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Unlike other holidays such as Christmas and Halloween, there aren’t too many great St. Patrick’s Day movies — with the possible exception of The Fugitive, an obscure Irish horror-comedy and one of the creepiest Disney movies ever made. But there are a number of solid St. Paddy’s Day-themed TV shows, one of the most memorable being The Simpsons’ “Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment.”

The Season Eight episode begins in mid-March, when Bart accidentally gets drunk during Springfield’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. After being urged to “think of the children,” officials soon discover that prohibition has actually been on the books for 200 years, making alcohol illegal in Springfield under “penalty of catapult.”

As a result, Moe’s Tavern becomes a speakeasy, “Moe’s Pet Shop,” and Homer begins living a double life as a bootlegger known as the “Beer Baron.” And not even the steely lawman Rex Banner can stop him.

Far too often these days, fantasy settings in anime are just fodder for power fantasies. However, some fantasy anime prefer to travel down a darker path. These series feature characters who've been horrendously wronged and become singularly driven by revenge.

Fantasy anime series focused on revenge often take place in dark fantasy settings, allowing viewers a break from the usual high fantasy featured in most series. While these can occasionally veer into being needlessly edgy, the best series are cathartic. Great revenge storylines push fans to think about the downsides to giving oneself over to such an all-consuming emotion, or at least offer the enjoyment of seeing a target of revenge finally get what they deserve.

Kaze no Stigma Sees a Mage Return to His Family After Being Exiled Stream Kaze no Stigma on CrunchyrollImage via Gonzo

Kaze no Stigma follows the story of Kazuma Kannagi, a member of a...

“Reeling” opens with a long, ominous one-shot in which the familiar experience of returning home takes on a strange, uncanny hue. Ryan (Ryan Wuestewald) arrives at his family’s Oahu estate, after an unspecified time away. As the camera trails behind him and he walks the ground of the homestead, he encounters a parade of family friends who greet him warmly, and who he looks at almost like they’re aliens. Even his siblings, Meg (Nikki DeParis) and John (Hans Christopher), are treated with initial hesitation before they (re)introduce themselves. As a quiet panic becomes obvious in Ryan’s eyes, the happy return begins to feel like a nightmare.

Executive-produced by Werner Herzog, whose influence can be felt in the film’s mix of improv and scripted scenes, “Reeling” frequently pauses the narrative to observe the young, attractive party at the celebratory luau Meg throws for her birthday, as they play volleyball,...

It's taken a while, but it feels like we're hitting peak "Star Trek: Voyager" nostalgia these days. It was not always like this: On the heels of "The Next Generation" movies and the sprawling war saga of "Deep Space Nine," the premise of "Voyager," which hurled a Federation ship to the other side of the universe where it presumably would encounter nothing familiar, wasn't as compelling. Initial new aliens like the Kazon were duds, and when the show tried to course-correct, it may have overdone it on the Borg storylines. For the first time, but not the last, it began to feel like there was too much "Star Trek."

However, fans have been going back to "Voyager" and discovering it more old-school charms since the streaming era kicked in -- and especially during the pandemic lockdown.The animated "Star Trek: Prodigy" serves as a sequel of sorts, bringing back multiple...

Grand Theft Hamlet is now streaming exclusively on Mubi worldwide.Grand Theft Hamlet (2024) tells the radical tale of a band of artists who stage a virtual production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet inside the online video game Grand Theft Auto. But it’s hardly the first time filmmakers have messed with Shakespeare’s great Dane.Host Rico Gagliano learns the history of Hamlet on screen, with help from the movie’s cocreators, Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane, director Michael Almereyda, and Rico’s own playwright father.Listen to the special episode below or wherever you get your podcasts.Apple PodcastsSpotifyMore...

‘Jungle Emperor Leo’ or ‘Kimba the White Lion’ as it is known in the US and many countries around the world, is a Japanese animation classic for a number of reasons. Its universal message of peace makes it a timeless classic. Additionally, its roots in the Japanese manga tradition and the involvement of influential filmmakers have ensured that it has had a profound influence on future artists.

Jungle Emperor Leois streaming on Jff Theater until 2025/05/01 11:00:00 [Jst]

The white lion cub Leo, born in captivity, has big shoes to fill as his father Panja was the emperor of the jungle. Panja was a very brave leader and protector of the jungle animals until the moment he died. Leo’s mother wants her son to honor his father’s legacy and urges him to escape. He sets out on an adventurous journey where Leo encounters various challenges and adversaries, including rival predators and human threats.

Exclusive: Luke Thallon is in good company when it comes to playing Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Toby Stephens, Alex Jennings, David Tennant, and Paapa Essiedu are just a few of the actors who have taken on the melancholy royal for the RSC.

