News

It’s difficult to build new franchises if studios aren’t interested in releasing original titles. Nonetheless, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon CEO Brian Robbins is making the pivot anyway. In a months-spanning profile in Variety, the exec discussed the uncertain financial situation in the media environment in the aftermath of the pandemic and in the midst of writers and actors strikes. In order to mitigate the increasing economic headwinds, Paramount has decided that it is going all-in on franchises and will move away from releasing new, original animated movies.

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Paramount Global is the mega media house that owns CBS; cable channels like Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, MTV, and Showtime; and the premium streaming service Paramount+. As one of the heaviest hitters in media, the company has gone through its fair share of changes in the past year.

As we once again come upon the end of another summer in film, we find ourselves looking forward to the films scheduled for release in the fall of 2022. While there are quite a few notable releases coming our way, some may end up being pushed to the 2023 slate. But, as in previous years, there should be something to interest everyone over the next four months.

The list below gathers all of the titles we know (at least at the moment of this writing) that are coming to theaters (or streaming services) between September and December. Remember, these dates are subject to change. So, as dates change, and time permits, we’ll amend our list so that you can bookmark CinemaNerdz’s list and use it as a reference for the Fall/Winter Movie Release Schedule. Remember to let us know in the comments section below what movies you’re looking...

Before Spider-Man: No Way Home dominates the world this weekend and 2022 sets in, Sony has moved its David Leitch directed Brad Pitt action movie Bullet Train and Hello Sunshine production Where the Crawdads Sing to July, respectively July 15 and July 22.

Bullet Train was previously scheduled on April 8 next year, while Crawdads was on June 24.

Bullet Train travels away from a weekend where it was squaring off with Paramount’s event feature Sonic The Hedgehog 2 to a weekend where there aren’t any major studio films scheduled. The Leitch movie will be booked on premium large format screens.

On its new date, Crawdads goes up against Paramount Animation’s Under the Boardwalk and the Jordan Peele directed horror movie Nope. On Where the Crawdads Sing’ old date was, the pic was up against Warner Bros.’ Baz Luhrmann movie Elvis and a Universal Blumhouse movie. Based on the Delia Owens novel,...

Shondaland has tapped veteran PR exec Alyssa Schimel as Vice President of Communications and Marketing, and promoted longtime Shondaland development exec Marco Esquivel to VP Creative Content.

Schimel will be responsible for communications oversight and marketing strategies for all Shondaland content including broadcast and streaming, Shondaland Audio, Shondaland,com, consumer products, merchandise and live events.

Prior to joining Shondaland, Schimel spent five years at Kovert Creative overseeing programming- and content-focused clients as well as working across lifestyle, sports and brand clients. She also spent six years at Pmk*Bnc working in the agency’s television department. Her previous clients include Jimmy Kimmel Live!; Bill Simmons’ The Ringer.com; TBS’ Wipe Out, Animal Kingdom and The Last Og; Jax Media; SNL’s Aidy Bryant; Apple TV+’s The Problem with Jon Stewart; Adult Swim’s Tuca and Bertie; and the American Veterans Center.

As VP Creative Content, Esquivel will work with...

In one of Brian Robbins’ first major moves as Paramount Pictures President and CEO, he has brought in one of his top lieutenants at Nickelodeon, Ramsey Naito, to lead the film studio’s animation division in addition to her current duties as President of Nickelodeon Animation. Naito’s new title will be President, Animation & Development, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, with the expansion of her portfolio mirroring that of Robbins, who also remains President and CEO of Nickelodeon. Mireille Soria, President of Paramount Animation, is leaving.

“Ramsey is one of the savviest executives and creative minds in our industry,” Robbins said. “During her time at Nick, she has transformed and reinvigorated the Animation Studio division with her sharp business instincts, deep stable of relationships and unique eye for great storytelling, and I’m thrilled to have her bring her talents to this expanded role where she can further elevate our overall animation business.

