News

Artem Vasilyev, the Russian producer and CEO of Metrafilms and its animation arm Studio Metrafilms, has launched the new label Lazy Sunday, based in Ireland and dedicated to developing and producing both animation and live-action projects for international audiences.

The new outfit will serve as a bridge linking Western Europe with Eastern Europe, Vasilyev hopes, while also connecting with his current base of operations in Moldova.

“I strongly believe that the Eastern European region is extremely rich in world-class talent and exciting stories that are yet to be told,” he said. “Eastern European talent can bring a lot to the international film industry table, and Lazy Sunday is a company that can bridge East and West thanks to our experience, history and where we are today. This is truly an exciting position to be in.”

Lazy Sunday, which will have an office in Dublin, is actually the rebranded Irish arm of Film and Music Entertainment,...

Because “The Sixth Sense, but with the guy from City Slickers” might be a tough sell for a lot of TV viewers, Billy Crystal has been making the promotional rounds in support of his upcoming AppleTV+ horror series Before. So far, critics have been calling the show everything from “brilliant” to “goofy” to “disappointing.”

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Last week, Crystal took his Before hype tour to Today, where he chatted about the new show, as well as his thoughts on his portrayal in Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night, and also how he may have thoughtlessly given away a piece of priceless movie memorabilia.

Crystal discussed how he’s stolen collected some movie props over the years that are “particularly important” to him, including Miracle Max’s hat from The Princess Bride, his City Slickers chaps and, from Throw Momma From the Train, he kept Danny DeVito (hold for laughter). “I keep him...

Before has earned a career-low Rotten Tomatoes score for star Billy Crystal. The actor, who is best known for his roles in comedies including When Harry Met Sally, Monsters, Inc., and City Slickers, stars in the Apple TV+ series as widower psychologist Eli, who discovers that he has a mysterious connection to his newest patient. The Before cast also includes Jacobi Jupe, Maria Dizzia, Ava Lalezarzadeh, Rosie Perez, Judith Light, Itzhak Perlman, and Miriam Shor.

Rotten Tomatoes has now tabulated a score for Before out of 12 different critics' reviews. While it could fluctuate as more reviews are added, at the time of writing, it is a firmly Rotten 33%. This marks the worst Rotten Tomatoes score for a project with Crystal in a major role since 2012, when he starred in both Parental Guidance (18%) and Small Apartments (30%). In general, it is his worst score since 2016's The Comedian (24%), in which he made a cameo as himself.

Apple TV+ is releasing what looks to be a chilling new series, just in time for Halloween. According to the streamer, Before is an “an atmospheric, character-driven psychological thriller” about a child psychiatrist and widower who encounters a small boy with a “haunting connection” to his past. Naturally, the lead role is played by the “you look mah-velous” guy.

Yup, Billy Crystal is the star of this dramatic, seemingly creepy show that, judging from the description, seems not so dissimilar from The Sixth Sense, another story of a child psychologist who befriends a child with whom he shares a mysterious connection. But imagine the Bruce Willis part played by someone who seems like he might break into a medley of humorous show tunes at any moment.

Before also stars the great Judith Light, and one of the executive producers is Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth, who recently penned the script for...

Actress Estelle Harris has died at the age of 93 of natural causes. “It is with the greatest remorse and sadness to announce that Estelle Harris has passed on this evening at 6:25pm,” her son Glen Harris said in a statement to Deadline. “Her kindness, passion, sensitivity, humor, empathy and love were practically unrivaled, and she will be terribly missed by all those who knew her.” She is also survived by two more children, three grandsons, and a great-grandson. Harris was best known for her role as George Costanza’s (Jason Alexander) mother, Estelle, on Seinfeld (1989-1998) and appeared in 27 episodes, with her first coming in Season 4 with “The Contest.” (Her last episode was the series finale.) Harris’ TV credits also include Curb Your Enthusiasm, ER, Futurama, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and Night Court. On the film side, Harris voiced Mrs. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise.

