News

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.

Dog Eat Dog (Paul Schrader)

Paul Schrader might want to consider expanding his thematic scope a little. Decade after decade, film after film, regardless of whether he’s been writing scripts for others (Martin Scorsese, first and foremost), or sitting in the director’s chair himself, the erstwhile Calvinist has come back to the theme of redemption with obstinate persistence. His protagonists are almost always men, they’re almost...

Why has Netflix quietly moved their much-ballyhooed acquisition of David Michôd’s “War Machine,” a satiric comedy starring Brad Pitt as a general based on Afghan star Stanley McChrystal, back to 2017?

Netflix is making room for another Brad Pitt movie with awards in its sights, they confirmed. Paramount is releasing Bob Zemeckis’s World War II espionage romance “Allied,”starring Pitt and Marion Cotillard, on November 23. Pitt likes this period: he played military men in both Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” and David Ayer’s “Fury.”

Produced by Pitt’s Plan B with Ian Bryce, “War Machine” marks Netflix’s highest-budget movie commitment to date—Ted Sarandos paid a reported premium higher than its $60-million budget because when the online streamer buys all world rights to a property, it’s a flat acquisition. They pay no overages in success.

But clearly, reaching viewers directly through Netflix is the goal for...

Why has Netflix quietly moved their much-ballyhooed acquisition of David Michôd’s “War Machine,” a satiric comedy starring Brad Pitt as a general based on Afghan star Stanley McChrystal, back to 2017?

Netflix is making room for another Brad Pitt movie with awards in its sights, they confirmed. Paramount is releasing Bob Zemeckis’s World War II espionage romance “Allied,”starring Pitt and Marion Cotillard, on November 23. Pitt likes this period: he played military men in both Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” and David Ayer’s “Fury.”

Produced by Pitt’s Plan B with Ian Bryce, “War Machine” marks Netflix’s highest-budget movie commitment to date—Ted Sarandos paid a reported premium higher than its $60-million budget because when the online streamer buys all world rights to a property, it’s a flat acquisition. They pay no overages in success.

But clearly, reaching viewers directly through Netflix is the goal for...

Even Bill Murray and Barry Levinson cannot rescue this confused rags to rock riches story, inspired by a real-life talent show contestant

One presumes that veteran director Barry Levinson envisaged this Mitch Glazer-scripted comedy about a has-been rock promoter working his shtick in Kabul as Good Morning Afghanistan, although the phrase “Good Night, Vienna” better describes its reception in America, where it tanked spectacularly last year. No wonder: it’s a dog’s dinner of a movie which not even the usually reliable Bill Murray can raise above the level of confused, cliched claptrap. Murray plays Richie Lanz, who comes to Kabul on the promise of rich pickings, and winds up attempting to help Leem Lubany’s Pashtun prodigy Salima defy death threats by singing on national TV.

Kate Hudson plays a toe-curlingly generic hooker with a heart of gold, Scott Caan and Danny McBride are salesmen for weight-loss firm Herbalife turned wacky gun-runners,...

Behold Bill Murray as the white savior barreling into a foreign land and teaching the ignorant natives how to be better people. Obnoxious and tone deaf. I’m “biast” (pro): love Bill Murray

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Bill Murray is Richie Lanz, a sleazy Los Angeles music manager. He’s the kind of guy who takes money from a wannabe singer with no talent and no chance of even the most measly sort of success but who is also naive enough to believe that it’s normal to pay him upfront. And he’s clearly been stringing along his assistant, Ronnie (Zooey Deschanel: Your Highness, Yes Man), who has been working for him in the expectation that she will get a boost to her own singing career. So when he takes her to Kabul — yes, in Afghanistan — to perform for U.

Rock The Kasbah, starring Bill Murray, Kate Hudson, Zooey Deschanel, Bruce Willis, Danny McBride, Scott Caan, and Taylor Kinney, opens in theaters Today!

Wamg is giving away Five (5) Run-Of-Engagement passes to see the film in the St. Louis area – and we’ll throw in t-shirts for the winners!

A has-been rock manager from Van Nuys, California stumbles upon a once-in-a-lifetime voice in a remote Afghan cave in Rock The Kasbah, a dramatic comedy inspired by stranger-than-fiction, real-life events and directed by Oscar winner Barry Levinson.

Richie Lanz (Bill Murray), dumped and stranded in war-torn Kabul by his last remaining client (Zooey Deschanel), discovers Salima Khan (Leem Lubany), a Pashtun teenager with a beautiful voice and the courageous dream of becoming the first woman to compete on national television in Afghanistan’s version of “American Idol.”

Richie partners with a savvy hooker (Kate Hudson), a pair of hard-partying war profiteers...