In what has been heavily expected in the wake of Jim Gianopulos’ departure from Paramount as CEO and Chairman, the studio’s Motion Picture President Emma Watts is leaving the Melrose lot. Deadline has confirmed the news.

Watts has been in the position since July 20, 2020, and rejoined with her former Fox Boss Gianopulos to rebuild Paramount in the wake of dwindling Transformers’ and Star Trek box office revenues and expensive plays from the Brad Grey and Rob Moore era at the studio. The fruits of her labor will be realized next year on the 2022 release calendar, God willing they all remain on the big screen.

Watts’ departure comes at a time when ViacomCBS is pivoting to putting reportedly putting more of its movies on streaming service, Paramount+. Nickelodeon chief Brian Robbins was put in charge by ViacomCBS Chairman Sheri Redstone to take on Gianopulos’ duties and catapult the media conglom into the Ott age.

General manager Chris Burn said he expects other UK VFX companies will follow suit.

The decision by leading UK visual effects (VFX) house Double Negative (Dneg) to pay overtime to its staff for the first time has been described as “transformative” by Chris Burn, the company’s London-based general manager.

The move highlights both the competitiveness of the sector and the high potential for burnout of the people who work within it.

From October, Dneg will go against industry norms and pay overtime at a rate of 1.5 times the normal hourly salary to all UK staff in non-management positions. The...

Exclusive: Tenet and Dune VFX firm Dneg has promoted Tom Jacomb to President, Dneg Animation.

Previously serving as Managing Director, Jacomb helped launch the Feature Animation division at Dneg in 2014. Based in London, he has guided the growth of the team to more than 500 employees across Dneg’s animation studios in London, Los Angeles, Montréal and Mumbai.

In his new role as President, Jacomb will oversee further worldwide investment and expansion of Dneg Animation, including expansion into Vancouver and the creation of up to 100 new animation roles in the city.

Jacomb’s promotion to President is effective concurrently with the appointment of five new members of Dneg Animation’s team and the studio’s expanding slate of new feature film and episodic animation productions.

The five hires comprise: Freddy Chaleur (Sherlock Gnomes) and Yancy Lindquist (The Boss Baby) joining Dneg Animation’s team of VFX Supervisors, which includes Philippe Denis,...

Trevor Noah is staying in the Viacom family for his next creative endeavor, an untitled feature film with Paramount Animation, Variety has learned exclusively.

The untitled project is based on an original idea from Noah. The plot is under wraps but is said to be timely, poignant and comedic. Jonathan Groff (“Black-ish”) and Jon Pollack (“Modern Family”) are set to write the script. Noah will produce via his Day Zero Productions, with his president of production Haroon Saleem.

Norman Aladjem, Derek Van Pelt and Sanaz Yamin will also serve as producers via Mainstay Entertainment.

Noah, who began in stand-up, rose to fame as the host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central. The comedy-news hybrid has found new resonance amid the pandemic and social unrest of 2020.

He is repped by CAA, Mainstay Entertainment, Day Zero Productions, Jill Fritzo PR and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, & Gellman L.

Universal, which already had July 22, 2022 RSVP’ed on the theatrical release calendar, is designating that as the day to open Jordan Peele’s next horror event title.

Between the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s Get Out and Us, his directed genre fare has minted a combined $510.5 million worldwide for the studio.

The news comes in the wake of Warner Bros saying Monday that Fantastic Beasts 3 will be debuting the weekend prior on July 15, 2022; a weekend that the Burbank, CA studio also already had on hold for an untitled feature.

Peele keeps the details of his genre movies under wraps. Both titles have touted socially conscious themes pertaining to race and society. Get Out won Peele an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

Peele’s new movie will share the weekend with Paramount’s musical animated feature Under the Boardwalk.

Delivering a keynote presentation on the opening day of Tiffcom, Paramount Pictures chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos said that the Hollywood studio is adapting to the pandemic-era reality.

