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Robert De Niro, the Hollywood icon and star of classic films like The Godfather Part II and Taxi Driver, has recently addressed his reprisal as Jack Byrnes in the upcoming sequel to the classic 2000s comedy, Meet the Parents. During a recent screening of the original to celebrate its 25th anniversary, De Niro teased the revival of the Focker franchise, noting that the film is coming along nicely and that he's "looking forward to it."

Per Deadline, De Niro joined director Jay Roach and co-stars Teri Polo and Ben Stiller for the 25th anniversary screening of Meet the Parents. After the screening, they participated in a Q&a session where they offered details about the sequel, which recently added Wicked star Ariana Grande to its cast in an undisclosed role. When asked about the upcoming movie, De Niro, much like his retired CIA agent character, remained coy, and simply said...

A Delaware bankruptcy court judge today set a May 16 deadline for bidders interested in making a run at Village Roadshow, and a May 20 auction date if more than one party shows up.

The number to top is $416.5 million offered by Alcon Entertainment, which was approved by Judge Thomas Horan today as a so-called stalking horse bidder. Alcon topped an earlier $353 million stalking horse bid from Content Partners when the producer and financier of a string of big film titles filed for bankruptcy a month ago. The stalking horse sets a floor for others and, in this case increases “the likelihood that, given the circumstances, the best possible price for the Library Assets will be received,” the judge wrote in a filing approving the sale process.

The company must file notice within one day after the bid deadline on whether it will hold an auction or sell to Alcon. The judge...

Fans of Ghostbusters comedy legend Harold Ramis will be able to stream his last-ever movie next month. The filmmaker's final directorial effort before his death in 2014 was the prehistoric comedy Year One.

Even some of Ramis' biggest fans may have missed Year One since it under-performed in theaters in 2009, and was largely dismissed by critics. Hulu subscribers will get to decide for themselves about whether Year One was wrongfully ignored when it becomes available to stream on April 1, 2025.

Year One Comes to Hulu in April

Jack Black and Michael Cera starred in Ramis' spoof of the biblical Book of Exodus, as two primitives traveling to the sin-filled village of Sodom to save their love interests (June Diane Raphael and Juno Temple). The comedy boasted a hugely impressive cast, including a Superbad reunion for Cera with co-star Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Bill Hader, Olivia Wilde, Paul Rudd and David Cross all featured in Year One too.

Plot: A personal rivalry between Mafia bosses Frank Costello and Vito Genovese inadvertently changes the balance of power in the mob forever, revealing to the American public just how vast of a criminal empire it really is.

Review: I understand why The Alto Knights must have been a passion project for everyone involved. Producer Irwin Winkler, star Robert De Niro and writer Nicholas Pileggi are three of the men responsible for the greatest mob movie ever made – Goodfellas -, and it’s fitting that they’d want to be the ones to tell one of the most important Mafia stories of all time. Indeed, Vito Genovese’s attempt to kill Frank Costello kicked off a series of events that eventually led to the testimony of Joseph Valachi, who was the first member of the Mafia to ever acknowledge its existence and popularized the term “Cosa Nostra.”

Whether or not you...

Billy Crystal is famed as an actor, stand-up comic, writer, producer, director, television host and avid New York Yankees fan. He is also known for his nine stints as host of the Academy Awards, a number that is second only to Bob Hope's 18. Although Crystal will always be associated with Oscar, the irony is that he has never been nominated for an Oscar himself.

Still, that doesn't mean he's any stranger to awards. Crystal has been nominated for two Grammy Awards and hosted the show three times. He won a special Tony Award in 2005 for his one-man show "700 Sundays" and earned two Emmy nominations for the television adaptation of that production. In fact, Crystal, who first broke TV taboos playing a gay character on ABC's "Soap" in the 1970s, has along the way received 24 Emmy nominations, winning six, including two for hosting the Oscar ceremony.

Crystal is also known for his humanitarian work,...

(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)

Horror movies may not often get a whole lot of respect, critically speaking. For whatever reason, they are often treated as a lesser form of entertainment. It's only the rarest of rare genre offerings that can go on to become embraced both critically and commercially, with Jordan Peele's "Get Out" serving as a shining example from relatively recent times. That's an outlier though. One undeniable truth though is that these movies are a reliable backbone for Hollywood studios, delivering consistent profits against relatively low investments. Good movies, bad movies, it often doesn't matter.

Hardcore horror fans will tell you that the number of bad movies far outweighs the good in any given year. It's about searching for that diamond in the rough.

