News

Oscar winner Gary Oldman will receive a knighthood and Bafta fellow Samantha Morton an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list.

Oldman, 67, is honoured for his services to drama. He won the lead actor Academy Award in 2018 for playing Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour and his celebrated roles include Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films, and spy master Jackson Lamb in the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses.

The British star broke out in 1986 with his portrayal of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious in Sid And Nancy. He portrayed Dracula for Francis Ford Coppola in the 1992 film of that name,...

“Half Man,” the upcoming six-episode HBO and BBC drama from Richard Gadd that reps the follow-up to his wildly successful Emmy winner “Baby Reindeer” (which ran on Netflix), has rounded out its cast. Joining Gadd and co-star Jamie Bell will be Mitchell Robertson, Stuart Campbell, Neve McIntosh and Marianne McIvor, among others.

Gadd and Bell play estranged “brothers” Ruben and Niall, respectively, in the series, which has now started filming on location in Scotland. Robertson (“Curfew”) will play a young Niall, while Campbell (“Rogue Heroes”) plays a young Ruben. McIntosh (“Doctor Who”) will play Lori, Niall’s mother, while McIvor (“Lady Chatterley’s Lover”) will play Maura, Ruben’s mother.

Others joining the cast include Charlie De Melo (“The Interceptor”), Bilal Hasna (“The Agency”), Julie Cullen (“Traces”) and Philippine Velge (“Station Eleven”).

Also added to the cast: Stuart McQuarrie (“28 Days Later”), Piers Ewart (“The Primrose Railway Children”), Scot Greenan (“T2 Trainspotting...

P-p-p-pick up the new trailer for The Penguin Lessons, an upcoming drama starring Steve Coogan. And also a penguin.

Coming to a cinema near you soon(ish) is The Penguin Lessons, directed by Peter Cattaneo and based on the memoir of Tom Michell, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Pope. Steve Coogan stars alongside Jonathan Pryce, Vivian El Jaber, Björn Gustafsson and Alfonsina Carrocio.

The synopsis reads as follows:

The Penguin Lessons is a story about a disillusioned Englishman who went to work in a school in Argentina in 1976. There, he found a divided nation and a class of unteachable students, only for everything to change when he rescues a penguin from an oil-slicked beach.

Steve Coogan and writer Jeff Pope have been a successful filmmaking team over the last few years. It began in 2013 with Philomena, which starred Judi Dench as the titular character, who enlists the help...

Richard Gadd will officially star in his new BBC-hbo series Half Man opposite BAFTA-winner Jamie Bell.

Previously titled Lions, the Emmy-winning Baby Reindeer creator is also writing Half Man about two estranged brothers, Niall and Ruben, played by Bell and Gadd. When Ruben shows up unexpectedly at Niall’s wedding, it leads to an explosion of violence that catapults the audience back through their lives. Spanning almost 40 years from the 1980s to the present day, this ambitious series will cover the highs and lows of the brothers’ relationship, from them meeting as teenagers to their falling out as adults.

The project is Gadd’s first since the controversial Baby Reindeer took the world by storm. He has since struck a deal with Netflix but HBO is U.S. partner on Half Man, which will air in 2026. Filming is set to commence in Scotland next year.

Half Man is also Bell’s first BBC TV series.

At 86, Ridley Scott is on the cusp of releasing one of the biggest films of his career — “Gladiator II” — and already has at least two additional projects lined up for 2025, a reteam with Paul Mescal and a Bee Gees biopic. With no signs of slowing down.

He’s not the only Hollywood veteran who’s still making movies: Martin Scorsese, who turned 82 this year, made one of the best films of his career with “Killers of the Flower Moon” while Clint Eastwood (94) has what might be his final film, “Juror #2” in theaters now.

Here are 15 directors over 80 who are still busy making movies.

Photo credit: Getty Images Martin Scorsese, 82

The prolific director of “Goodfellas,” and “The Departed” was Oscar-nominated again for his 2023 historic epic, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and is now developing two films: “The Life of Jesus” and a movie about Frank Sinatra. He also returned to documentaries...

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired Toronto premiere The Penguin Lessons starring Steve Coogan for North America, the Middle East, Turkey, Asia, India, Japan, and South Korea.

Peter Cattaneo directed the adaptation of Tom Michell’s 2016 memoir of the same name from a screenplay by Jeff Pope, who worked with Coogan on prior Toronto International Film Festival selections The Lost King and Philomena, as well as Stan & Ollie.