Ben Kingsley gave his Hamlet at Stratford-upon-Avon Upon Avon in 1975. When Richard Attenborough couldn’t decide who to cast to portray Mahatma Gandhi in his epic movie Gandhi, he remembered Kingsley’s interpretation of the Dane. The rest is Academy Award history.

Ben Kingsley in 1975 Royal Shakespeare Company production of ‘Hamlet’. Jay Cocks Studio Collection/Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Now it’s Thallon’s turn.

He’s unknown outside of the theatre world. But within it, he’s celebrated and adored, because he can, seemingly effortlessly, take on any role from a young grabby and grubby Roman Abramovich in Peter Morgan’s play Patriots,...

From holding more than 280 film credits to becoming the oldest musician to hit the Billboard Charts, Sir Christopher Lee has left a profound impact on earth. Known as one of the world's greatest, most versatile actors. The late Sir Christopher Lee has left a profound mark in every aspect of the entertainment industry and held a just as profound legacy outside of it. His exploration of many aspects of life has rightfully earned him the unofficial title of the man who completed life’s every side quest. Born in the Belgravia district in Central London, Lee attended Wellington College, studying Ancient Greek and Latin, until the age of 17 to volunteer in the Finnish army during the Winter War though didn’t see combat. When his stepfather went bankrupt causing his mother to divorce him and forcing Lee to get a job as an office clerk before joining the Royal Air...

Since leaving the world of galactic warfare and space wizards behind, Daisy Ridley has built quite an impressive resume for herself. From portraying the lead role in Ophelia, a reimagination of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" to playing Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel, in her biopic Young Woman and the Sea, Ridley has hopped across genres.

Her next movie, Cleaner, is an action flick that is being compared with the Die Hard series. She is playing Joey, a window cleaner who is also an ex-soldier. The official synopsis revealed that the movie will be set in a London skyscraper that gets hijacked by a group of criminal activists trying to expose an energy company's corruption at their annual gala. One extremist crosses the line and tries to murder everyone in the building, and it falls to Ridley's character - who will be suspended 50 floors up,...

Andrew Scott’s Off-Broadway production of Vanya is adding more dates to the run due to demand.

The one-man show, starring and co-created by Scott, will now begin performances one day early, on March 10, and extend an additional week through May 11, 2025. The play is scheduled to open March 18 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.

This marks the American premiere of the production, which sees Scott taking on every character in an adaptation of the classic Chekhov drama, Uncle Vanya. The play comes to New York after a West End run in 2023 and a filmed live capture of the show.

Scott devised the show with adaptor Simon Stephens, designer Rosanna Vize and director Sam Yates. Rehearsals began in London this week.

The play, which has eight characters, sees an older professor and his younger wife visit their rural estate, which is run by their family members Vanya and Sonya. After various flirtations,...

Every "Star Trek" fan has a favorite Captain, to varying degrees of actual rank. It might be James T. Kirk, it might be Benjamin Sisko. For a lot of us, it's hard to overcome the legacy of Jean-Luc Picard, formerly of the Enterprise-d. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" star Sir Patrick Stewart introduced himself with chilly efficiency at first, a man seemingly so rigid that having an empath around made sense. But Picard, like the rest of his crew, was flawed and human. Behind the noble French-English veneer was a man with a lifetime of troubled relationships, and a soul scarred deep by the Borg.

Picard brought with him quirks that became fandom legend, like the Picard Maneuver, which seems him snappily tugging at his tunic whenever he gets out of his chair, or the barked words "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot," at irregular intervals. He also brought us one of...

Robert De Niro won his second Oscar in 1981 for playing a boxing champ in Raging Bull. And now he has been chosen as the acting champ when it comes to Academy Awards.

His performance for the Martin Scorsese film from 1980 has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Actor winner ever, according to a Gold Derby ballot cast by 21 of our film experts, critics, and editors, who ranked all 97 male leading actors.

Anthony Hopkins finished second for The Silence of the Lambs (1991), with Marlon Brando following in third for The Godfather (1972). Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood (2007), and Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) rounded out the top five.

At the bottom of the list of the Best Actor winners is Warner Baxter for In Old Arizona (1928). George Arliss in Disraeli (1929), Lionel Barrymore for A Free Soul (1930), Paul Lukas for Watch on the Rhine (1942), and Paul Muni for The Story of Louis Pasteur...

Robert De Niro won his second Oscar in 1981 for playing a boxing champ in Raging Bull. And now he has been chosen as the champ of all actors.

