comic gold as the man does what he can to endear himself to his kid, with lots of funny business involving card decks, false thumbs, and chains of scarves. And Fisher makes an absolute meal of dialogue that would be challenging for any actor, let alone one so relatively young and untested.

When her mother is left in a coma after a tragic toaster explosion, Mildred (Fisher) is forced to reconcile with her long-absent father, Strawn Wise (Wood). A deadbeat,...

Being married to a genuine bookworm, I know what it’s like to compete for attention with a mountain of thrilling page-turners. My wife has read an estimated 300 novels this year, so I sympathize with Elija Wood’s Strawn as he attempts to appeal to the mind of someone overflowing with information and imagination. In today’s Bookworm trailer, father and daughter embark on an epic journey into the wilderness in search of an elusive Canterbury Panther. However, neither came prepared to find love and the beginnings of forgiveness alongside danger and adventure.

Here’s the official synopsis for Bookworm courtesy of Vertical:

Bookworm follows 11-year-old Mildred (Nell Fisher), whose life takes a wild turn when her estranged father, Strawn Wise (Elijah Wood), a washed-up Las Vegas illusionist, suddenly reappears. Years ago, after a magical encounter with the once-charming Strawn, Mildred’s mom moved back to New Zealand. Now, a...

Caught between the tendrils of “Swiss Family Robinson” and the fish-out-water jokes that make “The Parent Trap” legendary, Ant Timpson’s “Bookworm” should be celebrated as an instant classic. That’s true not just for fans of the old-fashioned family adventure genre but for any cinephiles seeking a heartfelt father-daughter quest that’s drenched in sun, mystery, and fart jokes this fall.

For the visionary director’s sophomore feature, Timpson reunites his “Come to Daddy” cohorts to tremendous, even dazzling effect. The filmmaker once again collaborates with star Elijah Wood, writer Toby Harvard, and cinematographer Dan Katz — this time for a kid-friendly romp hunting a local legend through the director’s native New Zealand wilderness. You can watch the stunning trailer above, which IndieWire exclusively debuts ahead of the film’s U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 22.

Opposite newcomer Nell Fisher (soon to be seen in “Stranger Things” Season 5) as the unstoppable Mildred,...

On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.

This September, we’re celebrating Back to School Night with four midnight movies that aren’t just academically themed but also teach the lessons essential to understanding this school of cinema.

First, read the spoiler-free bait — a weird and wonderful pick from any time in film and why we think it’s worth memorializing. After you’ve watched the movie, come back for the bite — a breakdown of all the spoiler-y moments you’d want to unpack when exiting a theater.

The Bait: A Lesson in Midnight Movies from Ant Timpson

Midnight movie-goers tend to be friendly, but Ant Timpson is more popular than most.

The New Zealand filmmaker, who pulled off a small miracle when producing “The ABCs of Death,” has been around the world’s festival circuit for decades. He’s smiley,...

If youre watching a movie where Elijah Wood plays a character who wanders out into the beautiful lands of New Zealand, you know its going to be a long trek to reach the destination. Alas, while the actors latest film Bookworm shares the same shooting country as Peter Jacksons The Lord of the Rings films, it also does a great deal of wandering around, while persistently lacking in cinematic wonder. Directed by Ant Timpson, who previously made the similarly familial, though more audaciously violent Come to Daddy, with Wood and co-writer Toby Harvard, its another tale of reconnection that isnt afraid to see a father and child roasting each other a bit. However, its much more family-friendly in focus, proving to be occasionally clever in many parts, though mostly tame compared to Timpsons prior work.

Stars: Elijah Wood, Nell Fisher, Michael Smiley, Morgana O’Reilly | Written by Toby Harvard | Directed by Ant Timpson

Director Ant Timpson reunites with Come to Daddy screenwriter Toby Harvard, star Elijah Wood and co-star Michael Smiley for the utterly charming wilderness adventure comedy, Bookworm, set in New Zealand. Technically it’s also a creature feature, though don’t expect too much in the way of scares in that department.

Nell Fisher plays precocious 11-year-old Mildred, who has spent most of her childhood devouring books and has a prodigious vocabulary to show for it. When her single mother (Morgana O’Reilly) ends up in a coma due to a toaster-based incident, Mildred is suddenly saddled with her deadbeat dad, Strawn Wise (Wood), a failed American magician (he prefers “illusionist”), who she’s never met before.

