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When Duke Johnson was making the Oscar-nominated animated feature “Anomalisa” with Charlie Kaufman, Kaufman suggested Johnson read “Memory,” a lost Donald Westlake novel that had recently been published. (Kaufman had heard about its resurrection on NPR.) The novel, about a man named Paul Cole, who finds himself stranded in a small town with a head injury after being attacked by the jealous husband of Paul’s lover, had been completed in 1963 and shopped around by Westlake, with no takers. An attempt was made in the 1970s to shop it around again but Westlake, one of the great American crime fiction writers, declined. After his death in 2008, it was finally published by Hard Case Crime two years later.

“[Kaufman] was telling me that he really liked it, because what was interesting about it is that it’s by this famous crime novelist and that it was in the guise of a noir thriller,...

Director Duke Johnson‘s new film “The Actor” creates a unique bond between its lead character and the audience, using a variety of subjective techniques to convey the title character’s perspective to the viewer. From repurposing sets and actors playing multiple roles to various aural and visual motifs that all contribute to a sense of disorientation and déjà vu, the movie is filled with moments that allow the audience to intimately share the protagonist’s experience.

As an actor struggling to figure out who he is and where he belongs after an accident leaves him with amnesia, André Holland is so perfect for the part that it’s difficult to imagine the movie without him. But Johnson initially spent a lot of time working with another actor — one whose discussions with the director ended up dramatically influencing the shape of the script.

“The original script found its way to Ryan Gosling,...

For cinematographer Joe Passarelli, it was a smooth transition going from the stop-motion “Anomalisa” (2015) to the live-action “The Actor” with director Duke Johnson. That’s because both films are formally bold, mind-bending tales about the search for identity.

“Anomalisa” explores Fregoli syndrome, where people appear as the same person in disguise, by marrying distinctive stop-motion designs with stylized action; “The Actor,” by contrast, tackles a variation of amnesia, where people appear as a troupe of actors playing multiple roles, with more dream-like theatricality.

Based on Donald E. Westlake’s surreal novel, “Memory,” Johnson’s newest film focuses on André Holland as a man who suffers from both long-term and short-term memory loss; he’s trying to get back to New York from a ’50s Midwestern town, but his only anchor in a shifting reality is the woman he befriends played by Gemma Chan. Holland’s continually refreshing blank slate is...

When director Duke Johnson sat down and watched Federico Fellini’s 1954 classic “La Strada,” he was immediately drawn to the iconic clown costume worn by Giulietta Masina. Now in his newest film, “The Actor,” a similar outfit is adorned by Edna (Gemma Chan) while out on an intimate date with Paul (André Holland).

“It’s these two people that feel like maybe they don’t fit into the world,” Johnson tells Variety. “With these two oddballs finding each other, the possibility of connection was the driving force. They’ve really hit it off.”

The moment takes place on Halloween night when Paul, still trying to piece together who he is after waking up with amnesia, goes out with Edna after the two meet at the cinema. Despite it being Halloween, you’d hardly be able to tell by looking at the men’s synonymous coats, making Edna’s hand-stitched blue clown costume immediately stand out.

André Holland is a busy man. His recent TV series The Big Cigar and Terminator Zero were great, and his new film The Actor is a personal favorite, a film noir masterpiece. He is also starring in this year's The Dutchman, Once Again... (Statues Never Die), and Love, Brooklyn, along with the film The Revisionist, which stars Holland alongside Dustin Hoffman, Alison Brie, and Tom Sturridge. Like The Actor, The Revisionist deals with the blurring of lines between art and life, truth and fiction, identity and performance; Holland plays the titular actor in The Actor and a writer in The Revisionist. Though, as Holland told MovieWeb in a recent interview, the two films are different in many ways.

"It's completely different, and it's still very much [happening]," said Holland (who is also currently attending Harvard Divinity School). "We just finished maybe six weeks ago, something like that, or maybe two months.

Yes, this is the lowest grossing weekend of 2025 to date, but not for opera, as the specialty market found its maestro, Ludwig van Beethoven.

The Met: Live in HD transmission of Beethoven’s Fidelio grossed over $860k at about 800 cinemas on Saturday night, one screening.

Conducted by Susanna Mälkki, and starring soprano Lise Davidsen, tenor David Butt Philip, and soprano Ying Fang, the title had the second highest per-screen average of all filmed content across North America and ranked 11 at North American box office yesterday. Encore screenings will play select U.S. cinemas March 19 and Canadian cinemas on March 29, 31, and April 2.

Fathom is the North American distributor. The live transmission was directed for cinema by Gary Halvorson and hosted by tenor Ben Bliss.