Estelle Harris, who played George Costanza’s (Jason Alexander) mother Estelle on the iconic NBC sitcom Seinfeld, died Saturday evening of natural causes in Palm Desert, California, just weeks before her 94th birthday.

“It is with the greatest remorse and sadness to announce that Estelle Harris has passed on this evening at 6:25pm,” her son Glen Harris, who held her as she drew her final breath, told Deadline. “Her kindness, passion, sensitivity, humor, empathy and love were practically unrivaled, and she will be terribly missed by all those who knew her.”

Born Estelle Nussbaum in New York City on April 22, 1928, Harris appeared on 27 episodes of Seinfeld between 1992 and 1998. (The character had been named Estelle before she landed the part.) She began pursuing acting at assorted amateur community theaters while raising her children, and went on to find incredible success both on stage and on screen, also featuring in such series as Futurama,...

A new documentary, Andre the Giant, will examine the life of the supersize wrestler. The film, set to air on HBO on April 10th, features interviews with Hulk Hogan, Jerry "The King" Lawler and actor Billy Crystal (whose movie My Giant was inspired by Andre), among others.

When the wrestler, who was born in France in 1946 with the name André René Roussimoff, faced off with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III in 1987, he was reportedly carrying 520 pounds on his seven-foot-four-inch frame. In a preview from the HBO doc, Hogan says, "He...

Cartoon Brew utterly savage (but 100% correct) on the Emoji Movie trailer

La Review of Books on Netflix's Sense8 as metaphor for Netflix is. (I have no idea

why a book site is  reviewing this but the piece is absolutely terrific)

La Times talks to Robin Swicord, only now with a second feature (Wakefield) long after the success of The Jane Austen Book Club. Her debut was profitable (always Hollywood's end goal) but Hollywood wouldn't hire her to direct? We've heard this story all too often!

Screen Daily in terrible terrible news they're still not going to let the once genius but totally played out Terminator franchise die and Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron plan to be involved in the next one. Doesn't anyone in Hollywood want to do something original even more? It's not like Cameron couldn't get funding for literally Anything he wanted to do. (sigh)

Film School Rejects...

British filmmaker Ken Loach wins second Palme d’Or; Asghar Farhadi’s The Salesman wins two.Scroll down for full list of winners

Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake has won the Palme d’Or at the 69th Cannes Film Festival (May 11-22), marking the second time the British filmmaker has won the top prize after The Wind That Shakes The Barley in 2006.

The 79-year-old filmmaker returned for a record 13th Competition entry with the tale of an injured carpenter and single mother caught in a bureaucracy nightmare within the UK welfare system.

Accepting the Palme d’Or from actor Mel Gibson, Loach used his acceptance speech to spotlight the “dangerous project of austerity”.

“We must give a message of hope, we must say another world is possible,” he said. “The world we live in is at a dangerous point right now. We are in the grip of a dangerous project of austerity driven by ideas that we...

Actress Doris Roberts, best known for playing the title character's mother in the hit sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, passed away last night at the age of 90. The actress' son, Michael Canata, confirmed to Deadline that she died in her sleep last night from natural causes. Here's what the actress' Everybody Loves Raymond co-star Ray Romano had to say in a statement about her passing.

"Doris Roberts had an energy and a spirit that amazed me. She never stopped. Whether working professionally or with her many charities, or just nurturing and mentoring a green young comic trying to make it as an actor, she did everything with such a grand love for life and people and I will miss her dearly."

Doris Roberts was born November 4, 1925 to Ann (Meltzer) and Larry Green in St. Louis, Missouri, whose legendary career spanned over seven decades. She started acting in the early 1950s, appearing...

Wedding bells are ringing on TLC's My Giant Life, a five-part reality show that explores the lives of four unusually tall women.

In an exclusive sneak peak of Tuesday's episode, Haleigh shops for a wedding dress that will flatter her 6'7" frame.

