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Filipino stars Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino opened up about their first big-screen collaboration, “My Love Will Make You Disappear,” revealing the journey that brought together the dynamic pair whose combined social media following tops 40 million.

The romantic comedy, produced by Abs-cbn’s Star Cinema — one of the exhibitors at Hong Kong FilMart — will be released globally March 28.

“I think this movie — romance and comedy — it’s a Filipino thing that our culture really loves, about two people falling in love with each other,” Chiu tells Variety. “It’s the best time for people to watch this in cinemas because there’s a lot of things happening around us, a lot of problems people are dealing with.”

Directed by Chad Vidanes and written by Patrick Valencia and Isabella Policarpio, the film follows Sari (Chiu), a woman convinced she’s cursed because every man she loves vanishes. When she meets Jolo...

From simping over Ryan Howard in The Office to attending the unveiling ceremony for her very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Mindy Kaling has seen some growth. And girl, we’re proud of you. Because let’s be honest—being a child of immigrants and trying to make it in Hollywood is no easy feat.

Mindy Kaling in a still from The Office | image: NBC

The doors of opportunity don’t exactly open themselves. But the South Asian-American star Mindy Kaling didn’t just walk through those doors—she kicked them down, inspiring many. Kaling has become an icon, a trailblazer, and a certified boss. But while we all know her from her iconic roles and hilarious shows, there are quite a few things about her that may surprise you. So, here’s a list of five things that you probably didn’t know about the actress.

When Chase Sui Wonders hit the SXSW red carpet to promote “The Studio,” she took a moment to tell IndieWire about her role in Gregg Araki’s psychosexual thriller “I Want Your Sex,” which wrapped at the end of last year in Los Angeles. The film follows Cooper Hoffman as the “sexual muse” of a renowned artist, played by Olivia Wilde, “on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal and murder,” according to the official synopsis.

“‘Nowhere’ is a favorite of mine, ‘Mysterious Skin’ obviously, ‘The Doom Generation,'” Wonders said of her affinity for Araki’s work. “All of his movies are so weird and so offbeat and, yet, point to something so universal about the human psyche and to be able to work with him, an icon like that, he was at the top of my list.

Does Choi Hyun-Wook’s pairing with Moon Ga-Young look off on My Dearest Nemesis? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

After the teaser and photos of My Dearest Nemesis were released, people were concerned about a miscasting of the male lead. Why? Because viewers thought that Choi Hyun-Wook wouldn’t look good besides Moon Ga-Young, and their age gap would show through the scenes, that could make or break the magic of the K-drama. However, people have been saying otherwise now that the show has premiered. Some even came forward to defend all the speculations that were circulating everywhere.

My Dearest Nemesis is a rom-com K-drama based on a popular webtoon written by Yang Hye-Jin with a storyline revolving around the team leader of a department store who realizes that her new boss is her first love. The two met through an online game, and destiny put them together again in front of each other years later.

Osgood Perkins may be the most quietly unpredictable Hollywood filmmaker working today. Think about it: Prior to 2024, he was a respected if low-profile indie horror director, making his name with singularly dread-filled, offbeat films like "The Blackcoat's Daughter" and "I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House." Prior to that, he was a character actor, turning up in supporting roles in films as varied as "Legally Blonde," "Secretary," and 2009's "Star Trek." Even the film that was supposed to be his big A24 horror movie debut, 2020's "Gretel & Hansel," got swallowed up by the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning he was still more of an underground favorite by the time his masterpiece, "Longlegs," was ready to debut.

When that movie blew up the box office last year (thanks in large part to a fantastically effective marketing campaign along with a signature performance from star Nicolas Cage), Perkins seemed to have finally arrived.

Babygirl joins a set of films that depict activities sufficiently reckless that even discussing them at work potentially invites a conversation with Human Resources. Unlike The Piano Teacher or Secretary or Videodrome there is at least a sense of awareness of consequences. It is perhaps discomfiting in light of stories like The Assistant or Sorry/Not Sorry that these seem more likely to be borne by women even here, but discomfiture is the order of the day.

It starts with needs unmet, and graphically, the balance of lap and laptop and top at the bottom of what's not working. Nicole Kidman's central performance comes in a year where big names and big roles abound, but as much as Maria is about the voice, this is the world and the flesh. Graphically, if not viscerally, in word and deed and gesture.

Romy is a CEO. Her firm is...

Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the scripts behind the year’s most talked-about movies continues with the Venice Film Festival-premiering Babygirl, A24’s erotic thriller from writer-director Halina Reijn that stars Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson. It hit theaters December 20.

