News

A Celebration of Life will be held in Hollywood on August 12 for Lionsgate executive Jason Constantine, who died of cancer on June 3 aged 55.

The event will take place at 10am at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood and is open to all who knew Constantine.

The industry veteran began his career more than 25 years ago as a director of acquisitions at Trimark Pictures, which folded into Lionsgate in 2001. A long tenure at Lionsgate saw him become an early champion of the Saw franchise and spanned franchises including the evergreen John Wick property and The Expendables.

He worked on Crash, Precious, Knives Out,...

Penn Badgley and Meghann Fahy are set to star in You Deserve Each Other, an Amazon MGM romantic comedy based on the novel by Sarah Hogle.

Marc Silverstein and Abby Kohn, the writers who have been behind rom-com hits Never Been Kissed and He’s Just Not That Into You, are set to direct the feature. The duo also revised the script initially written by Brett Haley and Marc Basch.

Financing and production banner Fifth Season is producing You Deserve Each Other alongside Anthony Bregman and Peter Cron of Likely Story.

Described as a lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers rom-com, You Deserve Each Other follows Naomi and Nick, a couple who are about to get married and live happily ever after except for one thing: They’ve fallen completely out of love. With the wedding rapidly approaching and its pressure mounting, they both resolve to secretly push the other into calling off the wedding using...

Tom Hanks, Will Smith & Johnny Depp Almost Starred In This Action Thriller ( Photo Credit – Wikimedia )

Despite their distinctly different acting styles, acclaimed Hollywood actors Tom Hanks, Will Smith, and Johnny Depp have delivered many memorable performances throughout their careers. It would have been a dream team if they had shared screen space for a film directed by an A-list filmmaker. Surprisingly, they almost did. The three superstars were once attached to star in an explosive action thriller. Although the movie was eventually made, it featured a completely different cast and director. Read on to find out what that film was and who ultimately starred in and directed it.

The Movie That Almost Starred Tom Hanks, Will Smith, and Johnny Depp

That film was Triple Frontier, which was released in 2019. As per a report by Screenrant, the action thriller was initially titled Sleeping Dogs, and it was supposed to be directed...

Jason Constantine, former co-president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, has died of cancer. He was 55.

Constantine began his career more than 25 years ago as a director of acquisitions at Trimark Pictures, which folded into Lionsgate in 2001. A long tenure at Lionsgate saw him become an early champion of the Saw franchise and spanned franchises including the evergreen John Wick property andThe Expendables.

He worked onCrash,Precious, Knives Out, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Kick-Ass, Angel Has Fallen, Cabin In The Woods, The Girl With The Pearl Earring, Margin Call, and Dear White People

A native Californian, Constantine graduated from Princeton University...

Longtime Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-president Jason Constantine died June 3 at his home after a long fight with cancer. He was 55.

Constantine has been an executive at Lionsgate nearly since its inception, starting his career more than 25 years ago as a director of acquisitions at Lionsgate’s predecessor Trimark Pictures.

His run at Lionsgate spanned its cornerstone $1 billion-grossing franchises John Wick and Saw. He was a huge proponent of the Saw franchise from the onset, leading the studio’s push to acquire it after watching a brief concept short.

Constantine was also involved with The Expendables franchise; Paul Haggis’ Oscar Best Picture winner Crash; Lee Daniels’ Precious, nominated for five Academy Awards and winner of two Oscars; Rian Johnson’s Oscar-nominated $312 million global-grossing Knives Out; the Erwin Brothers’ faith-based smash I Can Only Imagine; worldwide action hits The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Kick Ass, Rambo: Last Blood, Angel Has Fallen and...

Jason Constantine, co-president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, has passed away at the age of 55 following a long battle with cancer, the studio announced on Thursday.

A beloved figure whose skill and kindness extended beyond the executive suite to every corner of the studio and industry, Constantine has been a member of the Lionsgate family almost from the studio’s inception, beginning his career more than 25 years ago as a director of acquisitions at Lionsgate’s predecessor company, Trimark Pictures.

“With his fearless spirit, creative energy and enduring talent relationships, Jason embodied the very best of our studio and our industry,” Lionsgate said in a statement. “His influence will continue to be felt in many of our most successful franchises. His career was built around the principles that a great idea can come from anywhere, a box office triumph is meant to be shared by an entire team and...

Jason Constantine, co-president of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 55.

“With his fearless spirit, creative energy and enduring talent relationships, Jason embodied the very best of our studio and our industry,” said Lionsgate in a statement. “His influence will continue to be felt in many of our most successful franchises. His career was built around the principles that a great idea can come from anywhere, a box office triumph is meant to be shared by an entire team and our creative choices need to be bold and daring. We mourn the passing of a highly respected executive, a trusted partner and a cherished friend, and we extend our deepest condolences to his wife Kristin, his three children and his entire family.”