The Met: Live in HD — live high-definition cinema simulcasts that do tend to pop — now in its 18th season, is available in more than 1,800 theaters in 60 countries.

After co-directing 2015’s Anomalisa with Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson’s solo follow-up is an adaptation of the Donald E. Westlake’s novel Memory. Paul Cole (André Holland) is the eponymous actor––or so people tell him is his occupation after he wakes up in small-town Ohio with a mysterious head injury and zero memories. There’s a beautiful woman, Edna (Gemma Chan), and a small cast of characters who may or may not have Paul’s best interests at heart. It’s a classic noir setup, but Johnson is less interested in doling out narrative breadcrumbs that build into a perfectly interlocking narrative so that audiences can solve a central mystery––instead he centers us firmly within the headspace of Paul, prioritizing larger philosophical questions about identity along with a budding romance between Paul and Edna. Johnson was transfixed watching Chan deliver a monologue about lost love in Steven Soderbergh...

Duke Johnson ('Anomalisa') discusses his mysterious, moody masterpiece with André Holland and Gemma Chan, the book it's based on, and how Ryan Gosling is involved. 'The Actor' is in theaters March 14 from Neon.

When New York actor Paul Cole is beaten and left for dead in 1950s Ohio, he loses his memory and finds himself stranded in a mysterious small town where he struggles to get back home and reclaim what he's lost.

André Holland & Gemma Chan discuss their remarkably unique new film 'The Actor,' written and directed by Duke Johnson ('Anomalisa'). The pair discuss the liberation and challenge of filming in such a surreal, allegorical world, discuss their theories of the mysterious film, and touch on future projects such as 'Josephine' with Channing Tatum and 'The Revisionist' with Dustin Hoffman. See 'The Actor' in theaters starting March 14, 2025, from Neon.

Based on the novel 'Memory' by Donald E. Westlake, 'The Actor' finds Paul Cole (André Holland) stranded in a mysterious small town with no memory of who he is or how he got here. Without a sense of identity or purpose, he starts from scratch and begins courting a local costume designer Edna (Chan). As bits and pieces of his past slowly emerge, he attempts to find his way home, but time is slippery,...

One of the great pleasures of director Duke Johnson‘s haunting and beautiful new film “The Actor” is, appropriately enough given the film’s title, the abundance of terrific performances. André Holland anchors the movie as the title character, an actor struggling to figure out who he is and where he belongs after an accident leaves him with amnesia. He’s surrounded by a gallery of equally fascinating supporting players — most of whom play multiple characters, with the actors often unrecognizable under layers of elaborate hair and makeup.

For Johnson, the decision to create a troupe of actors who would play different characters throughout was both practical and philosophical. “There are the limitations of shooting in Europe and getting your actors,” Johnson told IndieWire on an upcoming episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, noting that getting a huge cast to Budapest for production would have been prohibitively expensive — once he...

Andre Holland stars in the new indie movie The Actor, though the role was originally developed with Ryan Gosling to play the lead role.

Director Duke Johnson is opening up about Ryan being attached to the film and how the actor stayed on as a producer after deciding not to star in the project.

“In 2019, the script initially found its way to Ryan, and he came on board, and we developed the script together through the pandemic,” Duke told The Playlist. “And the way Hollywood works, it’s so hard to schedule people that have really intense schedules, and ultimately there became some conflicts in that department. But I’m so blessed with how this one worked out. I’m very grateful to have had that time to develop the script with Ryan, but this movie was always destined for Andre; he’s the ultimate blessing to me. He’s my muse,...

Based on the novel “Memory” by Donald E. Westlake, “The Actor,” a Kafka-esque crime-noir fantasy about identity and memory, is the latest directorial effort by filmmaker Duke Johnson, known for his work in animation and co-directing “Anomalisa” with screenwriter/director Charlie Kaufman (“Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind”).

But as Johnson reminds you, you’re more than just your IMDb page, and while “The Actor” is his feature-length live-action directorial debut, the filmmaker went to film school, directed his fair share of shorts, and learned his live-action chops in college.

Continue reading Director Duke Johnson Talks ‘The Actor,’ Learning From Charlie Kaufman & André Holland As Collaborator For Life [Exclusive] at The Playlist.

Of all the things we forget in life, dreams may be the most frequent. No matter how much you journal or try to find ways to cling to these subconscious fragments, they always seem to slip away as we re-enter the waking world. It’s then interesting that, for all the ways it populates the films we conjure up, only rarely does cinema truly capture a sense of this half-remembered dreaming. Too often, it’s made overly literal and less hazy even as this is what defines so much of our lives. However, this makes the works that successfully tap into this all the more special to dream with.