In Venice, Kidman won the Best Actress prize for playing Romy, a high-powered CEO whose life is controlled by structure, tight scheduling and an all-too-keen awareness of how she’s perceived at the heights of a male-dominated field. The one thing she cannot control is her sexual urges that haven’t been fulfilled after 19 years of marriage to her husband Jacob (Antonio Banderas).

Romy, trapped in her suppressed desires, is quickly undone after she meets Samuel (Dickinson), an intern at her company who transgresses professional boundaries. This dynamic inadvertently fosters a dominant/submissive power play, providing Romy with an unexpected outlet to explore and indulge her kinks.

Through deliciously playful provocations,...

James Spader is a rare commodity when it comes to acting. Despite being a household name, Spader is mostly known for playing oddball characters right from his Emmy-winning roles to his more recent stint on The Blacklist. As a result, it is hard to imagine the actor is too different in real life from the strange characters he plays.

James Spader is known for playing odd roles (Credit: Boston Legal | ABC).

During an interview, one of Spader’s co-stars, William Shatner, discussed his experience of working with the actor. However, Shatner admitted that Spader had his own odd habits, including one that made him avoid certain situations. Here is what Shatner had to say about Spader’s idiosyncrasies, including one disgusting habit.

William Shatner discussed James Spader’s idiosyncrasies on the Boston Legal sets

Actor William Shatner rose to prominence with his performance as Captain Kirk in the sci-fi series Star Trek.

Olivia Wilde appreciates how wild auteur Gregg Araki can get.

Wilde, who leads Araki’s upcoming psychosexual thriller “I Want Your Sex,” told Variety that working with the filmmaker reinvigorated her love of cinema.

“He’s such a force,” Wilde said. “He’s so singular and authentic. I’ve never met someone less Hollywood. He is a filmmaker for all the right reasons. He is a freak in the best possible way. I’m so inspired by him.”

She continued, “I feel in many ways that movie reminded me of why I do this.”

“I Want Your Sex” co-stars Cooper Hoffman as Wilde’s onscreen paramour. Araki co-wrote the script with Karley Sciortino.

The official synopsis reads: “How far is too far? When fresh-faced Elliot (Hoffman) lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy (Wilde), his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse.

"Babygirl," the latest feature from actress-turned-director Halina Reijn ("Bodies Bodies Bodies") starts with a woman named Romy (Nicole Kidman) in a position too many women have found themselves in before — faking an orgasm before rushing off to masturbate to pornography in hiding so she can actually get off. She has done this so frequently that she practically has it down to a science, reaching orgasm after putting on a reliable video and assuming the position while her loving husband Jacob (Antonio Banderas) snoozes away in post-coital bliss. For anyone who is familiar with Kidman and Banderas' work, the situation likely seems preposterous. Both actors are certifiable sex symbols in their own right, with the latter often cast solely for his ability to whip housewives into a frenzy with a wink at the camera and his evergreen on-camera prowess.

From what we are shown in these moments, Jacob seems like a giving,...

Judy Greer is giving Maggie Gyllenhaal her due as an indie icon.

Greer said during Sony Music Entertainment’s Dinner’s On Me Podcast, hosted by Jesse Tyler Ferguson, that it was Gyllenhaal’s star-making turn in 2002 feature “Secretary” that paved the way for other “quirky” actresses in Hollywood. “Secretary” was directed by Steven Shainberg and starred Gyllenhaal as the eponymous employee of an attorney character played by James Spader; the duo engage in a dom-sub relationship.

“I remember there was this movie that Maggie Gyllenhaal starred in called ‘Secretary’ with James Spader. It’s fucking good,” Greer said. “We were up for the same things a lot. When she got that movie, my first instinct was jealousy because I’m a human being. And I was telling my agent, ‘Oh, I feel very jealous of her and now she’s a star,’ and like, I don’t think I...

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Sanctuary is a psychological thriller directed by Zachary Wigon from a screenplay by Micah Bloomberg. Starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott in the lead role of a dominatrix and Hal, who is soon becoming the CEO of a large corporation and that’s why he wants to end his relationship with the dominatrix as he fears that it will come out later. This starts off a dark and twisted night that will leave you gasping for air. Sanctuary stars Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott. So, if you loved the intensely thrilling story, inappropriate relationships, and compelling characters in Sanctuary here are some similar movies you should check out next.

Secretary (Tubi & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Lions Gate Films

Secretary is an erotic romantic drama film directed by Steven Shainberg from a screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson. Based...

Could Nicole Kidman score a fifth Best Actress nomination for her performance in racy thriller Babygirl, which has just debuted at the Venice Film Festival?

The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that it’s complicated.

In the Halina Reijn-directed erotic-thriller, Kidman plays a high-powered CEO who puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern (played by Harris Dickinson).

