News

Turns out all the world needed to heal the cultural divide — temporarily, at least — was a Coldplay concert in Boston, a jumbotron and an embarrassing moment for a tech CEO and his top human resources executive.

Memes, jokes and movie and TV clips ranging from The Office, The Sopranos and Succession to Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups are being deployed from all corners of the internet to poke fun at a scandal involving Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the company’s chief people officer, Kristin Cabot. The pair got caught in a tight embrace by a jumbotron during a kiss-cam segment at Coldplay’s concert earlier this week, and after seeing their image beamed out to the sold-out crowd of 65,000, they ducked for cover.

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trouble in paradise??...

Freida Pinto is set for a major role in Netflix’s upcoming series adaptation of the Jhumpa Lahiri short story collection “Unaccustomed Earth.”

Variety has learned that Pinto will play Parul Chaudhury in the series, which was originally announced in April. As previously reported, Netflix has commissioned eight episodes.

The official logline for the show states that it is “an epic, soapy, and culturally vibrant drama about a tight-knit Indian American community navigating love, desire, and belonging. Rich with nuance, passion, and unforgettable characters, ‘Unaccustomed Earth’ invites you into the elite and insular Indian-American community of Cambridge, Ma. When a star-crossed romance between a devoted wife and her long lost love comes to light, a scandalous affair is born and new battle lines are drawn in this intensely interconnected immigrant community.”

Pinto is perhaps best known for her breakout role in the Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire,” which marked her feature debut.

Exclusive: The Austin Film Society has appointed veteran producer Elizabeth Lodge Stepp as Senior Program Director for a new Texas film financing initiative.

In this role, Stepp will help build on Afs’s nearly 30-year track record of funding independent films via the Afs Grant and shape a new fund and financing program for films in the region, connecting Texas-based filmmakers and projects to both grant opportunities and equity investment funding.

Stepp brings a combination of experience in film production and finance to the role at Afs. As an independent producer, in her previous roles at Terrence Malick’s production company and then as co-founder of the production company Department of Motion Pictures, she worked with artists on both fiction and documentary features, having begun her career as an investment banker.

“With her rare blend of experience in independent film production and investment banking — and her close relationship with the...

The art of method acting has been questioned, talked about, hated, and loved for decades, and it is still as controversial as ever. Director Darren Aronofsky is a hater of method acting, and it seems that he has a good reason for it, too.

Christian Bale, who is known for his wide range of acting skills, is a well-known method actor, and back in 2011, Bale refused to star in one of Darren Aronofsky’s iconic movies called Noah.

Christian Bale in a still from American Psycho | Credits: Muse Productions Darren Aronofsky hates method acting

It’s not just Darren Aronofsky, either, but several directors and actors also hate the term “method acting” and everything that it encompasses. Several acclaimed artists like Daniel Day-Lewis and Christian Bale have found accolades and fame for their skills.

A still from Darren Aronofsky’s Mother! | Paramount Pictures

In a very recent interview with Variety,...

This week on the Film Stories Podcast Network: Gothic monsters, award ceremonies, rubber-nippled heroes and more. Here’s what we’ve been up to…

At the Movies in the 90s

Get some drive thru and join A. J. Black and Mark McManus as the third season of their 90s podcast launches with a kitsch 1995 favourite, Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever…

Reel Talk

Sam Stokes bids you welcome to his coverage of the film on everyone’s lips – Robert Eggers’ remake of Nosferatu. In what could be some kind of contractual break, there is not a Vampire Videos host in sight, however, as Sam is joined by guests Ashley Thomas and Baz Greenland to bite into this one…

CineHistorians

Returning after a festive break, the New Wave focused first season of the podcast reaches strange proportions as Carl Sweeney and Raquel Stecher tackle 2009’s Dogtooth as they look at the Greek Weird Wave…...

