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Joan Plowright, a British acting legend of stage and screen and the widow of Laurence Olivier, has died at the age of 95, Variety reports. A cause of death has not been disclosed.

She was the recipient of a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play (for 1961’s A Taste of Honey) and two Golden Globes — one for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (for Enchanted April) and the other for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film (for HBO’s Stalin) — both of which she was awarded in 1993. She is one of only four actresses...

Angelina Jolie’s performance in Maria eases her return to the award nomination lineup, demonstrating the actress never lost her hypnotizing craft despite her participation in less demanding movies. Coming back to bring opera singer, Maria Callas, to the screen, Jolie delivers a portrayal as exquisite as the artist’s immortal voice recordings, making her a leading contender for the best actress category of the Oscars 2025. Having recently played charismatic characters in Eternals, Maleficent, and the Kung Fu Panda franchise, some viewers might have forgotten Jolie’s outstanding past performances, but Maria is far from being her first Oscar-worthy execution.

The actress is no stranger to great biopic movies, as her characterization of Mariane Pearl in A Mighty Heart garnered her a Critics Choice Award nomination. Additionally, she knows the role of a tortured celebrity all too well, having won a Golden Globe for her embodiment of real-life supermodel, Gia Carangi.

The full lineup has been unveiled for the festival’s 36th edition.

The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) today revealed the lineup for its 36th edition, including 20 world premieres across its two competition strands.

The festival, set to run October 23 to November 1, will feature 15 titles in its main Competition section led by Japan and China, which each have three films in the selection.

Scroll down for full list

From China are crime drama A Long Shot from debut feature director Gao Peng; Snow Leopard by late Tibetan filmmaker Pema Tseden, which premiered at Venice; and Dwelling By The West Lake by Gu Xiaogang,...

Franco Zeffirelli, the Italian director best known for his bold cinematic adaptations of Shakespeare’s work, has died at the age of 96.

The filmmaker died Saturday at his home in Rome, Italy, his son Luciano told the Associated Press. “He had suffered for a while, but he left in a peaceful way,” Luciano said of his father.

An acclaimed set designer and stage director who shifted to cinema after working under legendary Italian filmmakers like Luchino Visconti and Vittorio de Sica, Zeffirelli made his big screen debut in 1967’s The Taming of the Shrew,...

Legendary Italian filmmaker Franco Zeffirelli has passed away at the age of 96. His son Luciano told The Sun his father died at home at noon on Saturday. He said, “He had suffered for a while, but he left in a peaceful way.”

The excess-loving Zeffirelli was best known in the states for his work on such lush Shakespearean adaptations as his debut feature, the 1967 take on “The Taming of the Shrew,” starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, which he followed with his popular 1968 version of “Romeo and Juliet,” which starred Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey and was nominated for Best Director and Best Picture.

After the success of his first two films, Zeffirelli moved into more religious work, including the St. Francis of Assisi-centric “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” and his still-popular mini-series “Jesus of Nazareth.” He directed more than two dozen films, and frequently worked with majors stars Elizabeth Taylor,...

While Hollywood has tried for years to mount a Maria Callas biopic (we haven't heard much about Niki Caro's developing movie for a while now), it's not like it hasn't been done. Over a decade ago, Fanny Ardant toplined Franco Zeffirelli's "Callas Forever," and now Meryl Streep — who will be showing off her pipes later this year in "Into The Woods" — is giving it a go. The actress is reportedly reteaming with Mike Nichols (“Silkwood,” “Heartburn,” “Postcards From the Edge,” “Angels in America”) for an adaptation of the Broadway play "Master Class." Told from the perspective of Callas, it frankly covers "her storied career and personal life, which included being dumped by Aristotle Onassis for Jacqueline Kennedy." The project is set up at HBO, and it would mark Nichols' first film since 2007's "Charlie Wilson's War," but it's not clear when shooting will begin. And will also curious...

Gabriel Garko (photo) will play Rudolph Valentino (aka Rodolfo Valentino in places like Italy and Brazil) in a two-part Italian TV movie. To be directed by Alessio Inturri for Mediaset, the Valentino project is reportedly to be filmed this year in both Italy and the United States. Gabriel Garko, who’ll turn 38 next July 12, has worked steadily on Italian television. His feature-film appearances, however, have been sporadic. Most notable among those were supporting roles in Ferzan Ozpetek’s gay/bisexual drama Le fate ignoranti / The Ignorant Fairies (2001) and Franco Zeffirelli’s Callas Forever (2002). In terms of movie fandom, the Italian-born Rudolph Valentino was the George Clooney / Robert Pattinson / Johnny Depp / Zac Efron of the early-to-mid-’20s. One of Hollywood’s earliest superstars, Valentino’s movie career skyrocketed in 1921, after he was featured in Rex Ingram’s blockbuster The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and in George Melford’s The Sheik.

A look at what's new on DVD today:

"The Darjeeling Limited" (2007)

Directed by Wes Anderson

Released by Criterion Collection

Anderson's underappreciated trip to India on the backs of three brothers (Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman and Owen Wilson) who take a train the country to honor their late father gets a reexamination with this Criterion Collection edition that includes a new documentary, an audio commentary from Anderson, Schwartzman and Roman Coppola, audition footage, a video essay from Matt Zoller Seitz, a chichat between Anderson and the late James Ivory about the film's music and Anderson's ad for American Express and the short "Hotel Chevalier" with Natalie Portman.