Back in the 1980s, the buddy cop style of comedy and action blockbuster was a dominant force at the box office. Much of the appeal of this style of film was in teaming a stand-up comedian or tried-and-true comedy actor with a classically-trained "tough guy," basing a lot of the tension and laughs on the two characters butting heads. When director Martin Brest decided to make a similar style movie, this time about the tense banter between a bounty hunter and the man he has been hired to haul across the country, it seemed like he was following this formula by hiring comic-actor Charles Grodin and dramatic legend Robert De Niro.

However, much of the charm and surprise of Brest's 1988 movie Midnight Run comes from the fact that De Niro is just as in on the laughs as anyone else. His outstanding work in Midnight Run proved to audiences that...

Lynda Obst and Paula Weinstein will posthumously receive the Producers Guild of America’s (PGA) Trailblazer Award at the Guild’s 2025 ceremony next month.

The award recognises their “shared commitment to paving the way for female producers and championing women’s voices in Hollywood” and will be a poignant element of the PGA Awards on February 8 in Los Angeles.

“Lynda Obst and Paula Weinstein have made a lasting impact on the industry with their trailblazing work and steadfast commitment to amplifying women’s voices,” said PGA presidents Stephanie Allain and Donald De Line. “Lynda and Paula embody the spirit of...

Lynda Obst and Paula Weinstein will posthumously receive this year’s Trailblazer Award for their work creating opportunities for female producers, the Producers Guild of America announced Friday.

“Lynda Obst and Paula Weinstein have made a lasting impact on the industry with their trailblazing work and steadfast commitment to amplifying women’s voices,” Stephanie Allain and Donald De Line, PGA presidents, said in a statement.

“Lynda and Paula embody the spirit of women who have broken barriers and paved the way for future generations of producers. Their visionary work includes iconic films that have defined eras, alongside their unwavering commitment to championing underrepresented stories,” the statement continued. “Honoring them highlights their dedication to empowerment, innovation and mentorship, celebrating not just their individual legacies but also their shared commitment to advocating for women and fostering collaboration.”

The recognition will be given at this year’s PGA Awards on Feb. 8 at the Fairmont Century Plaza.

The Producers Guild of America will posthumously honor late producers Lynda Obst and Paula Weinstein with the Trailblazer Award, the guild announced on Friday. Their tributes will take place at the Producers Guild Awards, to be held Feb. 8 in Los Angeles.

Obst and Weinstein, who both died in 2024, will receive the awards for “their shared commitment to paving the way for female producers and championing women’s voices in Hollywood.”

“Lynda Obst and Paula Weinstein have made a lasting impact on the industry with their trailblazing work and steadfast commitment to amplifying women’s voices,” Producers Guild of America presidents Stephanie Allain and Donald De Line said in a statement.

“Lynda and Paula embody the spirit of women who have broken barriers and paved the way for future generations of producers. Their visionary work includes iconic films that have defined eras, alongside their unwavering commitment to championing underrepresented stories,” they continued.

Lynda Obst and Paula Weinstein, the late powerhouse producers who championed women’s voices in Hollywood, will be honored at the Producers Guild Awards next month. Both are set for the 2025 PGA Trailblazer Award.

“Lynda Obst and Paula Weinstein have made a lasting impact on the industry with their trailblazing work and steadfast commitment to amplifying women’s voices,” Producers Guild of America presidents Stephanie Allain and Donald De Line said in a statement Friday. “Lynda and Paula embody the spirit of women who have broken barriers and paved the way for future generations of producers.”

Related: 2025 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Oscars, Spirits, Grammys, Tonys, Guilds & More

Weinstein, who died March 25, won a pair of Emmys for the HBO telefilms Too Big to Fail and Truman and nominated for Recount and Citizen Cohn. She also worked on films including The Perfect Storm, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Analyze This and its sequel Analyze That.

The Producers Guild of America announced on Friday that it will pay tribute to two glass-shattering female producers at its PGA Awards in February.

Lynda Obst and Paula Weinstein will be honored with the Trailblazer Award, celebrating their shared commitment to paving the way for female producers and championing women’s voices in Hollywood, after both women died in 2024.

“Lynda Obst and Paula Weinstein have made a lasting impact on the industry with their trailblazing work and steadfast commitment to amplifying women’s voices,” said Producers Guild of America presidents Stephanie Allain and Donald De Line said in a statement. “Lynda and Paula embody the spirit of women who have broken barriers and paved the way for future generations of producers. Their visionary work includes iconic films that have defined eras, alongside their unwavering commitment to championing underrepresented stories. Honoring them highlights their dedication to empowerment, innovation, and mentorship, celebrating...