What a difference a year makes. The loveable Bill Murray gave one of his most touching and bittersweet performances last fall in St. Vincent. This year, Murray stars as Richie Lanz, an unlikable music manager searching Afghanistan for a pop idol in Rock The Kasbah. Well, actually that sales description is partly misleading. The film as a whole is much worse than that, digging into perhaps the least interesting part of a more interesting story.

Lanz is an unlikely entry into this world, and Murray, as amenable as he is, can’t seem to flesh out this guy, a down-on-his-luck womanizer whose business includes telling no-talents they’ve got what it takes to be a star if only they’ll write him a check to cover his representation fee. The actor’s done the nasty-old-man-with-a-heart-of-gold thing well before, but this film’s problem is that its heart is not in the right place.

In the weirdly dreadful Bill Murray–goes-to-Afghanistan comedy Rock the Kasbah, Murray plays a broke, sleazy music-tour manager who somehow enables an oppressed Pashtun woman in a hijab to get on an American Idol–style TV show (Afghan Star, which actually exists) and strike a blow for female self-expression. Why is Murray’s character, Richie Lanz, in Pashtun country? He hears that he can make a boatload of money providing entertainment for the troops, so he drags his whiny new protégé ,Ronnie (Zooey Deschanel in tight leopard-skin pants), onto a plane and enters a roiling society, split down the middle between gung-ho hedonism and murderous fundamentalism.When Ronnie is liberated by a sympathetic mercenary (a cameo by Bruce Willis, who doesn’t have to smirk to seem smirky — it’s in his DNA), Richie is left high and dry (literally — he’s in the high desert). But then he hears...

“Long live rock and roll!” Turns out that this is really true. I mean the Rolling Stones are still filling up arenas well past the usual retirement age, as does Paul McCarthy (excuse me, Sir Paul!). Well, some of those rockers do slow down a bit and ease into more pop ballads and standards. We saw that earlier this year with Al Pacino as Danny Collins. Is the same true for their managers and agents? Hey, Christopher Plummer took on that role with Al. This new film’s focus on one such aging music agent, a fellow who will never let go of the beat, the melody. And what actor still embodies rock star cool? How about Mr. Bill Murray. Tossing him into the music scene should guarantee big laughs, but how about stranding him in the volatile Middle East for a fish out of water twist? With the bullets...

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World: Levinson’s Afghan Exploration Prizes Diversion

After a unique pit stop in found footage horror with 2012’s The Bay and an underrated Philip Roth adaptation in 2014 with The Humbling, Barry Levinson returns to his particular predilection for boundary pushing, politically topical subject matters in Rock the Kasbah. It’s a very loosely based version of the true account of Setara Hussainzada, a woman who sang on national television in Afghanistan’s version of “American Idol,” known as “Afghan Star,” even though it’s illegal for women to sing.

More along the lines of Levinson’s Man of the Year (2006) than Wag the Dog (1997), as scripted by Mitch Glazer (his first excursion since 2010’s appalling Passion Play), the title seems as woefully out-of-touch as it is unwarranted. Oddly unsympathetic, even as it depicts a subversive act of rebellion within a ruthlessly patriarchal and misogynistic culture,...

Being friends with Bill Murray has had some drawbacks for Mitch Glazer. Since the former SNL Mvp, poetry aficionado and part-time party crasher doesn't have an agent or a manager, total strangers call Glazer up to see if he will convince the man to be in their movies. And it also means that Murray calls him up whenever Road House is on TV, to deliver a play-by-play commentary on the scene where Patrick Swayze has sex with Kelly Lynch (Glazer's wife). But it also means that the writer-director gets to...

Oh, Bill. I recently wrote a piece about how Bill Murray has transcended being a mere living legend and has become a urban myth, and I stand behind every word of that. Unfortunately, Bill often makes choices involving films that make it very hard to support the films themselves, and "Rock The Kasbah" is a perfect example of that. Mitch Glazer is one of those people who appear to be able to get Bill Murray to actually pick up the phone, and he's a credited co-writer on "Scrooged," a film that features one of my favorite Bill Murray performances. Unfortunately, he's also responsible for writing and directing "Passion Play," one of the worst things Murray has ever been part of, and so walking into "Rock The Kasbah," I had my fingers crossed that Glazer would be able to tap the side of his friend that has made him such an...

Rock the Kasbah

Written by Mitch Glazer

Directed by Barry Levinson

USA, 2015

That noise you hear is the sound of Elaine May celebrating. She’s no longer the architect of Hollywood’s most ill-conceived Middle East comedy. That’s an exaggeration, of course, as Rock the Kasbah never reaches the goofy heights (or depths) of May’s notorious bomb, Ishtar. Still, it’s hard to imagine what legendary director Barry Levinson and uber-cool demigod Bill Murray were thinking. From the off-kilter script to the uneven performances, this movie is bafflingly bad. Even Murray seems adrift in what, presumably, started as a vehicle for his particular genius. Rock the Kasbah is 2015’s biggest head scratcher.

