News

Issa Rae is driving toward her next feature project.

The Emmy-nominated actress is set to produce and star in director Ninian Doff’s comedic thriller Good People, Bad Things. MRC is financing the movie that counts Rae’s Hoorae banner and Present Company Inc. as producers.

Good People, Bad Things focuses on Rae as a stressed-out woman who finds herself lost in an apparently infinite parking garage and soon realizes she is not alone. The film marks Rae’s third MRC project following 2020’s The Lovebirds and 2023’s American Fiction.

Doff is helming the movie from his own script. His previous credits include the horror-comedy feature Get Duked! and the Grammy-nominated video for the Chemical Brothers’ “We’ve Got to Try.”

Producers for Good People, Bad Things include Rae, Laura Tunstall, Stephanie Wilcox and Montrel McKay. Executive producing is Sara Rastogi for Hoorae, along with Michelle Craig and Piero Frescobaldi.

Exclusive: MRC is set to finance Good People, Bad Things, a new comedic thriller produced by and starring Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Issa Rae (Insecure).

Written and directed by Scottish filmmaker Ninian Doff (Get Duked!), the film follows an overwhelmed woman (Rae) who gets lost in a seemingly infinite parking garage and soon discovers she is not alone. The project will be Rae’s third with the studio, following Cord Jefferson’s recent Oscar winner American Fiction and Netflix comedy The Lovebirds.

Laura Tunstall and Stephanie Wilcox will produce under their and Doff’s new banner Present Company Inc., along with Rae and Montrel McKay for Hoorae. Hoorae’s Sara Rastogi is exec producing alongside Michelle Craig and Piero Frescobaldi.

Best known for creating and starring in HBO’s Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated comedy Insecure, Rae has most recently been seen starring opposite Emma Corrin and Awkwafina in “Hotel Reverie,...

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The most romantic season of the year is finally here, and as the temperature cools down, Netflix has the perfect way to bring the heat. We are talking about its collection of spicy romantic comedy movies featuring salacious scenes and a lot of hilarious comedy. So, here are the best R-rated romantic comedy movies on Netflix you should check out right now.

Trainwreck Credit – Universal Pictures

Trainwreck is a romantic sex comedy film directed by Judd Apatow from a screenplay by Amy Schumer. The 2015 film follows Amy Townsend, a promiscuous and free-spirited young woman working as a magazine writer. When she is tasked with writing about a prominent orthopaedic surgeon named Aaron Conners, she finds herself attracted to him despite her fear of relationships. Trainwreck stars Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Colin Quinn, John Cena, Tilda Swinton, and LeBron James.

Margot Robbie leads the critically acclaimed Barbiemovie, and it features plenty of notable faces in the supporting cast as well. For the most part, the characters are directly inspired by toys that have been released over the years or are original Barbie movie characters. Of course, this means that the long-beloved Mattel toys Barbie and Ken are not just two people.

Instead, the Truman Show-esque Barbieland is populated with plenty of Barbies and Kens. Still, each character has its place in the story, and they all help make this version of Barbieland vibrant and memorable. Most of these characters are portrayed by familiar faces for fans to look for.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on March 7, 2025: Following the smash success of the first live-action Barbie movie in 2023, all eyes are on Greta Gerwig as she works toward making a sequel. While news on this front is still scarce, fans know...

Kumail Nanjiani is joining Hulu’s “Hularious” line-up with his own special.

It will mark Nanjiani’s second special in more than a decade. It’s produced by ITV America, Winter Coat (Nanjiani’s production company) and TheYearOfElan. Nanjiani will serve as an executive producer alongside Elan Gale and Bernie Schaeffer.

The special will premiere domestically on Hulu and internationally on Disney+, with the release date and additional details to be announced at a later date.

In 2024, Nanjiani launched his stand-up comedy tour, Kumail Nanjiani: Doing This Again across North America and Europe.

Nanjiani’s upcoming acting gigs Peacock’s Poker Face and in Ella McCay from 20th Century. His past work include Marvel’s The Eternals, Fox’s The X-Files, NBC’s Community, Disney’s Obi-Wan, Men In Black: International, Stuber, The Lovebirds, Migration, and Fist Fight.

His first comedy special was “Beta Male” that aired in 2013 on Comedy Central.

Issa Rae has revealed that fans of her HBO comedy series Insecure are demanding that she reshoot the series finale. The star admits “people are really mad” about the way the series wrapped up.

Insecure concluded in 2021 after achieving a Primetime Emmy Award win and multiple Golden Globe nominations, but some fans are apparently unsatisfied with how the show ended. The show’s series finale revolved around Rae’s character Issa Dee finally making a decision about her future with longtime love interest Lawrence (Top Gun: Maverick’s Jay Ellis) after he’d fathered a child with another woman, Condola (The Last Ship’s Christina Elmore).

