News

The name Max has, not a moment too soon, gotten the axe.

A little more than two years after lopping “HBO” off of the streamer’s name to create the breezily-named Max streamer, Warner Bros. Discovery has decided to reverse course. Max — the unloved mononymous identity, too cool or too anxious to acknowledge its origins — is HBO Max once more.

The Max era may be recalled as among the follies of Wbd CEO David Zaslav, whose golden touch when he ran the Discovery networks has seemed to fall away after their 2022 merger with Warner; the name change came about in May 2023. Removing the ultimate blue-chip television name — the three letters widely seen as synonymous with a luxurious sort of quality — from the Max branding was a deeply strange choice. It was the kind of decision one makes in order to prove one has the capability to take risks, whether or...

NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.

Museum of the Moving Image

Johnnie To’s The Heroic Trio and To & Ching Siu-tung’s Executioners play in See It Big: Stunts!; John Waters’ Serial Mom screens on Friday and Sunday; Amir Azizi’s Two Dogs shows on Saturday.

Japan Society

A massive Mikio Naruse retrospective, featuring numerous imported 35mm prints, has begun.

Roxy Cinema

Heat shows on Friday; John Ford’s The Grapes of Wrath screens on 35mm this Saturday, as does King Vidor’s Stella Dallas; Cinderella plays for free on Sunday, along with a print of All About My Mother.

Film Forum

A restoration of René Clément’s Forbidden Games begins a run (watch our trailer debut); a new 35mm print of 8½ and Mort Rifkin favorite A Man and a Woman continue; The Incredibles screens Sunday morning.

Bam

Haydn Keenan’s Going Down, newly restored, begins a run.

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The book-to-screen adaptation is a tried and true formula that has led to some of the best movies of all time, like "Jurassic Park" and "The Wizard of Oz," which unknowingly paved the way for the success of "Wicked." However, not all adaptations receive the same praise. Movies like "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" and the messy adaptation of "The Dark Tower" have been criticized for glossing over too many details. This proves that not all books, no matter how easy they might seem to adapt were meant for the big screen.

While some books are destined for a cinematic future, others have been deemed unfilmable. Perhaps a plot relies too heavily on mystical beings, sometimes tales are controversial and unsettling, which could turn away moviegoers. It's a label that some filmmakers walk away from, while others...

Luke Combs made the most out of every moment onstage at Stagecoach 2025 — even during other artist’s performances. The country star headlined the country music fest on Sunday, April 27, with an extensive set list full of original hits, cover songs, and special guests.

The musician ran through 10 songs of his own before welcoming Bailey Zimmerman to the stage to perform their unreleased collaboration “Backup Plan.” Later in the set, Combs welcomed Good Charlotte to the stage to perform their song “The Anthem” and his own “Where the Wild Things Are.

After a previous tease from actor Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”) on Instagram that he was cooking something up with filmmaker Spike Jonze that project has been revealed as a short film for Apple called “Someday” and you can already watch it.

Pascal plays a character dealing with heartbreak leading to him use music and dance to help deal with the breakup.

Continue reading ‘Someday’: Spike Jonze & Pedro Pascal Team-Up In Breakup Short Film For New Apple Ad at The Playlist.

Season 23 of American Idol continued the audition phase on Sunday night as judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan traveled to New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville to find music's next superstar. The two-hour episode aired Sunday, March 16 (8 p.m. Et/Pt) with Ryan Seacrest hosting.

Country singer Bryson Quick made one of the night's strongest impressions with his rendition of "Time" by Pink Floyd. The 17-year-old from Seymour, Tenn. strolled on set and revealed that his father, Alex, worked as Luke's fishing guide at Blackberry Farm. "He took you fishing several times," Bryson told the judge — with a photo to prove it. Carrie then jumped in the conversation, bragging, "I've been fishing at Blackberry Farm. I didn't need a guide, though."

Following Bryson's impressive performance, Carrie commented, "Whenever I hear somebody come in who wants to be part of the country crowd, I always think about hearing their...

Making a blockbuster film can be stressful, so it’s important to keep things light sometimes. To that end, it’s not uncommon for actors, directors and other on-set personnel to prank each other, but the true legends go far beyond whoopie cushions and snakes in a can. We’re talking psychological warfare, or at least impressive automotive relocation.

[subtitle]5Michael Gambon and Alan Rickman Terrorized Daniel Radcliffe With a Fart Machine [/subtitle]

Being surrounded by teenagers can turn even the most British of seasoned actors into children. In a Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban scene where all the Hogwarts students are supposed to be sleeping in bags in the Great Hall, Gambon and Rickman planted a “fart machine” in Radcliffe’s sleeping bag, setting it off with the comedic timing that only those two could pull off. They did it specifically because they knew Radcliffe had sidled...