Perhaps through sheer will alone, Barry Levinson (Diner, Rain Man, Wag the Dog) still manages to keep Rock the Kasbah a fascinating failure. What begins as a raunchy, quasi-satirical road picture ends as a queasy tribute to “disgraced” Afghan Star contestant,...

A Bill Murray – which is to say, a performer of particular stripes that enjoys almost unanimous affection from moviegoers – is a rare and precious thing. As much a performance artist these days as he is an actor, Murray himself has settled into being the communal whacky uncle on our mom’s side (dad’s is where you’ll find Tom Hanks). Murray is a piece of modern Americana, as close to a folk hero as Hollywood has ever produced, and it’s by his grace that many poorer projects find their silver lining. But like any legend, that reverence can be exploited to justify undertakings of odious construction and intent, which Murray’s latest film, Rock the Kasbah, most certainly is.

That this movie likely wouldn’t exist without Murray’s involvement makes it tempting to point an accusing finger squarely at him, but we’re all to blame here.

Kicking off the week with an exciting evening out, Kate Hudson showed up at the Manhattan premiere of her new film “Rock the Kasbah” last night (October 19).

The “Fool’s Gold” gal was dressed to the nines as she mingled with costar Zooey Deschanel, while Lady Gaga (who was in the house to support her beau Taylor Kinney) and Jennifer Lopez made their rounds.

Slated to hit theaters October 23rd, “Rock the Kasbah” is about “a down-on-his-luck music manager who discovers a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice while on a music tour in Afghanistan and takes her to Kabul to compete on the popular television show, Afghan Star.”...

How did Bill Murray get tapped to play music manager Richie Lang in Rock the Kasbah? “It involved singing which is a good way to get Bill to do anything,” says writer Mitch Glazer. The actor made an entrance fit for a rock n’ roll god at July's Comic-Con, walking – nay, strutting – down the aisle to “Smoke on the Water” to kick of the first panel in Hall H.

Murray stars as Lang, a has-been music manager who discovers a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice while on tour in Afghanistan. Recognizing an opportunity when he sees one, Lang takes the girl under his wing and heads to Kabul to compete on the popular reality show, Afghan Star.

Bill was the catalyst to get other actors including Zooey Deschanel, Danny McBride, and Bruce Willis to sign on for the film shoot in Morrocco according to Glazer. Murray, who had the crowd in stitches,...

Bill Murray welcomed Jimmy Kimmel back to Brooklyn — where he'll be taping Jimmy Kimmel Live! all week — on Monday with tales of baseball, outrageous music industry legends and filming his new film, Rock the Kasbah, in Morocco.

After arriving on horseback during Kimmel's Austin stand, Murray outdid himself in Brooklyn, taking the stage of the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Howard Gilman Opera House with a gaudy gold outfit and outlandish makeup. It gave his musings about his struggling Chicago Cubs an extra dramatic flare, but it seemed totally normal by...

You'd be hard pressed to find a bigger cast this fall than the all-star ensemble in Open Road Films' Rock the Kasbah. Lead by the inimitable Bill Murray, Rock the Kasbah also stars Kate Hudson, Zooey Deschanel, Danny McBride and Bruce Willis, all of whom we see in our exclusive TV spot for this upcoming comedy, hitting theaters nationwide October 23. If you're a sucker for an incredible true story adaptation, then Rock the Kasbah is right up your alley.

A has-been rock manager from Van Nuys, California stumbles upon a once-in-a-lifetime voice in a remote Afghan cave in Rock the Kasbah, a dramatic comedy inspired by stranger-than-fiction, real-life events and directed by Oscar winner Barry Levinson. Richie Lanz (Bill Murray), dumped and stranded in war-torn Kabul by his last remaining client (Zooey Deschanel), discovers Salima Khan (Leem Lubany), a Pashtun teenager with a beautiful voice and the courageous dream of...

"I don't like the tone of your voice!" We're happy to exclusively debut this new 30-second TV spot for Barry Levinson's comedy Rock the Kasbah, starring Bill Murray as a down-on-his-luck music manager lost on a wacky tour in Afghanistan. The actual story in this movie is about how he finds a local Afghani girl and brings her on the television show "Afghan Star", but before he finds her, he loses his original act - played by Zooey Deschanel. She appears in this TV spot in some new footage, as well as Bruce Willis in another bit role. Check out the full-length trailer here and enjoy the TV spot below. Arriving in theaters next week. Here's the newest TV spot for Barry Levinson's Rock the Kasbah, debuted exclusive by FirstShowing: A down-on-his-luck music manager discovers a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice while on a music tour in...