Issa Rae Says Insecure Fans are Demanding More Episodes

This HBO Miniseries Based on a 39-Year-Old Real-Life Disaster Is Still Horrifyingly Relevant Today

The nuclear disaster at Chernobyl was terrifying, but what it revealed about the political system that allowed it to happen was even more chilling.

Exclusive: Following the success of the Amazon film The Idea of You, Anne Hathaway and director Michael Showalter have found their next big project to team up on. Hathaway is set to star in Amazon MGM Studios’ upcoming feature Verity, which Showalter is helming. Based on the No. 1 New York Times bestseller by Colleen Hoover, the current script is written by Nick Antosca. Prior drafts were penned by Hillary Seitz, Angela Lamanna, and Will Honley & April Maguire. Sources say the film will be released in theaters.

Producers for the project include Eat the Cat’s Antosca and Alex Hedlund, Semi-Formal Productions’ Showalter and Jordana Mollick, Somewhere Pictures’ Hathaway, Heartbones Entertainment’s Hoover and Shiny Penny Stacey Sher. Heartbones’ Lauren Levine will executive produce. The film will fall under Semi-Formal Productions’ first-look film deal with the studio.

The story follows, Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who is on the brink of...

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Trouble is a Swedish action crime comedy film directed by Jon Holmberg who also co-wrote the screenplay with Tapio Leopold. The Netflix film follows the story of a clumsy divorced electronic salesman who is wrongfully convicted of murder and sent to prison. To prove his innocence he escapes from prison with other convicts. Trouble stars Filip Berg, Amy Deasismont, Eva Melander, Måns Nathanaelson, Dejan Čukić, Joakim Sällquist, and Sissela Benn. So, if you loved the blend of crime and comedy, compelling characters, and a thrilling story in Netflix’s Trouble here are some similar movies you should check out next.

The Lovebirds (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Netflix

The Lovebirds is a romantic crime comedy film directed by Michael Showalter from a screenplay co-written by Aaron Abrams and Brendan Gall. The 2020 film revolves around a young couple...

Illumination's 'Migration' features an impressive cast of Hollywood legends and young stars. The 2023 animated film is a sweet family adventure tale set in New England and New York City. Cast members include Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Awkwafina, and more.

The characters in Migration are voiced by Hollywood legends, young stars, and renowned comedians, making it one of Illumination's most impressive casts, resulting in various achievements. The 2023 animated adventure comedy is Illumination's first original movie that isn't a sequel or based on a pre-existing franchise in eight years, and its accomplishments prove that, with a great cast, new ideas can still succeed. Of course, the cast is exciting and boosts the film, but Migration is also a sweet adventure tale that families can enjoy together. Consequently, Migration received positive reviews and grossed almost $300 million against a $72 million budget.

Migration revolves around a family of ducks living in Moosehead Pond in New England.

Exclusive: Comedian Catherine Cohen announced on Tuesday that her new special, Come for Me, is set to premiere globally on Veeps at approximately 5pm Pst on Thursday, October 17.

Part stand-up comedy, part cabaret, Come for Me is billed as an openly glamorous, decidedly horny exploration of what it means to be a woman entering her 30s. Check out a trailer above.

The special is Cohen’s second on the heels of The Twist …? She’s Gorgeous, which premiered on Netflix in 2022. That hour was based on a show performed at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival in 2019, which won her the coveted title of Best Newcomer.

Filmed at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City, her new hour will be free for Veeps All Access subscribers. Cohen wrote and performed it, with Kevin Garcia serving as its director, and Matt Sergent and Patrick Koch producing. Exec producers include Cohen and Cait Taylor,...

The Dcu has several projects in active development, including a live-action ‘Booster Gold’ TV series. James Gunn recently confirmed that the show is in active development but won’t begin production in the near future.

Despite this, rumors about casting the lead role have been circulating. Due to their connections with Dcu head James Gunn, both Antony Starr and Chris Pratt have been linked to the role of Booster Gold.

NexusPoint News has reported that Kumail Nanjiani has been cast as Booster Gold. However, it’s advisable to approach this news with caution as they haven’t provided substantial evidence to support the claim, apart from a vague social media post that suggests Nanjiani may now be involved with the Dcu.

In. https://t.co/rWnlfk5Ips

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) July 12, 2024

The development of ‘Booster Gold’ has been lengthy, dating back to its initial order by the SyFy channel in...

Dcu has plenty of projects currently being in development and actively being worked on, and one of them is a live-action ‘Booster Gold’ TV series. Recently, James Gunn revealed that the show is being actively worked on but it’s not going to go into production anytime soon.

Still, this didn’t stop the rumors related to casting the titular character from spreading, and due to their connections to the Dcu head, James Gunn, both Antony Starr and Chris Pratt were connected to the character.

Now NexusPoint news reports that Kumail Nanjiani was cast as Booster Gold, but take this with a grain of salt considering that they failed to provide significant evidence to support the claim besides one X post that seems to imply that Nanjiani is now a part of a Dcu.