His performance for the Martin Scorsese film from 1980 has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Actor winner ever, according to a Gold Derby ballot cast by 21 of our film experts, critics, and editors, who ranked all 97 male leading actors.

Anthony Hopkins ranked second for The Silence of the Lambs (1991), with Marlon Brando following in third for The Godfather (1972). Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood (2007), and Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) rounded out the top five.

At the bottom of the list of the Best Actor winners is Warner Baxter for In Old Arizona (1928). Just above that film performance in the rankings are George Arliss in Disraeli (1929), Lionel Barrymore for A Free Soul (1930), Paul Lukas for Watch on the Rhine...

David Dastmalchian, the actor known for his roles in Late Night With the Devil, The Boogeyman, and The Suicide Squad, has expressed his wish to play DC's most popular villain, the Joker. Although Dastmalchian has enough credits to his name to claim the title of one of modern cinema's most exciting performers, the actor says that embodying the Joker is one of his "career dreams."

Per a report by Collider, Dastmalchian was present at the Saturn Awards, where he was asked about his diverse roles in newer films. In recent years, his career has grown, but Dastmalchian has been around for more than you can imagine. His film debut was in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight playing one of the Joker's henchmen, Thomas Schiff. Since then, he has starred in major blockbusters like Dune, The Suicide Squad, and Oppenheimer. Ironically, his debut was in a movie led by the...

Joe Alwyn hopes to reconnect with Taylor Swift? (Photo Credit – Koimoi)

Joe Alwyn is heading to Hollywood to promote his latest film, but sources reveal that he’s also hoping to reconnect with his ex, Taylor Swift, despite her new high-profile profile romance with NFL star Travis Kelce.

The actor, who shared six years with Swift, is not expecting a romantic reconciliation but apparently wants to catch up and reflect on their time together.

Joe Alwyn arrives in style to #ParisFashionWeek.

One of the first things that fans tend to point out in Kieran Culkin’s family drama Succession is how hilarious it is. Be it the constant ‘F*ck Offs’ from Brian Cox’s Logan Roy or lead star Jeremy Strong’s cringy rap song about his on-screen father, the show has multiple memorable moments that lend itself to hilarity.

However, the debate is on about whether Succession is a comedy or a drama (or a dramedy). Despite the funny instances, it is not along the same veins as say, Hacks or Abbott Elementary and has more dramatic conflicts than comedic. While fans have been debating this, actor Jeremy Strong reportedly even expressed the same to Culkin.

Kieran Culkin’s image of Succession was reportedly Jeremy Strong’s fear Kieran Culkin in Succession | Credits: HBO

When one sees Kieran Culkin in his off-screen appearances, it is very hard to discern...

With the Dcu introducing an all-new continuity based on DC characters, it's probably just a matter of time before the next version of the Clown Prince of Crime is introduced. When the time comes to cast the role of the Joker, David Dastmalchian is hoping to be considered.

Dastmalchian, who recently impressed with his starring role in the hit horror film Late Night with the Devil, commented on the possibility of playing the Joker in a new chat with Collider at the Saturn Awards. He admitted he would "love" to play the iconic supervillain, though that may not be a major surprise, given how much of a comic book fan the actor really is. Dastmalchian went on to describe the potential casting as one of his biggest "career dreams," right up there with becoming a James Bond adversary. Many fans reacting to the news on social media have responded well to the casting,...

Sons of Anarchy doesn't follow any storybook formula when it comes to its characters. While Hamlet may have been an inspiration for some of the massive deaths, the shocking send-offs of its main characters are original and unexpected. Surviving Sons of Anarchy isn't the norm for the main characters, which makes sense considering the dangerous lives that most of them live.

Sadly for viewers, as well as the characters, the bikers' show has a soft spot for killing off its main cast. It's true that Sons of Anarchy is full of gritty outlaws and rotten human beings. However, not everyone gets what they deserve. Once in a blue moon, a person who seems very unlikely to survive the show can land big with a promotion in the end, like in Tig's case. Conversely, sympathetic characters like Juice have no guarantee of safety.

Updated on January 31, 2025, by Natasha Elder: Sons of Anarchy...

Here’s a toast to Marianne Faithfull, a true rock & roll legend. Nobody was ever better at being an old rock star, except maybe Leonard Cohen. Yet the difference is that Cohen didn’t release his debut album until he was 33 — he was never young in public. Faithfull was a Sixties dolly bird who was on Top of the Pops in her teens, singing “As Tears Go By,” just another disposable pop ingenue. She played Ophelia in the 1970 film version of Hamlet, a hauntingly tragic performance, at a time when...

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.