James Lamont and Jon Foster of Paddington In Peru fame are to work on a feature-length, AI-generated family fantasy called Critterz.

Look, we hate to keep banging on about this generative AI thing, but the industry’s decided it’s here to say, seemingly, so we’d best keep reporting about it.

The writers of Paddington In Peru, James Lamont and Jon Foster, are to work on the feature-length version of a film called Critterz. First emerging in 2023 and made by Chad Nelson, Critterz had the distinction of being one of the first animated shorts made using Dall.E – OpenAI’s software which generates images (both moving or otherwise) from pre-existing work on the internet.

The result is a kind of creepy mix of Monsters Inc and Where The Wild Things Are, with an assortment of creatures lurking, glassy-eyed, in a woodland setting. You can watch the whole thing below if you’re so inclined.

The 50th anniversary special of "Saturday Night Live" doesn't happen until Sunday night, live at 8 p.m. Et/5 p.m. Pt on both NBC and Peacock, but the festivities kicked off early on Friday, just in time to show "SNL" some love on Valentine's Day.

Along with the recently released spectacular documentary series looking back at the history of "SNL," Peacock aired a livestream of "SNL 50: The Homecoming Concert," a star-studded event that unfolded live in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on February 14. Not only did the special event bring together some of the biggest musical acts from the five-decade history of the late night sketch comedy series, from Cher to Lady Gaga to Jack White and more, but it featured some of the show's cast members doing musical bits -- not to mention a stunning array of celebrities just having a good time watching the eclectic music line-up.

The classic tale of Hansel and Gretel gets reimagined by literary titans Stephen King and the late Maurice Sendak in a brand new picture book from HarperCollins Publishers.

The Brothers Grimm fairytale has been retold by bestselling author Stephen King, with previously created artwork by the creator of Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak.

HarperCollins clarifies, “Sendak’s illustrations were originally created as set and costume designs for the Humperdinck opera of Hansel and Gretel in 1997. This new edition of Hansel and Gretel will be published in the US by HarperCollins Children’s Books and in the UK by Hodder Children’s Books, part of Hachette Children’s Group, on September 2, 2025.”

Hansel and Gretel brings together two creative legends, each unparalleled in their genius and influence shaping the literary landscape for kids and adults alike for more than sixty years. In this book, Stephen King brings his signature voice to...

The Voice coach, Kelsea Ballerini, is responding to rumors that she’s pregnant with her first child.

The rumor mill went into overdrive after she canceled a few of her upcoming tour dates.

Kelsea was sick before her concert in Buffalo, New York, a few days ago, but she tried to push through.

Unfortunately, she had to end the show prematurely and later took to social media to apologize to fans.

She posted an update and informed concertgoers that their tickets would be valid for the rescheduled dates.

Kelsea also rescheduled the dates for her tour stops in Pittsburgh and Toronto “to the end of the tour, April 11th, 12th, and 13th, and I will make them the best shows I’ve ever played my whole life.”

@kelseaballerini

flu got the better of me. i’m so so sorry my friends, i tried my best. rescheduled dates are posted.

The Voice Season 27 continued on Monday with the second batch of Blind Audition performances. Going into the episode, John Legend had already used up his one block (against Adam Levine) and first-time coach Kelsea Ballerini activated her single-use “Coach Replay.” Up until this point, returning champion Michael Bublé remained on everyone’s good side by avoiding either special button, but that was all about to change. In fact, by the end of the night it seemed as though Michael wasn’t the one holding back from the other coaches, but that they might actually instead be afraid of going up against him.

But before Michael could get into hot water with the other coaches, he slipped into an awkward situation of his own by failing to turn his chair for an artist he’s a fan of on social media. As explained by Hayden Grove in his introductory package, he...

The Voice’s Season 27 Blind Auditions continued Monday with another 11 contestants singing for their supper (and only nine of them getting served). But did any of them knock you out of your seat? Read on, and we’ll discuss.

Tatum Scott (Team Kelsea), “vampire” — Grade: C+ | Though the two-chair turn started strong in her lower register, she seemed to get weaker as her Olivia Rodrigo cover went on. (Is this what happens when “vampire” fails to draw blood?) Nevertheless, Kelsea Ballerini pulled out all the stops to recruit the contestant likeliest to win a Kelsea Ballerini Lookalike Contest.

More from...

For Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun, the A.I. indie romance “Love Me” is almost indescribable — and that’s partly what makes the film resonate the most.