In. https://t.co/rWnlfk5Ips

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) July 12, 2024

The development of ‘Booster Gold’ has...

The Idea of You ranks third on a new streaming popularity chart for the week of May 2 8. The rom-com stars Anne Hathaway as a 40-year-old single mom who begins a relationship with the much younger lead singer of a popular boy band. The Idea of You has earned mostly positive reviews from critics, with Hathaway's performance proving to be a particular highlight.

The Idea of You starring Anne Hathaway becomes a streaming hit after releasing earlier this month. Directed by Michael Showalter, The Idea of You stars Hathaway as Solne, a 40-year-old single mother who finds herself in a surprising romance with Hayes (Nicholas Galitzine), the lead singer in a world-famous boy band. The film hit Prime Video earlier this month and earned a strong 83% on Rotten Tomatoes.

New streaming data from Reelgood now reveals that The Idea of You was the third most streamed title for the week of...

Anna Camp and Griffin Matthews have been cast in “You” Season 5 at Netflix as series regulars, Variety has learned exclusively.

The pair are the latest additions to the cast of the popular show’s fifth season, which will also be its final season. It was previously announced that Madeline Brewer would also appear in a series regular role.

Camp will play both Raegan and Maddie Lockwood, twin sisters-in-law to Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley). The characters are described as follows: “Raegan is the cunning, cutthroat CFO of the Lockwood Corp who has her eyes on the throne and will crush any adversary…be them family or not. Maddie, on the other hand, presents as the unserious twin, a thrice-divorced socialite whose job is ‘vaguely PR.’ But make no mistake, a master manipulator lies underneath Maddie’s frivolous façade.”

Matthews will play Teddy Lockwood, described as the “snarky yet loyal brother-in-law of Joe Goldberg.

Rom-coms are a staple of cinema and have been for decades. Right alongside action movies and horror flicks, these tales of romance infused with humor are often there to help anchor any given year at the movies. Yet, they are often viewed as nothing more than popcorn movies; the cinematic equivalent of empty calories. Director Michael Showalter's "The Idea of You" is here to remind us that these movies can be so much more than that. At their best, they can be illuminating experiences that shed meaningful light on the human condition. Thanks in no small part to a stellar performance by Anne Hathaway and a star-making turn for Nicholas Galitzine, this is the genre at its best.

The film centers on Solène (Hathaway), a 40-year-old single mom who has to chaperone her teenage daughter's trip to the Coachella after her ex-husband bails at the last minute. There, she...

Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine star in the trailer for Michael Showalter’s new film. Watch the first The Idea Of You trailer here.

Based on Robinne Lee’s 2017 novel of the same name, The Idea Of You finds Anne Hathaway falling for a much younger pop-star.

Prime Video has released the very first trailer for the film, which is also the closing night film at the SXSW festival later this month.

Take a look at the The Idea Of You trailer.

The film is directed by Michael Showalter who is no stranger to compelling rom-coms. Showalter previously directed The Big Sick and The Lovebirds among other titles. He also directed Jessica Chastain to a Best Actress win for her performance in Showalter’s The Eyes Of Tammy Faye.

Nicholas Galitzine stars as Hathaway’s much younger love interest Hayes, who is part of the popular boy band August Moon.

Spring is right around the corner (thank god for that), which means romance will be in the air! What better way to celebrate than by watching the trailer for a movie where Anne Hathaway plays a hot mom who falls in love with a younger pop star? In "The Idea of You," Hathaway is a woman who takes her teen daughter to Coachella. I know, I know — that sounds like a fate worse than death. But don't worry — there's love to be had! Because while at the extremely hip music festival, Hathaway's character strikes up a romance with a 20-something guy who happens to be the lead singer of a pop boyband.

It sounds a little bit like fanfiction, but the new film is actually based on the novel of the same name by Robinne Lee, who based the pop singer character in part on Harry Styles. The new trailer...

Kumail Nanjiani has joined “Only Murders in the Building” Season 4 at Hulu, Variety has learned exclusively.

Nanjiani will appear in a recurring role that is mostly being kept under wraps, though an individual with knowledge of the situation says his character will be integral to this season’s investigation.

Nanjiani joins previously announced new Season 4 cast members Eugene Levy, Eva Longoria, and Molly Shannon. Meryl Streep is also set to reprise her role from Season 3. The series is led by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez.

Plot details are scarce for the new season, aside from the fact it is known the three main characters will make a trip to Los Angeles before returning to New York. Martin, John Hoffman, Short, and Gomez all executive produce “Only Murders in the Building” along with Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal. It was created by Martin and Hoffman. 20th Television is the studio.

In the late nineties and early 2000s, romantic comedies were incredibly popular, with many A-List stars having romantic comedies as part of their filmographies. In the early to mid-2010s, however, the rom-com started to see a noticeable dip in quantity and quality, particularly when it came to theatrical releases.