Speaking Wednesday morning (local time), Gianopulos attempted to strike a generally positive note, while also detailing the problems the pandemic has posed for Paramount in particular and the industry as whole. The Tiffcom market, an adjunct to the Tokyo International Film Festival, runs Nov. 4-6, 2020.

In common with other Hollywood majors, Paramount was forced to shut down production as Covid-19 took hold early this year, beginning with an action sequence for the next “Mission Impossible” film that was scheduled to be shot in Venice. It has also had to push back releases to 2021, including “A Quiet Place II” and “Top Gun: Maverick.”

But work on Paramount’s animated features has proceeded since animators can work in relative isolation. Upcoming animation titles include “Under the Boardwalk,...

Earlier this summer, Paramount Pictures partnered with New Republic on “Mission Impossible: 7” and eight other movies.

New Republic, led by veteran producers Brian Oliver and Bradley Fischer, announced that it had closed a co-financing deal that included “The Tomorrow War,” “Infinite,” Michael B. Jordan’s “Without Remorse,” Eddie Murphy’s “Coming 2 America,” “Transformers 7,” “The Tiger’s Apprentice,” “Clifford the Big Red Dog” and “Under the Boardwalk.”

Oliver has spent the coronavirus pandemic getting productions into development and prepping for a restart. As America slowly reopens, Oliver provides insight about how he navigated the pandemic, setting deals up and expresses his concerns about insurance and bonds when it comes to film production.

Looking back to March, how did the lockdown impact your productions?

We had a couple of productions that were about to start, they got shut down. As a company, we focus most of our time in development, and...

Paramount Pictures is receiving financial aid from New Republic Pictures on a pair of Tom Cruise projects — “Mission: Impossible 7” and “Top Gun: Maverick” — and eight other movies.

New Republic, led by veteran producers Brian Oliver and Bradley Fischer, announced Thursday that it had closed a co-financing deal that will also include “The Tomorrow War,” “Infinite,” Michael B. Jordan’s “Without Remorse,” Eddie Murphy’s “Coming 2 America,” “Transformers 7,” “The Tiger’s Apprentice,” “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” and “Under the Boardwalk.”

Nrp recently co-financed Paramount’s “Rocketman.” Fischer previously produced “Shutter Island” and “Zodiac” with the Paramount team.

“Following the box office and critical success of ‘Rocketman,’ we are thrilled to be partnering with Paramount on a number of their upcoming projects. The studio has been producing an enviable slate of commercially exciting, quality films, leveraging their storied library, talent relationships and creative instincts to cultivate existing franchises while launching new ones,...

New Republic Pictures (Nrp) has closed a multiple picture co-financing deal with Paramount Pictures, producers Brian Oliver and Bradley Fischer announced on Thursday.

Nrp will partner with the studio on 10 upcoming movies, including “Mission: Impossible 7,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “The Tomorrow War,” “Infinite,” “Without Remorse,” “Coming 2 America”, “Transformers 7,” “The Tiger’s Apprentice,” “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” and “Under the Boardwalk.”

“Following the box office and critical success of ‘Rocketman,’ we are thrilled to be partnering with Paramount on a number of their upcoming projects,” Fischer said in a statement to TheWrap. “The studio has been producing an enviable slate of commercially exciting, quality films, leveraging their storied library, talent relationships and creative instincts to cultivate existing franchises while launching new ones.”

Also Read: Jake Gyllenhaal, Riva Marker's Nine Stories Production Company Signs First-Look Deal With New Republic Pictures

“We look forward to continuing this fruitful relationship and working closely with Jim,...

Pact covers Mission: Impossible 7, Top Gun: Maverick, Coming 2 America.

Brian Oliver and Bradley J. Fischer’s New Republic Pictures (Nrp) has signed a long-gestating, multi-title co-financing deal with Paramount Pictures.

Nrp will partner with the studio on 10 features: Mission: Impossible 7, Top Gun: Maverick, The Tomorrow War, Infinite, Without Remorse, Coming 2 America, Transformers 7, The Tiger’s Apprentice, Clifford The Big Red Dog, and Under The Boardwalk.