Constantine began working at Lionsgate more than 25 years ago, first as director of acquisitions at the company’s predecessor Trimark Pictures.

Penn Badgley is wrapping up his time as Joe Goldberg in “You” Season 5, which brings back a handful of familiar faces.

Charlotte Ritchie’s Kate Lockwood returns as Kate and Joe move to New York City, where Joe is forced to deal with Kate’s complex family — which includes Anna Camp acting as twins — before he meets a new love interest in Madeline Brewer’s Bronte.

Keep reading to see which “You” characters are back for the last season of the Netflix series.

Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg Netflix

Penn Badgley returns to star as Joe Goldberg, who attempts to put his murderous past behind him when he moves back to New York City with his wife, Kate, and gains a mild amount of celebrity from Kate’s wealth and status.

Badgley is best known for starring as Dan Humphrey in “Gossip Girl,” and has also appeared in “Easy A,...

Comic book legend Todd McFarlane recently shared his own top choice for which actor should play Batman in James Gunn's DC Universe. A movie starring The Dark Knight, The Brave and the Bold, is currently in development.

Speaking with ScreenRant, McFarlane said his top choice for Batman is Star Trek actor Zachary Quinto. "I'm not great at Hollywood names, but there's an actor I like. He might be too old, but he was Spock in the Star Trek movies, and he was in Margin Call. [Zachary Quinto], that's the name," McFarlane said. "I've seen him in shows where he can be somber — and I'm not talking Spock somber — I'm talking about how there's a seriousness to a lot of characters he's done. I think Batman needs that personality because Batman, to me, is a guy that's so focused."

McFarlane went on to talk about the character of Batman and the reason...

Despite extremely poor box office returns, Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s latest superhero movie has become a major hit on streaming. Taylor-Johnson stars alongside Russell Crowe and Christopher Abbott in Kraven the Hunter, the 2024 Sony Marvel film that debuted in December and grossed only $61 million at the global box office against a $110 million budget, making it one of the biggest flops of the year. However, the film recently premiered on Netflix more than two weeks ago, and not only did it quickly become one of the more popular movies on the platform, but it has weathered the storm of new arrivals to hold down its spot. Kraven the Hunter earned a “rotten” 15% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and general audiences reviewed the film at 73%.

Richard Wenk, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway all contributed to the script for Kraven the Hunter, and J.C. Chandor directed the film. Chandor made his directorial debut 15 years ago on Margin Call,...

Demi Moore Net Worth ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Demi Moore is one of the most celebrated actresses in Hollywood. Ever since her debut with the 1981 movie Choices, Moore has had a glorious filmography with acclaimed and commercially successful films like Parasite, About Last Night, The Seventh Sign, We’re No Angels, Ghost, Indecent Proposal, Disclosure, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, Bobby, Mr Books, Flawless, Margin Call and Songbird. Her career saw a stupendous resurgence with the 2024 film The Substance. The movie won her a tremendous critical acclaim, including an Oscar nomination. However, she lost the Best Actress award to Mikey Madison (Anora). But her rich legacy when it comes to her filmography remains untouched. Here’s looking at her stellar net worth and assets.

Demi Moore’s Assets

Apart from her movies, a significant amount of her net worth comes from her real estate investments and brand endorsements. According to Lifestyle Asia, Demi...

Two decades before Kevin Spacey was hit with a series of sexual misconduct, the actor was at the top of his career, in between his two Oscar wins for 1995's The Usual Suspects and 1999's American Beauty. In 1997, he played Jack Vincennes in L.A. Confidential alongside Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Kim Basinger.

In a new appearance on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, Pearce reflected for the first time on his experience working with Spacey. The actor noted that, in the wake of the #MeToo movement, he had a "wake-up" call about all his encounters with Spacey on set. He had previously briefly addressed the actor in 2018 when he called Spacey a "handsy" guy.

Related'She Was Such a Tyrant': Modern Family Star Accused of Rude Behavior by Co-Star of 6-Year-Old Film

Sarah Hyland gets accused of acting very unpleasant on the set of a forgotten 6-year-old rom-com.

At the time,...

Atonement director Joe Wright is set to direct the AI thriller Alignment, whose script was bought last year for $3.25m. We take a look at why it sold for so much.

Reading the news was like travelling back in time. A spec script, said to be written by someone with few Hollywood connections, had sold for over $3m. In an industry where filmmakers and producers often talk about the death of original screenplays, and where huge sums of money tend to go to big-name showrunners rather than writers, the sale of Alignment in December 2024 harkened back to a different era for movies.

In 1986, Shane Black sold his first script, Lethal Weapon, for $250,000. He was just 25 years old at the time. Four years later, his screenplay for another thriller, The Last Boy Scout, sold for $1.75m. As sale prices for scripts blew up in the 1990s, millionaire writers were created seemingly overnight.