With the theatrical release of Crazy Rich Asians in 2018, the romantic comedy has slowly started to make a comeback. Studios have begun pushing out more rom-coms, both theatrically and through streaming. With the box office success of Anyone But You, it is evident that the rom-com is here to stay. The last five years have seen a significant rise in romantic comedies, with fresh and compelling narratives, and, of course, on-screen chemistry at the forefront.

Related 10 Best High School Romance Movies Over the years, cinema has captured the magic of first love, heartbreak, and first times in movies like 10 Things I Hate About You.

Michael Showalter’s “The Idea of You” will close out this year’s South by Southwest Film & TV Festival. The film stars Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine and centers on Solène, a 40-year-old single mom who begins an unexpected romance with the 24-year-old lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet.

Showalter is a familiar face at the Austin-based SXSW, having debuted or screened numerous projects including “Hello My Name Is Doris,” which won the Audience Award in 2015, and “The Big Sick,” which won the Audience Award in 2017. He also presented episodes from his TV series “Search Party,” and had planned to debut his 2020 rom-com “The Lovebirds” at the festival, only to have those plans scuttled by the Covid pandemic.

In “The Idea of You,” Solène must step in to chaperone her teenage daughter’s trip to the Coachella Music Festival after her ex bails at the last minute.

The romance adaptation “The Idea of You” will close out the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival.

Anne Hathaway returns to her rom-com roots with the film, directed by Michael Showalter. Hathaway stars as a 40-something single mother who gets another chance at love with a 24-year-old rock star (Nicholas Galitzine) while at Coachella. The film is based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Robinne Lee.

The 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival takes place March 8 through 16, with “The Idea of You” as the Closing Night selection. The festival opens with “Road House” (despite director Doug Liman not planning to attend) and Opening Night TV Premiere “3 Body Problem,” the epic Netflix series co-created by David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo. The Centerpiece Screening is David Leitch’s “The Fall Guy” starring 2024 Oscar nominees Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. The world premiere of Pamela Adlon’s “Babes,” co-written by Ilana Glazer,...

The Lovebirds co-stars Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani announced the SAG Award nominees, with the films that make up the Barbenheimer phenomenon each earning four nominations. Succession leads the pack with five nominations, including best drama ensemble and individual acting nods. Several notable omissions from the nominee list include Leonardo DiCaprio, Fantasia Barrino, and Natalie Portman.

On Wednesday morning, The Lovebirds co-stars Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani announced the complete list of Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award nominees via Instagram Live. With Academy Awards nominations less than two weeks away, there's special attention on the SAG Award nominees list. While all major awards shows may provide some clues about what the Oscars race will look like, that statement is most accurate when looking at SAG Award nominees and winners. Historically, the major film awards are typically the same at both ceremonies, as actors make up the largest voting branch of...

The Screen Actors Guild has announced the nominations for its 30th annual SAG Awards. On the film side, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” the two films that ruled over the summer box office, lead nominations with four nods each, including ensemble cast. In the TV categories, “Succession” led with five nominations, followed by comedies “The Bear” and “Ted Lasso,” and fellow HBO drama “The Last of Us,” each receiving four nods.

The nominations were announced January 10 by Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani, reuniting via Instagram Live after starring together in the 2020 Netflix comedy “The Lovebirds.” Prior to that, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher kicked off the virtual announcement with an introduction, and SAG Awards committee members Jason George and Woody Schultz followed with the nominations for stunt ensembles.

The 2024 SAG Awards will take place on February 24, streaming live on Netflix, its new network home.

Below, see the full list of this year’s nominations.

Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani are set to announce the nominees for the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will be revealed on Jan. 10.

The nominations will be announced on Instagram Live on the SAG Awards and Netflix accounts beginning at 7 a.m. Pt/10 a.m. Et. SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher will kick off nominations morning with an introduction.

This marks the fourth year that the SAG Awards nominations will be exclusively announced on Instagram Live. “The SAG Awards aims to utilize the innovation and community of social media channels to create an authentic connection with their audience by reimagining the nominations announcement as a seamless, virtual experience for both nominees and fans,” according to the press release.

Last year, Emily in Paris star Ashley Park and The White Lotus star Haley Lu Richardson announced the nominees.

Rae and Nanjiani, of course, starred together in 2020’s The Lovebirds, a film directed by Michael Showalter.

Melissa Moore’s autobiography Shattered Silence inspired the podcast Happy Face, and now the podcast is getting a Paramount+ streaming series adaptation! Annaleigh Ashford – whose credits include B Positive, American Crime Story, and Masters of Sex – has signed on to star in the series, with Michael Showalter on board to direct the first episode.

I mainly know Showalter from an actor in projects like The State and Wet Hot American Summer, but his TV directing credits include episodes of Search Party, Love, Grace and Frankie, In the Dark, The Shrink Next Door, The Dropout, and I Love That for You. He has also directed the feature films Spoiler Alert, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, The Lovebirds, The Big Sick; Hello, My Name Is Doris; and The Baxter.