Back in May 2018 Screen was the first to report that Nrp had struck a first-look co-financing and distribution pact with the studio that kicked off with Rocketman.

Paramount released that film...

Brian Oliver and Bradley Fischer’s New Republic Pictures closed a multi-picture co-financing deal with Paramount Pictures. Nrp will partner with Paramount on 10 pictures, including: Mission: Impossible 7, Top Gun: Maverick, The Tomorrow War, Infinite, Without Remorse, Coming 2 America, Transformers 7, The Tiger’s Apprentice, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Under the Boardwalk. The idea is to broaden a relationship which gives Paramount more cash to make movies.

“Our shared success with our partners at New Republic in last year’s ‘Rocketman’ marks only the very beginning of what we know we can achieve as a powerhouse team bringing top-notch films—unrivaled in storytelling and cinematic quality—to audiences everywhere. We are thrilled to be in business together for the long haul,” said Paramount Pictures’ Chief Operating Officer Andrew Gumpert

Nrp recently co-financed the Academy Award-winning Rocketman, for which Elton John and Bernie Taupin won the Oscar for “Best Original Song.

The entertainment industry is still nowhere near back to normal, and studios are trying to adjust to the new state of things in any way they can. Recently, Paramount announced a massive reshuffling of the release dates for some of their biggest upcoming movies, including Top Gun: Marverick, A Quiet Place Part II, and Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Upcoming Paramount Release Dates:&#8226 1. A Quiet Place 2: Previously September 4, 2020 (wide), is now April 23, 2021 (wide).&#8226 2. Top Gun: Maverick: Previously December 23, 2020 (wide), is now July 2, 2021 (wide).&#8226 3. Jackass 4: Previously scheduled July 2, 2021 (wide), is now September 3, 2021 (wide).&#8226 4. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is announced for April 8, 2022 (wide).&#8226 5. Under the Boardwalk: (previously Untitled Paramount Animation) will open July 22, 2022 (wide).&#8226 6. The Tiger's Apprentice: Previously February 11, 2022 (wide), is now February 10, 2023 (wide).

It comes as no surprise to see Paramount pushing their movie release slate to mid-2021 and early-2022. In fact, it would be surprising if...

It was only a matter of time before the big studios took another look at their release schedules and decide to delay and move back some of 2020’s biggest film releases.

Hot on the heels of Warner Bros removing Christopher Nolan’s Tenant from their schedule, now the likes of Disney, Marvel, Paramount and Sony have all made the move to hold on to their blockbusters until the US and the rest of the world aren’t so embroiled in the ongoing spikes of Covid-19.

Also in news – Taron Egerton set to star in film about the legal battles behind the game ‘Tetris’

Here’s a breakdown of the latest films to take a hit.

Mulan – Initially down for release on March 27, it was pushed to July 24th then August 21st – Now Disney have removed the live-action remake from the schedule completely. Avatar Sequels – The first of the sequels was...

Dramatic move follows Disney schedule changes.

After Disney’s schedule shuffle on Thursday (July 23) Paramount executives rounded out a dramatic day and announced they were pushing A Quiet Place Part II and Top Gun Maverick into spring and summer 2021.

John Krasinski’s horror sequel A Quiet Place Part II had been set for September 4 – which industry observers have speculated may become the new slot for Warner Bros’ Tenet – and has been pushed to April 23, 2021.

Tom Cruise vehicle Top Gun Maverick was due to open on December 23 and fans will need to wait until July 2, 2021.

“We truly believe that there is...

As part of a series of updates to its slate, Paramount Pictures announced that its planned sequel to “Sonic the Hedgehog” will be released in theaters on April 8, 2022.

The studio also announced release dates for two other upcoming animated films: “Under the Boardwalk,” a new production from Paramount Animation releasing on July 22, 2022; and “The Tiger’s Apprentice,” a co-production of Paramount Animation and Skydance Animation starring Henry Golding and set for release on February 10, 2023.