“Love Me,” which marks married directors Andy and Sam Zuchero‘s feature debut, premiered at Sundance 2024 and is now in select theaters. Stewart and Yeun play a disembodied couple over the course of a billion years: Stewart is a buoy named Me who then adopts the physicality of since-deceased Instagram influencer Deja in a post-apocalyptic world. Yeun is satellite Iam, who takes on the role of Deja’s husband Leo as the duo re-enact a series of YouTube videos.

Yet even the two lead stars couldn’t classify exactly what kind of film “Love Me” is.

“I think the movie itself is just, in a very cool way, really hard to pin down,” Stewart said, citing the various transformations of her character. “I think that’s the point.

In a 1992 comedy flick, a carefree cheerleader learns about her destiny to hunt down and kill vampires. Although this teenage girl is initially flippant about her burgeoning abilities, a series of events forces her to take vampire-hunting seriously. Amid a botched prom and an antagonistic showdown in the school basement, the girl and her allies emerge victorious, having put an end to the tyranny of vampires hounding Hemery High School. Mostly unserious and wholly slapstick, this Fran Rubel Kuzui-helmed film received a negative to lukewarm reception on release. This comedy was none other than "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

But this isn't the version of Buffy that entered the global pop culture DNA. After all, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the television series we know and love, is remembered through its enduring imagery: Black leather jackets, occult/religious iconography, passionate romance, and gothic architecture, to name just a few. At its...

A sequel to the classic Christmas movie The Polar Express was officially announced a while ago, and here is why the development of The Polar Express 2 is taking so long. The Polar Express is one of the most-watched movies every holiday season, with Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks' Christmas collaboration becoming an even bigger hit as time goes on. The success of the original The Polar Express has led to the announcement that The Polar Express 2 is happening, although the film is taking a while to come out thanks to a variety of factors.

While The Polar Express is now considered to be a Christmas classic, this wasn't originally the case when it was first released in 2004. The Polar Express made only $318.2 million on a budget of around $170 million, and while this means that a lot of viewers saw the film, the box office returns were pretty low.

The Max Holiday 2024 collection That Time of Year is now live on the streaming service. The collection will serve as the hub for holiday content, showcasing an extensive selection of series, films, and more, guaranteed to bring joy and cheer to viewers during the festive season.

The That Time of Year collection kicks off the festivities today by spotlighting themed curations like “Comfort & Joy,” “Families We’re Thankful For” and “Season of Romance,” featuring new Max Original film Sweethearts (debuting Nov. 28) and others, making it seamless for subscribers to discover holiday classics and new favorites on Max.

On top of celebrating the 20th anniversary of Polar Express, viewers can also dive into nostalgic fan favorite films such as A Christmas Story, Elf, Holiday Harmony, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and ageless holiday classics like A Christmas Carol, A Christmas Story, A Carol for Another Christmas, Meet Me In St. Louis (Dec.

‘That Time of Year’ 2024 on Max

Max is celebrating the winter holidays with the “That Time of Year” collection, a special page featuring selected holiday films and series. The streamer’s also bringing back its special Yule log collection, with the 2024 selection including “World of Westeros Dragon Egg Yule Log,” “Harry Potter: Fireplace,” and “A Very Merry Rickmas Yule Log.”

2024’s been a tough year so holiday favorites Elf, A Christmas Story, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation will help take our minds off the world. Max’s lineup also includes the classic holiday films A Christmas Carol, A Carol for Another Christmas, Meet Me In St. Louis, and The Shop Around the Corner. And beginning November 29, the streamers highlighting favorite holiday episodes of Friends, Abbott Elementary, Young Sheldon, and The Big Bang Theory.

Max’s “That Time of Year” Highlights:

Holiday Essentials

8-Bit Christmas (2021)

A Carol for Another Christmas (1964)

A Christmas Carol...

Skydance and Netflix are coming after Disney and Pixar. On Tuesday, the studios released a new trailer for “Spellbound,” Skydance Animation’s first original film for Netflix since the upstart studio exited its Apple TV+ deal last year.

“Spellbound” tells the story of Ellian (Golden Globe winner Rachel Zegler), princess of Lumbria, who goes on a quest to free her parents, Queen Ellsmere (Nicole Kidman) and King Solon (Javier Bardem), from a curse that has turned them into monsters and split the kingdom in two. The voice cast also includes John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis, Nathan Lane, and Tituss Burgess.

The film is directed by Academy Award winner Vicky Jenson (co-director of “Shrek”) with a script by Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin and Julia Miranda. It features original music by eight-time Academy Award winner and Egot achiever Alan Menken, with lyrics by Glenn Slater (“Tangled”). Producers include Academy Award-winning Skydance Animation head John Lasseter,...

Earlier this year, the acclaimed horror movie Late Night with the Devil became a hit at the box office. After its subsequent release on Shudder, the film is now finding even more success upon being made available to stream on Hulu.