Happy Face will see Ashford taking on the role of Melissa, who at age 15, discovered that her beloved father was the prolific serial killer known as “Happy Face.

Star Wars is one of the most iconic movie and TV franchises and has experienced continual growth over the past decades. Initially created by George Lucas, the new Star Wars content upholds his legacy through the genius storytelling and cinematic experiences that producers such as Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau offer on-screen. As the release of Star Wars TV shows becomes more and more frequent, it makes it harder to fully appreciate every single detail that these series have to offer.

Actors playing the more prominent roles in the Star Wars TV shows, such as Pedro Pascal and Ewan Gordon McGregor, often take away from the less-relevant characters. There are, therefore, a multitude of brilliant actors who are forgotten in the Star Wars TV shows. From Neil Patrick Harris to Liam Neeson, Star Wars has a lot of talent to offer.

Sophie Thatcher Takes a Break From the Horror Genre...

Many movies that were originally planned for theatrical release during the pandemic ended up as direct-to-streaming releases and should be re-released in theaters in 2024. Films like "The Lovebirds," "Palm Springs," and "Enola Holmes" found success on streaming platforms but would benefit from a theatrical re-release to reach their full potential. "Greyhound" and "The Trial of the Chicago 7" had the potential for box office success but were released directly on streaming platforms due to the pandemic. A re-release in theaters in 2024 would give these films the attention they deserve.

Plenty of movies that were supposed to come out in theaters during the pandemic ended up as direct-to-streaming releases and so many of them deserve to be re-released in 2024, so audiences can experience them the way the filmmakers intended. From big-budget blockbusters to smaller indie movies, the list of films that did not make it to theaters as planned is huge and,...

Barbie may be everything, and Ken is just Ken, but what about the people in the Real World they meet along the way? Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, based on the popular dolls, is a hyper-stylized take on the Mattel toys that sees the titular doll journey from Barbie Land to the Real World on a quest of self-discovery.

This movie definitely looks the part, but it wouldn’t be what it is without its incredible all-star cast full of award-winning actors and familiar faces. Here’s what you need to know about the Barbie characters and the actors who play them.

Margot Robbie is Barbie

In addition to producing the movie, Margot Robbie plays a Barbie doll who has an existential crisis and is forced to go on a journey from Barbie Land to the Real World to find answers. She’s everything, but is that enough? Robbie is most...

Releasing on Netflix after its 2016 debut on HBO, Insecure is an acclaimed comedy-drama driven by well-written characters and strong performances from cast members. Set in Los Angeles, Insecure follows the life of a young African American woman named Issa Rae. From her experiences of working at a non-profit organization to her pursuit of finding meaningful relationships, the show walks through it all in its five-season runtime. While Insecure's primary appeal comes from its relatable depiction of a 29-year-old woman's struggles who navigates the last of her 20s, its storyline is held together by the powerful performances of its cast members.

Considering how Insecure's cast plays a crucial role in making it a compelling comedy-drama, it is not surprising that Issa Dee has won several accolades for playing Issa Rae in the series. Not only has she received two Golden Globe Award nominations for her performance in Insecure but...

“Who are we going to trick into making our bats–t movie?”

That’s the question Adele Lim said she faced as she and her partners puzzled over how to get their travel comedy “Joy Ride” made. The answer, the “Crazy Rich Asians” writer said at the movie’s SXSW premiere, where her film got a warm reception, turned out to be Lionsgate. “Joy Ride” — which follows a young Asian woman who travels to China with her friends on a business trip — became a highlight at Lionsgate’s CinemaCon presentation in April.

After years of seeming to fear the funny, Hollywood studios like Lionsgate are making a concerted effort to bring live-action comedies back to theaters. The problem is that comedy now pervades theatrical genres. Superhero movies, romantic stories and horror movies all seem to require a wink and a nudge these days. With so many ways to get a chuckle,...

After a decade-long friendship, comedy producers David Bernad and Todd Schulman finally put together their hidden-camera comedy expertise to make Amazon Freevee’s viral success “Jury Duty.”

The executive producers of the overnight hit mockumentary combined their talents for the improvised-scripted sitcom. Bernad and Schulman began with the idea to hone in on sitcom genre tropes and create a story about an isolated individual amongst a cast of actors as they served on a sequestered jury.

The two have had successful stints with unconventional comedy subgenres, most recently within the improvised-scripted sphere. Schulman worked with Sacha Baron Cohen on “Who Is America?” and Bernad teamed with Eric Andre on “Bad Trip.” Prior to “Jury Duty,” Schulman served as executive producer on “Borat,” “Bruno,” “The Lovebirds” and “The Dictator,” while Bernad executive produced “The White Lotus,” “Superstore,” “Uncharted” and “White House Plumbers.“

Since “Jury Duty’s” ending, audiences have embraced star...