“Sonic the Hedgehog” set a domestic opening weekend record for a video game adaptation with $58 million, going on to gross $146 million domestically and $306 million worldwide. The film was unable to get a release in China back in February due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but this past week received a July 31 release date in the lucrative Asian market as theaters have begun to slowly reopen.

Also Read: 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Sequel in Development at Paramount...

Fans will have to wait until next year to see the sequels to “A Quiet Place” and “Top Gun.”

Both movies were part of a release date shakeup from Paramount on Thursday night. “A Quiet Place Part 2,” starring John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, will release in theaters on April 23, 2021, instead of Sept. 6, 2020. “Top Gun: Maverick,” a sequel to Tom Cruise’s 1986 classic, will take flight on July 2, 2021, nearly six months after its original date of Dec. 23, 2020.

“We truly believe that there is no movie-viewing experience like the one enjoyed in theatres,” said Paramount’s president of domestic distribution Chris Aronson, and president of international theatrical distribution Mark Viane. “We are committed to the theatrical experience and our exhibition partners, and want to stress that we are confident that, when the time comes, audiences everywhere will once again enjoy the singular joy of seeing Paramount films on the big screen.”

Along with Thursday’s announcement,...

The release-date change landslide continues today following AMC’s announcement that they’re reopening in mid-to-late August with Paramount’s A Quiet Place 2 leaving Labor Day weekend for April 23, 2021 and now their Skydance co-production Top Gun: Maverick vacating Dec. 23 for July 2, 2021. In regard to the latter, hey, it was always a summer movie.

So what’s going on here? I hear Mulan is waiting to see what happens with Tenet before resurfacing on the schedule from sources. Then I hear buzz that Disney is contemplating a Disney+ drop ultimately for the film. Seriously, no one knows what the hell is going on right now with movie theaters. So many mixed messages, especially with AMC kicking off the day at 5:30Am Pst that they’re reopening cinemas in mid-August. Well, what now with nothing opening over Labor Day?...

Lifetime’s remake of the classic 1988 tearjerker Beaches aired Saturday night — with Broadway star Idina Menzel and Big Momma’s House Nia Long stepping into the iconic roles of entertainer C.C. Bloom and her aristocratic Bff Hillary Whitney — made famous on screen by Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey.

The made-for-tv movie did an excellent job of capturing the ups and downs of a 30-year friendship, staying true to most of plot points in the Garry Marshall feature and Iris Rainer Dart’s original book. (Spoiler alert: that death is still there, and it’s just as devastating).

But there...

Warning: Spoiler alert! If you've never watched Beaches, read at your own risk.

We still haven't stopped crying 30 years after Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey starred in late director Garry Marshall's crushing cult classic Beaches.

Now, with Frozen star Idina Menzel playing Midler's iconic "C.C." Bloom role and Nia Long as her ailing best friend, Hillary Whitney, the gut punch of a weepie has returned thanks to a Lifetime remake (hey, ladies and gay men, it's not bad!) to offer new generations of sad-movie lovers years of sloppy sobfests.

Though the 1988 dramedy's themes of friendship, loyalty and loss remain intact, check out some of the major changes made to this contemporary take on the ultimate chick flick.

1. No Letter Writing Because 2017 and Smartphones

Good ol' letter writing was a delightful pastime -- and one of Beaches' now-nostalgic charms -- until email, iPhones and smiling poop emojis forever changed communication. Though we never...

Songs On Screen: Tributes by writers to their favorite musical moments from TV and film. Check out all the entries in the series here. I remember the day my mother and sister discovered that I had not yet seen the movie, Beaches. Back in 2001, I was 13-years-old, and we were all hanging out in the kitchen as Jewish families do, noshing on chips, talking about nothing important, when all of a sudden, they audibly gasped, and hands swung to their chests, devastated at the news. “Where do you think the song, ‘The Wind Beneath My Wings,’ comes from?” my older sister, Jessica, asked. “I don’t know,” I said, getting defensive. “It’s just another love song, right? I like ‘The Rose’ better anyway.” “No, no. I mean, yes, that’s great, too. But you need to see Beaches,” Jessica shook her head. I was a freshman in high school...