Atonement director Joe Wright is said to have signed up for Alignment, an AI thriller whose script was purchased for $3m last year.

Writers and filmmakers often talk about the death of the spec script market. But last year, first-time screenwriter Natan Dolan, despite limited Hollywood connections, managed to sell his AI thriller script, Alignment, for a reported $3m.

Months after that acquisition, production company Fifth Season – also behind Film Stories TV favourite, Severance – has found a director. According to Deadline, Joe Wright, perhaps best known for such movies as Atonement and Pride And Prejudice, has taken on the job, which has attracted a great deal of interest from some major names, including Damien Chazelle and Matt Damon.

Fifth Season is evidently keen to get the project going thanks to its topical subject matter. It follows Peter, 29 year-old engineer at an OpenAI-like tech company whose latest product, Lambda-4, has quietly...

Back in the soap opera glory days of the 1980s, I remember well Demi Moore‘s short stint on the popular General Hospital. With her distinctive gravelly voice, movie star beauty and strong personality, it was obvious that the small screen couldn’t contain her, and that she would go on to bigger things.

Demi Gene Guynes was born on November 11 in 1962 in Roswell, New Mexico. Following a difficult childhood, she left school her junior year and did some modeling before meeting and marrying musician Freddy Moore, with whom she co-wrote three songs. She had a couple of small film roles before landing the “General Hospital” gig in 1983. Then a series of popular films beginning with Blame It On Rio in 1984 led to an impressive string of blockbuster films throughout the 1980s and 1990s, making her one of the biggest stars of the era.

Moore’s star was on the...

As the United States inches closer and closer toward a tipping point into class warfare, we can't help but think back to "The Big Short." Based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Michael Lewis, Adam McKay's irreverent spin on the events leading up to the 2008 financial crisis was already a much-needed wake up call for the culture when it premiered at AFI Fest in 2015. Now, nearly a decade later, it remains an incisive interrogation of the corporate corruption we see screwing over average consumers every day. Though finance bio-dramas are far from novel, McKay's film stands out as fuel to a fire of postmodern disillusionment that many films have since tried replicating without precisely duplicating.

In commemoration of its upcoming 10th anniversary, here are 15 more films that will help deepen your appreciation for McKay's darkly comic cautionary tale, from further investigations into the 2008 recession to...

Aaron Taylor-Johnson will soon run around as Kraven The Hunter in your living room as the supervillain origin story heads to DVD and Blu-ray. More details below.

Supervillain origin stories are all the rage these days and Sony really are making the most of their Spider-Man rights. Aaron Taylor-Johnson played Kraven The Hunter in the eponymous film, directed by Jc Chandor, which premiered in December.

The superhero action thriller is now available on digital, but if you’re hankering for a physical version, we’ve got great news. Kraven The Hunter will be coming to DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray on 31st March.

You can pre-order it here, if you’d like.

The listing doesn’t mention any special features, but we’re hoping to be proved wrong on that front.

Here’s the synopsis:

Kraven the Hunter is the action-packed, standalone story of how one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be.

As the last stronghold of live-action Marvel characters outside the grasp of Disney and the MCU, Sony has been relentlessly attempting a cinematic universe of their own. Their latest venture, Kraven the Hunter, closed out 2024 with Sony's first R-rated Marvel movie. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular apex predator, the film continued the streak of shifting Spider-Man's foes into anti-heroes, if not outright heroes. J. C. Chandor directed, which felt promising after his work helming A Most Violent Year and Margin Call, but, ultimately, none of these characters have been proven to thrive in Spidey's absence.

After earning acclaim with Succession, writer Jesse Armstrong is tackling the 2008 financial crisis in a movie for HBO.

Did ‘Peak TV’ happen? As fewer shows are commissioned and budgets shrink, there are those that claim we’re now on the downward slopes of an experience that has lasted a couple of decades. Of course, it’s debatable as to whether we really have exited the golden age of TV era as some suggest, as we’ll only really be able to answer that definitively with the benefit of hindsight.

If that does prove to be the case, though, it’s beyond doubt that the last great television series of Peak TV was Succession, (pictured) the HBO drama about the squabbling family of an ageing media magnate. Jesse Armstrong, creator of the immortal British sitcom Peep Show, was the creative force behind Succession, and his unique palette of wit, sharp dialogue,...

Kraven The Hunter Ott Release Date Revealed (Photo Credit – Prime Video)

Kraven the Hunter suffered the same fate as the previous Sony’s Spider-Man Universe movies except Venom 3. The film is nowhere on the grid, and nobody is even talking about it. However bad its box office fate, maybe it might get a chance to redeem itself as Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s film is set to arrive online very soon. Scroll below for the deets.