If you need a little bit of rock 'n roll in your fall movie viewing, Bill Murray has got you covered with "Rock The Kasbah." The actor leads the oddball comedy music movie and even has a tune on the soundtrack - and today we have a little preview, so turn up your speakers. Co-starring Kate Hudson, Zooey Deschanel, Danny McBride, Scott Caan and Bruce Willis, the movie follows Richie Lanz, a has-been rock manager from Van Nuys, California, who was dumped and stranded in war-torn Kabul by his last remaining client (Zooey Deschanel), However, he soon discovers Salima Khan, a Pashtun teenager with a beautiful voice and the courageous dream of becoming the first woman to compete on national television in Afghanistan’s version of “American Idol.” Richie partners with a savvy hooker, a pair of hard-partying war profiteers and a hair-trigger mercenary. And, braving dangerous cultural prejudices, he...

This is the story of Richie Lanz…The Man and the Music.

Celebrate the start of Rock The Kasbah’s Rocktober by getting to know legendary rock manager Richie Lanz (Bill Murray) in this brand new behind-the-scenes look – “The Man and the Music.”

A has-been rock manager from Van Nuys, California stumbles upon a once-in-a-lifetime voice in a remote Afghan cave in Rock The Kasbah, a dramatic comedy inspired by stranger-than-fiction, real-life events and directed by Oscar winner Barry Levinson.

First seen in The Rolling Stone article, hear what some of your favorite rock musicians had to say about Richie, his legacy, and his famous antics throughout the years.

Richie Lanz (Bill Murray), dumped and stranded in war-torn Kabul by his last remaining client (Zooey Deschanel), discovers Salima Khan (Leem Lubany), a Pashtun teenager with a beautiful voice and the courageous dream of becoming the first woman to compete on...

The Martian – October 2

Director: Ridley Scott

Stars: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig

Synopsis: During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.

Analysis: Ridley Scott has gone and made a movie that seems to make enough sense for people to enjoy, good for him. This crowd-pleaser certainly looks to hit all the right spots for a great time in the theater. I’ve actually avoided all the clips and trailers since the first overlong and revealing trailer was released. It looks funny and smart; I knew Matt Damon had it in him.

Sicario (expanding) – October...

In July, Bill Murray rocked Hall H with his first-ever appearance at Comic Con. Now comes this brand new trailer for Open Road Films’ Rock The Kasbah.

A has-been rock manager from Van Nuys, California stumbles upon a once-in-a-lifetime voice in a remote Afghan cave in Rock the Kasbah, a dramatic comedy inspired by stranger-than-fiction, real-life events and directed by Oscar winner Barry Levinson.

Richie Lanz (Bill Murray), dumped and stranded in war-torn Kabul by his last remaining client (Zooey Deschanel), discovers Salima Khan (Leem Lubany), a Pashtun teenager with a beautiful voice and the courageous dream of becoming the first woman to compete on national television in Afghanistan’s version of “American Idol.”

Richie partners with a savvy hooker (Kate Hudson), a pair of hard-partying war profiteers (Danny McBride and Scott Caan) and a hair-trigger mercenary (Bruce Willis) and, braving dangerous cultural prejudices, manages his new protégée into becoming the “Afghan Star.

Bill Murray puts himself smack in the danger zone while searching for a talented singer to showcase on Afghanistan’s hit show, “Afghan Star.” In the latest trailer for “Rock The Kasbah,” Murray’s character, Richie Lanz, is out of luck when it comes to signing new talent. Heading to Afghanistan to find his next star, he experiences car bombings and men running after him shooting guns. Yet, he seems to find exactly what he is looking for, a woman with one of the best voices he’s ever heard. “She has the gift, she has the magic, she’s...

Bill Murray is coming to Comic-Con! We die! I can exclusively reveal that the funny man will make his first appearance at Comic-Con to promote his new film, Rock The Kasbah. Details are being kept under wraps but the big surprise will go down tomorrow morning at 10:30 during Open Road Film's presentation in Hall H at the San Diego Convention Center. In the movie, Murray stars as a music manager who takes a teenage singer he discovers in Afhanistan to Kabul to compete on an American Idol-like competition TV show called Afghan Star. Directed by Barry Levinson, the cast also includes Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, Zooey Deschanel, Taylor Kinney and Scott Caan. Rock The Kasbah is in...