Spying her chance, Mildred persuades her eager-to-please dad to accompany her on a camping trip into the New Zealand wilderness,...

Signature Entertainment has unveiled the UK trailer and artwork for the upcoming adventure comedy Bookworm, starring Elijah Wood. This heartwarming and quirky film, set against the stunning backdrop of New Zealand’s landscapes, is set to make its European premiere at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest this bank holiday weekend before its release on digital platforms on 11 November.

Directed by Ant Timpson, who previously collaborated with Wood on the darkly comedic Come to Daddy, Bookworm tells the story of 11-year-old Mildred, a bright and imaginative girl who escapes her mundane suburban life through the pages of her favourite books. Her long-time dream is to prove the existence of the mythological Canterbury Panther, a legendary beast said to roam the wilds of New Zealand. When a freak accident lands her mother in the hospital, Mildred’s estranged father, Strawn Wise (played by Wood), a washed-up magician, arrives to care for her—a daughter he’s never met.

After the dark comedy Come to Daddy, New Zealand director Ant Timpson travels back to his home country with lead actor Elijah Wood for Bookworm, an adventure designed for all ages. In his introduction at the opening of Montreal’s Fantasia Film Festival, Timpson cited 1970s family movies as an inspiration and admitted he wanted nothing more than to make a good, entertaining time for audiences. That aim is apparent in every moment of Bookworm, whose odd-couple pairing of an estranged father and his precocious daughter on a camping trip gone wrong feels engineered to be a broad crowd-pleaser. But Timpson, along with co-writer Toby Harvard, prefer to take the easy way for achieving their goals, the film leaning into dated comedy and a relentless charm offensive that makes its efforts too strained to fully embrace.

The film starts with Mildred (Nell Fisher), an 11-year-old girl who spends most of...

New Zealand’s Ant Timpson has been quietly but confidently carving out quite a niche in the genre film circuit. As a writer and producer he helped birth the ABCs Of Death project, and shepherded the likes of cult classic Turbo Kid by the Rkss team and Jason Lei Howden’s wild Deathgasm.

It’s not uncommon for kid actors to be told they’re turning into big stars at their movie premieres, but such praise felt especially fitting when it came to celebrating Nell Fisher at the world debut of Ant Timpson’s “Bookworm.” The 12-year-old actor, whose other work includes Lee Cronin’s “Evil Dead Rise,” was announced earlier this week as one of a few new faces expected on screen when “Stranger Things” finally returns with Season 5 sometime next year. She’ll replace twins Tinsley and Anniston Price as Mike and Nancy Wheeler’s little sister Holly, now old enough to play a real part in vanquishing Vecna.

Greeted with a sea of awkward laughter, Fisher took a long pause when asked what she could share about the sci-fi juggernaut without getting into too much trouble.

“It’s just been so exciting, everyone’s been so lovely and welcoming, but...

The good old-fashioned family adventure is a genre unto itself, and one worth celebrating when kid-friendly films as good as “Bookworm” open events like Fantasia Fest 2024.

Director Ant Timpson and writer Toby Harvard reunite for their second scrappy feature following the 2019 cult horror hit “Come to Daddy.” This time, they’ve cast repeat collaborator Elijah Wood as a low-rent American magician and an absentee dad who is suddenly conscripted back into parental service by an emergency overseas. For this crowd-pleasing comedy, the camera finds the former “Lord of the Rings” hero once again crawling the stunning landscapes of New Zealand — only here, Wood is part of a father-daughter odd couple and, acting opposite plucky kid hero Nell Fisher, he plays against Frodo-type as neither the short nor the brave one.

In this quietly epic tale of slow-won forgiveness and mutual understanding, the not-so-mystical Shawn Wise (exquisite name) and his estranged 11-year-old,...

New Zealand’s own madman Ant Timpson returns to open the 2024 Fantasia Film Festival with his sophomore feature Bookworm, a story designed to warm your heart, break down your defenses, and make you believe in the power of magic. It’s a much more family friendly feature than I would have expected from Timpson after the rollercoaster ride of his pitch-black comedy Come To Daddy, but it’s a brilliant piece of filmmaking that further establishes his peculiar style and flair for visually stunning sequences.

While interviewing Timpson in support of Come To Daddy he explained to me that the film was, in part, an attempt to make the kind of movie that he and his father would have watched together. And I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to assume that Bookworm is the kind of movie that he would want to watch with his own kids.