About the film-

The film was directed by Jc Chandor, best known for writing and directing critically acclaimed films, Margin Call, All is Lost, and A Most Violent Year. The English actor appears in the titular role alongside Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott, and Russell Crowe in the supporting cast. The movie reportedly faced two years of delays and finally came out in December 2024.

Kraven the Hunter opened to generally negative reviews, and...

Demi Moore's performance in The Substance sparked clamor for awards nominations. Accepting her first Golden Globe, she paid it forward with an inspiring message for fellow actors.

The Substance was a sleeper hit that defied expectations. It flew under the radar upon release, but word-of-mouth exposed it to mainstream audiences. Critics agree the film's appeal is in its lead actors; Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley played selfish, hostile characters who in the end became grotesque caricatures. Moore became an early awards favorite for her groundbreaking performance; she took a big leap playing Elisabeth Sparkle and it paid off. While accepting her Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical, Moore admitted she thought her career was past its peak.

Related Demi Moore Almost Quit Acting Before Joining New Critically-Acclaimed Horror Film

Demi Moore took on a role like never before in the upcoming horror film, which gave her faith in acting again.

At the 2025 Golden Globe Awards, Demi Moore, a 62-year-old actress, celebrated a big moment in her career. For her part in the scary film The Substance, she won her first acting award. People in the crowd and on social media were moved by Moore’s emotional acceptance speech, which was mostly about self-worth and strength.

The Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy went to Moore. It was a big honor in her more than 45-year career. “I had no idea that would happen.” It was clear that the honor moved her: “I’m just shocked right now.”

This award is a huge step forward for Moore’s career. She mentioned during her speech that a producer had once labeled her a “popcorn actress,” suggesting she could only succeed in mainstream films. “The Substance” came to her when she was having a rough time in her career.

Demi Moore landed the first acting award of her career — yes, career — after taking home the Golden Globe for best actress in a motion picture, musical or comedy. She won for her go-for-broke performance as an aging celebrity in the body horror satire “The Substance.”

“I’m in shock right now. I’ve been doing this a long time — like, over 45 years — and this is the first time I’ve ever won anything as an actor,” Moore, 62, said from the stage at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sunday night. “I’m so humbled and grateful.”

Moore has been nominated for four Globes across nearly 25 years, scoring prior nods for “Ghost” in 1991 and two for the anthology series “If These Walls Could Talk” in 1997. While she’s won an ensemble award at the Independent Spirit Award for 2012’s “Margin Call,” the prize for “The Substance” is, indeed, Moore’s...

Exclusive: Actor and Director Simon Baker has signed with Gersh for representation.

Baker won international acclaim in the television series The Mentalist which screened in over 130 countries and garnered him Best Actor nominations for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), Emmy and Golden Globe Awards. His film credits include the 1997 Academy Award-winning film, L.A. Confidential, The Devil Wears Prada and Margin Call.

Baker has had himself quite the. 2024 and his 2025 looks to remain busy as he is currently shooting the Amazon Series, Scarpetta, alongside the likes of Nicole Kidman, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Ariana DeBose. He also recently wrapped production on Klara And the Sun from Taika Waititi in the can at Sony opposite Jenna Ortega, Amy Adams, and Natasha Lyonne. Additionally, he will soon be seen opposite Jacob Elordi in the Sony limited series, The Narrow Road To The Deep North directed by Justin Kurzel.

His most recent credits...

Quick Links 'Margin Call' Delivers One of the Best Casts 'Margin Call' Was Nominated for Best Original Screenplay

Even though the doors on Sony’s Spider-Man Universe have been slammed shut for now, the world-renowned film distributor seems to have some hope left in one last movie. While Venom: The Last Dance was released just two months ago, and Spider-Noir will be streaming on MGM+ sometime in the near future (fingers crossed), Kraven the Hunter just launched into movie theaters across the United States this week. Tom Hardy's alien symbiote’s third outing sat well enough with audiences, but critical reviews ripped it apart. On the other hand, the alternate, gritty Spider-Man won’t be able to harm or heal the outcome since a decision has already been made.

With the moniker of being the protector of the natural world, Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven the Hunter seems to...

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Kraven the HunterKraven the Hunter, also known as Sergei Kravinoff, comes straight from Marvel Comics and into live-action for the first time in Sony's first R-rated Marvel movie. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular hunter and directed by J. C. Chandor, who helms the film after impressive turns like Margin Call and A Most Violent Year, Kraven the Hunter puts the villain into an implied anti-hero position, which isn't entirely unheard of for his comic book counterpart. Many members of Marvel's rogues' gallery have their noble moments, but this live-action iteration of Kraven feels almost like a superhero through and through. From the film's trailers, it was difficult to gauge whether Sony's latest venture would stick closely to Kraven's comic origins. It seemed as if this version of Kraven acquired his power after suffering the bite of a lion, the subsequent wound...