Everyone loves movie trailers; we can’t get enough of them here in The City of Films. It’s an art form that stands alone from the film itself and has a remarkable power to move us. Trailers can give us chills, laughs, goose bumps and sometimes even anger us. We can’t always post them all, so here’s where we play catch up; it’s Graham’s Trailer Roundup!

Visit Our YouTube Channel for the latest Trailers! Rock The Kasbah

Synopsis: A down-on-his-luck music manager discovers a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice while on a music tour in Afghanistan and takes her to Kabul to compete on the popular television show, Afghan Star.

Starring: Bruce Willis, Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson

Release: October 23, 2015

Trailer Analysis: Director Barry Levinson’s (Wag the Dog) latest is supposed to be a comedy, but I found myself wondering if it was just...

Bill Murray is as acerbic and hilarious as ever in Rock the Kasbah, a new stranger-in-a-strange-land-themed comedy movie. The Oscar-nominated actor and comedy genius plays a washed up rock tour manager named Richie Lanz who gets stranded in Afghanistan, not exactly the rock n' roll capital of the world, and discovers new talent in the form of Salima, played by Leem Lubany, who starred in the Oscar-nominated film Omar and hails from Nazareth in Israel. Naturally, the next step is to have her compete in the American Idol-like reality series, Afghan Star. And naturally, when you get Murray to play such a character, in such an unusual setting, hijinks will ensue. As seen in the trailer, released this week,...

Bill Murray hits all the right notes – at least comedically – in the hilarious first trailer for Rock the Kasbah. The veteran actor stars as Richie Lanz, a washed-up rock tour manager who drags his last remaining client (Zooey Deschanel) on a Uso tour in Afghanistan, where the performer robs him blind and abandons him without his passport. Through a series of bizarre events, he discovers a talented singer (Leem Lubany) and manages her through the singing competition Afghan Star. "There's got to be a reason for this," Murray says in the clip.

There are plenty of ridiculous moments featured in the new trailer for "Rock the Kasbah," which stars Bill Murray as floundering music manager Richie Lanz, who's trying to revive his career by taking one of his artists on tour in...Afghanistan?

Yes, that not-so-brilliant idea is the central premise for "Kasbah," though that's only the beginning. Richie's incredulous protege singer (Zooey Deschanel) promptly bails on him as soon as they touch down, taking his wallet and passport for good measure; after he's briefed on the situation by a gun-toting Bruce Willis, he has to decide what to do with himself now that he's adrift overseas.

Then, Richie stumbles upon a local teenager who's trying to make it to a singing competition in Kabul, "Afghan Star," and the hapless manager takes the girl under his wing. We're told she has a great voice, but we don't hear it here; maybe that's...

"It's time for a crazy story..." First announced in 2013, Barry Levinson's Rock The Kasbah is finally complete, and here's a trailer to prove it. Bill Murray, Zooey Deschanel, Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, Scott Caan and Danny McBride star, and Mitch Glazer (previously linked to Murray by Scrooged and Lost In Translation) wrote the screenplay.As you'll just have gathered, Murray plays a burned-out music manager who heads to Afghanistan on a Uso tour with his one remaining client. Through a series of unfortunate events, he ends up abandoned, cash-strapped and without his passport (all together now - "Murree-ee-ee don't like it...") but then stumbles upon a young girl with an amazing voice who he figures could make it big. So he somehow manages to smuggle her back to Kabul so she can compete in local X-Factor variant The Afghan Star.Shooting took place last summer (with Caan replacing Shia Labeouf...

Bill Murray would probably make a good music manager. Truthfully, he would probably make a good anything.

His characters have had many careers throughout the years: Golf course groundskeeper, camp counsellor, ghost hunter, actor… you name it, Bill’s played it. One thing we haven’t had the chance to see him play before is a music manager, but that unfortunate luck is about to change with Rock the Kasbah later this year.

Directed by Barry Levinson (Good Morning Vietnam, Rain Man), Rock the Kasbah follows a fairly washed-up music manager who discovers a talented young girl while on a tour in Afghanistan. They end up travelling to Kabul to compete on an "American Idol"-esque show called Afghan Star, but not without encountering their fair share of challenges along the way.

Zooey Deschanel, Taylor Kinney, Kate Hudson, Bruce Willis, Scott Caan and Danny McBride also star, forming a very...

"There's got to be a reason for this...!" Open Road Films has unveiled the trailer for Rock the Kasbah, starring Bill Murray as a music manager who gets lost in Afghanistan, and ends up finding a young Afghani girl to compete in their version of American Idol. This trailer looks and plays a lot like a smart Barry Levinson comedy, because it is a Barry Levinson comedy! In addition to Murray, Bruce Willis, Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson and Scott Caan show up, too. This actually looks like quite a bit of fun, but not in a slapstick hit-each-other-in-the-nuts way, in a this-guy-is-nuts and he's fun to watch way. Give it a look. Here's the first official trailer for Barry Levinson's Rock the Kasbah, in high def from Apple: A down-on-his-luck music manager discovers a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice while on a music tour in Afghanistan and takes...