“The Actor” is one such film. A captivating portrait of a man who can’t seem to remember who he is and may not ever be able to, Duke Johnson’s live-action feature debut is an enrapturing film that speaks in...

There’s something initially alluring about the way Duke Johnson uses surrealism in his solo directorial feature The Actor. The film stars the gifted André Holland as a theater performer who becomes an amnesiac after suffering a violent blow to the head. His attacker is the angry husband of the woman with whom he’s having a torrid affair. We don’t see much of the instigating incident, but Johnson offers enough glimpses at the start of the film to help us figure out what happened.

The Anomalisa co-director adapted this screenplay, which he wrote with Stephen Cooney, from Donald E. Westlake’s thriller Memory. The novel is propulsive; its drama immediate and matter-of-fact. Johnson slows it down for us in The Actor, choosing a gauzy style and languid pace to shape his film like a dream you might appreciate but ultimately struggle to remember.

When we meet Paul Cole...

It can be difficult to step out of the shadow of a creative collaborator, which Duke Johnson does fitfully with “The Actor,” his first live-action theatrical feature. Though Johnson has had a steady career for close to two decades, principally in stop-motion animation for television, he is perhaps best known for co-directing “Anomalisa” with Charlie Kaufman. A full decade later, Kaufman (who serves as an executive producer on “The Actor”) still has a marked influence on Johnson’s solo directorial debut, though it is awkwardly grafted onto a noir-inflected tale — based on the novel “Memory” by Donald E. Westlake — of a man recovering from amnesia and attempting to rediscover who he is.

That man is Paul Cole (André Holland), a member of a New York City theater troupe on the last leg of a Midwest tour. As the film begins, he is preparing to bed a married woman before her...

Co-directed by Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson, 2015’s “Anomalisa” told a walking nightmare of a story about a motivational speaker who perceives (almost) everyone he meets to be the same identical stranger. They all share the same face, they all speak with the same voice, and they all reflect the inescapable self-absorption of the main character, whose hell is that he can only see the world through the prism of his own two eyes.

“The Actor” — Johnson’s solo feature debut — is a similarly dream-like film about a man suffering from the exact opposite problem. His name is Paul Cole, he’s a rising star of the New York stage, and we’re first introduced to him on a dark and fateful night in the fictional town of Jeffords, Ohio, where his theater troupe has just performed their latest show. Paul takes a local gal to his hotel room for a nightcap,...

An overwhelming wealth of films is hitting our screenings this March, and the month is starting impossibly strong with the release of “Mickey 17.” Beyond the highly anticipated Bong Joon-ho and Robert Pattinson team-up, there are plenty of festival favorites from the 2024 film festivals and the most recent Sundance. There are plenty of genre films, with sci-fi and horror getting a good spotlight, primarily through independent filmmaking.

Continue reading 17 Films To Watch In March: ‘Mickey 17,’ ‘Black Bag,’ ‘The Actor’ & Many More at The Playlist.

Satoko Yokohama is a Japanese film director and writer of “The Actor” (2015) and “Ito” (2021), among others. Her 5th feature, “Seaside Serendipity”, was awarded the Special Mention of the Generation Kplus International Jury at the 75th Berlinale. Daisuke Wada is a film producer from Japan who worked on such movies as “The Women in the Lakes” (2024) by Tatsushi Omori, and “Remain in Twilight” (2021) by Daigo Matsui.

On the occasion of the world premiere of “Seaside Serendipity” at the Berlin International Film Festival, they talk about the process of adapting manga into a movie, the importance of cinematic experience and other topics.

This is your fifth feature film. In each one, you have combined dramatic and comedic elements. How would you describe your style and approach to the creative process?

Satoko Yokohama: The basis of my philosophy is the love for comedy. My goal is to make people laugh and provide them with a joyful experience.

Charlie Kaufman is getting back in the director’s chair. The auteur, who has mostly focused on his screenplays since helming 2020’s “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” will write and direct short story adaptation “Later the War.” IndieWire can confirm that Eddie Redmayne, Tessa Thompson, and Patsy Ferran will lead the film. World of Reel first announced the project, with Deadline following up Monday.

“Later the War” follows a man (Redmayne) who manufactures dreams for people but instead begins to create nightmares for his clients. The script is based on Iddo Gefen’s short story “Debby’s Dream House,” which is part of the “Jerusalem Beach” collection.

Ken Kao and Josh Rosenbaum of Waypoint Entertainment will produce “Later the War,” along with Sarah Green of Brace Cove Productions and Steven Demmler. The film will be fully financed by Suraj Maraboyina’s 131 Pictures, with WME Independent and CAA Media Finance co-representing...