My favourite festival of the year is soon to be upon us and Fantasia has another insanely brilliant line-up ready for you! Here are ten films – in no particular order – that I cannot wait to check out.

Samara Weaving in a new horror film. That’s all I need to say really but I will go on. Azrael is also written by Simon Barret and directed by E.L. Katz (Cheap Thrills) and is a post-apocalyptic survival horror. With almost no dialogue, this promises plenty of gore, action and another fantastic performance from Weaving.

In Bookworm, director Ant Timpson and Elijah Wood team-up once again (formerly in the excellent Come To Daddy), this time in a much more family-friendly movie. A camping adventure for eleven-year-old Mildred with her absent father does not impress her. But they will be searching for The Canterbury Panther in this strange and heart-warming adventure.

There’s...

The 2024 Fantasia Film Festival will open with a world premiere for Bookworm, the Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher starrer from New Zealand filmmaker Ant Timpson.

The indie reteams Wood with Come to Daddy director Timpson and saw the Lord of the Rings actor return to New Zealand for production. In Bookworm, Fisher plays a 12-year-old girl whose life is turned upside down when her long-absent American magician father (Wood) comes to look after her, and together they take an ill-advised camping trip into the rugged New Zealand wilderness to find a mythological beast that leads to increasingly absurd and treacherous adventures.

Among other new titles added to the lineup for Fantasia’s 28th edition are world bows for Alexander J. Farrell’s The Beast Within, starring Kit Harrington; Isaac Ezban’s dystopian coming-of-age tale Parvulos; and Vivieno Caldinelli’s Scared Shitless, starring Steven Ogg and Daniel Doheny.

There are also...

The world premiere of Ant Timpson’s Bookworm starring Elijah Wood will open the 28th edition of Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal running July 18-August 4.

Wood reunites with his Come To Daddy director on the story of a has-been illusionist who reunites with the 11-year-old daughter he has never met, a voracious reader who dreams of proving the existence of a mythological beast. Nell Fisher from Evil Dead Rise also stars.

Second wave selections include the world premiere of The Beast Within starring Kit Harington from Game Of Thrones. Documentary filmmaker Alexander J. Farrel’s narrative feature debut tells...

The 28th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival is set to run from from July 18th through August 4th at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas in Montreal, with additional screens and events at Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée. Last month, the festival announced the first wave of titles that will be screening this year, and now the second wave has been unveiled!

With this second wave announcement, we learn that Cube director Vincenzo Natali has been chosen to be the recipient of the Candadian Trailblazer Awards this year, while the line-up of films includes the Elijah Wood comedy Bookworm, the Kit Harington werewolf movie The Beast Within, a movie called Scared Shitless, the 1815-set blockbuster epic The Count of Monte-Cristo, and Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo’s The Soul Eater.

Here’s the information on the second wave of titles (and the Canadian Trailblazer...

The Fantasia International Film Festival returns with its 28th edition from July 18 through August 4, 2024, returning to the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screens and events at Montreal’s Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée. The second wave of programming has been unveiled, adding even more genre premieres to an already packed slate.

Come To Daddy director Ant Timpson‘s Bookworm (starring Elijah Wood and Evil Dead Rise‘s Nell Fisher) is the fest’s 2024 Opening Film. Fantasia is also hosting the World Premieres of the dark fantasy The Beast Within, starring “Game of Thrones” actor Kit Harington, Cannes’ hit The Count of Monte-Cristo, and more. The festival is also giving their Canadian Trailblazer Award to Vincenzo Natali, to be presented before the premiere of the new 4K restoration of his 1997 classic Cube.

The second wave of titles, from the press release:

Bookworm

Fantasia’s 28th...

“Norway” director Yannis Veslemes’ “She Loved Blossoms More,” which will world premiere at the Tribeca Festival, has unveiled its first teaser.

The film follows three brothers who build an unusual time machine in order to bring their long-dead mother back to life. When their delusional father comes into the picture, the experiments go awry, and they descend into a psychedelic hellscape where the past and present fuse in a comedic yet disturbing exploration of grief.

“Norway” had an extended festival run including Karlovy Vary and Fantasporto and won a Fipresci prize at Thessaloniki.

“She Loved Blossoms More” is produced by Fenia Cossovitsa (“Two Tickets to Greece”) and executive producers include Christos V. Konstantakopoulos (“The Lobster”), Ant Timpson (“Come to Daddy”) and Andreas Zoupanos Kritikos (“Knock at the Cabin”).