Per Screen Rant, Late Night with the Devil is currently ranked at No. 4 on Hulu's Top 15 Movies list. It's currently falling behind The Beast Within, Don't Turn Out the Lights, and Road Diary. However, it's sitting above the horror flick Smile, which now has a sequel that's playing in theaters. Finding a new audience on Hulu will become just the latest achievement for Late Night with the Devil.

Related 1 of the Best Sci-Fi Horror Movies of All Time Gets a New Streaming Home Next Month

The iconic sci-fi film moves to a new streaming home.

The movie has a score of 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, a feat that's particularly...

Exclusive: A high-profile Spike Jonze series at Netflix that has been shrouded in secrecy is not going forward at the streamer — at least for the foreseeable future, sources tell Deadline.

No information about the ambitious project was ever officially released, but the limited series is believed to be produced by Sister and had been in the works at Netflix for more than two years, with the streamer commissioning a writers room and exploring castings over that period. It is unclear whether anyone else besides Jonze was ever formally attached to the show; various names rumored for possible involvement over the past year or so include actors Joaquin Phoenix and Brad Pitt as well as director Halina Reijn.

As of this past summer, the series was said to be eyeing a casting director and a potential 2025 start.

Nobody is commenting on the circumstances surrounding the U-turn. I hear Jonze may be...

Village Roadshow Entertainment Group, the production and finance company that has backed the Matrix and Ocean’s franchises, is undergoing a small round of layoffs.

The banner, led by CEO Steve Mosko, has cut eight staffers in business affairs, administration, as well as film and TV roles over the course of the past couple of weeks, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The pink slips arrive as the company is exploring strategic options, including taking on more investors.

On the deals front, Village Roadshow has been relatively quiet this year. The company, which has produced more than 90 features with Warner Bros. over the past several decades including Mad Max: Fury Road, Joker and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, has been locked in arbitration with the studio since it filed a lawsuit in February 2022.

At the time, Village Roadshow claimed in part that Warners devalued the Matrix franchise by releasing Resurrections day-and-date...

It's all too easy to picture childhood as a binary experience, being either a Stephen King hellscape or a Norman Rockwell nostalgia trip. There's an adage that you'll never feel something as strongly as you did when you were 14, and that ethos permeates throughout most artistic interpretations of youth. It's not inaccurate to claim all emotions are so much more intense when you're young, but to paint them as anywhere in the range of clear or concise is absurd. Rare is a film that captures the matter and anti-matter clashing of impulses raging in a child on the cusp of maturity, but Where the Wild Things Are is one of those rarities. Spike Jonze's adaptation of the Maurice Sendak book was politely appreciated when it came out, but has aged into one of the best films about the nature of childhood in recent memory.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4 was a turning point in the sci-fi horror series as Buffy and her gang transitioned from high school to college. With such a drastic change in her life, Buffy finds it hard to adjust without the support of Giles, away from her mother, and with Angel in Los Angeles.

From fighting silent monsters to Faith's return, new relationships, and the introduction of the Initiative, this season gave fans a lot. Some fans believe certain episodes suffered because the show creator was also working on the spin-off show, Angel, at the same time. However, many great episodes from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4 left a lasting impression on viewers.

Buffy Goes Off the Rails After Suffering Another Heartbreak Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4, Episode 5, "Beer Bad"

Related Every Season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ranked

Almost all fans will agree that "Beer Bad" is one of...

The HBO series Industry returns for a third season on Aug. 11, with Game of Thrones‘ Kit Harington joining the cast. The series follows a cast of characters caught up in the cutthroat world of high finance in London as they determine whether they will thrive or crumble under the pressure.

Rick and Morty: The Anime will be available on Max this month for fans looking for something to tide them over until Rick and Morty season 8.

Another notable new release this month is the documentary Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes. Formulated with newly recovered interviews and unprecedented access to the actor’s personal archive, this documentary claims to be Elizabeth Taylor’s story from her perspective.

Here’s everything coming to HBO and Max in August.

HBO and Max New Releases – August 2024

August 1

3 Days to Kill (2014)

A Bigger Splash (2016)

Amelie (2001)

Arthur (2011)

Beetlejuice (1988)

Blackthorn (2011)

Brick Mansions (2014)

Down Terrace (2010)

Forever My Girl...

Pawn Stars celeb Rick Harrison is involved in a legal battle with his 81-year-old mother over family assets and ownership of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. His mother claims that Rick had her sign over her 51% interest in the pawn shop without fully understanding what she was signing. She stated that she hadn't received complete documentation of the business's finances. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, an accounting of assets, and a court order banning Rick from using funds belonging to his mother, potentially threatening his net worth.