Timothée Chalamet’s expression was one of genuine shock when he heard his name called out at the 31st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. However, the talented thespian has his sights set on much more than simply his SAG honor for Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading Role.No, Chalamet doesn’t have any intention of resting on his laurels, and the star of A Complete Unknown made it crystal clear during his acceptance speech that he wants to be one of Hollywood's “greats.” Chalamet said:

"I can’t downplay the significance of this award [known as The Actor] because it means the most to me, and I know we’re in a subjective business, but the truth is I’m really in the pursuit of greatness. I know people usually don’t talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats. I’m inspired by the greats. I’m inspired by the greats here tonight.

“The Actor”, the new live-action ‘crime-mystery’ feature, based on the 2010 novel “Memory” by Donald E. Westlake is directed by Duke Johnson, starring André Holland, Gemma Chan, May Calamawy, Olwen Fouéré, Toby Jones, Simon McBurney, Joe Cole, Tracey Ullman, Tanya Reynolds, Asim Chaduhry, Youssef Kerkour, Edward Hogg, Thomas Dominique, Fabien Frankel and Scott Alexander Young, releasing March 14, 2025 in theaters:

“…’Paul Cole’ (Holland) finds himself stranded in a mysterious small town with no memory of who he is or how he got here.

“Without a sense of identity or purpose, he starts from scratch and begins courting a local costume designer ‘Edna’ (Chan).

“As bits and pieces of his past slowly emerge, he attempts to find his way home, but time is slippery, appearances can’t be trusted, and it’s unclear which of his identities is real…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Neon and Anomalisa director Duke Johnson are bringing something twisty and mysterious this Wednesday with a trailer for The Actor, a bizarre amnesiac tale filled with mischief, misinformation, and malcontents. It stars André Holland as a man with no memory surrounded by suspicious characters and a beautiful stranger who wants to help him solve the mystery of his past and become a part of his future.

Here’s the official synopsis for The Actor courtesy of Neon:

“Based on the novel Memory by Donald E. Westlake, The Actor finds Paul Cole (Holland) stranded in a mysterious small town with no memory of who he is or how he got here. Without a sense of identity or purpose, he starts from scratch and begins courting a local costume designer (Chan). As bits and pieces of his past slowly emerge, he attempts to find his way home, but time is slippery,...

Neon has unveiled the official trailer and teaser poster for “The Actor,” an upcoming noir drama directed by Duke Johnson, known for co-directing the animated film “Anomalisa.” This marks Johnson’s live-action directorial debut. The film is set to hit theaters on March 14, 2025.

Based on Donald E. Westlake’s 2010 novel “Memory,” “The Actor” stars André Holland as Paul Cole, a man who finds himself stranded in a mysterious small town with no recollection of his identity or how he arrived there. As he starts anew, he forms a relationship with local costume designer Edna, portrayed by Gemma Chan. As fragments of his past gradually surface, Paul endeavors to uncover his true self, navigating a reality where time is elusive and appearances are deceptive.

The supporting cast includes May Calamawy, Olwen Fouéré, Toby Jones, Simon McBurney, Joe Cole, Tracey Ullman, Tanya Reynolds, Asim Chaudhry, Youssef Kerkour, Edward Hogg, Thomas Dominique, Fabien Frankel,...

Neon is behind a new memory thriller titled, “The Actor,” from director Duke Johnson and the studio has unleashed a trailer for the upcoming pic based on the novel “Memory” by Donald E. Westlake with a script penned by Stephen Cooney and Johnson. The studio has sent along a trailer for the pic and gives audiences some insight into what to expect ahead of the film’s release on March 14.

Continue reading ‘The Actor’ Trailer: André Holland, Gemma Chan, May Calamawy & More Star In Duke Johnson’s New Memory Thriller at The Playlist.

He’s challenged society in Moonlight, taken on the forces of evil in American Horror Story: Roanoke, and picked up the pen of one of history’s most influential sports writers in 42. Still, André Holland will soon step into his biggest role yet when he appears as the titular character in The Actor. Today, Neon has revealed the debut trailer and first-look poster for the upcoming film and the latest title to come from filmmaker, Duke Johnson, following his 2015 trippy stop-motion flick, Anomalisa. With a cast that also includes Crazy Rich Asians and Don’t Worry Darling’s Gemma Chan, the trailer teases one man’s mind-bending journey back to himself.

“The Actor” is ready to wake up.

The new movie, from “Anomalisa” director Duke Johnson, stars André Holland and Gemma Chan, and you can watch the brand-new trailer right now.