The cast includes Panos Papadopoulos, Julio Giorgos Katsis, Aris Balis, Sandra Abuelghanam Sarafanova, Alexia Kaltsiki and Dominique Pinon.

Veslemes is also a...

Exclusive: Signature Entertainment has picked up UK and Irish rights to Bookworm, the latest film from Kiwi filmmaker Ant Timpson (Come to Daddy) starring Elijah Wood.

Described as an “adventure comedy”, the film is produced by Emma Slade (Come to Daddy), Roxi Bull (Uproar), and Victoria Dabbs (Malevolent) of Firefly Films New Zealand and Mette-Marie Kongsved (I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore), Laura Tunstall (Nine Days) of Nowhere.

Timpson directs from a screenplay he co-wrote with Toby Harvard (The Greasy Strangler). Starring alongside Wood are Michael Smiley (Free Fire), Nell Fisher (Evil Dead Rise), Morgana O’Reilly (Housebound), and Nikki Si’ulepa (Same But Different: A True New Zealand Love Story). The film’s plot tells the story of a 12-year-old whose life is turned upside down when her estranged, washed-up American magician father comes to look after her.

The deal was negotiated between Signature Entertainment’s Chief Commercial...

While there are tons of frightening horror movies that revolve around masked killers, vengeful spirits, and otherworldly creatures, the films that truly terrify are often those that address universal fears, such as grief and loss. These types of horror movies represent how the things that we find the most daunting and fearful are often the most ubiquitous and realistic, offering some guidance about coping with existential anxieties. Familial legacy and sensitive masculinity are critical themes within director Ant Timpsons highly underrated dark comedy thriller Come to Daddy. By inverting the premise of a standard cabin in the woods style slasher film, Come to Daddy analyzes a dysfunctional father-son relationship. Despite the weightiness of the premise, Come to Daddy is not nearly as miserable as it may seem; the film incorporates more than a few hilarious inventive death scenes and features an uncharacteristically eccentric lead performance from Elijah Wood. However, the...

Launched in 2012, Kontravoid is the solo project of Cameron Findlay. Born in Canada and based now in LA, Findlay has perfected his own brand of dark pop that cruises freely through electronic music genres. With the release of the video for his latest single “Reckoning,” Findlay also showcased his love for anime. Tapping into his love of the works of Yoshiaki Kawajiri, the video provides a window into this overall influence anime has on his artistic endeavors. When an artist is so clear about their love of anime, naturally we have to talk to them! Keep reading to learn more about Findlay’s influences and see his top 10 favorite anime. Can you tell me a little about your anime journey? How it started and where you are now? Are there genres you gravitate toward? Findlay : I grew up in Toronto, and in the late ’90s/early 2000s there used...

Amazon Prime Video has an array of great movies, from recent hits like Top Gun: Maverick to classics like Shrek and Good Will Hunting. While these are films that are sure to please a demanding audience, the streaming service also has a wide range of options for viewers. Quirky movies, for instance, are perfect entertainment for those looking for something absurd to watch.

Some of the weirdest movies on Amazon, like Burning and The Vast of Night, are thought-provoking and clever, leaving the audience with an odd but entertaining plot. On the other hand, dark comedies like Come To Daddy and Rubber are so strange it's hard for the audience to look away (even if they want to). These Amazon films are the best editions to the weird collection of strange but enticing storylines.

Updated on February 15, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: Weirdness is a subjective quality, but there are some movies...

Of all of the young actors to break through thanks to the success of "Stranger Things," Sadie Sink has had arguably one of the most interesting career trajectories. Sink got her start on Broadway playing the titular role of "Annie," and had a handful of TV appearances on shows like "The Americans" and "Blue Bloods" before nabbing a main role in "American Odyssey." Unfortunately, that show only lasted one season, canceled by NBC only two days after the season finale. When Sink was cast as Max Mayfield on "Stranger Things" in season 2, she immediately became a fan favorite. Max has become the bleeding heart of the series, and her popularity even prevented show creators, The Duffer Brothers, from killing off the character in season 4 as originally planned. 

Following "Stranger Things," Sink has continued to thrive by starring in "Fear Street: 1978," Taylor Swift's short film, "All Too Well," Darren Aronofsky's "The Whale,...