Pawn Stars celeb Rick Harrison's involved in a nasty legal battle with his 81-year-old mother, who's suing him. The series premiered on the History Channel in 2009 and has aired for 20 seasons. The Harrison family patriarch, Richard "Old Man" Harrison, opened the shop in 1988 with his son, Rick. His other son, Corey "Big Hoss" Harrison, and Corey's childhood friend, Pawn Stars' Austin "Chumlee" Russell,...

Brazilian social impact entertainment company Maria Farinha Films is expanding stateside by opening a Los Angeles office operated by U.S. producer Miura Kite, formerly EVP of global television at Participant, who is joining as president of global content.

Kite’s producer credits at the now-shuttered Participant include the upcoming Taiki Waititi-directed show “Interior Chinatown” that will premiere on Hulu this fall. She previously worked with Maria Farinha Films on “Esperanza,” an adventure drama jointly developed with Participant that tracks the crew of the titular vessel as they fight for environmental and social rights around the world, with award-winning director Fernando Meirelles as co-showrunner.

For the São Paulo-based company that is a leading Latin American studio, known for its hit Globoplay Original “Aruanas,” setting up a Los Angeles outpost is part of a broader expansion plan.

Maria Farinha Films last month announced it had taken a minority stake in Joanna Natasegara...

A decade ago, legendary director Hayao Miyazaki retired, sending Studio Ghibli’s team of animators to seek employment elsewhere. Those were dark, uncertain times for the industry, which explains why veteran Ghibli producer Yoshiaki Nishimura picked the word “ponoć” (which means “midnight” in Croatian) for his new studio: He wanted to convey a new dawn for some of the medium’s most talented artists.

No question, the spirit survived in Studio Ponoc’s first feature, “Mary and the Witch’s Flower,” as well as a series of shorts bundled under the title “Modest Heroes.” Anime fans breathed a collective sigh of relief. The magic they’d associated with Studio Ghibli would live on. And then Miyazaki changed his mind and made “The Boy and the Heron”. In an unexpected twist, the artists who’d come up working alongside Miyazaki now found themselves competing with him.

Studio Ponoc’s second feature, “The Imaginary,...

The thing about big swings and high concept genre television is that when it lands, its smacks you squarely in the stomach. It's how you get all-time greats like the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" episodes "Hush", "The Body" (one of the most gut-wrenching explorations of grief put to screen), and, of course, the musical spectacular "Once More, with Feeling." When it misses, on the other hand, you can end up with "Buffy" stinkers like "Doublemeat Palace" (which is far less captivating than its "Soylent Green"-inspired premise would suggest) and the one-two punch of "Beer Bad" and "Where the Wild Things Are".

When it comes to "Bones," Hart Hanson's agreeable, long-running rom-com crime procedural was constantly testing the waters to determine whether a comedic episode was perhaps a little too silly for a show about nightmarish murder investigations. You can see that in the common denominator shared by the...

Some beloved children's books from the '80s and '90s may no longer align with current standards of acceptability. Themes in classic novels like "The Indian in the Cupboard" and "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory" may be seen as problematic today. While still beloved, books like "Where the Wild Things Are" and "The Giving Tree" now face criticism for outdated themes and portrayals.

The 1980s and 1990s were a great time to be a kid, but some of the most popular children's books during these decades haven't aged so well. Over the years, ideas about what is or is not acceptable changed. In days past, readers might not have batted an eye at certain concepts and themes in a kid's story. Today, these same books may inspire cries of outrage or, at the very least, a raised eyebrow. It doesn't necessarily mean that the children's books of the 80s and 90s are bad.

I am in a fix here with the Ross brothers’ 2023 film, Gasoline Rainbow. Usually, I admire the kind of cinema where nothing really happens; the likes of Richard Linklater’s Slacker (1991) and Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) are what I’m talking about. These movies rely solely on the vibe and the conversations between characters; most of the time, I dig those. Gasoline Rainbow is a coming-of-age road-trip movie, which should remind you of movies like Andrea Arnold’s masterful American Honey (2016), a film I absolutely loved, and Harmony Korine’s super-trippy Spring Breakers (2012), which worked for me despite its erratic nature.

The reason I’m bringing up all these is because, while I thought there was a lot to love in Gasoline Rainbow, the whole thing fell quite short of my expectations. And while I convinced myself that I probably would have loved it if I saw it...

American Idol season 22 winner Abi Carter's debut single enters the Billboard Digital Songs Sales chart at No. 23. American Idol season 22 runner-up Will Moseley also impresses with his single "Good Book Bad" debuting at No. 14 on the chart. Both Abi and Will are making waves in the music industry post-Idol, showcasing their talents and authenticity.