2025 Sundance Film Festival

While Sundance Film Festival kicked off last week in Park City, those across the country can now experience the festival from home through this Sunday with online offerings. As of this publishing, there’s still online tickets available for some of my favorites of the festival, including Blknws: Terms & Conditions, The Perfect Neighbor, Two Women, Zodiac Killer Project, Obex, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, Cutting Through Rocks, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, and Predators. Check out all our coverage here and we’ll be sharing much more in the coming days.

Where to Stream: Sundance.org (through Sunday)

Babygirl (Halina Reijn)

Premiering with much fervor at the Venice Film Festival, Halina Reijn’s Bodies Bodies Bodies follow-up Babygirl finds Nicole Kidman...

From Vishal Bhardwaj’s Shakespearean trilogy Maqbool (based on Hamlet), Omkara (Othello) and Haider (Hamlet), Maqbool is the rawest, most honest and untarnished adaptation.

Maqbool transports us to a threshold of pain and redemption hitherto unknown to Hindi cinema. Because this is Shakespeare’s Macbeth trans-located to Mumbai’s underworld, and because Bhardwaj has selected a dream cast to portray his nightmarish world of crime and retribution, Maqbool takes its emotional content beyond any other film from the genre.

The writing on the wall is so clear, coherent, and redemptive that even Shakespeare would smile indulgently at the artistic liberties Bhardwaj has taken with the original text. Maqbool opens a whole new universe of passion- play, unexplored in the original text. Bhardwaj reveals the politics of lust and passion with a sure-handedness seldom witnessed in Hindi cinema.

Hence, the King from Shakespeare becomes a doddering, paunchy underworld kingpin, Abbaji (Pankaj Kapoor...

For a long time, sequels to Disney’s animated movies were created primarily for straight-to-home releases. These movies were often perceived as lower in quality, although many were underrated at the time. While they rarely matched the original in scope and depth, the stronger entries still provided beloved characters with new challenges to grow and learn from.

Thanks to the success of sequels from DreamWorks and Pixar, Disney’s animation studio has become more ambitious with theatrical releases for their sequels. Whether it’s a 2D hand-drawn film from Disney’s Renaissance era or a modern 3D big-budget production, the studio is building an impressive library of animated sequels.

Related10 Best Disney Animated Movies Made Before 1960, Ranked

Disney wouldn't be the studio it is today without its early classics like Fantasia and Dumbo, which left an indelible mark in the world of animation.

Peter Pan: Return to Neverland Had a...

Marianne Faithfull, the iconic English singer and songwriter who first appeared in the mid-1960s, then returned after years of personal problems, including heroin addiction and homelessness, with her masterful 1979 album “Broken English,” died surrounded by her family at her London home on January 30. Though known mainly for her music, in the late 1960s she embarked on a career as a film actress (best known for “The Girl on a Motorcycle”) that was cut short by turmoil in her life. She was 78.

Best known initially for “As Tears Go By” in 1964 when she was only 17 (the song was co-written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards) her father was a career military man and intelligence officer and Italian literature professor, her mother from Austrian-Hungarian nobility. She was initially discovered by Andrew Loog Oldham, the Rolling Stones’ manager.

She quickly fell in with the Stones (eventually becoming Jagger’s lover and sometime...

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We have some sad news to report from the world of music:

Marianne Faithfull — the singer, actress, and author who became a generational icon in the 1960s — has passed away at the age of 78.

News of Faithfull’s deaths comes to us courtesy of a statement from her family:

English actress and singer Marianne Faithfull, UK, 6th November 1970. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Marianne Faithfull’s Cause of Death

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull,” the statement reads (via the BBC).

“Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed.”

No official cause of death was given, but Faithfull’s health problems have been well documented through the years.

English singer Marianne Faithfull in her Kensington flat, 5th August 1965. (Photo by Stephan...

Confluential Films, the award-winning, Black-owned and Black-founded film, television and documentary production company and financier based in L.A., has appointed Shaun Williams as chief financial officer and Gerren Crochet as executive vice president.

As CFO, Williams will lead Confluential’s financial strategy and planning to support Confluential’s long-term strategic goals. Crochet is joining as EVP and will help oversee the company’s film slate, manage the company’s go to market strategy, packaging and business development. The announcement was made by Confluential CEO, founder and multi-hyphenate filmmaker Tommy Oliver, whom they will both report to.

“As Confluential continues to grow and evolve, we are thrilled to have Gerren and Shaun join the team. Shaun’s distinguished career in entertainment finance will help guide the company’s financial approach as we move into financing larger projects and studio co-fi’s. Gerren’s taste, work ethic and deep connections in...