The official synopsis notes that the story follows “Paul Cole (Holland) stranded in a mysterious small town with no memory of who he is or how he got here. Without a sense of identity or purpose, he starts from scratch and begins courting a local costume designer Edna (Chan). As bits and pieces of his past slowly emerge, he attempts to find his way home, but time is slippery, appearances can’t be trusted and it’s unclear which of his identities is real.”

May Calamawy, Asim Chaudhry, Joe Cole, Fabien Frankel, Olwen Fouéré, Edward Hogg, Toby Jones, Youssef Kerkour, Simon McBurney, Tanya Reynolds, Tracey Ullman and Scott Alexander Young also star.

What’s fascinating about “The Actor” is that...

Duke Johnson is making his solo directing debut with the highly-anticipated noir, “The Actor.”

Johnson reunites with his “Anomalisa” co-director Charlie Kaufman to executive produce “The Actor,” which stars André Holland as a man who realizes he has no idea what his true identity is after surviving a brutal attack in 1950s Ohio. Johnson co-wrote the script with Stephen Cooney, which is based on the novel “Memory” by Donald E. Westlake.

The official synopsis reads: “Paul Cole (Holland) is stranded in a mysterious small town with no memory of who he is or how he got here. Without a sense of identity or purpose, he starts from scratch and begins courting a local costume designer Edna (Gemma Chan). As bits and pieces of his past slowly emerge, he attempts to find his way home, but time is slippery, appearances can’t be trusted, and it’s unclear which of his identities is real.

The rainy, cold and grey atmosphere of the Berlin International Film Festival seems perfect for the premiere of such a positive film as “Seaside Serendipity”. This adaptation of a manga by Gin Miyoshi titled “The Road to the Seaside”, written and directed by Satoko Yokohama, was selected for the Generation Kplus section, where it serves as a warming break from the winter. Moreover, Yokohama’s coming-of-age movie was selected for the 6th Setouchi Triennale, which is one of the largest art festivals in Japan.

Seaside Serendipity is sceening at Berlin International Film Festival

Taking place in a seaside town during summer vacation, the story follows teenager Sosuke (Konosuke Harada) as he fills his time with various activities, like hanging out with friends, sculpting a mermaid or helping with interviews for the school newspaper. Additionally, the town in which he lives is a haven for peculiar newcomers, which makes it impossible to experience boredom there.

Netflix is releasing two new Indonesian films this year. One is a comedy-drama called ‘The Actor,’ directed by Ernest Prakasa, about an actor who loses his acting skills right before landing a big role.

The other is ‘The Elixir,’ a zombie movie directed by Kimo Stamboel, about a potion that causes a zombie outbreak. Both films feature popular Indonesian actors and are part of Netflix’s global slate of new content.

‘The Elixir’ adds to Netflix’s collection of zombie shows in Asia, which includes popular South Korean series like’ All of Us Are Dead,’ ‘#Alive,’ and ‘Kingdom,’ as well as the Japanese show ‘Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead.’

Indonesia is an important market for Netflix in Southeast Asia, but the role of the content head for the country is currently empty after Rusli Eddy stepped down in October. Malobika Banerji, Netflix’s head of Southeast Asian content,...

Continuing its run of slate launches globally, Netflix unveiled new Indonesian originals premiering on its platform this year.

The streamer is working on its first collaboration with director and comedian Ernest Prakasa, titled The Actor (Lupa Daratan). The comedy-drama film is about an egocentric actor who is on the cusp of landing the lead role in a prestige biopic, but suddenly finds himself stripped of his acting abilities. The film stars Vino G. Bastian, Agus Kuncoro and Dea Panendra.

Netflix will also launch its first zombie film from Indonesia, The Elixir, from accomplished horror director Kimo Stamboel. Previously announced with the working title of Abadi Nan Jaya, the film tells the story of a potion that ends up triggering a zombie outbreak due to the ambition of a herbal medicine company’s owner. The Elixir stars Donny Damara, Mikha Tambayong, Eva Celia, Dimas Anggara, Kiki Narendra and Marthino Lio.

The...

One of Monk's greatest episodes was actually predicted by a classic, but often forgotten, comedy starring Tony Shalhoub and Stanley Tucci back in 1996. Throughout its eight seasons on air, Monk often featured guest stars, with some celebrities even appearing multiple times throughout the show. However, one of Monk's best episodes is when Tucci appeared on the show in "Mr. Monk And The Actor." The episode even referenced an earlier work by Tucci and Shalhoub.

Although there are several harsh realities to rewatching Monk years after it has ended, its guest stars were usually some of the best things about the show. Shalhoub and Tucci's brilliant collaboration on Monk was preceded by their roles in Big Night, which showcased both actors' comedy skills. The movie also helped predict their collaboration on Monk, 10 years later. Big Night remains a classic comedy to rewatch time and time again.