American Idol season 22 winner Abi Carter's first single, "This Isn't Over," has debuted on the Billboard Digital Songs Sales chart. Abi, a 21-year-old musician from Indio, California, wowed the judges--Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan--with her stunning rendition of "What Was I Made For?" by Billie Eilish. The jaw-dropping performance earned her one of the three platinum tickets of the season. Abi won American Idol season 22, defeating runner-up Will Moseley and third place finisher Jack Blocker during the season finale. Her final competition performance of the season was a spirited rendition of "This Isn't Over.

American Idol season 22 runner-up Will Moseley will open for the Zac Brown Band. Will is opening for the Zac Brown Band on their June 2 tour date at Cmac in Canandaigua, New York Will released new music during American Idol season 22.

American Idol season 22 runner-up and country music singer Will Moseley will be the opening act for the Zac Brown Band during one of their tour dates. Will, a 23-year-old musician from Hazlehurst, Georgia, wowed the judges--Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan--at his audition with his original song "Gone For Good." He then dominated the American Idol season 22 competition, delivering consistently great performances. He made it all the way to the finale along with Jack Blocker and Abi Carter. Ultimately, Will placed second to Abi, but his music career is taking off anyway.

"Here we go! Hit the ground running! New York here we come!"

In an Instagram post,...

Here's some very cool news: the folks at the Jim Henson Company will lend their skills to building practical monster puppets for a new live-action movie based on "Beowulf" and on the John Gardner novel "Grendel." The film, titled "Grendel," will retell the legend of Beowulf from the monster Grendel's point of view (via THR). Jeff Bridges is set to play Grendel, while Dave Bautista will portray Beowulf. The cast also includes Bryan Cranston set as King Hrothgar, Sam Elliott as The Dragon, Thomasin McKenzie as Queen Wealhtheow, Aidan Turner as Unferth, and T Bone Burnett will also appear as a character named The Shaper. Burnett will also craft original songs for the film. Robert D. Krzykowski, who helmed the wonderfully titled film "The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot," is set to direct.

So what makes this so cool? Simply the fact that we're getting practical monsters...

Jeff Bridges is turning to the world of practical puppeteering for an upcoming monster film from the Jim Henson Company called “Grendel.”

Bridges will executive produce and be the lead of the latest feature from The Jim Henson Company, the company announced Friday, May 10. “Grendel” will follow the legendary monster at the heart of the epic poem Beowulf, and it will allow the monster to tell his side of the story.

In addition to Bridges as Grendel, the ensemble cast includes Dave Bautista as Beowulf, Bryan Cranston as King Hrothgar, Sam Elliott as The Dragon, Thomasin McKenzie as Queen Wealhtheow, and Aidan Turner as Unferth.

Composer, producer, and songwriter T Bone Burnett will also star in a rare acting role as The Shaper, and he’ll also provide original songs for the film.

Robert D. Krzykowski is set to direct from a screenplay he adapted from John Gardner’s critically...

Palisades Park Pictures is launching international sales in Cannes on the live-action monster tale Grendel from The Jim Henson Company, with Jeff Bridges and Dave Bautista among the cast.

Bryan Cranston, Sam Elliott, Thomasin Mckenzie, Aidan Turner And T Bone Burnett will also star in the epic fable about the legendary monster at the heart of the Beowulf epic poem who steps forth to tell his side of the story.

Brian Henson and Vince Raisa are producing for The Jim Henson Company, with Robert D. Krzykowski and Jay Glazer, who together acquired rights in 2020, as well as Dennis Berardi and Jon D. Wagner.

Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart) will play the title role in Grendel, a live-action monster flick from The Jim Henson Company, for which Palisades Park Pictures is launching international sales ahead of Cannes.

Grendel is the tale of the legendary monster at the heart of the Beowulf epic poem who steps forth to tell his side of this riveting story. Directed by Robert D. Krzykowski (The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot), the film’s ensemble also includes Dave Bautista (Dune: Part Two) as Beowulf, Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) as King Hrothgar, Sam Elliott (A Star is Born) as The Dragon, Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho) as Queen Wealhtheow, and Aidan Turner (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) as Unferth. In addition to playing the role of The Shaper, famed recording artist and record producer T Bone Burnett will provide original songs for the film.

Krzykowski...

"Don't give up on him" Netflix has revealed the first official trailer for a very dark, emotional drama series titled Eric, the latest creation from award-winning British writer Abi Morgan. Set for a streaming debut on Netflix later in May. Vincent, a grief-stricken father whose son goes missing, finds solace through his friendship with Eric, the monster that lives under Edgar's bed. It's set in NYC in the 1980s and features "puppets...lots of puppets." Netflix's Eric mini-series stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Gaby Hoffmann, and McKinley Belcher III. It follows the desperate search of a father when his nine year old son disappears one morning on the way to school. "As Vincent’s progressively destructive behaviour alienates his family, his work colleagues, and the detectives trying to help him, it’s Eric, a delusion of necessity, who becomes his only ally in the pursuit to bring his son home." The...