Los Angeles, Aug 5: Actor Bruce Willis has ruled out any chance of going behind the mike to sing a song in future.

The "Die Hard" actor had done a successful cover version of famous song "Under the boardwalk" in the late 1980's. The track, which was originally sung by The Drifters in 1964, made Willis reach number two positions in Britain's singles countdown.

The 58-year-old also sung his version of soul classic "Respect Yourself", but now cannot hear himself singing, reports femalefirst.com.

"I shout in key. There are a lot of really good singers in the world and I'm very happy to let them handle that. I just can't.

After the Vulture editors spilled on their all-time Songs of Summer, commenters came rushing to share their own nostalgic favorites. Here, a selection of the sunblock-scented nominations. Mmmbop Hanson, 1997 “This is slightly embarrassing because I was a bit old for it even then, but I really remember MMMBop from one particularly nice summer. And it was Everywhere.” —Volvican Under the Boardwalk The Drifters, 1964 “I grew up at the Jersey shore. We girls waited for the boys from ‘the city’ to come down for summers in Manasquan.” —suepler Over My Head Fleetwood Mac, 1975 “When I listen to it, I still hear, in the deep background, crickets and cicadas, and I still see fireflies over the prairie, even though I live in L.A. and I haven’t actually seen fireflies in 30 years.” —zoulou I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) The Proclaimers, 1988 “The summer I was a nanny in Annapolis,...

Top 10 Sarah Dobbs 21 Feb 2013 - 07:17

Sarah lists the geeky stars who shouldn't give up the day job when it comes to launching their music career...

Everyone dreams of being a rock star, don’t they? Most of us have had a go at playing air guitar, or singing into our hairbrushes, even if we wouldn’t inflict our dubious musical talents on other people. There’s just something irresistibly glamorous about the idea of being a famous musician. So much so, apparently, that even celebrities aren’t immune to the siren call of the rock ‘n’ roll dream. Here are ten geek actors who’ve tried, and largely failed, to launch a secondary career as musicians…

Bruce Willis

Before Bruce Willis became a bona fide action hero due to 1988’s Die Hard, he had a go at being an R’n’B star. He was already a recognisable face...

From Die Hard to the Whole Nine Yards, we seek out the best on-screen moments from the man who first teamed up 'yippee-kay-aye' with an unpublishable obscenity

An action hero who's equally at home in comedy roles and straight drama, Bruce Willis has been an A-lister for 25 years. While his presence in a film isn't necessarily always a sign of quality, he's starred in enough modern classics for all but the most mean-spirited to forgive him the occasional Look Who's Talking Now.

Here are five of our favourite moments from Bruce Willis's filmography, including recommendations from @guardianfilm Twitter followers @AudreyLang_, ‏@We_Are_Conclave, ‏@dkschaeche and ‏@RalphGurnsey. What would you add to the list?

1. Pulp Fiction

If you rearranged Pulp Fiction into chronological order, this would be the final scene – Butch and Fabienne riding out of town on Zed's chopper. Who's Zed? "Zed's dead, baby – Zed's dead."

Reading on mobile?...

While many know me for my Heathers obsession, few know how it came to be -- that it wasn't just my blind following of all things Christian Slater. I was led to the darkly comic and wonderful movie by a short pre-film trailer on another vhs -- Under the Boardwalk. Ever see it?

It was a wonderfully terrible and immensely lovable (to me) film that means all things summer and youthful to my reminiscing heart. It's the story of two rival surfers, and how the artsy sister of the one (Danielle von Zerneck as Allie) falls for his super-cute rival (Richard Joseph Paul). Brian Wimmer played a fellow surfer dude, and there was a silly side story with Keith Coogan as the straight-laced cousin who comes to visit and falls for Gitch, Roxana Zal's "half girl, half bitch." I had enough sense to know it wasn't a great movie,...