Coogan and Jonathan Pryce star in the story about a disillusioned Englishman who went to work in a school in Argentina in 1976. There, he found a divided nation and a class of unteachable students,...

In the upcoming episode of “Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends,” titled “Odd Bot Team Up / The Lost King,” excitement is in the air as Spidey joins forces with Ghost-Spider and Miles Morales. This dynamic trio, known as the Spidey Team, is ready to take on new challenges and adventures. With their unique abilities, they are set to tackle whatever comes their way.

This episode promises plenty of fun and action, especially with the help of Spidey’s loyal Spider-bot, Trace. Trace may be comical, but he brings a lot of heart and support to the team. Viewers can expect to see how this quirky little bot adds a layer of humor to the mission while helping the heroes navigate their challenges.

As the Spidey Team works together, they will face obstacles that test their teamwork and friendship. The episode is sure to blend thrilling moments with laughter, making...

Toronto film festival

Tom Michell’s feelgood memoir could have been a winning buddy movie with Coogan’s colleague – if it wasn’t for the titular bird always muscling its way in looking baffled

Films set in Latin America during periods of political and social unrest – the early work of Pablo Larraín, say – have traditionally been low on Dead Poets Society-style inspirational uplift. Or, for that matter, penguins. Now the Steve Coogan Heartwarming True Story Machine – the same one which produced Philomena and The Lost King – seeks to rectify the oversight, and not a moment too soon.

This adaptation of Tom Michell’s cosy memoir The Penguin Lessons, scripted by Coogan’s semi-regular collaborator Jeff Pope and directed by Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty), begins in Buenos Aires in 1976, just as Isabel Perón is being ousted in a military coup. Tom, played by Coogan, pitches up with his wardrobe of...

World premieres from Angelina Jolie, Mike Leigh, David Mackenzie, Edward Burns, Uberto Pasolini, Peter Cattaneo, and Rachel Morrison among the Gala and Special Presentation titles unveiled by the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) today (July 22).

Hard Truths is a rare TIFF premiere for Leigh after the UK auteur’s last film Peterloo debuted in Venice in 2018, while Mr. Turner in 2014 and Another Year in 2010 both premiered in Cannes. Cornerstone represents sales and Bleecker Street will handle US distributon on the film, which stars Marianne Jean-Baptiste from Secrets And Lies.

Pasolini’s The Return marks his follow-up to Venice 2020 entry Nowhere Special...

HBO and the BBC are set to co-produce the six-episode drama series “Lions” (w/t), from creator and executive producer Richard Gadd, with Alexandra Brodski and Eshref Reybrouck (“Ferry: The Series” and “Cheyenne & Lola”) attached to direct. The HBO-bbc series is produced by Wendy Griffin and executive produced by Tally Garner and Morven Reid for Mam Tor Productions (a Banijay UK company), Richard Gadd, and Gaynor Holmes for the BBC, with Gavin Smith for BBC Scotland. Logline: When Niall’s estranged ‘brother’ Ruben shows up at his wedding, it leads to ... Read more...

The appetite for drama based on real events seems insatiable, but a preliminary ruling that a British film defamed the original of one of its characters – along with legal action against Baby Reindeer – may give producers pause for thought

It’s enough to chill the blood of screenwriters, directors and producers everywhere – or at least provoke a wince of recognition, whether they are in UK legal jurisdiction or not. In a preliminary ruling, a British judge has ruled that the The Lost King, the film about the discovery in 2012 of Richard III’s remains in a Leicester car park, has a case to answer that it is defamatory of Richard Taylor, a former university official.

The Lost King covers the efforts spearheaded by Philippa Langley (played by Sally Hawkins) to uncover Richard III’s skeleton, and Lee Ingleby plays Taylor, the then deputy registrar of Leicester university. Taylor claims the...

Steve Coogan’s 2022 film about the search for King Richard III’s remains was defamatory to a man portrayed by actor Lee Ingleby, a UK High Court judge has ruled.

Richard Taylor, a former employee at the University of Leicester, is suing the producers of The Lost King, including Coogan, his production company Baby Cow, and distributor Pathe.

Taylor was awarded a preliminary judgment in his favor on Friday, meaning his case can proceed to a full trial, during which Coogan, BBC Studios-owned Baby Cow, and Pathe will defend the portrayal.

Written by Coogan and Jeff Pope, The Lost King depicted Phillipa Langley’s (Sally Hawkins) search to find the controversial king’s skeleton under a car park in Leicester.