Exclusive: Alloy Entertainment’s Head of Film Elysa Dutton has written a children’s book and her employer is turning it into its first animated feature film.

The company is developing Christmas Forever: Escape to the North Pole.

It comes days after Alloy Entertainment boss Leslie Morgenstein reupped his deal with Warner Bros. Television.

The book is to be published in the fall through Penguin/Random House, with illustrations from Manu Montoya.

Dutton and Alloy President and Chief Creative Officer Leslie Morgenstein will produce the project, which is currently out to writers.

Christmas Forever: Escape to the North Pole is set on Christmas Eve, when a group of ornaments, tired of being stuck in storage all year, devise an escape plan to the North Pole where it will be Christmas forever.

Dutton is a veteran film producer and production executive who runs the film division at Alloy Entertainment. She said...

Riddle of Fire is a whimsical kids' adventure movie with mature themes, and it's sometimes hard to tell who it's for. This film captures childhood curiosity and features excellent young actors, along with a great turn from Lio Tipton. The imaginative storytelling and lush visuals make this a compelling if sometimes frustrating watch.

Earlier this century, Maurice Sendak's iconic children's book, Where the Wild Things Are, was turned into a feature film by none other than Spike Jonze. The adaptation, however, was no kids' movie — but rather, a movie about kids. See what we mean? A similar argument could be made about Riddle of Fire, the debut feature from Utah writer-director Weston Razooli. On the surface, this lush fantasy film may seem right up your kid's alley. But ultimately, it's perhaps better suited for adults.

Hey, maybe it actually walks a fine line, and two things can be true:...

Monsters in films can be heroes, fighting not just physical threats but the evils within humanity itself. Japanese Kaiju films like Godzilla inspired the giant monster genre, with many embodying relatable struggles. The best monster movies show that monsters are often a result of unresolved human issues and can evolve to become heroes.

The unknown is a scary prospect, and most monster movies that feature a gargantuan beast capitalize on that fear, but some subvert that trope and make the monster a hero. Whether it's an otherworldly beast that fights to protect the human race or a human who has found themselves to be the monster, these movies are an important reminder not to judge a book by its cover or a monster by its size. Sometimes, the evil that they fight is other monsters, but the best films pit them against the evils within humanity itself, making the monsters the good guys.

It’s beautiful how movies can take us back to an innocent time. A perfect example is the absolute adoration of Jim Henson’s classic features, The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986). For many, growing up on The Muppets and Sesame Street brought a level of excitement for both of these features. Even still, while Crystal made a decent showing at the box office, audiences weren’t ready for Labyrinth upon its release. Now, however, both films have found themselves well-loved and admired. So much so that both are getting the 4K treatment, and you can stream them immediately.

We at JoBlo had a childhood dream come to life. We joined other journalists and influencers to celebrate the release. And the after noon gave us the open invitation for a Henson Studio Tour. Included in the event was a contact juggler named Rewi HoopHooligan. Used in Labyrinth, Rewi put on quite...

Producer Gary Goetzman reveals plans for a sequel to The Polar Express. The Polar Express 2 is not a rushed project and there are still details to be worked out. The original The Polar Express received mixed reviews due to its animation, but a sequel would likely incorporate new and innovative technology.

A sequel to the Christmas favorite The Polar Express gets a promising update from producer Gary Goetzman, who says the studio wants “another one.” In a recent interview with Comicbook.com, Goetzman revealed that they are now working out how to bring The Polar Express 2 to screens, with studios wanting sequels to several other projects, including Where the Wild Things Are and Mamma Mia.

"Listen, I'd love to. I'd love to do a sequel of Where the Wild Things Are. There's a lot of the things that we've done, if it established itself, branded itself, those movies, studios want another one.

A sequel to Robert Zemeckis’ 2004 animated Christmas film The Polar Express is being looked at, although nothing is yet confirmed.

Almost 20 years after its release, Robert Zemeckis’ animated Christmas film The Polar Express could be on the cusp of getting a sequel, as one of the film’s producers, Gary Goetzman, has revealed he’s trying to get a follow-up underway.

Speaking to Comicbook.com, Goetzman referenced a couple of films he’s produced before dropping an interesting nugget regarding the future of The Polar Express. (The following quotes are lightly edited for clarity.)