The Billy Crystal-starring Apple TV+ series Before is not only a dramatic turn for the actor-comedian, but it also marks a rare TV-starring gig for the veteran performer known for his roles in movies like When Harry Met Sally and Analyze This.

Crystal, who also executive produces the show, had been working on the project with screenwriter Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Killers of the Flower Moon), exploring the idea of a “pediatric psychiatrist dealing with a troubled kid whose trauma is something unexplained,” Crystal said.

But it wasn’t until Roth brought on writer Sarah Thorp, who would go on to serve as showrunner and an executive producer, alongside Roth and others, on the series, that Crystal thought of playing the psychiatrist character Eli.

“When she pitched her vision for Eli and his world and what the world might be, I instantly said, ‘Sarah, stop, I’m going to do this.

Make no mistake: The Sopranos could be an incredibly funny show, and leaned particularly close to comedy in its earlier seasons. The whole premise of The Sopranos can be compared to that of Analyze This, a movie released in 1999 that was a broad comedy and also revolved around a powerful mafia member going to therapy as a way to deal with a series of panic attacks.

1990s R-rated comedies had creative freedom and big names, leading to some unforgettable movies. The Coen brothers, Spike Jonze and Richard Linklater all produced creative comedies which pushed the limits of the genre. Movies like American Pie pushed boundaries in teen comedy, influencing a wave of similar movies in the early 2000s.

The 1990s were a great time for comedy movies, with big studios and independent productions willing to take risks on adult-oriented humor. Looking back at the R-rated comedies of the 1990s highlights how studios have recently moved away from such movies. It's a big financial risk to market big-budget comedies exclusively to adults, and this is something that may be falling out of fashion.

Studios gave plenty of creative control to comedic talents in the 1990s, resulting in some unforgettable comedy movies starring big names such as Robert De Niro, Cameron Diaz and Chris Tucker. R-rated comedies became somewhat homogenized in the 2000s.

Apple TV+ has now shared a first look at Before, revealing the first images of legendary comedian and star When Harry Met Sally... and City Slickers, Billy Crystal, in a very different kind of role. Before promises to be an atmospheric, character-driven psychological thriller and stars multi-award-winning actor, comedian and filmmaker Billy Crystal in the lead.

Before stars Crystal as Eli, a child psychiatrist who, after recently losing his wife, Lynn (Light), encounters a troubled young boy, Noah (Jupe), who seems to have a haunting connection to Elis past. As Eli attempts to help Noah, their mysterious bond deepens.

You can check out the newly released images of Before below. And they certainly paint a much darker, more sinister atmosphere than were used to seeing Crystal in.

The ten-episode series is executive produced by Crystal, Oscar Award-winner Eric Roth and creator Sarah Thorp and will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday,...

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...

The ‘unofficial’ James Bond film that met with lots of legal hurdles. And the comedy that sounded different – until The Sopranos came along…

Sean Connery had vowed he was never going to return as James Bond after 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever. Meanwhile, a man called Kevin McClory had agreed not to exercise his screen rights to the story of Thunderball until 1975. Yet the highest profile ‘unofficial’ Bond project would bring them both together, as Never Say Never Again did battle with the official 007 film Octopussy at the 1983 box office.

A different battle played out in 1999, as Robert De Niro took the plunge into comedy with Analyze This. It’d be an early hit in a year that was awash with them – yet the idea of a mob boss seeing a shrink, that seemed original when the film was conceived – was about to slam head-first into a brand new TV show…...

The Sopranos is often considered the first television show in the era of Prestige TV, and for good reason. One early episode highlighted how David Chase's "Mob boss goes to a shrink" story was more than a typical Mafia story. Through each character's story in The Sopranos, the organized crime element was just one facet of this complex story about family and faith.

When talking about the rise of Prestige TV, there is one series almost universally noted as the first to get it right. David Chase's grounded drama about a mob boss seeking therapy was not a comedy like Analyze This. While The Sopranos was unique from the beginning, the fifth episode of the first season proved it was not just a "mafia show." Instead, it was an artful, clever series about a dysfunctional family that just happened to be in the organized crime business.

Originally, The Sopranos...