Taylor argued that he was painted as being “devious” in “manipulating the public presentation of information about the find, so as unjustly to conceal Philippa Langley’s true role,...

A UK high court judge ruled the portrayal of a real-life character in Stephen Frears’ 2022 film The Lost King is defamatory at a preliminary hearing on Friday (June 14).

Steve Coogan, his production company Baby Cow and the film’s producer and distributor Pathe Productions are being sued by former University of Leicester employee Richard Taylor, who is played by Lee Ingleby in the film.

Coogan produced and co-wrote the script alongside Jeff Pope, and also starred in the film. The Lost King tells the story of how amateur historian Philippa Langley (played by Sally Hawkins) discovered the remains of Richard...

Comedian Harry Deansway’s infringement case against Steve Coogan’s production company Baby Cow is going to trial, Variety can confirm.

Numerous attempts to reach an out of court settlement collapsed and a trial date has been tentatively set for Oct. 2024.

Deansway, whose real name is Joshua Rinkoff, filed suit against Baby Cow last year in the U.K. High Court, claiming that the prodco’s head of comedy Rupert Majendie had copied the format of his YouTube show “Shambles” to develop the stand-up series “Live at the Moth Club.”

Majendie is the creator of “Live at the Moth Club,” which aired on UKTV in December 2022, and is also credited as an executive producer and director.

“It is extremely disappointing that my friend Rupert Majendie, head of comedy at Steve Coogan’s Baby Cow should have copied my original work like this without so much as courtesy call,” Deansway told Variety in a statement.

Zdf Latest To ‘Race Across The World’

A six-part series based on Studio Lambert’s Race Across the World is set to air on German pubcaster Zdf in spring 2025. Planning is underway for casting and filming is set for the fall, with All3Media’s German producer, Tower, attached to make the show. Kirstin Benthaus-Gebauer will be the producer with Friederike Haedecke, Johannes Geiger, Thorsten Haas and Daniel Nemetschek the editors. The original BBC show has run to strong ratings in the UK for three seasons and one celebrity series. New seasons of both versions have been commissioned after the the first ep of the celebrity run drew 6.2 million viewers, consolidating the format’s position among the BBC’s top factual programs. The German deal, struck with distributor All3Media International, marks the fifth international version of the show, coming after three seasons on TV2 in Denmark, an upcoming production on MTV Katsomo and MTV3 in Finland,...

Steve Coogan is being sued for libel by a university official over a “weasel-like” role in the actor’s film about the discovery of Richard III’s remains in a car park.The Alan Partridge creator, 58, was a writer and producer on ‘The Lost King’, which tells the real-life story of amateur history sleuth Phillipa Langley’s quest to unearth the ruler in Leicester in 2012, 500 years after he was killed.Richard Taylor, a former deputy registrar of the University of Leicester, is suing Steve, his production firm Baby Cow and Pathe Productions.A High Court hearing in London on Thursday (29.02.24) was told by William Bennett Kc the university administrator was unfairly portrayed in ‘The Lost King’ as a “suited bean-counter” who was “patronising and misogynistic” to Phillipa, played by Sally Hawkins, 22, in the 2022 movie.Andrew Caldecott Kc, representing Steve, insisted the firm was “based on a true story” rather than a literal portrayal.

Pathé has defended its 2022 film “The Lost King” — starring Steve Coogan and produced by his company Baby Cow Productions — after legal action was launched by the one of the real-life characters it depicts.

Richard Taylor, a former deputy registrar at the U.K.’s University of Leicester, is suing Coogan, alongside his BBC Studios-owned Baby Cow, and Pathé Productions over his depiction in the feature, which chronicles the story of how the remains of British monarch King Richard III were eventually discovered in Leicester in 2012.

On Thursday, Taylor’s lawyer told London’s High Court that the character based on him (played by Lee Ingleby) was “dismissive, patronising and misogynistic” toward the historian Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins), according to the BBC.

“Ms Langley is portrayed as the gutsy underdog heroine struggling against opposition and the claimant as the arrogant villain,” wrote Taylor’s lawyer. “He not only takes steps to...

Steve Coogan and the makers of The Lost King are being sued over the portrayal of a university official in their Richard III film.

Richard Taylor, a former University of Leicester deputy registrar is suing the actor-writer, his BBC Studios-owned production company Baby Cow Productions and Pathé Productions, claiming the performance presents him as “dismissive, patronising and misogynistic.”

Lee Ingleby played Taylor in the film, which was about the real-life discovery of Richard III’s remains under a council car park in Leicester in 2012.