Quick Links What is Days of Heaven About? Days of Heaven's Production Process Was Insane Days of Heaven Deserves Even More Love

Every actor strives to achieve a dynamic range in their movies. While being typecast as a certain type of character is fantastic for job security, it doesn't make for a very interesting career in the long run. Young actors, desperate for work, are likely to latch on to any role offered to them, but older actors have the luxury of picking and choosing interesting projects. The goal, even for the most committed single genre actors, is to be able to excel in any given role, but it's harder than fans may think.

Audiences are shocked year after year when performers shatter the preconceived notion that exists about them. Adam Sandler shattered expectations with 2019's Uncut Gems, Seth Rogen defied expectations with Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans, and...

Christian Bale’s body is full of metal? (Photo Credit – Amazon Prime Video)

Christian Bale isn’t just known for his transformative acting skills and intense roles—his life behind the scenes is as full of grit and metal as his on-screen personas. In a candid throwback, Bale opened up about how his body became a literal metal patchwork after years of injuries. “I’ve had so many accidents,” he shared, revealing a lifetime of scars and screws that could rival the most brutal action hero.

Bale’s career has been a thrilling ride of extreme transformations, from The Machinist to Batman Begins, but his time on set is only half the story. While filming Knight of Cups with director Terrence Malick, he dove into the role of a disillusioned screenwriter drifting through LA’s glamorous but soulless landscape. Working with Malick, known for his unconventional methods, was an experience he embraced.

Bre Tiesi may have risen to fame through her glamorous persona in Netflix’s Selling Sunset, but her journey in front of the camera, seemingly started long before she became a household name in the real estate and reality TV world. While many associate her with her luxurious listings and bold personality, Tiesi’s IMDb reveals a much more unexpected path.

Bre Tiesi in Selling Sunset | Done and Done Productions

As she continues to make headlines for her work, a glance back at her previous work reveals a fascinating yet somewhat questionable connection to major projects. How did Tiesi go from these low-profile roles to making waves in a Netflix dystopian thriller? Let’s dive into the story behind Bre Tiesi’s curious acting career.

Bre Tiesi in Uglies: A Netflix Dystopia That Sparked Online Reactions Joey King in Uglies / Netflix

The release of Uglies on Netflix brought together an intriguing cast,...

Exclusive: Amid the theatrical release of their horror pic Cuckoo, starring Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens, Waypoint Entertainment has announced the launch of new genre label Cweature Features.

Helmed by industry veterans Ken Kao and Josh Rosenbaum, the label will offer a collaborative sanctuary for filmmakers to create horrifying auteur content, supported by the expertise of its seasoned team. The name Cweature Features (pronounced “Kwee-Cha Fee-Chas”) was inspired by the tendency of Kao’s young children to mispronounce creature as “cweature,” with their teeth still coming in. He and his wife came to realize that the little ones resembled little “cweatures” themselves, and the moment evoked nostalgia for Kao, for the period in his childhood when his early love for all things scary began. Cweature Features will embrace the idea that horror is an experience that transcends age, blending fear with fun and not taking itself too seriously.

News of...

Here’s the latest episode of The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.

For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro-budget indie films to bigger-budget studio films and everything in between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dom Lenoir, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk about how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their filmmaking experiences from directors, writers, producers and screenwriters, to actors, cinematographers and distributors.

The Filmmaker’s Podcast #403: The Bikeriders – Producing & Directing masterclass with Sarah Green...

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

Paris Theater

Prints of Salò, Make Way for Tomorrow, The Turin Horse, There Will Be Blood, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, Au Hasard Balthazar, and Rome, Open City all screen for “Bleak Week.”

Film at Lincoln Center

Films by Minnelli, Bergman, Powell and Pressburger, Lubitsch, and more screen in an Annie Baker-curated series.

Anthology Film Archives

A five-film Aki Kaurismäki retrospective begins, while “Essential Cinema” brings von Stroheim’s Greed on Friday.

Film Forum

Vittorio De Sica’s Shoeshine begins playing in a new restoration, while films by Jim Jarmusch, George Miller, and more screen in “Out of the 80s“; Stormy Weather shows on Sunday.