It’s been 25 years since mob boss Paul Vitti sat on psychiatrist Ben Sobel’s couch, giving enough laughs to make Analyze This one of the biggest hits of 1999 – much to the surprise of its stars. Analyze This leads Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro recently sat down for a discussion of the movie at De Niro Con (a tribute to the actor at the Tribeca Film Festival) to reflect on the mob comedy’s box office success.

Analyze This made its mark as early as opening weekend, beating out its fiercest competitor, Cruel Intentions, by $5 million, taking #1 (a position it held the following week as well) – and Crystal and De Niro didn’t even have to make out! As Crystal remembered, “The box office was coming in, and it was like, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God. We’re crushing them!’ It was one of the great nights of my life,...

This year’s Tribeca Film Festival has launched its De Niro Con celebration of its iconic co-founder, and one of the first big events included a rousing discussion with verbal odd couple Quentin Tarantino and Robert De Niro.

The event started on Friday afternoon with a screening of “Jackie Brown,” Tarantino’s 1997 third feature — via a handsome 35mm print on loan from Martin Scorsese. De Niro has a key supporting role as the recently-imprisoned Louis Gara, a man of few words with an ability to conjure violence quickly.

Tarantino, a notably quick-talking cinephile, peppered De Niro, a man of few words, with questions during their 40-minute post-film discussion, starting first with the actor’s ability to bring comedy to “Jackie Brown.” Tarantino praised De Niro’s portrayal of the “slow” ex-con — senses dulled from a post-prison daze and frequent bong hits during the movie.

“I’ve watched the movie with...

One of the most celebrated comedies of 1999 is “Notting Hill,” starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. Written by Richard Curtis and directed by Roger Michell, the film tells of a famous movie actress named Anna Scott who falls in love with a small-town England bookstore owner named William Thacker. Released 25 years ago in May 1999, “Notting Hill” was a major box office success, grossing $364 million worldwide on a $42 million budget. Read on for more about the “Notting Hill” 25th anniversary.

The nation’s critics gave mostly positive reviews to “Notting Hill,” unusual for a studio romantic comedy. Derek Elley in Variety wrote, “[The film] has buckets to spare of that rarest screen commodity — genuine, engaging charm — plus a cast and production values that fully deliver.” Wesley Morris in San Francisco Examiner said, “Director Michell isn’t content to rest on his stars’ slapstick laurels, mining instead the more sophisticated if subversive socio-romantic pratfalls in Curtis’ script.

Apple TV+ released a new trailer for its drama “Fancy Dance” starring Lily Gladstone and Isabel Deroy-Olson.

The film follows Jax (Gladstone), who has cared for her niece Rokie (Deroy-Olson) since her sister’s disappearance by scraping by on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma. Every spare minute goes into finding her missing sister while also helping Roki prepare for an upcoming powwow. When she risks losing custody of Roki, the two hit the road and scour backcountry to track down Roki’s mother in time for the powwow.

“Fancy Dance,” a Confluential Films and Significant Productions/Aum Group production, is produced by Deidre Backs, Erica Tremblay, Heather Rae, Nina Yang Bongiovi and Tommy Oliver. Bird Runningwater, Lily Gladstone, Forest Whitaker and Charlotte Koh serve as executive producers.

Watch the trailer below.

DeNiro Con Unveils Lineup for Event During Tribeca Festival

DeNiro Con, celebrating 80 years of the actor who co-founded the Tribeca festival,...

You talkin’ about him? A multi-day festival celebrating Robert De Niro’s 80 years on earth will hit New York this spring. The event, fittingly dubbed De Niro Con, will take place at New York City’s Spring Studios from June 14 – 16 and will feature screenings of 13 De Niro flicks, interviews with his many collaborators, an exhibit of items from his archives, the premiere of a short film, De Niro, New York, and other events. The celebration will wrap this year’s annual Tribeca Film Festival, which De Niro co-founded in 2002.

The...

Jane Fonda has taken to social media to remember her longtime “bestie” Paula Weinstein, who died on March 25 at 78 years old, as well as share how people can honor her late friend.

“I’Ve Lost My Bestie, Paula Weinstein. Paula was everything a friend should be — to me and to so many people. I’ve been sitting Shivah in her NY apartment with so many people who also think of her as their best friend and I’m feeling jealous, to be honest,” the Oscar-winning actress wrote in a lengthy post on Instagram on Thursday. “Paula could make all of us laugh harder than anyone else could. She was always good for a real belly laugh.”

Weinstein was a longtime Tribeca executive and producer who worked on dozens of projects throughout her career, including The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Perfect Storm, Analyze This and Grace and Frankie.

“Many young women...