The Stephen Frears-directed film focuses on the role played by historian Philippa Langley (played by Sally Hawkins) in the discovery, and debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022.

Coogan starred as Langley’s husband, and produced and co-wrote the film with Jeff Pope, who also co-wrote Coogan’s multi-Oscar-nominated 2013 film Philomena. Coogan did not attend the High Court hearing.

Taylor’s barrister claimed...

The former deputy registrar of the University of Leicester claims the 2022 movie presented him as ‘dismissive, patronising and misogynistic’

A former deputy registrar of the University of Leicester is suing the makers of the 2022 film The Lost King, claiming it presented him as “dismissive, patronising and misogynistic”.

Richard Taylor was played by Lee Ingleby in the film, which is about the discovery of the remains of Richard III in a car park in Leicester in 2012, more than 500 years after his death. At a hearing in London on Thursday, Taylor’s barrister, William Bennett Kc, asserted that his client was portrayed as “devious”, “weasel-like” and a “suited bean-counter”.

Steve Coogan and his production company, along with Pathé Productions, are being sued for libel over their film The Lost King. More details below.

Steve Coogan starred in, produced and wrote the 2022 feature film The Lost King, in which Sally Hawkins played Philippa Langley, an historian searching for the remains of King Richard III’s remains under a car park.

Richard Taylor, the deputy registrar of the University of Leicester at the time of the film’s setting in 2012, has now sued Coogan, his production company Baby Cow and Pathé Productions for libel, claiming that The Lost King's portrayal of him – as played by actor Lee Ingleby – made him look “devious” according to the BBC.

Directed by Stephen Frears, the film was met with mildly positive reviews, with much of the praise directed at Sally Hawkins’ performance. The University of Leicester released a statement after the film’s UK premiere,...

Despite being significantly hit by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023, U.K. film studios and production facilities are looking to pick back up where they left off after a record-breaking year for film and high-end television production spend in 2022.

When asked what the industry can expect in terms of business in the year ahead, Samantha Perahia, head of production U.K. at the British Film Commission, says she feels positive that demand “is going to be ramping up.”

She continues, “We already know that some of our studio facilities in the U.K. are getting very busy. While not every facility in the U.K. is jampacked again, there seems to be some momentum now, which is very welcome.”

The production spend in the U.K. jumped from £726 million ($376 million) in 2016 to $7.8 billion in 2022. At the same time, the U.K. considerably expanded its studio and stage provision to...

Clockwise from top left: Infinite Storm (Bleecker Street), Monica (IFC Films), The Abyss (20th Century Fox), Mercy Road (Well Go USA Entertainment)Image: The A.V. Club

For February, Hulu brings home a bunch of under-the-radar indie offerings as well as at least one big-budget movie that has proved elusive on streaming services.

It’s a fairly packed month on Hulu this February thanks to the addition of some interesting TV shows from FX and ABC. While the streamer’s own original content is somewhat limited – Life + Beth is returning for season 2 – you can also catch the new series of Feud this month. The new installment in Ryan Murphy’s juicy anthology show is based on the bestseller Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era by Laurence Leamer, and tells the story of Truman Capote’s betrayal and fall-out with New York’s most glamorous socialites. The cast is absolutely stacked, with Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Chloë Sevigny and Calista Flockhart all swearing delicious revenge on Tom Hollander’s Capote.

Also via Hulu in February comes the third season of Abbott Elementary, along with new episodes of The Connors, The Good Doctor, Will Trent,...

Company has slate wide partnerships with US and European producers including A24, XYZ Films and Gigglebug.

Fund management company Ipr.Vc Management – which has invested in slates by A24 and XYZ Films - says it has raised the majority of a targeted €100m for its latest film and television production financing fund.

The Finnish based company has also hired former Ignenious Media senior investment director Andrea Scarso as a partner and investment director who will be based in its London office.

Ipr.Vc has to date raised €150 million from institutional investors, pension funds, family offices and non-profit sector investors through three...

Finland-based fund management company Ipr.Vc Management has completed the first closing of its largest film and television production financing fund to date (Ipr.Vc Fund III), and has appointed entertainment financier Andrea Scarso as Partner and Investment Director.

Established and headquartered in Finland since 2015, Ipr.Vc has to date raised €150 million ($164M) from institutional investors, pension funds, family offices and the non-profit sector through three content funds. More than half of the capital has already been allocated against film and TV projects in Europe and the U.S.