Museum of the Moving Image

The Last of the Mohicans and The Bridges of Madison County play on 35mm as part of “See It Big at the ’90s Multiplex”; an Agnieszka Holland retrospective continues...

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

Film Forum

Films by David Lynch, Tony Scott, David Cronenberg, and Jim Jarmusch play in “Out of the 80s,“ which includes Do the Right Thing on 35mm this Sunday; The Neverending Story plays on Sunday.

Museum of the Moving Image

Rumble in the Bronx and The Straight Story play on 35mm as part of “See It Big at the ’90s Multiplex” which also includes Boomerang and Trainspotting; an Agnieszka Holland retrospective begins; Mothra screens on Saturday.

Roxy Cinema

Altered States plays on 35mm this Friday; Saturday brings Knight of Cups; George Cukor’s It Should Happen to You plays on 16mm this Sunday.

Paris Theater

Seven, Old Joy, Come and See, and The Conformist all screen on a despair-inducing Sunday.

Metrograph

Films by Gus Van Sant and Alain Resnais play in an mk2 retrospective; retrospectives of Obayashi and Dieudo Hamadi...

Waypoint Entertainment takes a genre-agnostic approach to selecting projects, focusing on uniqueness and subversion. The studio emphasizes collaboration with filmmakers to bring their visions to life, prioritizing creativity and feasibility. Despite challenges in the industry, the team is excited about future projects, including the horror movie Longlegs, the horror-thriller Cuckoo and Blumhouse's Wolf Man reboot.

With over a decade of work already under their belts, Ken Kao and Josh Rosenbaum are looking to keep their bright streak in Hollywood rolling at Waypoint Entertainment. The production company was first co-founded in 2010 by Kao, quickly getting the ball rolling with 2011's Rampart, the crime drama led by Woody Harrelson and co-written by acclaimed crime novelist James Ellroy. With only a limited theatrical release, the movie was just a modest box office success, but garnered generally favorable reviews from critics and audiences alike.

After a few years off, Waypoint would come back in...

Exclusive: Tanner Beard, actor, writer, director and Emmy nominated producer, has signed with Link Entertainment for representation in all areas.

Beard is headed to the Nice International Film Festival as an actor with his film Fluxx. Beard has also been cast in the film Blood Behind Us. Past projects on camera include We Summon the Darkness opposite Alexandra Daddario and Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Til Dawn.

Behind the camera Beard has directed a number of westerns and has produced such projects as Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody and a number of collaborations with Terrence Malick including Song to Song starring Ryan Gosling, Knight of Cups starring Christian Bale and the animated documentary Voyage of Time narrated by Brad Pitt. Beard is also the co-founder of the Mammoth Film Festival.

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Warning: Spoilers for The Last Stop In Yuma County!

Jocelin Donahue and director Francis Galluppi worked closely to develop Charlotte's backstory, adding layers to her character's resilience and resourcefulness. Donahue was thrilled to reunite with Richard Brake on set, praising her scene partner's abilities and work ethic. Donahue pulled from her family history for Charlotte's costume, enhancing her character's essence for the film's unique setting.

Jocelin Donahue isn't the helpless hostage two gunmen think in crime thriller The Last Stop in Yuma County. Donahue has been a major player in the indie movie scene over the past 15 years since landing her first leading role in Ti West's acclaimed horror movie The House of the Devil, going on to star in the likes of Knight of Cups, Dead Awake, Holidays and I Trapped the Devil. Donahue has also lent her talents to more mainstream fare,...

The Karlovy Vary Film Festival and Variety have teamed up to honor Francine Maisler, one of the world’s most respected casting directors, whose recent credits include “Dune: Part Two,” “The Bikeriders,” “Challengers,” “Civil War” and “Joker: Folie à Deux.”

Maisler has worked on more than 70 feature films and is a recipient of 15 Artios Awards from the Casting Society of America, including for “Marriage Story” in 2020 and “Don’t Look Up” in 2021. As well as working with director Denis Villeneuve on “Dune: Part Two,” “Dune,” “Arrival” and “Sicario,” her other films include Terrence Malick’s “Tree of Life” and “Knight of Cups,” and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “The Revenant” and “Birdman.” In 2022, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for her work on HBO’s “Succession.”