Kraven the Hunter was seen by many as Sony’s final Hail Mary to save their Spider-Man spinoff film franchise. Despite a deeply underwhelming early reception, star Aaron Taylor-Johnson remains steadfast that the character will appeal to fans.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Taylor-Johnson was optimistic about the film at its New York premiere. "This first movie is for everybody — the audiences, come see it, and I think by the end of the movie you’re going to want to see him go on," he said. Also present was Director J.C. Chandor, who said, "It’s up to you guys, it’s all over to you now. Let’s hope this one works, and then there’s a lot of places he could go."

Related Sonic 3's Keanu Reeves & Idris Elba Pitch a Shadow & Knuckles Spinoff (And They Agree on the Title)

The two actors would love to reprise their characters,...

Kraven the Hunter appears as an unusual relic within Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (Ssu) amid the chaotic realm of superhero cinema. This film, released amid the failed efforts of Madame Web and Venom: The Last Dance, addresses the essence of its eponymous character, converting him from a deadly antagonist to a morally ambiguous anti-hero.

Kraven, aka Sergei Kravinoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), navigates a maze of personal pain and toxic masculinity. His origin, which was preserved by lion blood and mystical medicines, serves as a symbol for the duality of human nature. This shift raises problems about identity and redemption, such as what strength means when it is based on violence and familial dysfunction.

The film’s locations, from Siberia to London, represent Kraven’s emotional struggle, reflecting historical myths about foreigners struggling with identity. Nikolai (Russell Crowe) embodies the overbearing father, reminiscent of paternal legacies that shape future pathways.

In a culture obsessed with anti-heroes,...

Poster for ‘Kraven the Hunter’

Remember back when Madam Web came out and we all hoped Sony would do better with its Marvel properties with Kraven the Hunter? Yeah, we need to keep hoping. It seems as if Sony just doesn’t even care about these Marvel movies anymore.

Kraven the Hunter is about a Russian man named Sergei Kravinoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson from Nosferatu) who survived a lion attack as a boy when a girl named Calypso (Ariana DeBose from I.S.S.) gave him a special elixir. The potion not only saved his life, but gave him incredible strength, speed, and agility. As a grown man, he decides to use these new skills to become Kraven the Hunter, a vigilante who goes after the worst of the worst criminals.

Unfortunately for Kraven, his father, Nikolai (Russell Crowe from The Exorcist), is himself one of these worst of the worst,...

After Sony’s recent Marvel misfires on 2022’s Morbius and this year’s Madame Web, I wasn’t holding out too much hope for yet another Marvel villain origin story when I headed to the press screening of Kraven the Hunter. Its shuffling around the release schedule didn’t give me much hope, and word spread from someone at a rival studio that the exhibitor screening didn’t go well, also dampening my hopes.

But I always try to go into a movie with an open mind, and in this case, although Kraven is a well-known villain in the comic book world and has popped up here and there, a starring movie wasn’t top of my list.

That said, I had a surprisingly good time with this ultraviolent R-rated telling of how a Russian kid, Sergei Kravinoff, grows up to become a fearsome hunter — not of animals, who he spiritually embraces,...

“Kraven the Hunter” is set to release this Friday as part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, but after the disappointing performance of “Madame Web,” expectations for the movie are low.

The film will focus on Kraven, one of Spider-Man’s most famous villains, with rumors suggesting it may adapt the iconic “Kraven’s Last Hunt” storyline. Despite efforts from Aaron Taylor Johnson and J.C. Chandor to drum up interest, there are worrying reports that the film could mark the end of the Ssu’s live-action projects for now, following a series of failed releases.

The review embargo for Kraven the Hunter has been lifted, and the early reviews are not promising. With an 11% approval rating from 35 reviews, the movie is officially considered “rotten.” Critics are mostly negative, saying the film could have brought more dignity to the Spider-Man Universe but falls short.

While the performances of Aaron Taylor-Johnson and others are praised,...

‘Kraven the Hunter’ is set to release this Friday as part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. After the disappointing performance of ‘Madame Web,’ expectations for this movie are fairly low.

The film will focus on Kraven, one of Spider-Man’s most famous villains. While details about the plot are scarce, there are hints that the movie might adapt the famous ‘Kraven’s Last Hunt’ storyline from the comics.

Aaron Taylor Johnson and J.C. Chandor spent the last several weeks begging people to come and watch the movie. Some worrying reports however claim that their marketing efforts are in vain as ‘Kraven the Hunter’ is bound to be Ssu’s last live-action movie for the time being following a string of failures.

Now review embargo for the movie has been lifted and the first reviews are pouring in. It’s not good. Currently, based on 35 reviews, the movie holds just a...