Big Night Was Tony...

For an actor, there is probably nothing like the excitement of being cast in a big-budget film directed by a prolific director alongside a stellar ensemble cast. Moon Knight actress May Calamawy experienced that in 2023 when she was cast in Ridley Scott's Gladiator II in what was reported to be a lead role. However, as moviegoers began seeing the highly-anticipated sequel last week, Calamawy was nowhere to be found in the film, and now the actress has confirmed that her entire speaking role was cut from the theatrical release of the movie.

According to a social media post from the London Comic-Con via The Playlist, Calamawy confirmed that her speaking role was cut from Gladiator II. The actress didn't provide major details but went on to indicate that it was one of the best experiences of her life and that she enjoyed working with Denzel Washington, who plays Macrinus in the film.

On Friday September 27 2024, Ovation broadcasts Sue Thomas F.B.Eye!

The Actor Season 3 Episode 5 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Sue Thomas F.B.Eye,” titled “The Actor,” promises to be an exciting addition to the series. This episode features an intriguing storyline that involves an actor who shadows the team, adding a unique twist to the usual investigations. With the actor in the mix, viewers can expect to see how the dynamics within the team shift as they navigate their mission.

In this episode, Sue and Jack take on a critical task as they work to stop a gun shipment. The stakes are high, and the tension builds as they face various challenges along the way. Their determination to keep the streets safe will be put to the test, showcasing their teamwork and problem-solving skills. Fans of the show will likely appreciate the fast-paced action and the clever strategies employed by Sue and Jack.

In the upcoming episode of “Sue Thomas F.B.Eye,” titled “The Actor,” viewers can expect an exciting blend of action and drama. This episode, airing at 12:00 Pm on Friday, September 27, 2024, on Ovation, brings a unique twist as an actor shadows the team. This could lead to some humorous moments, as the actor tries to get a feel for the role of a lifetime while navigating the serious world of the FBI.

Meanwhile, Sue and Jack are on a critical mission to stop a dangerous gun shipment. The stakes are high, and their teamwork will be put to the test. Fans of the show know that Sue’s keen instincts and Jack’s determination often lead to thrilling outcomes, and this episode promises to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

Additionally, Myles and Bobby take on the responsibility of interviewing a suspected terrorist. This subplot adds another...

What a difference a year makes.

After being the first major film festival to navigate the choppy waters of programming huge world premieres at a time when most actors were on strike last year, the Venice Film Festival is back for its 81st edition with a lineup of showy projects. This time, stars like George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, and Lady Gaga can actually come out to the Lido to support them.

Focusing on the 21 competition titles (down two from last year), the most expected entrants were Luca Guadanigno’s “Queer,” Pablo Larrain’s “Maria,” and Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Room Next Door” (his first English-language feature). Led by Daniel Craig, Jolie, and Tilda Swinton, respectively, each film arrives with awards hopes baked in already — especially considering the filmmakers’ track records with directing Oscar-nominated performances. While “The Room Next Door” furthers Almodóvar’s long-running relationship with distributor Sony Pictures Classics,...

Following part one of our 2024 preview, we’re counting down our 50 most-anticipated films of the year.

50. The Actor (Duke Johnson)

Duke Johnson, one half of the directing duo behind Anomalisa, makes his solo directorial (and live-action) debut with The Actor. For being based on the posthumously published novel from Donald E. Westlake, a synopsis points towards an amnesia thriller with André Holland as a New York City actor beaten and stranded in 1950s Ohio. Gemma Chan and Toby Jones co-star. As a state native I’m intrigued how they shot Budapest for small-town Ohio––the two don’t exactly scream perfect matches, but I won’t doubt the movie magic before I see it. Anomalisa was a wholly original stop-motion feature; we’re intrigued how Johnson continues that creativity in the live-action realm. – Caleb H.

49. Presence (Steven Soderbergh)

Steven Soderbergh has flirted with horror before––2018’s Unsane in particular nearly...

2023 may not have been an excellent year for movies, but in spite of everything stacked against it (read: greedy conglomerates run amok), it turned out to be an excellent year of movies. While the fallout of the recent work stoppages will be felt for time to come, some of 2023’s losses will prove to be 2024’s gains, as much-anticipated but strike-delayed films like “Dune: Part Two,” “Drive-Away Dolls,” and Luca Guadagnino’s horny tennis drama “Challengers” have all secured fresh release dates in the first half of the new year.