The early word on Kidman from critics here on the Lido is very positive. Deadline’s Damon Wise said: “It’s hard to ignore the amount of dedication, not to mention naked flesh, that she brings to the role….Kidman really goes the distance, imbuing Romy with a psychological vulnerability that is missing from the film it most obvious sounds like (50 Shades of Grey) and presenting a unique reversal of the film it most obviously looks...

Nicole Kidman goes to the far side of psychosexual debasement in Halina Reijn’s Venice premiere “Babygirl.” Kidman plays Romy, the high-powered executive atop a New York shipping company whose carefully controlled life and secret desires are ripped open by a newly arrived intern, Samuel (Harris Dickinson), whom she first meets when he saves her from a near-dog attack.

In one of Kidman’s most exposing roles, the Oscar winner starts a what-else-but-lurid affair built around domination and private humiliation with the younger Samuel. Dickinson’s character exploits Romy’s position of power to manipulate her into being the sub in their relationship — as thrilled as she is to go along with it, especially given unsatisfying (but very regular) sex with a husband played by Antonio Banderas. Guttural onscreen orgasms, bare skin, on-all-fours sex, finger-fucking, and kink abound in a movie destined to stir conversation all year.

“We are living...

A clearer picture of the next generation of movie stars is starting to take shape. It's not much of a surprise that Phillip Seymour Hoffman's kid is one of the ones emerging at the forefront, but it bodes well for his career that Cooper Hoffman has signed on to the latest Gregg Araki movie.

Cooper Hoffman is getting his own “Boogie Nights” breakout moment.

The actor, whose father is late icon Philip Seymour Hoffman, is set to star in Gregg Araki’s upcoming psychosexual thriller “I Want Your Sex.” Hoffman will co-lead the film with Olivia Wilde, IndieWire has confirmed.

The official synopsis reads: “When fresh-faced Elliot (Hoffman) lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy (Wilde), his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal and murder.”

Hoffman previously starred in “Licorice Pizza” and will appear in the upcoming “Saturday Night” about the origins of “SNL.”

“I Want Your Sex” is written by Araki and Karley Sciortino. Araki, Sciortino, Seth Caplan, and Black Bear...

Ultron will return.

James Spader is set to reprise his role of the villainous artificial intelligence from 2015’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” for Marvel Studios’ upcoming Vision series with Paul Bettany.

Terry Matalas (“Star Trek: Picard”) will serve as executive producer and showrunner of the untitled series, which is scheduled to debut in 2026. Although Vision technically died in 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” he was resurrected twice in the 2021’s series “WandaVision,” first as a spectral creation made (and then unmade) by magic, and again as a ghost white robot without any memories from his past.

It’ll prove troublesome for Vision when Ultron returns, since the characters have a longstanding history. Ultron created Vision’s original synthetic body as the permanent home for his AI, but the Avengers intercepted it and instead placed Tony Stark’s AI assistant J.A.R.V.I.S. inside, creating Vision. At the end of “Age of Ultron,...

Although Maggie Gyllenhaal has made a name for herself through projects like Donnie Darko, The Dark Knight Rises, and The Lost Daughter, she, like most, started her career in smaller productions. One of the starting points of her professional life was the 2002 film, Secretary, where he starred alongside Ultron actor, James Spader.

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Secretary I Credit: Lionsgate

Although the film did not garner a lot of attention, it seemed to have had a lasting impact on one of the stars. During an interview, Gyllenhaal revealed that she had developed feelings for the actor during the production of the film, and this interest ended up seriously hurting her.

Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader’s Complicated Relationship

When Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader starred in Secretary, they seemed to have developed quite an interesting relationship with each other. Spader has quite a reputation in Hollywood, being known for being very...

When Disney first got into the live-action adaptation game, remaking their classic animated IP with the use of ever-advancing visual effects, first with “The Jungle Book” in 1994, then officially with Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” in 2010, it felt odd they would not kick off the endeavor with their first animated film, made in 1937, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”

For the most part, many of these remakes, from Guy Ritchie’s Will Smith-led “Aladdin” to Jon Favreau’s photo-realistic “The Lion King,” failed to meet the magic of their source material. But they did rake in big bucks at the box office, and that’s all Disney needs to keep the factory churning them out. But after unveiling the first teaser for “Snow White” at D23 on Friday, August 9, the Mouse House may be whistling all the way to the bank.

In development since 2016, interest was piqued when...

Nineties New Queer Cinema icon Gregg Araki has not directed a feature since leaving Eva Green’s body frozen in the suburban snow globe of “White Bird in a Blizzard” in 2014. Since then, the DIY taboo buster has gone the way so many indie directors have to: by applying their personality to TV shows. In Araki’s case, that includes directing episodes of “Dahmer” and “American Gigolo.”