The hunt for a gown at first seems daunting for Haleigh, who brings her mother Thea (6'2") and sister Tavia (6') with her to the bridal shop.

"It was a little frustrating trying on different dresses and knowing they don't fit me like they fit other girls," Haleigh says. She adds that she must "try [not] to play the...

My Giant Life's Haleigh is planning on taking one giant step – and Dad isn't happy about it.

The 6-foot-7 professional volleyball player, 23, is dating 5-foot-8 Brian, 32, who popped the question in last week's episode with a romantic sunset-painting session on the beach.

In an exclusive sneak peek at this week's episode, Haleigh takes her parents to meet with a wedding planner in the hopes that they can help convince her father to be more on board with the marriage – but dad Tay isn't afraid to speak his mind about his apprehensions.

"My dad has objections to Brian and I getting...

My Giant Life star Haleigh may stand nearly a foot taller than her boyfriend, but their love is beyond measure.

The 23-year-old professional volleyball player admits in an exclusive sneak peek at Tuesday's episode that dating 5'8" Brian is a rare exception for her.

"When I was in college, I was really hung up on the fact that I'm a big person and I want to feel small and protected. So I only dated taller guys," she says. "But height doesn't matter. Brian makes me feel like the most beautiful, perfect, special person in the world and so protected and so small.

As if introducing The One to dear old dad isn't nerve-racking enough for any woman, imagine if that person were nearly a full foot shorter.

Professional volleyball player Haleigh – one of the stars of TLC's new series My Giant Life who stands 6'7" – wants to marry Brian, but she worries that her father, also 6'7", might not accept her 5'10" boyfriend because of their 9-in. height difference.

"[My dad] expected me to marry someone who is taller and bigger than me, and make, like, superbabies," Haleigh explains in an exclusive sneak peek at Tuesday's series premiere. "And so when I brought Brian around,...

In a preview of My Giant Life, TLC's upcoming exploration into the lives of extraordinarily tall women, one participant proclaims, "The world is not built for people who are 6'7"."

So, does that include limbo?

People Now puts two of the show's stars – Colleen Smith, a 6'6" former professional volleyball player, and Lindsay Hayward, a 6'9" actress and former wrestler – to the test with a game of limbo. Though no winners seem to emerge from the playful match, the women keep their spirits as high as their statures.

In this People Now interview, Colleen and Lindsay highlight the advantages of their impressive heights.

Even the simplest task can be a tall order when you tower over your peers.

In an exclusive preview of TLC's new five-part reality series My Giant Life, Lindsay, who stands 6'9", explains the social and physical discomfort of flying in an airplane for someone whose wingspan gives the airplane wings a run for their money.

"The airplane is very frustrating for me," Lindsay says. "I shouldn't have to feel self-conscious about walking onto an airplane, but I do because I know ... that everybody on that plane is like, 'I hope I don't have to sit next to her.' "

Once she is seated,...

All week long our writers will debate: Which was the greatest film year of the past half century. Check here for a complete list of our essays. Just one glance at the Oscar nominees for 1998 might make it seem less a questionable choice for “best year in film” — and more an insane one. Instead of a 1974 – The Godfather II, The Conversation, Chinatown, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, etc – or even a 1994, where Shawshank, Quiz Show, and Pulp Fiction lost to Gump – you choose a year where the Oscars would allow Roberto Benigni to climb atop both the figurative and literal chairs of the Shrine? Fine, step away from the Oscars. Would you still celebrate a year that saw not one, but two movies about asteroids threatening the Earth? A year that saw such scars carved across cinematic history as Patch Adams, My Giant, Stepmom, and Krippendorf’s Tribe? It bears repeating: Krippendorf’S Tribe?...