"As Good As Dead" (2010)

Directed by Jonathan Mossek

Released by First Look Entertainment

Andie MacDowell, Frank Whaley and Matt Dallas star as spurned cult members from the South who take a New Yorker (Cary Elwes) hostage years after they believe he's killed their leader in this thriller.

Here's a list of DVD releases for this week with some of the more noteworthy theatrical releases in bold.Arn: The Knight Templar As Good As Dead Assassin In Love Astaire & Rogers Ultimate Collector's Edition Banqkok Adrenaline Banqkok Adrenaline Black Dolemite: B.O. Rudy Ray Moore Booky and the Secret Santa Breaking Upwards Busby Berkeley 9-Film Collection Callas Forever Coffin Rock Criminal Justice 2 Crucible of Terror Daniel & Ana The Darjeeling Limited The Dark Lurking Demeking, The Sea Monster Dexter's Laboratory: Season One Doghouse Dragon Ball Z Kai: Saiyan Set...

Your cinematic birthdays for 12/02. If it's your big day, let us know.

Steven, Lucy and Warren

1894 Warren William, charming snake, pre-code movie star who was often paired with formidable actresses like Claudette Colbert (Imitation of Life, Cleopatra), Joan Blondell (Gold Diggers of 1933, Stage Struck) and Bette Davis (Three on a Match, Satan Met a Lady)

1914 Ray Walston, the Damn Yankees! devil had a lengthy career on screens small and large

1914 Adolph Green, musical giant of 'Comden & Green' fame. I can't even begin to choose a favorite song by that duo. Plus they wrote the screenplay to Singin' in the Rain!

1923 Maria Callas, La Divina. Fanny Ardant recently played her in Callas Forever. The next actress who'll have a go at her is Eva Mendes in Greek Fire

1925 Julie Harris was Oscar nominated for her film debut (The Member of the Wedding), co-starred with James Dean (East of Eden) and...

Award-winning movie producer Clive Parsons has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 66.

Parsons, who produced and developed 20 feature films with partner Davina Belling, passed away on 12 August in his native England.

His work on 1974 film Inserts, starring Richard Dreyfuss and Bob Hoskins, began a string of production credits including Britannia Hospital, Scum, Breaking Glass, A Business Affair, True Blue, I Am David and director Franco Zeffirelli's films Tea With Mussolini and Callas Forever.

Parsons also served as president at Kings Road Productions in the U.S. and later moved to Warner Bros, Europe as head of business affairs.

In 1971, Parsons and Belling formed Film and General Productions, continuing to pursue movie projects while also producing childrens' British TV series The Queen's Nose and The Giblet Boys, which won a BAFTA award for Best Children's Drama for 2005/2006.

Regent Media and Here! Networks are donating more than 40 feature films and television programs to Outfest's Legacy Project for LGBT Film Preservation. The gay and lesbian entertainment archival program will add such titles as Bill Condon's Gods and Monsters and Franco Zeffirelli's Callas Forever to its collection.

MADRID -- Spanish production house Alquimia said Monday that it will launch into English-language production with a drama to be directed by Argentina's Marcelo Pineyro. Alquimia president and CEO Francisco Ramos said in an interview that he has decided to step beyond being a minority co-producer on English-language productions, a position he took on films such as Matthew Parkhill's Dot the I and Franco Zeffirelli's Callas Forever. The film, working under the title La Mitad (One Half), tells of a couple that rediscovers love while traveling through Morocco and in the face of illness.

Here! Films has picked up Franco Zeffirelli's Callas Forever from Capitol Films for North American distribution, Regent Entertainment chairman and Here! president Paul Colichman said. The film, which will be released in the fall, stars Fanny Ardant as the famous opera singer Maria Callas in a fictionalized account of her last days and co-stars Jeremy Irons and Joan Plowright. Mark Reinhart, executive vp distribution and acquisitions, negotiated the deal on behalf of his company.

Jeremy Irons has made his way to Kingdom of Heaven for helmer Ridley Scott and 20th Century Fox. Irons joins a cast that includes Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson, Eva Green, Marton Csokas, David Thewlis and Brendan Gleeson. Set in 12th century Europe and the Far East, the William Monahan-penned script revolves around a young peasant (Bloom), who becomes a knight, saves a kingdom and falls in love with a princess (Green) during the crusades in the 12th and 13th centuries. Irons will play Tiberias. Scott is producing through his Fox-based Scott Free Prods., with Branko Lustig serving as an executive producer. At Scott Free, the project is being overseen by Lisa Ellzey. At the studio, TCF topper Hutch Parker is overseeing. Shooting in Spain and Morocco, the film started lensing Monday. The Academy Award-winning Irons is repped by CAA. His recent credits include Callas Forever, And Now ... Ladies and Gentlemen, Last Call and the upcoming Being Julia.

PARIS -- Pathe Distribution, the film distribution and international sales arm of French giant Pathe, said Wednesday that Olivier Granier will replace Marc Bonduel as head of the company. Granier, the chief of French production companies RF2K and Galfin Prods., will retain his positions as director general of the Comedie! channel and co-manager of the Cuisine TV channel, both majority-owned by Pathe. He starts his new post Wednesday. Bonduel, who led Pathe Distribution for only a year, helped put Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra on a record 950 screens in France, drawing 14.5 million viewers. The company declined to elaborate on Bonduel's exit, and Bonduel was not available for comment Wednesday. With Pathe, RF2K and Galfin Prods. produced Franco Zeffirelli's Callas Forever, Gerard Jugnot's Monsieur Batignole and Pitof's Vidocq.