The iconoclastic Southern California filmmaker — known for “The Doom Generation” and “Mysterious Skin” and celebrated for his stylishly drawn stories of youthful sexual identity coming to bloom — also wrote and directed the 2019 series “Now Apocalypse.” Now, he’s teaming up with Karley Sciortino, the co-writer on that Starz show about sex and aliens in LA, for a new movie titled “I Want Your Sex.”

Araki revealed the project in early May, and it’s set up at Black Bear, most recently the production...

Even the most legendary acting careers have humble beginnings. For Jimmy Stewart, that meant toiling in some unheralded New York stage plays before making the move to Hollywood in 1935 and signing a seven-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). His first feature film appearance was a bit part in The Murder Man, and he followed it up with supporting roles in romantic comedies such as Wife vs. Secretary, which starred Clark Gable and Jean Harlow, and Small Town Girl. His first chance to carry a film came with Speed (1936), a low-budget B-movie that saw him share top billing with Wendy Barrie, whose engagement to gangster Bugsy Siegel often overshadows her own impressive acting career.

Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (played by Emmy Award winner Tobias Menzies) promises First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln he will hunt down her husband’s killer in the official trailer for Apple TV+’s’ Manhunt. The true crime limited series is based on James L. Swanson’s bestseller Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer and will premiere on March 15, 2024 with the release of episodes one and two.

The seven-episode series stars Hamish Linklater (Midnight Mass), Anthony Boyle (Masters of the Air), Lovie Simone (Greenleaf), and Will Harrison (Daisy Jones & The Six). Brandon Flynn (13 Reasons Why), Damian O’Hare (Hatfields & McCoys), Glenn Morshower (The Resident), Patton Oswalt (A.P. Bio), and Matt Walsh (Veep) also star.

Created by Emmy, Golden Globe, PGA, and WGA-nominated writer/producer Monica Beletsky, Manhunt “is a conspiracy thriller about one of the best known but least understood crimes in history, the astonishing story of...

Photo: gorodenkoff (iStock by Getty Images)

Sure, there are plenty of great free movies on YouTube—but while YouTube is awesome, it’s not the only game in town. So we decided to put together a list of other sites that also offer free movies, break down the pros and cons of each one,...

Ever since the dawn of the internet, the art of the tease in marketing upcoming films has essentially gone extinct. We're all used to living in a 24/7 entertainment news cycle, where it's easy for the average layman (let alone Hollywood insider) to know which actor has signed a deal to appear in what movie before the thing ever gets made, let alone premiere on cinema screens. Nostalgic cinephiles like myself long for the days when teaser trailers were a regular phenomenon, made almost expressly to announce to general audiences that these movies are coming soon without giving much (or hardly anything) away.

Although the general trend for movie trailers these days is to essentially throw the baby out with the bathwater in terms of cast, plot, big highlight moments, and the like, teaser trailers do still occasionally get made, and it's always a special occasion when these trailers actually, well,...

Mubi has unveiled their February 2024 lineup, featuring Roy Andersson’s little-seen 1991 short World of Glory, Nicole Holofcener’s Lovely & Amazing starring Catherine Keener with an early Jake Gyllenhaal performance, and special Black History Month selections: Spike Lee’s Red Hook Summer, Kasi Lemmon’s Eve’s Bayou, Carl Franklin’s One False Move, and more.

Check out the lineup below, including recently added January titles, and get 30 days free here.

Just-Added

American Movie, directed by Christopher Smith | Festival Focus: Sundance

Pieces of April, directed by Peter Hedges | Festival Focus: Sundance

The Blair Witch Project, directed by Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez | Festival Focus: Sundance

But I’m a Cheerleader, directed by Jamie Babbit | Festival Focus: Sundance

Secretary, directed by Steven Shainberg | Festival Focus: Sundance

Medicine for Melancholy directed by Barry Jenkins | First Films First

Antiviral, directed by Brandon Cronenberg | First Films First

Shithouse, directed by Cooper Raiff | First Films First

Age of Panic,...

The first time I interviewed Andre Braugher, he was uncertain and uncomfortable. It was hard to process, coming from an actor who had made certitude into his calling card. Braugher was righteous and righteously correct or he was nothing, but it took the courage and conviction of an Andre Braugher character to shift that image as wildly and vividly as the actor did in the last third of his career.

It was the fall of 2014, just weeks after the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards. With two earlier wins already to his credit, Braugher had been nominated for the first season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, his first nod in a comedy category. His performance as Capt. Raymond Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine was rooted in the years he’d spent playing stern authority figures, but at the same time, this version of the Braugher persona seemed revelatory. It opened the comedy doors sufficiently that...

Disney has unveiled a first look at the upcoming live-action remake of “Snow White.”