Paula Weinstein, the veteran studio executive, two-time Emmy winner and producer on such projects as The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Perfect Storm, Analyze This and Grace and Frankie, died Monday. She was 78.

Weinstein died at her home in New York, her daughter, Hannah Rosenberg, told The Hollywood Reporter. No cause of death was revealed.

“The world is a lesser place without my mother,” Rosenberg said in a statement. “She was a masterful producer and a force of nature for the things she believed in, including the many projects that spanned her illustrious career, the stories she fought to tell and the social justice causes she championed.”

In September, Weinstein exited Tribeca Enterprises, which she joined as executive vp in 2013, to work on political campaigns. She earlier was a vp at Warner Bros., an executive vp at 20th Century Fox and president of United Artists.

In 1989, she and her late husband,...

Paula Weinstein, the respected producer of films including “The Perfect Storm,” “Analyze This,” “The Fabulous Baker Boys” and “Blood Diamond,” and former chief content officer at Tribeca Enterprises, died Monday in New York. She was 78.

Her daughter, Hannah Rosenberg, said in a statement, “The world is a lesser place without my mother. She was a masterful producer and a force of nature for the things she believed in, including the many projects that spanned her illustrious career, the stories she fought to tell and the social justice causes she championed.

“She shattered barriers in Hollywood and always lifted other women along with her. And I know my mother would want me to add this: if you’d like to honor her, please stop what you are doing and turn your attention toward reelecting President Biden and making sure Democrats win down the ballot so we can be sure Democracy survives...

Last Vegas showcases the first-time onscreen collaboration of four legendary actors: Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline. The characters' ages in the film align closely with the real-life ages of the actors, highlighting their authentic performances and adding depth to the plot. The humor in the film mainly stems from the characters' ages, highlighting the contrast between their carefree pasts and the responsibilities of their twilight years.

With Last Vegas featuring four celebrated and seasoned movie stars playing elderly protagonists, it's worth taking a look at how the actors' ages compare to their characters. The comedy brings together multiple Hollywood legends as it follows four childhood friends: Billy (Michael Douglas), Paddy (Robert De Niro), Archie (Morgan Freeman), and Sam (Kevin Kline). In their twilight years in the timeframe of the film, the group of men head to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. The big appeal...

Former studio executive and prolific producer Paula Weinstein is leaving Tribeca Enterprises, where she’s been chief content officer for the past decade, to jump into political work and help “as many voices as possible be heard.”

“I don’t want to sit on the sidelines and rail about everything. I really want to jump in, fully, into the campaigns. Both statewide and national campaigns,” she tells Deadline. “It just feels very much like a moment…between the climate, and book banning and everything else that I don’t need to go into.”

In a memo to staff this morning, Tribeca CEO Jane Rosenthal said Weinstein will “devote her efforts to fighting for the preservation and advancement of human and women’s rights, and most urgently the upcoming elections.” She will also continue to consult for Tribeca. Next summer’s festival, dates just announced, would have been her 12th.

Weinstein’s position,...

From Goodfellas’ trigger-happy Tommy DeVito to Scarface’s drug-addled Tony Montana, the crime movie genre is jam-packed with evil gangster characters. Gangster movies are a great vehicle for traditionally villainous characters to take center stage as the protagonist. The Warriors, for instance, has one street gang as the heroes and all the other street gangs as the villains. In any other movie, Pulp Fiction’s Vincent Vega would be the bad guy. But Pulp Fiction puts Vincent in the spotlight. The Irishman similarly wants its audience to empathize with a mafia hitman, because he was forced to whack his best friend.

Some gangster movies have sympathetic protagonists in spite of their chosen professions. Reservoir Dogs’ Mr. White becomes a caring father figure to the bullet-riddled Mr. Orange as he bleeds out in the warehouse. Paul Vitti, the mobster played by Robert De Niro in Analyze This, wins over the audience...

Tony Bennett's first record, "Because of You" was released in 1952 and it instantly codified the entertainer as one of the music world's great crooners. In 1962, his 15th record, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" was certified platinum by the RIAA, but that was after he had already established himself with Count Basie and his Orchestra and as a great fan of songwriter Harold Arlen. All told, he released 61 records in his decades-long career, not including his eight albums of collaborations and duets. He sang with Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, Carrie Underwood, Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole, Mariah Carey, Bono, Sting, Paul McCartney, Diana Krall, and many others. Most recently, he released two collaborations with Lady Gaga in 2018 and 2021. Bennett passed away on July 21, 2023 at the age of 96. He will be deeply missed.