Those titles will be joined by some of the most promising Hollywood blockbusters in recent memory, must-see work from some of the world’s greatest auteurs, and huge swings from essential artists ranging from new voices like Jane Schoenbrun (“I Saw the TV Glow”) and Duke Johnson (“The Actor”) to venerated masters like Francis Ford Coppola (“Megalopolis”) and Mike Leigh...

Garry Keane and Stephen Gerard Kelly’s documentary In The Shadow Of Beirut, which is Ireland’s Oscar category this year, is headed to the Red Sea International Film Festival, running November 30 to December 9 in the Red Sea port of Jeddah.

The work, which is executive produced by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton as well as Siobhan Sinnerton under their HiddenLight Productions banner, is an immersive work capturing life in the slum neighborhoods of Sabra and Shatila neighborhoods outside Beirut, three decades after they hit world headlines following the infamous massacre of 1982.

The documentary is among six titles selected for the New Vision line-up alongside Jurgen Buedts and Sahim Omar Kalifa biodoc The Iraq’s Invisible Beauty about Iraqi photographer Latif Al Ani, which world premieres at the Red Sea, and Thien An Pham’s first feature Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell which won Camera d’Or at Cannes this year.

It is a fact during the last few years, that TV series have become part of film festivals, with a number of them screening a sample (usually a couple of episodes), probably since their quality nowadays γετσ closer and closer and frequently even surpasses that of movies. Iranian “The Actor” a 20-episode series is definitely one of those, as it became evident when we watched the first two episodes in Thessaloniki.

“The Actor“ is screening at Thessaloniki International Film Festival

In what is probably one of the greatest intros ever to appear in any kind of screen, a group of people are traveling through a remote area in Iran, when the first of two cars has to change a tire. One of the people in that car is changing it, another is dancing to “Losing My Religion” while two girls are staying inside. In the other car, a man and his fiance are waiting,...

When the Thessaloniki International Film Festival’s industry arm, Agora, kicks off this week in Greece’s second city, organizers will be looking to expand upon recent additions to a time-tested formula that’s served the event across nearly two decades as a launching pad and incubator for Greek and regional talent.

“We’ve been doing the Agora since 2005, and we have slowly but steadily established it as one of the markets where you can find new talents and emerging directors from this region,” says industry head Angeliki Vergou, who took over from longtime Agora topper Yianna Sarri last year. “I think we are maintaining the essence of Agora that we have developed all these years, but just tweaking it a little bit to make it more available and more open to bring in new opportunities.”

In her second year in charge of the Agora, Vergou is looking to build...

Exclusive: The Thessaloniki Film Festival’s Agora Series, a hybrid film-series industry strand, returns this year for its sophomore outing with Paper Entertainment CEO and Tehran executive producer Julien Leroux serving as program consultant.

This year’s Agora series program will run for two extended days, starting November 4, with a focus on the creative process of series screenwriting. The schedule will feature a range of masterclass sessions from local and international series professionals. Canadian filmmaker Jeremy Podeswa will host a masterclass on the future of storytelling titled From Six Feet Under to the Top: The Evolution of Contemporary Television at the Pavlos Zannas Theatre on November 4. Podeswa — who was recently announced as the lead director of the Blade Runner 2099 mini-series at Amazon — will discuss the evolution of series content throughout the years and his personal journey in the business. Podeswa’s credits include Six Feet Under, Game of Thrones,...

Though the SAG and WGA strikes are seemingly going strong without much of an end in sight, that doesn’t mean all of Hollywood has come to a halt. There are still films being produced thanks to interim agreements, which allow independent studios to continue to film as long as they agree to the demands made by SAG. This means Andre Gaines is set to begin production on his newest film, “The Dutchman.”

Read More: André Holland & Gemma Chan Star In ‘Anomalisa’ Helmer Duke Johnson’s Neon Film ‘The Actor,’ Which Has Completed Production

According to Deadline, Andre Gaines is set to direct “The Dutchman,” a film based on the acclaimed stage play from playwright Amiri Baraka.

Continue reading ‘The Dutchman’: André Holland, Kate Mara & Zazie Beetz To Star In Andre Gaines’ Adaptation Of Acclaimed Play at The Playlist.

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films killing it in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track… So, we’re going to do the hard work for you.

This week we head to Iran, where filmmaker Nima Javidi’s debut TV series has been winning awards and generating plenty of attention. Taking inspiration from the Bard himself, the show follows two friends who use their acting skills to help solve cold cases. What could possibly go wrong? Plenty, it turns out. Having won the Series Mania Grand Prize, attracting the attention of thousands of important attendees at the annual Lille confab, The Actor’s creator and seller now have their sights set globally.