Kraven the Hunter arrives in theaters this Friday and we've just tracked down the first wave of reviews. In news we're sure will surprise none of you, the consensus is that Sony's (likely final) villain-led movie is a disastrous disappointment.

While it seems the action is at least passable, even an R-Rating and plenty of blood can't stop this classic Spider-Man foe's solo outing from being worthy of a shallow grave.

The only positives we can find relate to the cast, though the characters themselves appear largely wasted or adapted so poorly that comic book fans will walk away unhappy. We expected Kraven the Hunter to be a mess and, in that respect, Sony has hit the target.

"I’ve seen much worse comic-book movies than 'Kraven the Hunter,'" Variety's critic explains, "but maybe the best way to sum up my feelings about the film is to...

When you build a film around an action star, he’ll do a lot of things that only happen in the movies: lay waste to five goons with his bare hands in two minutes, drive vehicles at dizzying speeds down the ancient staircases of a European metropolis, leap from balconies and hang from the rudders of buzz-diving helicopters. When you think about it, he’s a lot like a superhero, except that his actions are all, in theory, reality-based.

Sergei Kravinoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), better known as “Kraven the Hunter,” does a lot of that stuff too, only he’s no “action hero.” He’s a Marvel character with a superhuman edge. Kraven made his first appearance in the comics in 1964 as an adversary of Spider-Man, and Spider-Man is the character whose abilities he most recalls. He can shimmy up the sides of buildings and plunge from them without getting scratched.

Sony, in association with Marvel, delivers its latest supervillain origin story with Kraven the Hunter, a cinematic death knell that suggests perhaps fans have been too harsh about the Venom trilogy by comparison. As Deadpool would say, Kraven arrives "at a bit of a low point," and proceeds to pummel its source material into the ground. Granted, the comic book iteration of Kraven's modus operandi was to hunt Spider-Man simply because the most dangerous game is the most thrilling to hunt. There's not much meat to the material, but director J. C. Chandor fails to elevate what he's given to work with.

We begin in a Russian tundra, where Sergei Kravinoff, aka Kraven (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) infiltrates a super-max facility housing murderous lifers. His target: Seymyon Chorney, the head of a criminal organization whose tiger rug becomes an implement in his own demise. Smacking his chops like a yawning dog, with brows in a perpetual arch,...

Kraven the Hunter director J.C. Chandor acknowledges the mixed reception of previous Marvel movies in Sony's Spider-Man Universe and teases a much stronger installment. Kraven the Hunter introduces one of Spider-Man's most famous enemies, played by MCU alum Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Kraven the Hunter's cast of characters also includes other comic book villains like Rhino, Chameleon, Calypso, and the Foreigner.

Speaking to Screen Rant, Kraven the Hunter director J.C. Chandor admits that he has seen other installments in Sony's Spider-Man Universe fail to make an impression, but emphasizes the high quality of Kraven the Hunter's standalone nature. While Kraven the Hunter may take place in the same universe as Morbius and Madame Web, its plot focuses exclusively on its titular character and doesn't distract itself trying to set up other stories and characters. Chandor also teases Kraven's transformation into an actual villain, unlike Michael Morbius and Venom, who...

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Jc Chandor is diving into the world of comic book movies with Kraven The Hunter. The filmmaker has been on a real hot streak since making his feature directorial debut with 2011's Margin Call, quickly following it up with the Robert Redford-led survival drama All is Lost and the Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain-starring crime drama A Most Violent Year. Prior to the Sony's Spider-Man Universe film, Chandor expanded his talents to big-budget filmmaking with Netflix's Triple Frontier, which reunited him with Isaac.

Kraven the Hunter marks the sixth installment in the Ssu, exploring the origins of the titular Sergei Kravenoff who, as a young boy, was left behind by his father during a lion attack. Now, having raised himself and acquired extreme abilities of survival and fighting, Kraven sets off on a quest for vengeance to take down his crime lord father,...

Money matters. Financial ambitions and pecuniary disappointment is common fuel for Hollywood and beyond. In an industry so reliant on the box office takings, vast riches are lost and won every opening weekend, thus it’s no surprise that the world of finance plays a consistent role in the drama on the big screen.

The common currency here is hope, and much is staked on the good fortune of our cinematic protagonists. Through the decades it has always been so. Money, and the necessity of it, is an abundant source of tension. As we’re close to Christmas many will turn to the mighty glow of Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life to warm their spirits, to witness the great returns when human kindness is in rude supply.

The moment the film when James Stewart discover the loss of $8000 from the Bailey Buildings, and the run on the bank is heart-breaking.

Kraven the Hunter has a complex relationship with the Sony/Marvel fandom. Since 2018, screenwriter Richard Wenk has been dutiful about creating a movie about the underrated and underexposed anti-hero of the jungle. It's been a roller coaster with this crew, namely for fans of the Sinister Six (more on that later).