We could be looking at one of, if not the best video game movie ever made, as the unorthodox documentary Grand Theft Hamlet impresses critics far more than anyone likely anticipated. Telling the story of Sam Crane and Mark Oosterveen as they attempt to cast and produce a version of William Shakespeare’s "Hamlet" within the virtual world of Grand Theft Auto Online, Grand Theft Hamlet is now “certified fresh” with a hugely impressive score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Reviews have praised the unique cinematic undertaking, with William Bibbiani of TheWrap disappointed that Grand Theft Hamlet didn’t go on longer.

“If there is one disappointing element of this moving, amusing, sad and memorable film it’s that it isn’t five hours long.”

Grand Theft Hamlet premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, winning the Jury Award for best documentary feature. The movie is now available to stream on the streaming platform Mubi,...

Hollywood has, in recent years, truly begun to crack the code on video game movies. The impressive success of adaptations such as "Sonic the Hedgehog" and "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" has cemented the fact that we've truly turned a corner in that regard. That being the case, just about every major video game is probably going to be targeted by studios in the coming years, and Grand Theft Auto will undoubtedly be on that list. Interestingly enough, though, a truly excellent movie set in the world of GTA recently hit theaters, and with the full support of GTA creator Rockstar Games, no less.

One would be forgiven for not knowing about it since it's kind of a small movie, but the documentary "Grand Theft Hamlet" recently hit theaters via the folks at Mubi. For those who aren't aware of it, as the title implies, it mashes together the worlds of GTA and William Shakespeare,...

Exclusive: Amy Hobby and Hard Working Movies founder Lori Cheatle (Mantangi/Maya/M.I.A) have teamed up for new music-oriented production venture Record Breaker Films+.

The company is developing and producing a range of music projects and will combine screenings with live events, merchandising, and director-to-audience collaborations.

Record Breaker’s initial slate is due to be revealed soon. The company’s Tribeca documentary 1-800-on-her-own, about singer Ani Difranco, opens at New York’s Film Forum in April.

The outfit has also struck a partnership with bi-coastal creative marketing agency IHeartComix (Ihc) to produce multiple films. Ihc has recently worked on the 500-capacity Rolling Stones concert with Lady Gaga in New York for the release of Hackney Diamonds, the Olivia Rodrigo Guts World Tour Bus Experience and the immersive fan destination and launch event for Billie Eilish’s second album Happier Than Ever. The company...

Ever since its launch, Grand Theft Auto Online has been a massive home for a variety of players, whether it's friends looking to embark on crazy missions, or individuals looking to create the most chaos and damage possible. Uniquely, Grand Theft Hamlet seeks to break the series' violence-driven formula to create a more engaging and innovative format for what the Rockstar game could be, though it is slightly hampered by the lack of longevity in its premise.

Grand Theft Hamlet is a 2024 film where two unemployed friends attempt to stage Shakespeare's Hamlet within the virtual realm of Grand Theft Auto. The movie unfolds as a humorous and surreal narrative, blending classic literature with the chaotic world of the video game.

Runtime  89 MinutesGenres  DocumentaryCast  Gareth Turkington, Mark Oosterveen, Jen Cohn, Sam CraneDirector  Pinny Grylls, Sam CraneWriters  Sam Crane Pinny Grylls

Directed by Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls, Grand Theft Hamlet focuses...

There are, at a minimum, and I checked, 18 bazillion adaptations of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” It’s one of the most beloved and scrutinized texts in the whole of the English language.

More actors than anyone can count — strike that, I guess there’ve been 18 bazillion — have put their stamp on this 425-year-old play about a prince and his revenge against his conspiring, murderous uncle. The words “to be or not to be” are emblazoned within the global lexicon, preserving forever Shakespeare’s complex thoughts about ending one’s own life, as generation after generation of performers and directors put their own stamp on perhaps the most well-worn dramatic material humanity has.

But I’ve never seen a “to be or not to be” speech quite like the one in “Grand Theft Hamlet.” It is now a speech about life spoken to lifeless automatons, frequently interrupted by real-life jerks who murder the actor mid-speech.

Walter Salles-directed I’m Still Here caps weeks of packed screenings after a Best Actress Golden Globe win by star Fernanda Torres with a theatrical release from Sony Pictures Classics on five screens in New York and LA. The distributor’s The Room Next Door jumps from 44 screens to over 850, the widest release of a Pedro Almodovar film.

Mubi is out with documentary Grand Theft Hamlet, A24’s Colman Domingo-starring Sing Sing is back at 500+ theaters, Bleecker Street’s Hard Truths by Mike Leigh, starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste, expands to 120 screens.