Though Glen Mazzara (The Shield) hasn’t predominantly worked within the horror genre, he does have some experience: he took over as showrunner of AMC’s The Walking Dead from creator Frank Darabout in the middle of the zombie drama’s second season and led the series to then-record ratings. Mazzara executive produced the series until the end of season 3 when he split from the show.

Now Mazzara is returning to Fox Television Studios – where he worked on The Shield – to pen a television series based on the 1976 horror film The Omen, titled Damien.

According to THR, Mazzara will write the script for Damien, which will air on Lifetime. The Omen, written by David Seltzer (My Giant) and directed ...

Click to continue reading Former ‘Walking Dead’ Showrunner Developing ‘Omen’ TV Series

The post Former ‘Walking Dead’ Showrunner Developing ‘Omen’ TV Series appeared first on Screen Rant.

It was announced today that Billy Crystal will be taping his one-man show 700 Sundays early next year to be aired on HBO later in 2014. 700 Sundays originally ran on Broadway in 2004, eventually winning a Tony in 2005, and toured nationally in 2009. The show focuses primarily on Crystal's coming of age and his relationship with his father, who died when Crystal was 15. The show recently returned to Broadway for a limited, nine-week run. This will be Crystal's sixth HBO special. If they don’t air it on a Sunday, they are as dumb as Crystal in My Giant, when he let Gheorghe Mureșan's character act in a scene, despite being so drunk that he vomited on another actor.

This spring and summer is shaping up to be another one of those movie seasons chock full of Hollywood gold! From anticipated remakes to new comedies destined to become classics, ’98 is poised for blockbuster greatness.

5. My Giant

We start off our list with a practically guaranteed box office success of a film. My Giant stars the always hilarious genius Billy Crystal alongside the venerable newcomer (and basketball star) Gheorghe Muresan as the “giant” Max.

Very little is known about the plot of the film as the no doubt amazing plot is being kept under wraps. However we do know that in some ways it is inspired by the story of Andre The Giant whom Billy Crystal met and worked with on The Princess Bride.

The first images and posters show the hysterical comparison between the tiny Crystal and the near 8 foot tall Muresan holding the pint sized comedian like a bag of groceries.

On Cinema at the Cinema has returned with an all-new episode. This week, host Tim Heidecker and his special guest Gregg Turkington (aka Neil Hamburger) take a look at the comedy 21 & Over and Jack the Giant Slayer. Gregg also has some kind words for My Giant, the comedy classic starring Billy Crystal and NBA legend Gheorghe Muresan.

On Cinema At The Cinema: 21 And Over And Jack The Giant Slayer - Webisode

For more On Cinema at the Cinema: clickHere

On Cinema at the Cinema episode 2.4, "21 and Over and Jack the Giant Slayer"...

Nikita's mission has gone from destroying to managing The Division.

News

BBC America has ordered a second season of Copper. I've been totally sucked into the show and its period setting, so I' m thrilled to get another season

ABC will work to adapt the BBC series Rev. I've been hearing about the original, so I guess its time I tried harder to check it out.

In unsurprising news, PETA is thrilled that Animal Practice has been cancelled.

TLC aired a special called My Giant Face Tumor. Sounds like they've found a new way to lower the bar. (Hmm, Lowering the Bar might make a better name for the channel than TLC.)

For those of you who are interested, TVLine has a detailed breakdown on the complexities of ratings in the current digital age. It covers how DVR viewership affects a show's future, when DVR viewers count and how season...

Cinema Verite writer David Seltzer has begun work on a new drama for HBO. Seltzer is collaborating with HBO Sports presenter Jim Lampley on the potential series, Deadline says. The show, which is currently untitled, focuses on a family struggling with addiction and co-dependence. Seltzer has previously written movies such as The Omen and My Giant. HBO is currently working (more)...

Yonkers - Ernie Kovacs is the patron saint of innovative TV comedies. His impact can be felt on everything from Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In to Monty Python’s Flying Circus to Saturday Night Live. Shout! Factory’s The Ernie Kovacs Collection gives a survey of his short yet stellar career that ended in 1962 with his death. Over the course of six DVDs, you realize this guy truly revolutionized what you could do on TV.