Naturally, a talent of Bennett's stature couldn't be ignored by Hollywood, and he would appear...

Tony Bennett, who crooned, swooned and left his heart in San Francisco, has passed away at the age of 96.

Tony Bennett had one of the most legendary careers of any singer in pop music history, working nearly consistently for around 70 years. After serving in World War II, Bennett began focusing on music, releasing his first single, “Because of You”, in 1951 through Columbia Records, who he stayed with for two decades. Bennett had a string of hits throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s such as “Rags to Riches” (famously used in Goodfellas), “Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”, which became his signature song and nabbed him his first Grammy.

Over the span of his career, Tony Bennett would win 20 Grammys, a monumental feat that ranks him as one of the most decorated vocalists ever. Just last year, Bennett became one of...

Legendary performer Tony Bennett, a 20-time Grammy Award winner who sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, died Friday at the age of 96.

His publicist, Sylvia Weiner, confirmed his death to the New York Times.

More from TVLine<i>One Last Time</i> on CBS: Tony Bennett’s Last Concert With Lady Gaga — Which Performances Were Your Favorite?Lady Gaga Gets Jazzy at 2022 Grammys — Watch Touching Tony Bennett TributeAnother World's Nancy Frangione Dead at 70

Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016. His family first went public with his diagnosis in February 2021. He retired from touring shortly thereafter, and his final performance...

Pat Cooper, an acerbic stand-up comedian who later had a career acting in films and TV series including Analyze This, Seinfeld and the original Charlie’s Angels and was a favorite of Howard Stern, died Tuesday at his home in Las Vegas. He was 93.

His wife, Emily Connor, announced the news.

Born Pasquale Caputo on July 31, 1929, in Brooklyn, he tried to join multiple branches of the U.S. Armed Forces but was rejected and turned to comedy. He adopted his stage name during an early-’60s stint doing stand-up, which further angered the Italian family he often roasted in his act.

Cooper became estranged from his parents while focusing on his insult-heavy comedy career. His angry onstage persona led to multiple firings from stints opening for the likes of Frank Sinatra and Paul Anka. By the mid-’60s, he was being booked on many of the era’s most popular variety...

Pat Cooper, the famously fast-talking and angry stand-up comedian who often appeared on Ed Sullivan and Howard Stern’s shows, died Tuesday in Las Vegas. He was 93.

Cooper appeared on “Seinfeld” in the Friars Club episode, playing himself. He also appeared with Robert DeNiro in the 1999 film “Analyze This” as Salvatore Masiello and reprised his role in “Analyze That.”

He was a frequent guest host on the Mike Douglas Show in the 1970s, and appeared many times on the Howard Stern show throughout the 1990s and 2000s, where he was known for his cranky persona.

Born Pasquale Caputo to an Italian family in Brooklyn, he started out playing local New York clubs. In 1963, he landed a spot on “The Jackie Gleason Show,” and then began performing at the Copacabana, where he opened for acts including the Four Seasons and Jimmy Roselli.

Cooper went on to perform at clubs across the country,...

Pat Cooper, the brash Italian-American stand-up from Brooklyn whose anger real and imagined provided fuel for a long career in comedy, has died. He was 93.

Cooper died Tuesday night at his home in Las Vegas, his wife, Emily Conner, announced.

A mainstay in nightclubs from Atlantic City to Las Vegas, Cooper opened for Ginger Rogers at the Desert Inn and Frank Sinatra at the Sands. He said he once refused to take out a joke about an upside-down St. Anthony statue that Sinatra wanted excised and never worked with the singer again.

Also known for his nonstop, rapid-fire delivery, Cooper appeared as himself on the 1996 Seinfeld episode “The Friars Club” — he participated in many a roast at that famed comedic establishment in midtown Manhattan — and made regular appearances on late-night talk shows, for Ed Sullivan and, starting in the 1980s, on Howard Stern’s radio program.

The bespectacled comic played...

“There’s nothing worse than miscasting,” casting director Laura Rosenthal told IndieWire. Not that she speaks from her own experience. As Todd Haynes’ go-to casting director since “Far from Heaven,” Rosenthal has assembled some of the most memorable casts of the last few decades, including “The Kids Are All Right,” “A Quiet Place,” “Chicago,” and “Analyze This.”

Now she and fellow acclaimed casting director Ellen Lewis — Jim Jarmusch and Martin Scorsese’s longtime casting director and the woman behind the casting of everything from “A League of Their Own” to “Killers of the Flower Moon” — are being honored by The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) with the retrospective series The Craft: Casting Directors Ellen Lewis and Laura Rosenthal, running June 1–16.