In a week when distributors and exhibitors reconvene for their annual Las Vegas meet-up CinemaCon and celebrate the post-pandemic resurge of the box office, the motion picture industry is also bracing for a potential Writers Guild of America strike.

With production and deal-making slowing down — especially with 98% of WGA West and WGA East members authorizing a strike if a fair new film/TV deal isn’t met by the May 1 deadline — how could that possibly dent the box office boom, one Gower Analytics projects will result in an estimated $32 billion globally, up 24% from last year, and $9 billion stateside, up 200%?

Just as a majority of exhibitors are getting back on their feet financially after Covid’s great shutdown of 2020-21, studio sources outlined a worst-case scenario to Deadline should the WGA strike span more than four months.

In short, the theatrical release calendar would see several date changes for pics, as soon as Q4 this year.

Exclusive: Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect triology) has joined the cast of Peacock’s coming-of-age thriller Hysteria ! as a series regular.

As Deadline previously confirmed exclusively, the series will additionally be led by Julie Bowen, Emjay Anthony, Chiara Aurelia, Kezii Curtis and Nikki Hahn.

Written and executive produced by Matthew Scott Kane, Hysteria! explores America’s dark history of mass hysteria through the shocking story of the teenage Satanic Panic. The series follows a group of 1980s high school misfits as they exploit the growing hysteria around teen occult activity.

Per the logline, When a beloved varsity quarterback disappears during the “Satanic Panic” of the late 1980s, a struggling high school heavy metal band of outcasts realize they can capitalize on the town’s sudden interest in the occult by building a reputation as a Satanic metal band, until a bizarre series of murders, kidnappings, and reported “supernatural activity” triggers...

(Clockwise from bottom left): The Incredible Jessica James (Netflix), To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (Netflix), Notting Hill (Screenshot), Someone Great (Netflix) Graphic: The A.V. Club Netflix’s ever-expanding library has been good news for lovers of that most delightful of film genres: the romantic comedy. While the...

Exclusive: Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect) and Justin Bartha (National Treasure) are among the stars set for the upcoming comedy Nuked, which Deena Kashper wrote and is directing, in her feature debut.

The film watches as several couples gather at a luxurious estate for a cannabis-infused birthday dinner party — only to get sudden phone alerts about a nuclear missile headed straight for them. Their stress and panic unfolds into a wake-up call for everyone involved.

Others set for the pic, produced by Tandem Pictures and Hardball Entertainment, include Lucy Punch (Motherland), George Young (Falling for Christmas), Tawny Newsome (Star Trek: Lower Decks), Ignacio Serricchio (Lost in Space), Maulik Pancholy (30 Rock), Stephen Guarino (Eastsiders) and Natasha Leggero (Broke). The film being made with sustainable production practices is currently being shot in Arkansas.

Julie Christeas (Black Bear) is producing for Tandem, with Daryl Freimark (House of Darkness) of Hardball. Bartha is exec...

Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired worldwide rights to “Unexpected,” an offbeat comedy starring Anna Camp, Joseph Mazzello, Neil Flynn and Ryann Shane. The movie is currently in post-production. Blue Fox Entertainment will distribute the film in North America and launched worldwide sales in Cannes.

“Unexpected” centers around music critic Bob, who is struggling with a demotion, addicted to Zoloft and trying to wrangle the menagerie of animals that his wife Amy has accumulated.They face a crossroads. Will adopting a baby cure their existential angst? Or should they rescue another duck?

Camp’s credits include “Pitch Perfect” and “The Lovebirds.” Mazzello has appeared in “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “The Social Network.” Flynn’s resume includes “The Middle” and “Scrubs.” Shane has appeared in “Banshee.” The movie is directed by David Hunt, an actor who has appeared in “Homeland” and “Mad Men,” and was written by Rodney Vaccaro.

Patricia Heaton, of “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “The Middle,...

Apparently, it was discussed, but Tom Cruise appearing as a variant of Iron Man in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was never a real possibility.

“Few Marvel movies have had as many rumors surrounding them as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. At some point, in some corner of the internet, basically, any Marvel character you can imagine was rumored to be appearing. Now that the film is in theaters, we saw that some of that actually came true. The biggest rumor did not though, but there’s more to the story.”

Read more at Gizmodo

A new trailer for Netflix’s Hustle has been released, finding Adam Sandler caught up in another NBA drama, but no magical gems are lying around this time.

“Netflix has dropped off the official trailer for its upcoming LeBron James-produced basketball movie Hustle, starring Adam Sandler. The film, which also stars Queen Latifah,...

The "Barbie" movie at Warner Bros. is continuing to add members to its cast, signaling that the studio is all-in on trying to make this movie about the classic toy a big hit. Or, at the very least, they're stacking the deck in their favor as much as humanly possible. To that end, two new cast members have joined the growing ensemble in the form of Michael Cera and Issa Rae.