The company has moved from an initial phase of investment in Nordic scripted projects including Netflix’s Bordertown, to establishing strategic long-term slate-wide partnerships with U.S. and European producers including A24 and XYZ Films and European animation studio Gigglebug. In total to date, Ipr.Vc has financed 35 productions.

Ipr.Vc Fund III is the company’s most ambitious to date. With...

Frankie Corio becomes youngest-ever Bafta Scotland nominee.

Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun leads the nominations for the Bafta Scotland Awards 2023, recognised in five categories: actor film, actress film, director fiction, feature film and writer film/television.

The UK-us co-production has acting nominations for Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio, with Corio becoming the youngest-ever nominee at Bafta Scotland.

Scroll down for the full list of nominations

Wells receives the other three nominations, with producers Mark Ceryak, Amy Jackson, Barry Jenkins and Adele Romanski nominated alongside her for feature film.

Aftersun previously received four nominations at the Bafta Film Awards earlier this year, winning...

Production spend in the Scottish high-end TV (Hetv) and film industries hit £617.4 million in 2021, an increase of 55% compared to 2019’s £398.6 million, according to statistics released today by Screen Scotland.

The figure released today includes content made by Scotland-based producers, producers based outside of Scotland filming in Scotland, and Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) commissioned content.

Screen Scotland said over 80% of the net increase in production spending between 2019 and 2021 (£218.8m) was due to “the tremendous growth” in inward film and Hetv production. Overall, inward film investment and Hetv production spend increased by 110%, from £165.3 million in 2019 to £347.4 million in 2021. Across this period, Scotland was home to several big-budget films, including Batgirl, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Hetv shows like The Rig, Good Omens, and Anansi Boys. Psb-commissioned content increased from £196.6 million to £223.3 million over the same period.

In total, the screen sector in Scotland contributed a Gross Value Added (Gva...

AMC Networks is bolstering the leadership team for its film group, which is comprised of IFC Films, Rlje Films, and Shudder. The company has added two new executives and promoted others, including one executive formerly with A24.

The hires come in the wake of an exodus of departures at IFC Films that began in March, including president Arianna Bocco after a 17-year run. The hires compose the team assembled under new film group head Scott Shooman, who took the job last month.

Nicole Weis, who previously worked at A24 as its VP of sales and distribution, is joining the team as VP of Distribution, managing the theatrical rollout of the film group’s output, and Judy Woloshen, who has been with AMC Networks, is moving over to the film group and is the VP of Public Relations. Weis will report to Scott Shooman, head of the film group, and Woloshen will promote to Olivia Dupuis,...

Exclusive: Sally Hawkins, the Golden Globe-winning British actress best known for roles in Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water and the Paddington franchise, has returned to Creative Artists Agency for representation.

Hawkins had previously been with CAA from January 2015 – December 2019, picking up U.S. representation again just recently after some time away. She will next be seen starring opposite Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant and Timothée Chalamet in Paul King’s Wonka, portraying the mother of the latter’s enigmatic chocolatier in the film out via Warner Bros December 15th.

Taking Hawkins’ accomplished career to new heights in 2017 was the romantic fantasy The Shape of Water, which had her playing Elisa, a custodian who falls in love with the amphibian creature being studied at her government laboratory. The role brought Hawkins her second nominations at both the Academy Awards and the BAFTAs, as well as noms at the Critics’ Choice Awards,...

AMC Networks had made it official that Scott Shooman as been upped to Head of its Film Group which encompasses IFC Films, Rlje Films and the Shudder streaming service.

Shooman has been serving as the interim head in the wake of the shocking exit of IFC Films President Arianna Bocco back in March. Shooman arrived at IFC back in January 2022 as their SVP of Acquistions and Production. Shooman led the acquisitions team in acquiring nearly 30 films annually for both the IFC Films and IFC Midnight slate in all stages of production. He was involved in the pick-ups of Watcher, Skinamarink, The Lost King and Corsage.

In his new role, Shooman will oversee acquisitions, theatrical film distribution, production and development across all three of these distinctive and differentiated film brands, as well as the IFC Center, reporting to Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks.

“Movies are...

Executive was named interim IFC FIlms head in March following departure of Arianna Bocco.

Scott Shooman has been named head of AMC Networks film group encompassing IFC Films, Rlje Films and films for the Shudder streaming service.

Shooman oversees acquisitions, theatrical film distribution, production and development across all three labels as well as the IFC Center.

In March the executive was named interim head of IFC Films following the departure of Arianna Bocco.