“I’d love to [do The Polar Express 2]. I’d love to do a sequel of Where The Wild Things Are. There’s a lot of the things that we’ve done, if it established itself [and] studios want another one. That’s the way it goes. I’m up for Mamma Mia 3, man. That would be a ball to do right about now.

A sequel to 2004's The Polar Express is in the works with the original film's production heads working on early development.

Critical and audience reception for 2004's The Polar Express were mixed when the film was released, but it has since earned favor from many who now consider it a Christmas classic. It was one of the earliest films to combine live-action and motion capture animation, production techniques perfected in the first Avatar film five years later. Film critic Roger Ebert gave The Polar Express his highest four-star rating, commending the visual style's haunting, magical quality. Many also fondly remember the film for its endearing story and nostalgic appeal; in an interview ComicBook.com, producer Gary Goetzman says he intends to recapture the magic with a sequel installment.

Related 10 Best Animated Christmas Movies With Christmas right around the corner, it's time to snuggle up with loved ones and watch classic tales with these great Christmas movies.

The Polar Express 2 is now in development, 20 years after the original hit theaters. Released in 2004, director Robert Zemeckis' The Polar Express chronicles one young boy's journey on Christmas Eve to the North Pole aboard the titular train. The animated movie features the voice talents of Tom Hanks, among others, and was made using what was, at the time, a novel animation style.

Now, producer Gary Goetzman tells ComicBook.com that The Polar Express 2 is in the works. Unfortunately, however, the producer doesn't provide any indication regarding how far along this development is or how likely the movie is to actually come to fruition. Check out Goetzman's full comment below when asked about the possibility of a sequel to the Christmas hit:

"Listen, I'd love to. I'd love to do a sequel of Where The Wild Things Are. There's a lot of the things that we've done, if it established itself, branded itself,...

When you think of your favorite children's books, you might fondly recall getting lost in a Dr. Seuss adventure or your parents reading you "Goodnight, Moon." "Treasure Island" might come to mind, or if you're an Brit like myself, perhaps a delightful bedtime adventure with the "Famous Five." Well, it seems the next generation can look forward to something altogether more unsettling because Ridley Scott's seminal 1979 effort "Alien" is now being made into a children's book.

Yes, as per Entertainment Weekly, Ellen Ripley and her fellow Nostromo crew will be the focus of a Little Golden Book — you know, Penguin Random House's compact hardbacks for kids, which have been running since 1942 and seem to have the license to pretty much every IP under the sun. "A is for Alien: An ABC Book," is the latest edition to the extensive lineup, and will, according to EW, "teach young readers...

Some books are deemed "unfilmable" due to their narrative structure, length, or subject, but Hollywood still attempts to adapt them, often with mixed results. Successful adaptations of challenging books like Dune, Lolita, and American Psycho require directors who can creatively approach the source material while capturing the essence of the narrative. Films like Life of Pi, Where the Wild Things Are, and Cloud Atlas take risks by expanding upon the original material, resulting in richer and more mature cinematic experiences.

For decades, Hollywood studios have taken best-selling books and adapted them into blockbuster films, but some books aren't as easy to adapt into movies. Authors like Stephen King, John Grisham, and John le Carré write novels that feel ripe for big-screen adaptations. Their books are narrative-focused page-turners that translate well into a three-act structure. Other books are deemed "unfilmable" due to either the structure of their narrative, the length of their story,...

Luke Combs is hitting the red carpet!

The 33-year-old country music singer arrived at the 2023 CMA Awards with wife Nicole on Wednesday (November 8) at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

Photos: Check out the latest pics of Luke Combs

Luke is nominated for four awards tonight – Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year for “Fast Car,” and Album of the Year for Gettin’ Old.

During the show, Luke is expected to hit the stage for a performance of his hit song “Where the Wild Things Are.”

Check out the full performers and presenters list for the CMA Awards!

Hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, the 2023 CMA Awards will air live on ABC starting at 8/7c and will also stream on Hulu.

The 57th iteration of “Country’s Biggest Night” — the Country Music Association Awards — promises a lengthy list of performers, presenters and winners on Wednesday night. And you don’t have to have cable to watch the CMAs, although you will have to wait in order to stream it.

Female Vocalist and Album of the Year nominee Kelsea Ballerini will perform “Leave Me Again” from “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat.” Reigning two-time Entertainer of the Year and four-time nominee this year Luke Combs will perform his new single “Where the Wild Things Are.”

This year’s Vocal Duo of the Year nominee Dan + Shay will sing their current hit single, “Save Me The Trouble,” while three-time nominee Jordan Davis will perform “Next Thing You Know.” Male Vocalist of the Year nominee Cody Johnson will perform his new love song, “The Painter.”

Read on for where and how to watch the 2023 CMA Awards,...