In a new image, Rachel Zegler is transformed into the iconic Disney Princess, surrounded by her Seven Dwarfs. As of today, the film, which was originally set to open on March 22, 2024, has been delayed to March 21, 2025.

Zegler stars as Snow White and Gal Gadot plays The Evil Queen. Ansu Kabia co-stars as the Huntsman and Andrew Burnap plays a new character named Jonathan. The Seven Dwarfs have been reimagined for the remake, and Zegler has said that this new iteration will not be as focused on the romantic subplot but instead will show Snow White become the leader her father encouraged her to be. The reimagined storyline and Zegler’s casting — she will be the first Latina to play Snow White — have generated some online criticism for veering from the source material.

The original film, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,...

A Deadly Invitation is a Mexican mystery thriller movie directed by José Manuel Cravioto. It stars Maribel Verdú, Stephanie Cayo, and Manolo Cardona. The film is based on the novel “Invitación a un Asesinato” by best-selling author Carmen Posadas.

The film follows Agatha, a true crime podcast host who is invited to a gathering at her sister’s, Olivia’s, luxurious yacht for a weekend getaway together with a group of her closest friends. The reason for the gathering is unknown to all. As the guests arrive on the yacht, tensions begin to rise culminating in… a murder.

A Deadly Invitation A Quick Review

If you are into Agatha Christie, and however many film and series adaptations of her novels have been produced over time, I recommend this movie.

It follows close to the exact same patterns, and production style as A Knives Out Mystery (2019); a contemporary multi-character murder mystery...

From the eight-time Oscar nominee “The Imitation Game” to the Korean revenge thriller “I Saw the Devil,” free streaming service Plex is giving audiences new and varied reasons to keep coming back to its library of over 50,000 titles.

As we ring in October, check out The Streamable’s top picks and build your to-watch list from all of the titles coming to the streamer this month!

Watch Now $0+ / month plex.tv What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Plex in October 2023? “Experimenter” | Sunday, Oct. 1

The gripping biopic “Experimenter” arrives to Plex to start the month. Based on the true story of social psychologist Stanley Milgram, the film focuses on the 1961 behavior experiments at Yale University that tested the willingness of ordinary humans to obey an authority figure while administering electric shocks to strangers, as well as the aftermath of the experiments and the public outcry of their ethics.

Love is a complex and multifaceted emotion that can blossom in the most unexpected places and circumstances. Throughout cinematic history, filmmakers have explored the boundaries of romantic relationships, pushing the envelope to portray unconventional and unusual love stories. Some of them are mainstream comedies, and others represent real dramas, but they are united by the common cause of showing the audience that the world of love, romance, and dating is unique, convoluted, often complex, and not as easy or ethereal as we sometimes think of it. Many famous directors tried their hand in this field and succeeded, including Jim Jarmusch, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Spike Jonze to name a few. From dark vampire romance to polyamory to kinky relationships, here are six movies that delve into the realm of unique and unconventional love.

The Dreamers (2003): Exploring Intimacy and Polyamory amidst Turmoil Credit – Fox Searchlight Pictures

This captivating movie is set...

The Blacklist is a hugely popular drama series with a cast of recognizable actors featured throughout its many seasons on the air. The show follows an FBI profiler named Elizabeth Keen whose life is completely thrown upside down when a notorious criminal named Raymond Reddington turns himself in after several years of evading capture, demanding only to speak with her. From there, the pair develop a complicated relationship that pushes the boundaries of crime and justice. While The Blacklist season 10 will be the last, the series has seen plenty of shocking moments for these central characters over the years.

The Blacklist released its first season in 2013 and quickly became one of network television's most popular and widely watched crime dramas of the following decade. There are countless characters who appear throughout the show, ranging from the main cast to episodic appearances for single stories, and each actor brings something fresh...

Los Angeles, Jan 25 (Ians) The anticipated biopic of music legend Madonna is taking an indefinite holiday. The project, which the icon was going to direct herself, is no longer in development at Universal Pictures.

Speculation over the fate of the movie began instantly after Madonna announced a career-spanning world tour last week — one that sold out shows in New York, London, Paris and other cities in minutes, reports ‘Variety’.

Insiders familiar with Madonna said her sole focus is the tour, but she remains committed to making a film about her life one day.

While announced in 2020, development on the film lingered on through the end of 2022.

Madonna worked on two script drafts encompassing large periods of her creative and personal life. An earlier version was written with Oscar winner Diablo Cody (their writing sessions were widely disseminated on social media).

Erin Cressida Wilson took a second pass.

Last June, Variety...

The anticipated biopic of music legend Madonna is taking an indefinite holiday. The project, which the icon was going to direct herself, is no longer in development at Universal Pictures.