Torres of I’m Still Here is the daughter of Brazilian icon Fernanda Montenegro who was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for Salles’ breakout film Central Station. Earlier this month, Torres dedicated her Golden Globe to her mother, saying, “She was here 25 years ago and this is like proof that art can endure through life.” Her speech was a hit,...

In the world of gaming, there are few names bigger than Grand Theft Auto. While the games have been incredibly popular since their inception, it was the release of Grand Theft Auto V more than a decade ago that took the series to the stratosphere. More importantly, Grand Theft Auto Online gave the series new life, and has since become one of the most popular games on the planet. It's only natural that the game would make a good subject for a movie. It's far less natural that said movie would also involve the work of famed playwright William Shakespeare. Yet, here we are.

"Grand Theft Hamlet" is a new documentary from Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls that sees a ragtag group of performers attempting to stage a full production of "Hamlet" inside of Grand Theft Auto Online. After seeing the film at SXSW last year and raving about it,...

Since the original Disney movie was released in 1994, The Lion King has become a much bigger franchise, with two modern CGI adaptations. It is a well-known fact that The Lion King is based on the story of Hamlet - the young son of a king goes on a journey of self-discovery after his father is murdered by his power-hungry uncle. Naturally, there are plenty of similarities between Hamlet and The Lion King, some of which can also be found in the sequels and even Mufasa: The Lion King.

The Lion King to the Oscars, with both the 1994 original and the 2019 remake nominated for Academy Awards. Despite the success and cultural impact of the 1994 film, there are a few harsh realities when rewatching The Lion King. Although The Lion King was obviously never meant to be a faithful adaptation of the William Shakespeare play Hamlet, as the movie was merely inspired by the famous tragedy,...

This March, the London stage production of Studio Ghibli's My Neighbor Totoro opens in the West End! This return to the heart of London's theatre scene brings with it a new star, as well as celebrated returning actors. Taking the lead as Mei will be Victoria Chen, making her RSC debut. Chen has appeared in productions around the world, ranging from the U.S. to Singapore to Iceland. Returning from previous stagings will be: Satsuki: Ami Okumura Jones Tatsuo/Kazego Puppeteer: Dai Tabuchi The Singer (Kaze no Koe): Ai Ninomiya Matthew Leonheart ( Sifu) will lead the Kazego Puppetry Ensemble as its Principal Puppeteer. Related: Hayao Miyazaki Makes Time's Annual List of Most Influential People Tom Morton-Smith's stage adaptation of the original Studio Ghibli film is directed by Phelim McDermott. Tom Pye serves as production designer and Basil Twist is in charge of puppetry design and direction. Composer Will Stuart...

Cutscenes explores—and blurs—the intersection of cinema and video games.Eat the Night.The world outside is a gamespace that appears as an imperfect form of the game. —McKenzie Wark, “To the Vector the Spoils,” Cabinet, no. 23 (Fall 2006) In the work of French filmmaking duo Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel, there is no clear divide between online and offline spaces, virtual and real life, physical body and digital avatar. Instead, as Alenda Y. Chang writes in an essay on their career to date, “a strange but also redemptive continuity between the virtual and the real” can be found.1 Born in 1990 and 1988 respectively, Poggi and Vinel are of a generation that came of age online; computers, video games, and digital technologies are central to their understanding of what constitutes culture and where it can be located. It is no surprise, then, that their ever-expanding catalog of work—which spans films of all lengths,...

Editor’s Note: This review was originally published during the 2024 SXSW Film Festival. Mubi releases “Grand Theft Hamlet” on Friday, January 17.

To be or not to be. That was the question facing so many artists at the height of the Covid pandemic (let’s call it January 2021), when the crisis seemed as if it might continue forever, and the absence of an audience threatened to chip away at the creative spirit itself. Suddenly unemployed and unable to support his family after landing the biggest role of his life (the titular wizard in the London production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”), British actor Sam Crane couldn’t help but wonder — to quote a certain Danish prince — “whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them.” Crane may not have...

"Monty Python's Flying Circus" was a tough sell in the United States, and it's easy to see why. Many of the TV shows and media tropes that the Pythons lampooned on their famously absurd sketch comedy show were unbearably insular to British audiences. There were jokes about local television personalities, spoofs of English news programs, and send-ups of the BBC's tendency to cram dry, not-at-all-entertaining documentaries into their programming blocks.

The BBC had made a deal with Time-Life Television to broadcast reruns of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" in the United States, but after a deal had been struck, Time-Life deemed the series to be "too British" for U.S. audiences. Ultimately, it was shelved. Time-Life's suspicions about the Pythons were proven true when the troupe's 1971 anthology film "And Now for Something Completely Different" tanked at the box office. Additionally, the six silly men performed a 30-minute block of material...