Opportunity rocks where you least expect it. Open Road Films has debuted a trippy new poster for Rock the Kasbah, the latest film from Barry Levinson, starring Bill Murray as a "down-on-his-luck music manager" who discovers a talented singer in Afghanistan and takes her compete in the Afghani version of American Idol. The film has a big cast, including Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson, Danny McBride, but this poster is all about Murray who gets his smiling mug front and center. I'm not sure if all the wild colors are from the film, or just designed to make this eye-catching, but I'm curious to see some footage. View below. Here's the first official poster for Barry Levinson's new film Rock the Kasbah, originally posted by EW.com: A down-on-his-luck music manager discovers a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice while on a music tour in Afghanistan and takes her to...

SundanceNow Doc Club partners with the Human Rights Watch Film Festival (June 11-21) to present eight acclaimed documentaries, all focused on worldwide human issues, that subscribers can stream beginning today, June 10. You can access the program here. The VOD program include films from Oscar nominees and winners such as Werner Herzog, Laura Poitras and Kirby Dick. Here's the full list: 5 Broken Cameras Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary, Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi’s critically-acclaimed 5 Broken Cameras is a deeply personal, first-hand account of life and non-violent resistance in Bil’in, a West Bank village surrounded by Israeli settlements. As the years pass in front of the camera of a Palestinian farmer, we witness his son grow from a newborn baby into a young boy who observes the world unfolding around him with the astute powers of perception that only children possess. Afghan Star In Afghanistan a group of brave...

Via @ZooeyDeschanel

Open Road Films announced on Wednesday that it will release Rock The Kasbah nationwide April 24, 2015. The photo above is from Zooey Deschanel’s Twitter account.

In Rock The Kasbah Bill Murray is joined by Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, Zooey Deschanel, Danny McBride and Scott Caan.

Rock The Kasbah is the story of “Richie Vance,” a has-been rock manager who takes his last remaining client on a Uso tour of Afghanistan. When Richie finds himself in Kabul, abandoned, penniless and without his passport, he discovers a young girl with an extraordinary voice and manages her through Afghanistan’s version of “American Idol,” the wildly popular “Afghan Star.”

The film is written by Mitch Glazer and directed by Barry Levinson. Qed’s Bill Block, Venture Forth’s Jacob Pechenik, Shangri-La Entertainment’s Steve Bing and Mitch Glazer are producing Rock The Kasbah. Brian Grazer and Tom Freston are executive producers.

Open Road Films will release Barry Levinson's "Rock the Kasbah" nationwide April 24, 2015. The comedy written by Mitch Glazer stars Bill Murray as washed-up rock manager Richie Vance, who takes his sole client (Bruce Willis) on a Uso tour of Afghanistan. Alone in Kabul without money or passport, Vance discovers a girl (Zooey Deschanel) with a great voice and manages her through "Afghan Star," the Afghan "American Idol." Levinson's latest film "The Humbling,"  adapted by Buck Henry from Philip Roth's novel, stars Al Pacino and will debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. Murray played supporting roles in Wes Anderson's 2014 hit "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and Lisa Cholodenko's upcoming TV series "Olive Kitteridge." He also stars with Naomi Watts  in Weinstein Co. fall comedy "St. Vincent."  Willis currently stars in Robert Rodriguez's "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For."...

The 'New Girl' star poses with Billy Murray, Bruce Willis and others on the set of her upcoming comedy.

New Girl star Zooey Deschanel found herself in good company when she tweeted out a photo of her cast-mates on set of the upcoming comedy Rock The Kasbah after they had wrapped shooting.

Deschanel, Bill Murray, Danny McBride, Bruce Willis and Scott Caan in what looks like the coolest bar in the world stand round smiling for the pic, which the 34-year-old actress captioned, "Just wrapped Rock the Kasbah with all of these crazy dudes! You might recognize them."

Just wrapped “Rock the Kasbah” with all of these crazy dudes! You might recognize them… ;) pic.twitter.com/xvQfOIDHn2

— zooey deschanel (@ZooeyDeschanel) July 30, 2014

The film stars Murray of Richie Vance, a washed up music manager who takes his very last client on the Uso tour to Afghanistan. Eventually, Richie finds himself lost in a small Afghan town with...