The series highlights some of their most acclaimed work, as well as some films that may not be as well known. Among the offerings being screened are Scorsese’s “Goodfellas,...

Robert De Niro as Salvo in About My Father. Photo Credit: Dan Anderson When you think about Robert De Niro, you think about Taxi Driver. You think about The Deer Hunter. You think about The Godfather Part II. You think about Raging Bull. In other words, when you think about Robert De Niro, you think about intense roles in intense dramas. But then, there’s the De Niro who appeared in Meet the Parents, Analyze This, and Wag the Dog. Yes, over the years, De Niro has proven himself to be quite the comedic actor, even though he’s made far more drama movies than comedies. Now he’s starring in a new comedy, About My Father, and he says he enjoys the occasional trip into the genre as a change of pace. (Click on the media bar below to hear Robert De Niro) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads...

There’s no doubt that Robert De Niro is funny, but his recent taste in comedies have certainly called his sense of humor into question. It’s been over 20 years since “Analyze This” and “Meet the Parents” launched the robust comedy leg of the Oscar winner’s career, but not every subsequent project has been as successful. Following the twin head scratchers of “Dirty Grandpa” and “The War with Grandpa” (unrelated; though equally ignored), the godfather of Hollywood has finally found his comedy groove again.

And wouldn’t you know, all it took was a good, old-fashioned Italian American family farce — fittingly titled “About My Father.” Though there’s a wide swath of the public for whom De Niro can do no wrong, even giants can fall. Luckily, Sebastian Maniscalco knows the importance of family.

The marquee comedian appeared opposite De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” sealing his...

Whether you view him as the patron saint of filmmaking or politely respect the man and his contributions to cinema without worshipping him at the shrine, there's no denying that Martin Scorsese's new film, "Killers of the Flower Moon," is a pretty momentous occasion. It's the first time the director has collaborated with both of his muses, Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, on a feature-length project, having previously teamed up with them on his 2015 meta-comedy short "The Audition." But why did it take so long?

It wasn't for lack of trying. By the time Scorsese had begun his run with DiCaprio in the early 2000s (which is now six films deep), De Niro had entered what you could dub his comedy phase. Starting with Harold Ramis' 1999 comedy "Analyze This," a movie in which De Niro knowingly sends up his mobster personas in Scorsese's "Goodfellas" and "Casino," the actor...

Robert De Niro is slated to star in “Bobby Meritorius,” a new crime drama in the works at Paramount+.

The series comes from Paramount Television Studios, which made a commitment to develop the show in a competitive situation. In addition to De Niro, the show is executive produced by writer Billy Ray, Tribeca Productions’ Jane Rosenthal and Berry Welsh, former U.S. attorney in the Sdny office Preet Bahara and Peter Gethers.

“The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is a sovereign kingdom with seemingly unlimited power and scope,” the show’s official logline states. “But now an informant in Sdny’s biggest case, Avery “The Sage” Accomando is poised to tear this storied institution apart. Only one man can stop him, a fabled ex-cop-turned prosecutor affectionately known as Bobby Meritorious. The battle between these two giants is a fight for justice itself.”

Ray is best known for writing,...

There has been no shortage of mobster films over the years, and because of that genre's popularity, there's also no shortage of mobster film parodies. Many of these films and shows offer their own spin on the oft-told story of a person's life in organized crime. These include full-blown comedic satires like Analyze This (1999) to more serious, but still subtly on-the-nose "dramedies" like The Sopranos (1999-2007). Now, Bleecker Street is set to offer its own spin on a mobster parody with the dark comedy, Mafia Mamma.

It’s official: Robert De Niro is set to star in the Netflix political thriller Zero Day, marking his first foray into episodic television.

The limited series “asks the question on everyone’s mind — how do we find truth in a world in crisis, one seemingly being torn apart by forces outside our control? And in an era rife with conspiracy theory and subterfuge, how much of those forces are products of our own doing, perhaps even of our own imagining?”