A pivotal moment in Hamlet revolves around an in-universe play, where a nested performance is part of a ploy to speak to a higher reality. Grand Theft Hamlet sees the power of this play-within-a-play and asks, “Why not a play-within-gameplay?” The result of two stage actor pals’ mid-pandemic cabin fever,...

Quick Links Kurt Sutter's Brutal and Bold Crime Drama Taylor Sheridan Impresses Fans as a Determined Lawman in 'Sons of Anarchy'

With a stacked ensemble cast led by Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, and Ron Perlman, Kurt Sutter's thrilling action crime drama Sons of Anarchy follows the dangerous lives of the eponymous outlaw motorcycle club as they deal with both internal and external threats in their small town of Charming, California, where Samcro vice-president Jax Teller finds himself torn over the club's escalating violence and his desire to embrace a more honest life where he can be a normal family man.

Sons of Anarchy ran for seven acclaimed seasons from 2008 to 2014 and quickly became a fan-favorite with audiences, with the series winning both a Satellite Award and Golden Globe while helping further establish its decorated stars as some of Hollywood's finest. Some of the hit show's devoted viewers...

Most movies based on video games have a long and spotty track record that runs the gamut from the terrible (2024’s Borderlands) to the slightly less terrible (2022’s Uncharted). However, movies that take place within a video game as it’s being played by actual players is a genre that, at the moment, consists primarily of 2024’s Knit’s Island and The Remarkable Life of Ibelin. To that short list we can add co-directors Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane’s documentary, Grand Theft Hamlet, a hilarious and even touching Covid-era chronicle that follows two unemployed British actors coping with the loneliness and creative boredom of lockdown by mounting a production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet within the world of Grand Theft Auto Online.

The film whittles down 300 hours of GTA Online gameplay to a tight 91 minutes where Crane and fellow unemployed thespian Mark Oosterveen walk, run, drive, fly, punch, and shoot their...

Warning: This article discusses topics of extreme violence and death.

Horror isn’t the only genre with movies where all the main characters die. Some of the best movies of all time see the deaths of one or more characters, and it’s always a shock when a prominent figure dies. However, it’s an unusual occasion in which all the main characters die. Plenty of slasher movies kill off every character, although this is the staple of the subgenre.

While it’s normal for a horror movie to slaughter its characters, whether that’s one-by-one or all in one go, it’s strange when another genre kills so many people. Sudden character deaths in movies often cause a significant shift in tone, so killing more than one off is a brilliant way for a film to grab the audiences’ attention. Whether it’s because of an apocalypse, revenge, or a series of coincidental events,...

Humanity just took a strong step forward on the path to forced democracy, as a live-action Helldivers movie is now officially in the works. Sony has been hard at work developing and announcing brand-new projects based on their most beloved video gaming franchises. A new teaser for The Last of Us Season 2 dropped and a brand-new Ghost of Tsushima anime is happening, with Sony also unveiling a new live-action movie is in development, based on the bonkers sci-fi/action shoot 'em up, Helldivers.

Appearing at CES 2025 (via Collider) in Las Vegas, Nevada, head of PlayStation Productions, Asad Qizilbash, unveiled the new live-action movie. "Looking ahead as to what might come next," Qizilbash began, "I'm excited to announce we are working with Sony Pictures on developing a film adaptation of our amazingly popular PlayStation game Helldivers 2." No major details about the live-action Helldivers movie have been announced, other than that it is happening.

Robert Eggers is truly a genius when it comes to the world of cinema. Regardless of what genre the director picks, he seems to perfectly make them bend to his will, bringing about the perfect balance of storytelling and visual awe. While Nosferatu is the most recent addition to his impressive filmography, there is one other project that ended up impressing more than a few critics.

A still from Robert Eggers’s Nosferatu | Credit: Universal Pictures

In 2022, Eggers directed The Northman, a magnificent film starring Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, and so many other impressive names. While the cast and the direction were certainly not an issue, it would seem that the director could have faced a very big challenge when he was making the film.

The origins of Robert Eggers’ The Northman

The cast and story of Robert Eggers’ The Northman are certainly very interesting. However, many may...

We got a movie made in Grand Theft Auto before GTA 6. Titled Grand Theft Hamlet, the upcoming documentary goes behind the scenes of Sam Crane and Mark Oosterveen’s efforts to stage a Shakespeare production within the world of Grand Theft Auto Online. Watch the new trailer below.

As the story goes, the then-out-of-work actors came up with the idea after they got sucked into GTA Online during one of the UK’s several pandemic lockdowns. As shown in the trailer, however, recruiting folks to audition in the middle of gameplay proved to be a difficult task.