He reports to Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks, who said, “Movies are an important focal point for our company… [Shooman] has extensive background in the industry,...

Scott Shooman has been appointed to oversee acquisitions, film distribution production and development for all arms of the AMC Networks Film Group, the company announced Tuesday. Shooman is now the permanent head of all three of AMC Networks film arms, including IFC Films, Rlje Films and the horror streaming service, Shudder.

Prior to this position, Shooman was senior vice president of acquisitions and production for IFC Films. He’s also held senior executive positions at Endeavor Content, CBS Films, Sony Pictures’ Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group. At IFC Films, Shooman oversaw the acquisition and distribution of the viral horror feature “Skinamarink,” earlier this year, as well as “Watcher,” “The Lost King” and “Corsage.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to lead and work alongside one of the most passionate teams in the business in supporting and bringing truly independent and boundary pushing films to passionate fans across our IFC Films,...

Scott Shooman has been named the head of AMC Networks Film Group, with a purview that includes IFC Films, as well as Rlje Films and Shudder, the horror-focused streaming service.

In the post, Shooman will oversee acquisitions, theatrical film distribution, production and development, reporting to Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks.

Shooman is taking over for Arianna Bocco, who stepped down from the position in March after leading the indie label since 2020. For his part, Shooman joined the company from Endeavor Content in 2022, heading film acquisitions. He has previously held posts at CBS Films, Sony Pictures’ Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group.

At IFC, Shooman has been involved in the acquisitions of films that include Watcher, Skinamarink and The Lost King. Per McDermott, Shooman “has extensive background in the industry, but also a fresh eye and a filmmaker-first approach that aligns perfectly with...

IFC has a new leader. AMC Networks has named Scott Shooman the head of its Film Group, encompassing IFC Films, Rlje Films, and films for the Shudder streaming service, the company announced Tuesday.

Shooman nabs the official, full-time role following serving as interim head since the end of March of this year. He was elevated to the interim role in the wake of an exodus of veteran talent from the indie distributor, which included president Arianna Bocco, PR head Laura Sok, senior publicist Kate McEdwards, director of sales Jasper Bach, and IFC Center lead John Vanco, all within weeks of each other.

In his new role, Shooman will oversee acquisitions, theatrical film distribution, production, and development across all three brands, as well as the IFC Center. He reports to Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for parent company AMC Networks.

“Movies are an important focal point for our company,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is expanding its membership.

According to a press release, the organization that hands out Oscars each year at the Academy Awards has extended invitations to join the Academy to 398 artists and executives who have made notable contributions to the motion picture industry.

“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a joint statement.

Read More: The Academy Announces 2024 Oscars Date As Well As Submission Deadline

There are some big names and familiar faces among the invitees, including musicians Taylor Swift and David Byrne, and numerous actors, ranging from Selma Blair to Keke Palmer to “Elvis” Oscar nominee Austin Butler.

Those who accept will be only additions to Academy’s membership in 2023.

Vicky Krieps, Paul Mescal, Warner Bros Discovery head David Zaslav, Aftersun writer-director Charlotte Wells, She Said director Maria Schrader, and Kerry Condon are among 398 who have been invited to join the Academy.

Some 40% of the 2023 class identify as women, 34% belong to underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 52% are from 50 countries and territories outside the United States. There are 76 Oscar nominees including 22 winners among the invitees.

Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership. Should they all accept, the total number of members...

“Everything Everywhere All At Once” Oscar winners Ke Huy Quan, Daniel Kwan, and Daniel Scheinert, recent acting nominees Austin Butler, Paul Mescal, and Stephanie Hsu, and bold-face names for the extremely online like Taylor Swift, Abel Tesfaye (a.k.a. The Weeknd), and Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav were among the 398 people announced as new members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday.

“The academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said academy CEO Bill Kramer and academy president Janet Yang in a joint statement.

This year’s class of new members is heavy on 2022 breakouts, like the aforementioned Kwan and Scheinert – invitees in both the directors’ brand and the producers’ branch. In keeping with academy practice,...

The Academy has invited 398 artists across cinematic disciplines to join its membership, including Taylor Swift, Keke Palmer and this year’s Best Supporting Actor winner Ke Huy Quan.

“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang.

Also scoring invitations are actors Selma Blair, Austin Butler, Ram Charan, Kerry Condon, Bill Hader, Nicholas Hoult, Stephanie Hsu, Noémie Merlant, Paul Mescal, Nt Rama Rao Jr. and Paul Reiser, directors Joseph Kosinski, Maria Schrader and Michael Showalter, writers Josh Friedman, Kazuo Ishiguro and Charlotte Wells.