Speculation over the fate of the movie began instantly after Madonna announced a career-spanning world tour last week — one that sold out shows in New York, London, Paris and other cities in minutes, reports ‘Variety’.

Insiders familiar with Madonna said her sole focus is the tour, but she remains committed to making a film about her life one day.

While announced in 2020, development on the film lingered on through the end of 2022.

Madonna worked on two script drafts encompassing large periods of her creative and personal life. An earlier version was written with Oscar winner Diablo Cody (their writing sessions were widely disseminated on social media).

Erin Cressida Wilson took a second pass.

Last June, Variety broke the news that...

The anticipated biopic of music legend Madonna is taking an indefinite holiday. The project, which the icon was going to direct herself, is no longer in development at Universal Pictures, multiple sources told Variety.

Speculation over the fate of the movie began instantly after Madonna announced a career-spanning world tour last week — one that sold out shows in New York, London, Paris and other cities in minutes. Insiders familiar with Madonna said her sole focus Is the tour, but she remains committed to making a film about her life one day.

Representatives for Madonna, Garner and Universal Pictures declined to comment on the matter.

While announced in 2020, development on the film lingered on through the end of 2022. Madonna worked on two script drafts encompassing large periods of her creative and personal life. An earlier version was written with Oscar winner Diablo Cody (their writing sessions were disseminated wide on social...

Angelo Badalamenti, the Grammy-winning composer who brought viewers the scores to such beloved projects as "Twin Peaks," "Mulholland Drive," and "Blue Velvet," has died, his niece has confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. The musician, who died of natural causes in his family home in New Jersey on Sunday, was 85 years old.

Badalamenti had a storied career: he made his film composing debut in 1973, on the film "Gordon's War," and went on to contribute music to over 90 different films and television shows. But his talent was recognized most often by frequent collaborator David Lynch, who, according to the late composer's official website, first hired him in 1986 to work as a vocal coach for "Blue Velvet" songstress Isabella Rossellini. The pair struck up a productive partnership that has carried them through several decades; after crafting the distinctive "Twin Peaks" theme song, Badalamenti returned to score the series' masterful sequel season in 2017.

The...

A legendary, Emmy-nominated composer known for his work with David Lynch, we’ve learned the sad news this afternoon that Angelo Badalamenti has passed away at the age of 85.

Born on March 22, 1937 in New York City, Angelo Badalamenti earned three Primetime Emmy Awards nominations for the musical composition and main title theme music he contributed to David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks,” and Badalamenti also composed the scores for Lynch’s movies including Blue Velvet, Lost Highway, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, and Mulholland Drive.

In 1991, Badalamenti’s “Twin Peaks” theme won him a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance, cementing its status as one of the all-time great TV themes.

With nearly 100 credits under his belt, Angelo Badalamenti also scored countless other movies including A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Wild at Heart, The City of Lost Children, Arlington Road, The Beach,...

Hollywood has never had a healthy relationship with sex. Torn between leering salaciousness and code-mandated puritanism, the end results on-screen have often been messy, thematically conflicted, and deeply unsexy. Much has been made about the state of on-screen sensuality in 2022 and the blockbuster age, where ultra-muscular and fit bodies are fetishized yet entirely divorced from sex itself. As one viral article published last year in Blood Knife out it, "everyone is beautiful and no one is horny."

Things are improving in small ways, mostly on streaming thanks to shows like "Bridgerton" that undeniably f***, but everything remains pretty limited in terms of what goes on between the sheets. Kink of any kind is still a no-go topic for screens big and small. While the highly profitable adaptation of the much-derided "Fifty Shades" trilogy was sold as a journey into the dark pleasure of Bdsm, the end results were decidedly vanilla and not all that erotic.

Armie Hammer’s ex-girlfriend Courtney Vucekovich has claimed that she was left traumatised following a sexual incident with the actor, in a new documentary.

Last year, the Call Me by Your Name star stepped down from his role in the forthcoming film Shotgun Wedding, after being embroiled in a social-media scandal in which an anonymous account leaked illicit messages that Hammer allegedly sent to different women.

The messages, which were not verified, include graphic accounts of sexual acts and references to fetishes such as cannibalism.

Hammer and his family are now the subject of House of Hammer, a three-part documentary on Discovery+. You can read more of the allegations made against the family in the series here.

In the opening episode, titled “Love Bomb”, Dallas-based business owner Vucekovich discusses her relationship with the actor, who she has previously described as being “scary”.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Vucekovich recalls one incident...

Former Tribeca Film Institute leaders Amy Hobby, David Earls, and Colleen Hammond are partnering on Subject Matter, a new endeavor designed to support and connect social issue documentary films and nonprofits working on the featured topics. Subject Matter, which will also be a non-profit, will work with films that focus on urgent issues that the country is currently facing.