Editor’s note: Paul Young, the Emmy-winning producer and founder of management-production company Make Good Content, also co-founded Principato-Young Entertainment in 2000, while concurrently serving as chairman of the Groundlings Theater. The onetime Variety reporter and Paramount creative executive recently produced the Duke Johnson film The Actor and will next make the Ferris Bueller spinoff Sam and Victor’s Day Off for Paramount.

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Paul Young

My name is Paul Young, and I own a management company called Make Good Content. I am writing to you because our entertainment community needs a leader. We need someone in power to take responsibility for making such a mess of things. We need a CEO who will seek to understand the writers’ concerns, not refuse to acknowledge their proposals, and then do something about what he’s learned. Quite simply, we need a rich guy to do the right thing. Even when it costs money.

Exclusive: Writer-director Duke Johnson has signed with WME in all areas for representation. He is best known for co-directing the critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated film Anomalisa with Charlie Kaufman.

He is currently in post-production for his live-action film The Actor, which stars Andre Holland, Gemma Chan, May Calamawy, Toby Jones, and Joe Cole. Neon will distribute the film later this year. Johnson continues to serve as Creative Director for the animation studio Starburns Industries of which he’s also a Founding Partner.

He continues to be managed by Paul Young’s Make Good Content.

Ryan Gosling, previously attached as lead, serves as EP.

Production has wrapped on Neon’s The Actor from Anomalisa co-director Duke Johnson as the company confirmed André Holland and Gemma Chan star.

Holland replaced Ryan Gosling, who had been attached to star and withdrew due to scheduling issues. He remains on board as an executive producer alongside Anomalisa director Charlie Kaufman

Tracey Ullman, Toby Jones, Simon McBurney and Joe Cole round out the cast on the 1950’s-set story about the man suffering from memory loss after an attack in Ohio who struggles to find his way back to his life in New York.

Ryan Gosling, previously attached as lead, serves as EP.

Production has wrapped on Neon’s The Actor from Anomalisa co-director Due Johnson as the company confirmed André Holland and Gemma Chan star.

Holland replaced Ryan Gosling, who had been attached to star and withdrew due to scheduling issues. He remains on board as an executive producer alongside Anomalisa co-director Charlie Kaufman

Tracey Ullman, Toby Jones, Simon McBurney and Joe Cole round out the cast on the 1950’s-set story about the man suffering from memory loss after an attack in Ohio who struggles to find his way back to his life in New York.

You may recall many moons ago, “Anomalisa” animator and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Duke Johnson—he co-directed the film with writer/director Charlie Kaufman—had a new live-action film in the works called “The Actor.” The film was to star Ryan Gosling, who was also producing; it was a big screen take on Donald E. Westlake’s novel “Memory.”

Read More: ‘The Actor’: Neon To Distribute The New Film From Ryan Gosling & ‘Anomalisa’ Director Duke Johnson

Gosling was to play the role of Paul Cole, a man who must deal with his damaged memory as he struggles to rebuild his life after being left for dead and hospitalized in 1950s Ohio.

Continue reading André Holland & Gemma Chan Star In ‘Anomalisa’ Helmer Duke Johnson’s Neon Film ‘The Actor,’ Which Has Completed Production at The Playlist.

André Holland (Passing) and Gemma Chan (Don’t Worry Darling) will top Neon‘s The Actor, the second feature (and first in live-action) from Oscar-nominated Anomalisa helmer Duke Johnson, which has wrapped production. Holland takes over the male lead from Ryan Gosling, who was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts but remains aboard the project as an executive producer.

André Holland behind the scenes of The Actor

The film scripted by Johnson and Stephen Cooney is based on the bestselling novel Memory by Donald E. Westlake and tells the story of actor Paul Cole (Holland), who finds himself stranded in 1950s Ohio, suffering from severe memory loss after a brutal attack, struggling to find his way back to his life in New York and reclaim what he has lost.

Additional cast set for the film includes Tracey Ullman (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Toby Jones (Empire of Light), Simon McBurney (Wolfwalkers...

Federation Studios has nabbed worldwide distribution rights to French political comedy and Series Mania winner Under Control.

The six-part series took home the award for Best Series in the French category at the Lille festival last week. Federation, which had Bardot and Six Women in competition for the same award, will now take it to the international market.

It follows Marie Tessier, a 45-year-old director of the fictional Ngo Doctors of the World, who is appointed France’s Secretary of State, just as five Europeans, including two French people, are taken hostage by terrorists in Sahel. She immediately goes rogue while striving to make it look like everything’s under control.

The show is produced by Ex Nihilo and written by Charly Delward in collaboration with Erwan Le Duc and César Award nominee Benjamin Charbit. Cast includes Léa Drucker, Samir Guesmi and Laurent Stocker.