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” duo The Daniels (Credit: Getty Images)

Eight people were invited to join the Academy by multiple branches and must choose which...

Singer-songwriters Taylor Swift and David Byrne, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria, Everything Everywhere All at Once filmmakers Daniels (Kwan and Scheinert), Nobel Prize-winning writer Kazuo Ishiguro, former SXSW chief Janet Pierson, WME co-chairs Christian Muirhead and Richard Weitz, and actors including Selma Blair, Austin Butler, Bill Hader, Paul Mescal, Nicholas Hoult, Keke Palmer, Ke Huy Quan and Rrr stars Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr. are among the 398 artists and executives from around the world who have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this year, the Oscar-dispensing organization announced Wednesday.

“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang said in a statement. “They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released the names of its newest round of invitees, increasing the number of voting members past 10,000, should everyone accept.

With the addition of the 398 artists and executives that the Academy extended invitations to (totaling one more invite than last year), the Academy now boasts a membership that is 34 percent women, 18 percent from underrepresented ethnic and racial communities, and 20 percent from countries or territories outside of the United States. Though their invites have a rolling deadline, they must accept them and pay dues in order to vote for the Oscars and gain access to benefits like the Academy Screening Room.

Among the list of possible new members are, predictably, many of the filmmakers behind Best Picture winner “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” including Best Supporting Actor winner Ke Huy Quan, Best Supporting Actress nominee Stephanie Hsu, Best Film Editing winner Paul Rogers,...

It’s that time of year again — the break between Cannes and the fall festivals, when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences makes its membership invitations. The Oscars group said today that it has extended offers to 398 artists and execs — one more than last year — who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to motion pictures.

The list includes actors, directors, writers, producers, musicians, executives, artist reps, publicists and below-the-liners such as casting directors, cinematographers, costume designers, film editors, makeup artists and hairstylists, production designers and sound pros.

“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement. “They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide.”

As usual, the invitees include newly minted Oscar winners,...

In only a few months, the 2023/24 awards season will have more or less taken shape. While a couple of these performances may contend for Oscars (and we’re hedging our bets with one pick), the purpose of this list, which excludes festival titles that haven’t been released to the general public, is to spotlight incredible work we fear could go unrecognized. Sound off in the comments if we missed any of your favorites! Here are our Top 10 movie performances from the first half of 2023 we hope won’t be overlooked this upcoming awards cycle.

Honorable mentions: Dave Bautista (“Knock at the Cabin”), Ben Aldridge (“Knock at the Cabin”), Sally Hawkins (“The Lost King”), Julianne Moore (“Sharper”) and Michael B. Jordan (“Creed III”).

See 15 most anticipated movies for June include ‘Across the Spider-Verse,’ ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,’ ‘Past Lives’ … [Photos]

10. Storm Reid, “Missing”

The dynamic follow-up to 2018’s...

Exclusive: Longtime IFC Films and Cinetic Media PR colleagues Laura Sok and Kate McEdwards are launching new PR and strategy firm, Track Shot.

Track Shot will be based in New York City and work across independent, foreign and genre films as well as distribution strategy. The duo brings more than two decades in the publicity and communications field as well as a deep knowledge of the distribution landscape. Sok and McEdwards have built and led hundreds of film campaigns during their careers working in-house and alongside major distributors on the agency side. Previously, they led PR efforts for IFC Films, IFC Midnight, Sundance Selects, IFC Films Unlimited (streaming service) and most recently Shudder and Rlje.

Their final campaign for IFC Films was Matt Johnson’s chart-topping BlackBerry. This year they also launched Kyle Edward Ball’s breakthrough feature Skinamarink for Shudder/IFC Films.

Among their many successful campaigns at IFC...

Since its launch in June 2020, AMC+ has broadened its vault of film and television titles. As it grows in size, the service has become a key player in the "battle of the streaming services." AMC+ has not only created original content for its streaming service, but the company acquired a number of smaller media companies, networks, and streamers, now including AMC+, Acorn TV, Allblk, Shudder, Sundance Now, and the anime-centered Hidive. Suffice it to say; it has established a stable, far-reaching foundation for future content.

AMC+ carved out a unique niche that bundles live feeds, the program libraries of the company's television networks, and the libraries of its various streaming brands. This niche has proven successful, as the company posted a twenty-nine percent jump in streaming revenue despite a drop in subscriptions. As the streaming industry faces impending changes, AMC+ continues to bring new, creative, and innovative offerings to the table.