Mister Smith is selling the project at Cannes.

Mister Smith Entertainment has unveiled a first look at Nell Fisher and Elijah Wood as a daughter and father in Bookworm.

It is directed by Come To Daddy filmmaker Ant Timpson, and currently in production in Canterbury, New Zealand.

Bookworm tells the story of a 12-year-old whose life is turned upside down when her estranged, washed-up American magician father, comes to look after her. It’s produced through Firefly Films and Nowhere.

“We have more meetings than in 2019”: Cannes welcomes back Asian film industry...

Evil Dead Rise actress Nell Fisher and Bad Sisters actor Michael Smiley are set to join Elijah Wood in Bookworm, a new family adventure comedy from New Zealand director Ant Timpson (Come to Daddy).

Fisher will play Mildred, a 12-year-old girl whose life is turned upside down when her estranged, washed-up American magician father, Strawn Wise (Wood), comes to look after her. Hoping to bond with the tween, Strawn takes Mildred on an ill-advised camping trip into the rugged New Zealand wilderness in a quest to find the mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther, named after the region on New Zealand’s South Island.

The project will reteam Wood with Come to Daddy director Timpson and will see the Lord of the Rings actor return to New Zealand to shoot.

“In Bookworm we’re going to put him through the wringer again, except this time he’s at the...

The first season of "Yellowjackets" left a major impact, telling the haunting story of a girls' soccer team that became stranded in the Ontario woods after a plane crash. The girls soon form cannibalistic clans, and the rest of the show follows both the stranded young women and their adult counterparts. One of the series' most complex and eerie survivors is the scheming, intelligent outcast Misty Quigley (played by Samantha Hanratty and Christina Ricci). As a young woman, Misty destroyed the plane's black box, a decision that proved pivotal to why the team stayed stranded (and the fateful events that followed). She was also responsible for a number of other choices that send the characters spiraling into chaotic directions, from stockpiling magic mushrooms to kidnappings and more. 

While Misty has often been a step ahead of the other "Yellowjackets" characters from time to time, a new casting development suggests that...

More intriguing casting news for season 2 of Yellowjackets: Showtime announced today that Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) is joining the Emmy-nominated drama.

Wood will play Walter, a dedicated citizen detective who will challenge Misty (Christina Ricci) in ways she won’t see coming. That’s all the pay network is saying about his role for now.

Wood starred as hobbit Frodo Baggins in the trilogy The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and Return of the King, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of The Rings. He will next be seen starring in the upcoming films L.A. Rush and The Toxic Avenger, a superhero comedy horror film.

Most recently he appeared in No Man of God, which he also produced, that debuted at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. Previously, he starred in Come to Daddy, along with the comedy series Wilfred and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.

Elijah Wood is joining “Yellowjackets” Season 2 in a season-long guest art, Showtime announced on Friday.

The “Lord of the Rings” star will play Walter, a dedicated citizen detective who “will challenge Misty (Christina Ricci) in ways she won’t see coming,” per a description from the network.

The series co-creators and co-showrunners, Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, recently confirmed to TheWrap that — in the contemporary storyline— Misty’s true crime skills will be put to use trying to find Natalie (Juliette Lewis), who was abducted by persons unknown in the Season 1 finale.

Also Read:

‘Yellowjackets’ Season 2 Casts Simone Kessell as Adult Lottie

Lauren Ambrose of “Six Feet Under,” and Simone Kessell of “Obi-Wan Kenobi” were recently announced for series regular roles in Season 2, as adult Van and adult Lottie, respectively. Liv Hewson and Courtney Eaton, who play the teen versions of Van and Lottie, have also been upped to series regulars.

At the time the first entry in director Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "The Fellowship of the Ring," hit theaters in December 2001, a then-20-year-old Elijah Wood had already been acting in movies for more than a decade. How would the actor elect to follow up his role in the fantasy blockbuster films as the wide-eyed ring-bearer Frodo Baggins? By playing a sleazy nerd in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," portraying a silent, cannibalistic serial killer in "Sin City," and voicing a tap-dancing penguin in "Happy Feet" (among other things).

Wood's eclectic post-"Lord of the Rings" filmography was a conscious choice on his part. In an interview with Esquire to mark the 20-year anniversary of "Fellowship" in 2021, Wood recalled just how much Jackson's fantasy-adventure trilogy came to consume his life during the years they spent making it. "My life was so defined by being in New Zealand,...