Entrepreneur Lily Band and Golden Globe, Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright will co-chair the organization. Additional board members for Subject Matter include philanthropist Samantha Rudin Earls, film executive Loren Hammonds, Picture Motion and Kinema founder Christie Marchese, documentary director and producer Ferne Pearlstein, and social justice and public health grant maker Julia Greenberg.

“Documentary storytelling is an inspiring tool for reaching large audiences and creating movement on important issues,” Earls said in a statement. “We want to partner with filmmakers to help get their stories in front of audiences,...

Marc Maron might have lost an opportunity with Maggie Gyllenhaal.

During an interview with Vulture, Maron admitted to wanting a second shot at speaking with “The Lost Daughter” director Gyllenhaal on his podcast “Wtf with Marc Maron” because, well, now he’s finally seen her 2018 movie, “The Kindergarten Teacher,” directed by Sara Colangelo.

“I’d like to talk to Maggie Gyllenhaal again, because I did something I never do with her, where I hadn’t watched the thing she was there to promote, which she was very proud of,” Maron said of missing out on Gyllenhaal’s feature before speaking with her. “It was a real misstep on my part, and a lesson that I learned. There are some people like that who I could have done a little better with. But what we do is a career-spanning interview, so it would take a certain type of person, or a...

Nickelodeon‘s animated series The Loud House is getting a musical makeover for its latest half-hour special airing Friday, July 1. The special musical episode is turning to a Broadway veteran to play a special role as Christine Baranski lends her recognizable vocals to the character Joyce Crandall. The Good Fight star’s role sees her portray a “perky and often clueless” Under Secretary of Water Leisure for the state of Michigan. (Credit: Nickelodeon) Along with Baranski, the episode will also feature the voice of Big Shot‘s Yvette Nicole Brown as Mayor Davis, a quirky and fun working mom who loves a trademark pantsuit. In an exclusive sneak peek at the episode, viewers are getting a first listen at Baranski’s voice role in the special titled “Save Royal Woods!” In the episode, Royal Woods is in danger of being flooded to make room for a sixth Great Lake, a...

Julia Garner may be thanking her lucky stars and soon start striking a pose. Variety reported on Tuesday that Garner, an Emmy Award winner for “Ozark” and contender again this year, is the front runner to nab the highly coveted role of Madonna in an upcoming Universal biopic about the singer-actor-author-superstar. The film will be directed by the international pop sensation herself. (This will be Ms. Ciccone’s first time behind the camera since 2011’s “W.E.”)

Word is that Odessa Young, Florence Pugh, and Alexa Demie were among the many in contention for the role, before the “Inventing Anna,” “Ozark,” and “The Assistant” star pulled ahead of the pack. The casting process hasn’t been simple reads via Zoom, but a reportedly months-long process involving work with choreographers from Madonna’s team and singing sessions with the director herself. This project promises to be intense.

Former Sony Chair Amy Pascal,...

The 37th Annual Indie Spirit Awards will be held on Sunday, March 6, to honor the best achievements in American films made for under $20 million. Nominations were decided by film professionals, programmers, and critics, while winners are decided by the entire Film Independent membership. The organization includes industry insiders but also any indie movie fans who pay for membership starting at $95 per year. So who’s out front to win?

SEEOscars 2022: 1st 6 presenters announced are Lady Gaga, Kevin Costner, Zoe Kravitz, Chris Rock, Rosie Perez, Yuh-Jung Youn

“The Lost Daughter” is the favorite for Best Feature, according to the combined predictions of Gold Derby users who have placed their bets here in our predictions center. It’s also the front-runner for Best Director and Best Screenplay, both of which would go to first-time filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal, who has contended here twice for acting: Best Female Lead for “Secretary” (2002) and Best...

Maggie Gyllenhaal needs no introduction. An Academy Award-nominated actress who has been tackling complex roles with gusto for decades in films and television series ranging from Secretary and Crazy Heart to The Honorable Woman and The Deuce, her presence on a project’s cast list provides an air of gravitas — a sophistication that lets you know there’s something worth seeing here simply due to the fact that she was interested in being part of it.

That notion follows through with The Lost Daughter, which Gyllenhaal doesn’t star in, but goes a few steps further by making her feature writing and directing debut. Adapting the novel by Elena Ferrante, The Lost Daughter tells the story of college professor Leda (Olivia Colman), whose seaside vacation in Greece takes a dark turn when she starts to become fixated on Nina (Dakota Johnson), a young mother there with her three-year-old daughter. Through...