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Songwriter, producer, composer, and arranger Burt Bacharach has died. The music legend was 94 years old. News of Bacharach’s death was shared by his publicist Tina Brausam who revealed that he died Wednesday, February 8 in Los Angeles from natural causes. (Credit: Vince Bucci/Getty Images) Best known for his music written with lyricist Hal David, Bacharach became a chart-topper with the help of singers like Dionne Warwick. Over the years, Bacharach collected six Grammys as a writer, arranger, and performer between the years of 1967 and 2005. A three-time Oscar winner, Bachrach was recognized for his work on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Arthur. He also received nominations for his work on films like Casino Royale, Alfie, and What’s New Pussycat. In 1971, he became an Emmy winner for a TV recital of his work titled Singer Presents Burt Bacharach. Over the years, Bacharach appeared on television and in films among which have included Analyze This,...

Hail to the chief!

Robert De Niro will play a former President of the United States in the potential political thriller Zero Day, our sister site Variety reports.

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The in-the-works Netflix limited series hails from Eric Newman (Narcos, The Watcher) and NBC News president Noah Oppenheim (The Thing About Pam), who will write — with Michael Schmidt — and executive-produce. De Niro also will serve as an EP.

"The Sopranos" was instrumental in bringing about a new Golden Age of Television, and it remains one of the most critically well-regarded shows of all time, with a bundle of Emmy Awards to its name (among numerous other accolades). However, the show's success wasn't always guaranteed. Back in 1997, after the actors shot the series pilot, they were kept in suspense about whether HBO would even pick up "The Sopranos" and give it an order for a full first season.

One of those actors was Lorraine Bracco, who was already mob movie royalty thanks to her Oscar-nominated performance in Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas." In the book "Woke Up This Morning: The Definitive Oral History of The Sopranos" by series actors Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa (with Philip Lerman), Bracco recalls how she was left in the dark for months after shooting the "Sopranos" pilot:

"I called up ['Sopranos' creator] David [Chase] eight, nine, ten...

Once upon a time, "The Sopranos" creator David Chase envisioned telling the story of a mobster battling his inner demons on the silver screen instead of the small one. In an interview with The New York Times, the creator and showrunner said that he initially planned on writing the story as a film, but his agency talked him out of it. Chase ended up taking the twisting tale of a middle-aged mobster tackling his trauma in talk therapy to television, but some of what he imagined for the film version ended up lost in the switch between mediums.

Obviously Chase would have to make major additions to the story in order to make it last for several seasons and not just a single two-hour movie, but he also had to change up his potential casting plans. After all, in the late 1990s, major movie stars very rarely acted on TV,...

Billy Crystal is set to star in the limited series “Before” at Apple, Variety has learned.

Crystal will star in the show as Eli, a child psychiatrist who recently lost his wife when he encounters a troubled young boy. Crystal will also executive produce in addition to starring.

The series comes from writer Sarah Thorp, who is also an executive producer. Barry Levinson will direct and executive produce, with Eric Roth also executive producing. Paramount Television is producing the series for Apple.

The show marks a return to television for Crystal, who broke out in his role as Jodie Dallas in the hit 1970’s comedy “Soap.” More recently, he starred in the short-lived FX series “The Comedians” opposite Josh Gad and reprised the voice role of Mike in the Disney+ animated series “Monsters at Work.” Crystal is primarily known for his successful film career, starring in hit features like “City Slickers,...

May 2022 represents the calm before the storm for Amazon Prime Video. Early June will see the arrival of the much-hyped third season of The Boys. Before all that, however, Prime has some other streaming goodies to tide you over.

This month is highlighted by a handful of intriguing original series. Season two of Amazon’s sleeper hit The Wilds premieres on May 6. This pulpy mystery series about a group of teenage girls marooned on an island is Prime Video’s version of Lost or Yellowjackets so give it a watch if that kind of thing sounds up your alley. Also arriving on May 6 is the true crime docuseries The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith.

Canada’s finest comedy goobers The Kids in the Hall return in a rebooted version of their sketch series on May 13. The week after that J.K. Simmons will try his hand at sci-fi once again...

The Critics Choice Assn. has selected Billy Crystal to receive this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s ceremony on March 13.

A Billy Crystal life achievement reel might look a lot like a history of American showbiz. Crystal’s family roots are embedded in the greatness of American music via his father and his uncle Milt Gabler’s Commodore Records, home to recordings by blues and jazz greats such as Bessie Smith, Bix Beiderbecke and, most stunningly, Billie Holiday. How many showbiz family trees include Holiday’s landmark 1939 record, “Strange Fruit,” named by Time magazine as best song of the century?

In his 20s, Crystal worked his share of 1970s comedy club stages, first as part of a comedy trio known as “3’s Company,” then as a solo act. Variety caught the trio in 1973 and it’s clear from the review that Crystal’s trademark skills as the...