The problem is Sony Pictures can't get out of its own way. The timeline has been much longer than expected, and each delay has spiked nerd anxiety. Yet Aaron Taylor-Johnson believes this film "will not disappoint." For that sentiment to deliver, he needs to sift Kraven's disappointment before throwing that out there. Here's why:

In August 2018, Wenk was hired and started writing Kraven the Hunter. Later in the year, Art Marcum (writer for Iron Man and Transformers: The Last Knight) and Matt Holloway (writer for Men in Black: International and Punisher: War Zone) joined the writing team. Two years later,...

After a competitive bidding war, Fifth Season, the financing and production banner formerly known as Endeavor Content, and Brad Weston’s Makeready banner have acquired the spec script “Alignment” from new screenwriter Natan Dotan in a seven-figure deal.

Described as being in the vein of thrillers like “Margin Call” and “Contagion,” “Alignment” follows a cutting-edge tech company whose latest AI model begins manipulating global markets and stoking international conflict. A principled board member and an out-of-his-depth software engineer must race to convince their profit-obsessed colleagues to shut down their creation before it triggers a globally catastrophic event.

The deal is $1.25 million against $3 million, if the film ends up being made. Makeready will produce the movie.

This deal is unprecedented for an unknown writer in today’s Hollywood landscape dominated by projects tied to IP, where big-money spec sales are rare. This contrasts with the 1990s, when writers like Shane Black...

An unknown writer, a fast-rising feeding frenzy, and a true multimillion-dollar deal. It’s enough to make executives or aspiring screenplay authors dream of the heady spec script deals of the 1990s.

In a deal that shakes up a sleepy Hollywood before the holidays, Fifth Season and Brad Weston’s Makeready banner have preemptively picked up Alignment, a spec script by Natan Dotan, a man who until a week ago had no representation.

The deal could become one of biggest spec deals of the year — Nyad writer Julia Cox sold spec Love of Your Life, with Ryan Gosling producing, to Amazon in October for low seven figures — but this one involves the breaking of a writer with few Hollywood connections. It also involves a topic that is generating intense interest — and hand-wringing — in Hollywood, namely artificial intelligence.

Dotan has had several careers prior to this splashy entry into Hollywood.

He...

Since its premiere in September 2007 all the way to its series finale in December 2012 and to this day, Gossip Girl has been one of the most beloved teen drama series of all time. The CW series based on the book series of the same name helped launched its home network and became a pop culture phenomenon in no time.

The series launched its young cast of stars into superstars, with the likes of Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, and more becoming movie and television stars. Gossip Girl even launch one of the most successful modern rock stars! The cast has truly come a long way from their days on the Upper East Side.

As Gossip Girl makes its triumphant return to Netflix in the United States on Oct. 29, 2024, millions of fans will start rewatching the series and inevitably wondering, "How old was the cast 17 years ago?" Let's...

★★★★

‘Pulse racing and deeply unnerving’

We Love Movies

★★★★

‘Tense and thought-provoking’

The Geek Show

★★★★

‘A claustrophobic nightmare’

Britflicks

Die Before You Die is out now in select cinemas and on demand 28th October 2024 from Bulldog Film Distribution.

A hot-headed influencer finds himself trapped six feet underground after an internet challenge, organised by a mysterious group, goes dramatically wrong. With the question of who his tormentors are becoming less and less relevant, Adi battles impending dehydration, suffocation, and his own inner demons as he wrestles to stay alive and free himself from his prison within the earth.

Equal parts claustrophobic thrill-ride and a moving story of personal transformation, Die Before You Die is a striking cinematic work with which takes unexpected and unconventional turns, directed by Dan Pringle (K-Shop) and starring Ziad Abaza, Mim Shaikh (What’s Love Got To Do With It), Priya Blackburn (Bohemian Rhapsody) and Harry Reid...

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

Film at Lincoln Center

NYFF Revivals begins with films by Robert Bresson, Marguerite Duras, Clive Barker, and more.

Film Forum

As The Devil, Probably continues in a new restoration, Lancelot du lac starts; Stand By Me screens on Sunday.

Museum of Modern Art

A career-spanning Johnnie To retrospective continues.

Anthology Film Archives

A Robert Beavers retrospective begins.

Roxy Cinema

Gloria plays Friday and Saturday, while prints of Opening Night and Minnie and Moskowitz also screen; Deep Red shows Friday; experimental shorts and City Dudes play on Saturday; Frederick Wiseman’s High School II screens on 16mm this Sunday, while Puzzle of a Downfall Child plays on 35mm.

Bam

Chantal Akerman’s Toute une nuit continues playing in a 4K restoration; The Long Walk Home screens on Friday.