Late last fall, we got word that Bill Murray would be teaming up with Rain Man and The Natural director Barry Levinson for a film called Rock the Kasbah. The film stars Murray as a burned out music manager who goes to Afghanistan on the Uso tour with his last remaining client. But when he finds himself abandoned, broke and without a passport, he finds a young girl with a remarkable voice and stows her away back to Kabul for a chance to compete on "Afghan Star," which is the equivalent of "American Idol" in Afghanistan (there's actually a great feature documentary about the show you should watch). Now a first look photo from the end of production has emerged thanks to co-star Zooey Deschanel on Twitter. Look! Here's Zooey Deschanel's photo from the end of production Rock the Kasbah from Twitter: Just wrapped “Rock the Kasbah” with all of these crazy dudes!

It looks like we now have our first image from the set of director Barry Levinson’s new movie Rock the Kasbah. In the film Bill Murray stars a music manager who goes on the Uso tour to Afghanistan with his last remaining client. Once there, “he finds himself abandoned, penniless and without his passport and discovers a young girl with an extraordinary voice who stows away with him back to Kabul to compete on the popular television show The Afghan Star, Afghanistan’s equivalent of American Idol.” Rock the Kasbah also stars Kate Hudson, Bruce Willis, Danny McBride, Zooey Deschanel and Scott Caan. Mitch Glazer (The Recruit) wrote the script. I really like the idea of a $20 Million budget comedy with an original scenario and a cast like that. It feels like the kind of mid-budget comedies Hollywood made up until 2008 or so. It’s sort of a shame...

Zooey Deschanel just tweeted this photo from the set of Bill Murray-starrer, Barry Levinson-directed Rock The Kasbah. Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, Scott Caan and Danny McBride also star in the pic about a a down-on-his-luck rock manager who takes his last remaining client on a Uso tour of Afghanistan. After finding himself abandoned in Kabul, penniless and without his passport, he discovers a young village girl with an extraordinary voice and manages her through Afghanistan’s version of American Idol, the wildly popular Afghan Star. Do you recognize these dudes? Just wrapped “Rock the Kasbah” with all of these crazy dudes! […]...

Believe it or not, but the Earth continues to move around the sun after Shia Labeouf dropped the upcoming comedy "Rock The Kasbah" from his slate. But the universe has found a way to right itself, with a replacement signed up to keep the movie going. Scott Caan will take over Labeouf's part, joining Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, Zooey Deschanel and Danny McBride in the movie. The story centers on a washed-up rock manager (Murray) who travels to Afghanistan on business and finds himself stranded in Kabul. Fortunately he quickly discovers a talented singer intent on winning the competition show “Afghan Star,” and sets about recovering his career once more. Caan will share screentime with McBride, with the pair playing a military duo. Production starts in June. [THR] "Terminator: Genesis" is adding to its ranks, with Byung-hun Lee (aka Storm Shadow from the "G.I. Joe" movies), Michael Gladis (Paul...

Washington, April 1: Scott Caan is in talks to replace Shia LeBeouf in the upcoming comedy 'Rock the Kasbah', it has been revealed.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the film, which is to be directed by Barry Levinson, is in its preproduction stage, and has already confirmed Bill Murray as lead along with Bruce Willis, Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson and Danny McBrid.

Caan, 37, would be required to play a con man, who hustles Murray in war zone Kabul to help a young girl with an amazing voice win 'Afghan Star', the country's top reality singing competition. (Ani)...

Currently retired from public life, whatever that means, Shia Labeouf is either Hollywood's greatest enigma or best prankster. Or both. At any rate, after owning the Berlin Film Festival press conference for Lars von Trier's "Nymphomaniac," it looked like Shia was just gonna keep on truckin', working, making weird and possibly plagiarized art, and generally continue to upend whatever notions of decorum are affixed to young actors. But it seems he is taking a step back for a moment. Labeouf has dropped out of Barry Levinson's brewing comedy "Rock The Kasbah," where he would've starred opposite Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, and Danny McBride. The story centers on a washed-up rock manager (Murray) who travels to Afghanistan on business and finds himself stranded in Kabul. Fortunately he quickly discovers a talented singer intent on winning the competition show “Afghan Star,” and sets about recovering his career once more.

Washington, Mar.28: Shia Labeouf has reportedly exited from Barry Levinson directed all-star comedy 'Rock the Kasbah.'

'Kasbah' was a story of a has-been rock manager who takes his last remaining client on a Uso tour of Afghanistan. In Kabul he discovers a young girl with an extraordinary voice and manages her through Afghanistan's version of 'American Idol,' the wildly popular Afghan Star.

In a supporting role, Labeouf was supposed to have played part of a military duo; McBride was the other half.

According to the sources, the parting was an amicable one, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

The 'Transformers'.