For the past 25 years, Variety editors and staff have compiled annual lists of industry talent to look out for, stretching various capacities, including directors, writers, producers, cinematographers, and comics. When looking back on the lists from each year, it’s striking to see how many impactful names have blossomed with hugely successful careers within Hollywood, and with some of the individuals taking a surprising route to stardom. It also underscores the innate ability of the Variety team to discover and take early note of the many talented people who have become entertainment icons over several generations.

The first 10 Actors to Watch list was released in 1998, with Luke Wilson (“Rushmore”), Sarah Polley (“Go!”), Adrien Brody (“The Thin Red Line”), Patricia Clarkson (“High Art”), Larenz Tate (“Why Do Fools Fall in Love?”), and Samantha Morton (“Under the Skin”) finding inclusion. It’s interesting to note that Polley would later be selected for...

Olivia Colman is captivating in the first trailer for Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut, “The Lost Daughter.”

The upcoming drama, based on Elena Ferrante’s novel of the same name, stars Colman as Leda, a middle-aged woman vacationing alone and having flashbacks to her days as a young wife and mother (with her younger self played by Jessie Buckley). Gyllenhaal wrote, directed and produced the movie.

In the trailer, Colman, whose character is on a “working holiday,” meets Dakota Johnson’s Nina, telling her she has two daughters of her own. She soon tells the young mother that “children are a crushing responsibility.”

The trailer also gives audiences a glimpse at Buckley, but if anything, it teases the captivating performance Colman delivers that will surely land her in the awards conversation as the race for best actress heats up.

The cast also includes Dagmara Domińczyk as Callie, Peter Sarsgaard as Professor Hardy,...

Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Tuesday, August 31.

Hulu's Olga Dies Dreaming, the Hulu pilot based on Xóchitl Gonzalez’s forthcoming novel, has added another cast member.

Williams is set to play Matteo Jones, who’s described "as a collector of music, objects, trivia and, mainly, opinions," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"A passionate Brooklynite, he would come across as a know it all if, in fact, he wasn’t so genuinely curious about everything."

"Matteo is keenly aware of people’s inclination to put everyone and everything into neat little boxes and he firmly refuses to conform."

Williams will star opposite Aubrey Plaza and Ramón Rodriguez on the series, which has landed a pilot order.

Williams exited Grey's Anatomy after a decade in the role of Jackson Avery earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Power Book III: Raising Kanan is adding a string...

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC are celebrating the 25th anniversary of Superman: The Animated Series with a fully remastered Blu-ray box set. Superman: The Complete Animated Series, which includes several hours of bonus features headlined by an all-new documentary detailing the creation of one of the most beloved animated Super Hero cartoons in history, will be available starting October 12, 2021.

Produced by Warner Bros. Animation (Wba), the Emmy Award-winning Superman: The Animated Series was the perfect follow-up to the landmark Batman: the Animated Series. Producers Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and Alan Burnett elevated The Man of Steel's animated presence with an imaginative, heartfelt look at Superman's adventures in Metropolis alongside Lois Lane and opposite the villainous likes of Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Darkseid and more. Premiering on September 6, 1996, the series continued Wba's dominance in Super Hero animation, once again setting new standards for storytelling, art direction and acting performances - and...

Exclusive: Best-selling English author Brian Lumley’s Necroscope sci-fi/horror novel series is being adapted by Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment across multiple media including episodic TV, animated features, video games, graphic novels and emerging formats.

The series from the 1980s spans more than 19 novels and short stories and have been translated into nine languages, and still in print today around the globe as they are concurrently being released as Audio Books and in new collectible formats.

McCreary and Gary Lucchesi of Revelations are teaming with Glenn Hetrick and Michael McKay on the long sought-after subsidiary rights for the Necroscope novels, which they plan to develop. Hetrick has been conceptualizing the adaptation of Necroscope since its original release for screen.

“The Necroscope universe allows us to explore...

The 2021 Cannes Film Festival has announced the jurors who will join Spike Lee in determining the winners of this year’s event. The “BlacKkKlansman” Oscar winner is serving as the 2021 jury president and will be accompanied by director Mati Diop, singer-songwriter Mylène Farmer, actress-director Maggie Gyllenhaal, writer-director Jessica Hausner, actress-director Mélanie Laurent, writer-director Kleber Mendonça Filho, actor Tahar Rahim, and actor Song Kang-ho. The Jury will unveil its list of winners Saturday, July 17 during the Cannes Closing Ceremony.

The majority of the jury has deep connections with the Cannes Film Festival. Mati Diop won the Grand Prix at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival with “Atlantics,” while Jessica Hausner also competed at Cannes 2019 with “Little Joe,” which won star Emily Beecham the Best Actress prize. Tahar Rahim got his breakout in Jacques Audiard’s Grand Prix-winning “A Prophet.” Melanie Laurent starred in Quentin Tarantino’s Palme d’Or contender “Inglourious Basterds,” while...