Indian exhibitor PVR Inox, recently formed by the merger of the PVR and Inox cinema brands, has launched a new motion pictures arm, PVR Inox Pictures, which will ramp up acquisitions of international content for the India market.

In a statement, the company said that PVR Inox Pictures intends to increase investments in content acquisition “to streamline high-quality content for the Indian market”, generate further opportunities for under-represented storytellers and independent creators, and deliver a robust content slate to the Indian audience.

“With a wider screen network, it will expand its programming and marketing capabilities and create highly innovative experiences, bringing significant value to its partners as well as to its customers,” the statement said.

In addition, the company announced that Sanjeev Kumar Bijli has been appointed Executive Director of PVR Inox Limited.

PVR Inox is now India’s biggest cinema circuit with a 43% share of multiplex screens, operating a...

The pace of arthouse /smart-house releases accelerated this weekend as wide-for-specialty openings like A Good Person and The Lost King joined a handful of solid single-theater openings from distributors Greenwich Entertainment, Sideshow/Janus Films, Mubi, Abramorama and Cinema Guild – all set for some expansion.

MGM released Killer Films and Elevation Pictures’ A Good Person on 530 screens with a $834k cume for the film by writer/director Zach Braff starring Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman. It’s got a 96% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, indicating continued playability at commercial smart-house locations as an alternative to current tentpole programming.

Pugh is Allison, whose life falls apart after her involvement in a fatal accident but is revived by a unlikely relationship she forms with her would-be father-in-law (Freeman). Deadline review here.

The Lost King from IFC Films, by Stephen Frears, and starring Sally Hawkins as an amateur historian who unearthed the 500-year-old remains of Richard III,...

In a business that lives and dies by sequels, perhaps the best news about the terrific opening weekend for “John Wick: Chapter 4” (Lionsgate) is that for the third time in four weeks, a sequel opened to a gross better than the previous installment.

“Wick 4” opened to $73.5 million, substantially ahead of strong earlier starts for “Creed 3” (MGM) and “Scream 6” (Paramount). That is by far the best initial take in the “Wick” series. And it’s a welcome return to form for Lionsgate, which in past years thrived with huge franchises like “Twilight” and “The Hunger Games.”

This is their biggest film since the final “Hunger Games” in 2015. This company was a vital addition to theater revenues pre-Covid. But since “Knives Out” in 2019, their biggest gross before this was “The Jesus Revolution” with $49 million (and still in release).

Apart from its record-high debut, “Wick 4” also had its best Cinemascore...

Fourth entry in franchise sets record.

Updated: Lionsgate’s John Wick: Chapter 4 dominated the North American box office over the weekend with a spectacular confirmed $73.8m that delivered the rarest of things – a franchise record from a fourth instalment.

In fact Chapter 4 kept a remarkable feat going – every successive instalment in the nine-year Keanu Reeves assassin series has opened stronger than its predecessor.

Buoyed by strong reviews the film directed by Chad Stahelski is expected to become the highest grossing entry in the franchise and looks a strong bet to overtake the $171m final gross set by 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.

The month of March has already shown great success at the box office with two franchise sequel records. Keanu Reeves‘ “John Wick: Chapter 4” joined them this weekend, as the highest opening for the actor’s popular action franchise, which has done better with each new installment.

The action movie co-starring Bill Skarsgård, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, the late Lance Reddick, Shamier Anderson, Donnie Yen, and Scott Adkins, came into the weekend with solid reviews, having had a high-profile premiere at the SXSW Film Festival earlier this month. The Lionsgate release opened with $29.4 million on Friday, including $8.9 million from Thursday previews, and ended up with an estimated $73.5 million in 3,855 theaters for the weekend, averaging over $19,000 per site, by far the best opening for the month.

SEEBox office: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ passes ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ to become 7th highest-grossing movie domestically

That’s compared to the $56.8 million opening for...

The much-maligned Richard III finally gets the royal treatment in Stephen Frears’ The Lost King as amateur historian Philippa Langley unearths the monarch’s five-century-old remains in a parking lot in Leicester, England, in 2012. Two books and a documentary later, IFC Films presents the feature film version in 750+ theaters.

“It took eight years from starting the search to cutting the tarmac. To see it telescoped into a hundred or so minutes made it really powerful for me,” Langley, who’s played in the film by Sally Hawkins, told Deadline.

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Richard III (1461-1483) is one of Shakespeare’s most malevolent villains,...