For no apparent reason, Shia Labeouf has departed the all-star comedy Rock the Kasbah, which is set to be directed by Barry Levinson. Currently in pre-production, the film boasts an impressive cast that includes talent like Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson and Danny McBride. Labeouf was set to play a supporting role as one half of a military duo, with the other half being McBride’s character.

As we previously reported, Rock the Kasbah follows Murray’s “has-been” manager who goes on a Uso tour of Afghanistan with his last client. While in Kabul, he suffers a string of misfortunes and winds up stranded without money or a passport. His shot at redemption comes when he discovers a talented young girl and takes her under his wing. Together, they board the popular reality show Afghan Star, and Murray’s character attempts to regain his fame and fortune.

Aside from Fury,...

Looks like Shia Labeouf will have one more group to apologise to, though according to the reports his exit was amicable. According to The Wrap, the actor won’t appear in Barry Levinson’s latest, Rock The Kasbah.Levinson has Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, Zooey Deschanel and Danny McBride lined up to star in the tale of a has-been rock manager (Murray) who finagles a way to squeeze his last remaining client on the bill for a Uso tour entertaining troops in Afghanistan. But when it all goes wrong and he finds himself abandoned, penniless and without his passport in Kabul, he happens upon a young girl with an incredible voice. Spotting a chance for redemption, he agrees to help her through the stages of Afghan Star, a Pop Idol-style local talent show.Labeouf was set to play a military man opposite McBride. He’s on screen...

Most of the films on offer at the European Film Market in Berlin were so dull or unappealing more than one Australian distributor came home empty-handed.

Among the handful of deals, Transmission Films pre-bought Suffragette, an historical drama starring Carey Mulligan, Meryl Streep and Helena Bonham Carter. Studiocanal acquired Rock the Kasbah, a Barry Levinson-directed comedy featuring Bill Murray, Shia Labeouf and Bruce Willis.

Based on true events, Suffragette revolves around women who joined the early feminist movement, turned to violence and were forced underground in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with an increasingly brutal State.

Streep will play political activist Emmeline Pankhurst in the film which starts shooting in the UK on February 24.

The director is Sarah Gavron, her second feature since 2007.s Brick Lane, the saga of a young Bangladeshi woman who arrives in 1980s London for an arranged marriage and a new life.

The writer is Abi Morgan,...

Rock the Kasbah

Director: Barry Levinson

Writer: Mitch Glazer

Producers: Steve Bing, Bill Block, Jacob Pechenik

U.S. Distributor: Open Road Films

Cast: Zooey Deschanel, Shia Labeouf, Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, Bill Murray, Danny McBride

In the 80′s, Barry Levinson appropriated restaurant lingo and male-bounding (Diner) , added some funk to the political process (Wag the Dog) and in the naughts has worked in docu, television, and The Bay, his low-budget genre film. An interesting mix of players and a quasi-return to American foreign policy has got us curious.

Gist: This tells the story of Richie Vance, a has-been rock manager (Murray) who takes his last remaining client (Willis) on a Uso tour of Afghanistan. When Richie finds himself in Kabul, abandoned, penniless and without his passport, he discovers a young girl with an extraordinary voice and manages her through Afghanistan’s version of “American Idol”, the wildly popular “Afghan Star.

Open Road Films has announced that they have acquired U.S. distribution rights to Barry Levinson's comedy Rock the Kasbah. Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, Danny McBride, Shia Labeouf and Zooey Deschanel will star.

The film follows Richie Vance, a has-been rock manager who takes his last remaining client on a Uso tour of Afghanistan. When Richie finds himself in Kabul, abandoned, penniless and without his passport, he discovers a young girl with an extraordinary voice and manages her through Afghanistan's version of American Idol, the wildly popular "Afghan Star."

OpenRoad Films CEO Tom Ortenberg had this to say about the project.

"We were blown away by the script for Rock the Kasbah. We are thrilled to re-team with Bill Block and his team at Qed and looking forward to working with legendary filmmaker Barry Levinson and this incredible ensemble cast led by the one and only Bill Murray.

"Moonrise Kingdom" stars Bill Murray and Bruce Willis are getting together to "Rock the Kasbah." The duo will be joined by an all star cast including Kate Hudson, Danny McBride, Shia Labeouf and Zooey Deschanel in the comedy to be directed by Barry Levinson ("Rain Man," "Diner"). "Kasbah" centers on Richie Vance, a band manager abandoned in Kabul after a failed Uso tour. There, he discovers a gifted young girl whom he then coaches through "Afghan Star," Afghanistan's version of "American Idol." Mitch Glazer (who co-wrote Murray's 1988 hit "Scrooged") penned the screenplay and will produce along with Qed’s Bill Block, Venture Forth’s Jacob...