People was the first to break the news of the casting, though no further details on who either Cera or Rae are playing was provided at...

The post Greta Gerwig's Barbie Movie Adds Michael Cera, Issa Rae appeared first on /Film.

We can thank "Saturday Night Live" for Netflix's latest bout of creativity. The streamer caught the newest episode of the show - hosted by Jerrod Carmichael - this past weekend, and took notes on a sketch that inspired the platform to add a new category for its subscribers.

"SNL"'s music video-themed sketch - which featured cast members Pete Davidson and Chris Redd, as well as actor Simon Rex and guest performer Gunna - proposed a campaign to only make "short ass movie[s]." To which Netflix quoted-tweeted a video of the sketch on April 4 and wrote "good idea" alongside a link to their newest page also titled, "Short-Ass Movies."

What Is Netflix's "Short-Ass Movies" Category?

Per Netflix's website, the "Short-Ass Movies" category includes a lengthy list of films that roughly have an air time of 90 minutes. The page is also organized by genres such as comedies, rom-coms, thrillers, action,...

Exclusive: Anders Holm, Whitney Cummings, Catherine Cohen, Casey Thomas Brown, Maya Zapata (Selena’s Secret), Fernando Carsa (Acapulco) and Ricardo Esquerra (Narcos: Mexico) have joined Diego Boneta and Monica Barbaro in the cast of At Midnight, a Paramount+ original film from director Jonah Feingold, which has entered production in Mexico.

At Midnight is a romantic comedy about two people who do their best not to fall in love. It’s centered on Alejandro (Boneta), who lives a predictable life according to plan, and Sophie (Barbaro), a beautiful rising movie star with an unreliable celebrity boyfriend. During a visit to Mexico’s beach to shoot scenes for her new movie, Super Society, Sophie falls in love with the hotel manager. Neither...

Issa Rae, the award-winning actress, producer, writer and director, will be this year’s recipient of the Producers Guild’s Visionary Award, which honors those “who share inspiring, uplifting stories that add unique value to society and culture.” It will be presented to her in person at the 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards on March 19 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

“Issa makes us excited for the future of television,” PGA presidents Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher said in a joint statement. “With her series Insecure, she achieved the highest levels of comedy, perspective and performance possible, and her sharp wit and distinct voice will undoubtedly continue to drive quality entertainment featuring underrepresented voices. Beyond Issa’s prolific work, she is a role model and inspiration to the next generation of creatives through her mentorship programs like ColorCreative, and more recently, Project Greenlight. We are thrilled to honor Issa this year.

“Insecure” creator and star Issa Rae has been named the recipient of the Producers Guild Awards’ 2022 Visionary Award.

The Visionary Award honors producers across television, film or new media who share inspiring, uplifting stories that add unique value to society and culture. Past recipients include: Octavia Spencer, Kenya Barris, Ava DuVernay, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner’s Plan B Entertainment, Illumination Entertainment’s Chis Meledandri, Laura Ziskin and Participant Media’s Jeff Skoll.

Rae first garnered attention for her web series and subsequent best-selling book, “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.” She created and stars in HBO’s “Insecure,” which just concluded its fifth and final season in December. Rae has received multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the show. On the film side, Rae appeared starred in “The Hate U Give” and “The Lovebirds.”

Up next, Rae is developing several projects under her overall deal with HBO and HBO Max,...

In “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Andrew Garfield and Jessica Chastain play Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, the self-styled Christian TV personalities who did more than anyone else to mold televangelism into a game-changing, culture-shaking, credit-card-maxing industry/cult/diversion. The movie, which is a ticklishly fascinating rise-and-fall saga, was directed by Michael Showalter, who almost always makes comedies, so you might expect him to treat the Bakker saga as a delicious slice of kitsch — which, in a sense, it was.

There’s a bit of that, but Showalter is up to something more sly, and maybe more artful. In “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” he gives Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker the full dignity — and scandal — of their humanity. He knows that a lot of people think of the Bakkers as walking caricatures, and that in the case of Tammy Faye, with her infamous troweled-on ’60s-raccoon-from-Maybelline clown-freak makeup, she verged on self-parody.

Issa Rae has become a bit of a household name in recent years. But even though the actress has landed high-profile films such as “The Lovebirds,” “The Photograph,” and a supporting role in the upcoming “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse” sequel, she really broke out thanks to her series, “Insecure.” And like all great things, eventually “Insecure” has to come to an end.

Continue reading ‘Insecure’ Final Season Teaser: Issa Rae’s Breakthrough HBO Comedy Series Comes To An End This Fall at The Playlist.

Paramount has shaken up its theatrical release schedule. Two anticipated sequels slated for release this fall, “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Jackass Forever,” will instead be released next year, while “Mission: Impossible 7” has been moved from May to November of 2022.

Deadline reported that the move came after Paramount decided the current pandemic conditions would not be ideal for the launch of the tentpoles. It’s the latest sign that the Covid release-date shuffle that has plagued movies for the last year-and-a-half is far from over.