“We are putting on a production of Hamlet in GTA Online for the first time ever. We are looking for actors, so come and audition,” one of them says in the clip, only to be gunned down.

The pair’s efforts continue throughout the trailer as they beg other players to hear them out.

Throughout its history, Disney has produced some of the most iconic, influential, and critically acclaimed animated movies in cinema history, carving its name into the eternal pedestal of pop culture. While some Disney animated films can be long, the longest animated film of all time is Studio Mappa's In This Corner of the World, whose extended version has a 168-minute runtime.

Disney movies are significantly shorter in comparison — Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first Disney film, is around 83 minutes long. Given young viewers' limited attention spans and most Disney animated films catered to children, it doesn't make sense for animated movies to be longer than two hours anyway. However, many Disney animated films can be considered 'long,' and only one Disney production surpasses this implicit time limit.

Updated on December 16, 2024, by Robert Vaux: Disney is considered a legend in the animation world and has shown no signs of slowing down.

Why Did Keanu Reeves Land In A “Movie Jail?” ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Keanu Reeves is known for crazy comebacks, but according to Looper, before John Wick, he faced “movie jail” after turning down Speed 2: Cruise Control. The phase came after Reeves reached heights of success for playing Neo in The Matrix and the iconic Jack Traven in Speed. Fox rushed for a sequel after Speed became a $350M hit. But Reeves, who felt burnt out and craved new challenges, said no. That choice sidelined him for years until he finally reclaimed his action-hero throne with John Wick.

Fox had grand plans for Speed 2. Sandra Bullock was on board, lured by the promise of financing her passion project, Hope Floats. The plot swapped the original’s adrenaline-pumping bus for a cruise ship nightmare, but Reeves wasn’t sold. Why? “I didn’t want to do two action movies back-to-back,...

Mubi, the art house film streaming service, is adding to its weird and wonderful library of movies with, what could be, one of the best video game movies (literally) ever made. The last few years have seen video game adaptations boom in popularity. The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has dominated in cinemas with each new entry, and shows like The Last of Us and Fallout were major successes. But, what if, instead of making a movie about a video game, someone made a movie inside a video game? Introducing... Grand Theft Hamlet.

Directed by Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane, Grand Theft Hamlet is a comedy documentary about two out of work actors attempting to stage a rendition of William Shakespeare's Hamlet in the beloved Rockstar Studios game. In 2021, the UK was in its third lockdown during the Covid pandemic, and Grylls and Crane, two out of work actors, were...

Hamlet’s first lion-based prequel has arrived in cinemas with less of a roar and more a meow – what the heck happened?

A prequel to the highest-grossing animated film of all time came out the weekend before Christmas, and it’s entirely possible you didn’t notice.

Not that Mufasa: The Lion King’s advertising campaign has been invisible. It’s not even been that small, in the grand scheme of things – any film which can get its name plastered on the side of a UK bus almost by definition has one of the 50 biggest marketing budgets of the year.

What it hasn’t been, though, is all-encompassing. Compared to Wicked, which Universal plugged with record-breaking numbers of brand partnerships and enough green paint to turn your average urban metropolis into the Emerald City, or Deadpool & Wolverine, which saw Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman set into a permanent crouch...

Disney villains have become just as iconic as the movies themselves. With a wide range of animations for viewers to choose from, there are a lot of different stories often dictated by the villains. The heroes have to find a way to defeat whatever a villain might have done, but it's not always easy.

As the movies go on, fans get to see a bigger picture of what motivates the villain. Whether it's a long-standing rivalry or sheer greed, there's always something dark going on. Each villain has a defining moment that highlights their true personalities, even if they try hard to hide it.

Scar Killing Mufasa Defines His Goals

Loosely based on the William Shakespeare drama Hamlet, The Lion King's story unfolds as Scar plots to take the crown away from his brother, Mufasa. Jealousy had taken over his mindset, driven by greed and an unwavering thirst for power.

Some movie experiences are so memorable that time flies even if it lasts hours. When the storytelling is strong enough and there's enough to say, it may feel like the movie should never end. Countless directors have taken on a project that produces an immense surplus of footage. From political dramas to historical epics, there are so many details to cover to tell the full story. But if the audience is emotionally involved enough, they'll want to stay with the protagonists for as long as possible.

Worth considering when it comes to runtime is that movie theaters today are struggling to bring people in. For a viewer to want to leave the comfort of their own home, with their own snacks and unlimited breaks, the film has to be something special. It needs to feel like an event that people will want to spend money on so they feel like...