The boxset doesn’t have any of the episodes from his original Three to Get Ready show that aired on Philly TV. But we get a healthy helping of his other shows that allowed him to bounce between NBC, CBS, ABC and even the legendary DuMont. Along with creating comedy shows, he hosted talkshows, gameshows and even variety shows. He even contributed to Mad Magazine. His famous mustache and cigar popped up all over the dial.

I'm a bit late tonight because the Miami traffic that I drive through every evening that makes a 14 mile drive take about 45 minutes most night was even worse today because there was some sort of Chanukah procession going on down the main street in Miami Beach when I left work, despite the fact that there had been no signs or warnings to indicate that that road would be unavailable. That's how we roll down here, with little to no civic planning. I apologize for the delay and here's your Wednesday night TV:

8:00pm: "American Ninja Warrior" on G4. Second season premiere.

"Dance Cam Slam" on VH1

"The Middle" on ABC

"The Sing-Off" on NBC

"Survivor" on CBS

"Losing One of My Giant Legs" on Tlc. Well, certainly an extremely informative and evocative title.

8:30pm: "Better With You" on ABC

9:00pm: "Criminal Minds" on CBS

"Fashion Forward" on...

Losing One Of My Giant Legs - Tlc, 8 - Lolz.

Fashion Forward: Marking It - CW, 9 - Special. Twilight's Ashley Greene hosts a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to make it in the fashion industry, highlighting young designers and celebrities with their own unique stamp. Featuring Marcus Wainwright and David Neville from rag & bone, Alexander Wang, Tory Burch, Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani. Hey Beavis, remember when Ashley Greene got all (Nsfw) naked? That ruled.

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Filed under: TV Previews

Here's tonight's lineup of new shows and events (all times Eastern). Check your local TV listings for additional information.

* = Series/Season Premiere

** = Series/Season Finale

# = New Day/Time

8:00 to 9:00

ABC: 'The Middle' and 'Better With You'

CBS: 'Survivor: Nicaragua'

Fox: 'Human Target'

NBC: 'The Sing-Off' -- (120 minutes)

Cooking Channel: 'Jamie Cooks Christmas'

Diy: 'Cool Tools'

G4: 'American Ninja Warrior'

NatGeo: 'Amish: Out of the Order'

Tlc: 'Losing One of My Giant Limbs'

 

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After directly jumping from high school to the NBA, LeBron James never got to experience the college basketball ritual of March Madness, but if it were a condition rather than an event, I'd say his decision to star in the Universal comedy "Fantasy Basketball Camp" might just count for some sort of insanity. James is set to play the lead in the film, directed by "Soul Men" helmer Malcolm D. Lee, about a group of friends who head to Vegas and learn life lessons in addition to tips on how to set picks at the Cleveland Cavalier's fantasy camp.

Of course, James already has some big screen experience under his belt with last year's Spirit Award-nominated doc "More Than a Game" about his Ohio high school squad, as well as some small-screen experience on "Saturday Night Live" and multi-character Nike commercials. Still, the track record for basketball stars crossing over...

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope 2010's being good to you so far. At the moment I'm watching the Ravens attempting to make it into the playoffs and eating some sushi, so I have to say that it's going well for me. I hope everyone enjoyed Sarina's version of Pajiba After Dark, as she was generous enough to take over for me while I did silly things like enjoyed time with friend and family and took ridiculously long and unnecessary naps. And I do have to say that she offered a refreshing take on television, mostly unfettered by pesky reality, and probably heavier on the "iCarly" than anything I've ever written, but it's the differences between us that make this place so great! Here's what you can enjoy on television tonight:

7:00pm: "60 Minutes" on CBS

"America's Funniest Home Videos" on ABC. For Christmas, I actually got my brother called "Bacon Salt" which is,...