“Top Gun: Maverick,” the first sequel for the 1986 Tom Cruise actioner, was slated for release in June 2020, but that’s been changed several times. Most recently it was set for a pre-Thanksgiving release on November 19.

It is now dated for Memorial Day weekend next May, the most recent slot for another Tom Cruise action film, the seventh installment of “Mission: Impossible.” Now that movie will...

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced the 395 artists and executives that have been invited to join this year — about half the number of last year’s class. The 2021 class is comprised of 46% women, 39% underrepresented ethnic/racial communities and 53% international from 49 countries outside the United States. Of the 395 invitees, 89 are former Oscar nominees, including 25 winners.

Eight individuals have been invited to join by multiple branches and must select one branch upon acceptance. They include Leslie Odom Jr, Kaouther Ben Hania, Craig Brewer, Lee Isaac Chung, Emerald Fennell, Shaka King, Alexander Nanau, Florian Zeller.

Other big names among the newly invited include Walt Disney CEO Bob Chapek, “Promising Young Woman” original screenplay winner Emerald Fennell and “Minari” stars Steven Yeun, Ye-ri Han and recently crowned supporting actress Yuh-Jung Youn.

In the directing category, new invitees include Janicza Bravo, Nia DaCosta, Cathy Yan, Darius Marder, Michael Almereyda, Lizzie Borden,...

Oscar winner Yuh-Jung Youn, who took Supporting Actress in April for Minari, along with a number of her recent fellow acting nominees including Maria Bakalova, Andra Day, Vanessa Kirby, Leslie Odom Jr., Paul Raci, and Steven Yeun, are among the new class of 395 artists and executives who have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. A number of other recent winners and nominees including both of the latest screenwriting victors, Emerald Fennell and Florian Zeller, Music Score winner Jon Batiste, and all three writers of Oscar winning song “Fight For You” including H.E.R. are also on the list from the 17 branches of the Academy. Overall, there are 89 Oscar nominees, including 25 winners, among the new class. 46% are women, 39% underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 53% coming from countries outside of the U.S. this time around.

Although receiving an Oscar and/or a nomination is a big plus,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has extended invitations for 395 artists and executives working in film to join the ranks of a growing membership of more than 9,000 film industry figures. Per AMPAS, “membership selection decisions are based on professional qualifications, with representation, inclusion and equity remaining a priority of Academy Aperture 2025.”

Statistically, the 2021 class is comprised of 46 percent women, 39 percent underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 53 international members from 49 countries outside of the United States. Among the new class are 89 Oscar nominees and 25 winners, including “Minari” Best Supporting Actress winner Yuh-jung Youn, Best Actor nominee Steven Yeun, multi-nominated director/writer Lee Isaac Chung, and co-star Ye-ri Han, plus “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” Best Actress nominee Andra Day, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” Supporting Actress nominee Maria Bakalova, “Pieces of a Woman” Best Actress nominee Vanessa Kirby, and Supporting Actor nominees Leslie Odom Jr. (“One Night in Miami”) and Paul Raci...

Oscar-nominated actors Leslie Odom Jr., Maria Bakalova and Steven Yeun are among the 395 people who have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy announced on Thursday.

Also on the list of invites: actors Yahya Abdul-Mateen, Nicole Beharie, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Carrie Coon, Laverne Cox, Andra Day, Vanessa Kirby, Nathan Lane, Jonathan Majors, Robert Pattinson and Issa Rae; directors Lee Isaac Chung, Sean Durkin, Emerald Fennell, Jonathan Glazer, Shaka King, Darius Marder and Florian Zeller; and musicians Jon Batiste, H.E.R., Janet Jackson and Emile Mosseri.

Eight people were invited by two different branches: Chung, Fennell, King, Zeller, Kaouther Ben Hania and Craig Brewer were invited by both the directors and writers branches, while Alexander Nanau was invited by the directors and documentary branches, and Odom Jr. by both the actors and music branches. If they accept the invitations, double invitees must choose a single branch...

Exclusive: Ashley Marks has joined Sony Pictures as VP of Casting, covering all of the studio’s labels including Columbia Pictures, 3000 Pictures, TriStar, Screen Gems, Affirm Films and Sony Pictures Animation.

She will report to Sanford Panitch, President, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group.

Marks comes from working with McCarthy/Abellera Casting on films by Lord & Miller, Working Title, Likely Story and Judd Apatow as well as TV series by Lorne Michaels, Paul Feig, Sam Esmail, Elizabeth Banks, Bj Novak and Rob McElhenney.

Her feature credits Stuber, Yes Day, Peppermint, The Lovebirds and the upcoming Home Alone reboot as well as TV series such as Mythic Quest, Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens, and Smilf.

Marks began her career at Telsey and Company where she went on to work for 5th House Casting, among others before finding her position with McCarthy/Abellera Casting.