‘One Winter’ is directed by Paul Middleditch and Hamish Bennett.

Julian Dennison and Minnie Driver are set to star in coming-of-age film One Winter. Blue Fox Entertainment is handling international sales and will introduce the film in Cannes.

Principal photography begins this Summer in New Zealand, where the film is set.

One Winter is directed by Paul Middleditch and Hamish Bennett (Bellbird). James Rolleston and Erna James also star.

In 1961, the arrival of a South African rugby team sets off nationwide protests against apartheid and racism. Dennision, best known for Hunt For The Wilderpeople, plays Josh Waaka, a 17-year-old who...

Ahead of the SXSW debut of their latest film, “Slash/Back,” three of the thriller’s producers —- Scythia Films’ Dan Bekerman and Stellar Citizens’ Chris Yurkovich and Alex Ordanis —- announced the launch of the new full-service production company, Good Question Media.

Bekerman, Yurkovich and Ordanis will serve as partners and producers in the new venture, which will oversee film and television projects, supporting them from inception through distribution and packaging with the Good Question Media development fund.

As one of the very few Canada-based private equity funds, the company is uniquely positioned to access the international treaty funding systems. But that’s just one way the veteran producers aim to use their combined expertise.

“We’ve always been united in the belief that a fundamental strength of storytelling is its ability to challenge how an audience thinks or sees the world,” Bekerman, Yurkovich and Ordanis told Variety in a joint statement.

Utopia Picks Up The Last Tourist

Exclusive: Utopia has acquired rights to responsible travel documentary feature The Last Tourist and has set a March 15th digital release in the U.S. to mark the two-year anniversary of the pandemic closing the world’s borders to international travel. The film will also have its U.S. premiere on March 8th at Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Directed and written by Tyson Sadler and executive-produced by Bruce Poon Tip, the founder of community tourism pioneer and adventure operator, G Adventures, the movie features Dr. Jane Goodall, Lek Chailert, Gary Knell, Meenu Vadera and Jonathan Tourtellot. The documentary, which was awarded with the Special Jury Prize for Social Impact by the Canadian Documentary Jury at the Calgary International Film Festival, examines the history of modern tourism and offers a critique on its current state of affairs. It explores issues including animals suffering for entertainment,...

While I was mentally prepared to stay inside for most of 2020, like many others, I wasn't necessarily expecting to be staying inside for most of 2022 as well. I can't wait to get back to in-person events when it's safe next year and I'm super excited that one of my favorite horror events has announced its return to New Orleans in 2022! Below, we have the official announcement that The Overlook Film Festival will return to its in-person format in 2022 (with a vaccine and mask policy in place) and that festival passes are now on sale.

The Overlook Film Festival — a four-day celebration of all things horror — will be making its triumphant return to New Orleans, taking place June 2 through June 5, 2022. The festival will showcase exciting work in new and classic genre cinema, live events, and its trademark interactive activities. A summer camp for horror fans, Overlook welcomes its audiences to enjoy...

In news that is bound to excite fans, Elijah Wood has thrown his hat in the ring to join the Marvel or Star Wars franchises. Elijah Wood is currently busy promoting his upcoming crime drama, No Man of God, and recently talked to Entertainment Tonight. Wood revealed how he'd like to be a part of a big-budget film like a Marvel or Star Wars movie. Here's what he said.

"I think that's just inherently fun. I haven't had a chance to play in a giant sandbox in a while...Star Wars gets precedent because I'm a huge Star Wars fan. So more of that, certainly in the live-action sphere, would be awesome. But working on a Marvel film, I mean, there's obviously a whole conversation that happens certainly in film Twitter about sort of the cinematic relevance of Marvel. Is it cinema? All this sort of sh*t. And whether...

Folks, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but Elijah Wood is making some of the best work he’s made in years, whether it’s behind the camera or in front. Long past his days in the ‘Rings’ franchise, Wood has acted in underrated (and admittedly strange) features recently like “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore” and last year’s “Come to Daddy.” And as a producer, he’s worked on features such as “Mandy,” “Color Out of Space,” “The Greasy Strangler,” and “Daniel Isn’t Real.” All that to say, don’t sleep on Mr.

Continue reading ‘No Man Of God’ Exclusive Clip: Elijah Wood Is An FBI Agent Opposite Ted Bundy In New Drama at The Playlist.