Museum of the Moving Image

A retrospective of first-person documentaries continues; X: The...

Demi Moores latest project, The Substance, is a hit with critics so far, but this comeback needs one more thing to be completed. Demi Moore was one of the biggest stars of the 1980s and 1990s, and even though she has continued to be active in her career, her latest project, The Substance, is being considered her big comeback. After a long rotten streak on Rotten Tomatoes since 2011, Moores career has been thriving again with high-rated projects like The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Please Baby Please, and the documentary Brats.

Now joining Moores current streak is The Substance, written and directed by Coralie Fargeat. The Substance follows Elisabeth Sparkle (Moore), the star of a popular TV aerobics show. On her 50th birthday, Sparkle is fired and later gets in a car accident. At the hospital, shes offered The Substance, a black market cell-replicating serum that temporarily creates a better...

Pierpoint is still standing even after having weathered the twisty storm of “Industry” Season 3.

IndieWire can confirm that “Industry” has been renewed for a fourth season at HBO. The critically acclaimed show is created by Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, and will conclude its eight-episode third season on Sunday, September 29 on HBO and Max.

“Industry” stars Marisa Abela, Harry Lawtey, and Ken Leung as Pierpoint investors, with Myha’la as a former employee trying to carve out her own niche in the cutthroat London financial world. Conor MacNeill, Sagar Radia, Indy Lewis, Adam Levy, Sarah Parish, Trevor White, Elena Saurel, and Irfan Shamji co-star.

Kit Harington and Sarah Goldberg joined the Season 3 ensemble cast, along with Miriam Petche, Andrew Havill, Roger Barclay, Fady Elsayed, and Fiona Button.

The official series logline reads: “‘Industry’ gives an insider’s view of the blackbox of high finance following a group of young bankers as...

Demi Moores latest project is the horror movie The Substance, which, surprisingly, is breaking a 13-year Rotten Tomatoes record for her. Demi Moore began her acting career in the early 1980s, making her big screen debut in 1981 in a project titled Choices, and the following year, she joined the soap opera General Hospital as Jackie Templeton. After a couple more projects in film and TV, Moore got her big break in 1985 when she played Jules in Joel Schumachers coming-of-age movie St. Elmos Fire, which made her part of the Brat Pack (though shes not fond of that label).

Since then, Moore has branched out to different genres, with some of her most notable projects being the comedy-drama About Last Night, the supernatural romance movie Ghost, the legal drama A Few Good Men, the action comedy Charlies Angels: Full Throttle, and the drama Margin Call. Moore has maintained an active career...

Penn Badgley became a fan-favorite star as Dan Humphrey in CW’s Gossip Girl. The talented actor has proven time and again that he is much more than a pretty face, showcasing some amazing versatility in dramas like Margin Call, Greetings from Tim Buckley, and The Paper Store. He also entertained audiences in the cult comedies Easy A and John Tucker Must Die.

Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in You season 4 | Credits: Netflix

Badgley has now become a worldwide sensation as Joe Goldberg on the Netflix series You, with the actor set to return for a fifth and final season. The You star was highly rumored for the role of Reed Richards last year, which ultimately went to Pedro Pascal. Fans are not giving up their hopes of Badgley’s potential MCU entry as they have an original Avenger in mind if the MCU reboots after Secret Wars.

Fans Want...

Jeffrey McDonald Chandor, popularly known as J.C. Chandor, is a critically acclaimed American filmmaker. The writer-director is famous for his earlier films, which have received considerable praise. He is making his debut in the Marvel universe soon with his new film, Kraven the Hunter.

The film features Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular character and is being backed by Sony Pictures. Recent news of the director signing a new script with the company has fans hopeful for the fate for the 2024 movie. Tension was high among fans after the trailer release, but since the company has decided to work with the filmmaker again, he may be creditable.

Sony bites again: J.C. Chandor returns again

Kraven the Hunter, the Spider-Man spin-off movie, is all set to be released on December 13. The movie showcases actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who plays the role of the comic villain. Fans are divided in their opinion of...

Aaron Taylor-Johnson shows no mercy in a new trailer for Sony and Marvel’s “Kraven the Hunter,” which tells the origin story of the “Spider-Man” villain.

The first new footage released from the film in over a year sees Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven kicking ass and taking names in various gruesome ways, including stabbing his adversaries in the neck, catching them in bear traps and pushing them through windows. As Johnny Cash’s “The Man Comes Around” plays, Taylor-Johnson transforms from your average hitman into the fur-wearing baddie fans of “Spider-Man” know Kraven to be.

In the film, Kraven’s “complex relationship with his ruthless father, Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe), starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared,” according to its official synopsis.

Beyond Taylor-Johnson and Crowe, “Kraven the Hunter” also stars Ariana DeBose,...