As part of its homage, Karlovy Vary will hold a special screening of one of the films which Maisler worked on. Maisler will also give a public master class,...

Last year “Succession” broke the record for the most acting nominations in a single year at the Emmys with 14, and it tied that tally in its final season in 2023. Like last year there are three women from the show in the Best Drama Guest Actress category, one of whom is a perennial favorite and a previous winner for the HBO satirical drama: Cherry Jones for her role as Nan Pierce.

See‘Succession’ is poised to complete its Golden Globes winning streak

Jones began her career as a founding member of the American Repertory Theater in 1980 and has been inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame, having performed in distinguished plays such as “Stepping Out,” “Our Country’s Good,” “Angels in America,” “A Moon for the Misbegotten,” and “The Glass Menagerie” and winning Tony Awards for Best Actress for “The Heiress” and “Doubt.” On screen, she has had an active...

Ryan O’Neal, the actor known for leading roles in films like Love Story and What’s Up, Doc?, died on Friday, December 8th. He was 82.

His son Patrick shared the news in a lengthy Instagram post, writing: “So this is the toughest thing I’ve ever had to say but here we go. My dad passed away peacefully today, with his loving team by his side supporting him and loving him as he would us.”

Charles Patrick Ryan O’Neal was born in Los Angeles on April 20th, 1941, to parents both in the entertainment business. He trained to be an amateur boxer throughout his adolescence, until his mother got him a job as a stuntman and extra on the short-lived TV series Tales of the Vikings.

After a handful of smaller TV roles — including a recurring role on NBC’s Empire — O’Neal earned his big break in 1964, when he...

Oscar-nominated actor Ryan O’Neal, who came to prominence on TV’s “Peyton Place” and became a top star of the 1970s in films including “Love Story,” “What’s Up, Doc?,” “Paper Moon” and “Barry Lyndon,” died Friday, his son Patrick said on Instagram. He was 82.

O’Neal was diagnosed with chronic leukemia in 2001 and with prostate cancer in 2012.

“Ryan was a very generous man who has always been there to help his loved ones for decade upon decade,” his son wrote. “My dad was 82, and lived a kick ass life. I hope the first thing he brags about in Heaven is how he sparred 2 rounds with Joe Frazier in 1966, on national TV, with Muhammad Ali doing the commentary, and went toe to toe with Smokin’ Joe.”

In later years, O’Neal’s acting work often took a backseat to media coverage on his personal travails, involving his combative relationship with longtime companion Farrah Fawcett,...

Diane Kruger, Indian actor Ranveer Singh, Joel Kinnaman, Freida Pinto and Paz Vega are set to add star power to the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire, Knight of Cups), Vega (Sex and Lucía, The Oa), Kinnaman (Silent Night, For All Mankind, Suicide Squad) and Egypt’s Amina Khalil (Grand Hotel, Eugenie Nights) are joining the event’s main feature competition jury, which will be led by Baz Luhrmann.

The Red Sea: Shorts competition will be judged by jurors Hana Alomair, a Saudi writer, filmmaker and film critic behind Netflix series Whispers; French-Moroccan actor Assaad Bouab (Call My Agent, Whatever Lola Wants); and Turkish-German director, screenwriter and producer Fatih Akin (Head-On, In the Fade).

Organizers on Monday also unveiled that Singh, Kruger and Saudi actor and writer Abdullah Al-Sadhan will be honored at the fest.

“This year we are honoring Ranveer Singh,...

While Terrence Malick happily toils away on year five of editing his Biblical epic The Way of the Wind, he’s found a number of artistic diversions in recent years. The latest is an epic-looking interactive exhibit that finds him reuniting with his Knight of Cups, Song of Song, and Voyage of Time collaborator Cate Blanchett, while also boasting contributions from Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood.

Premiering at Australia’s Acmi and what looks to be an expanded version of the Tribeca premiere Evolver, Marshmallow Laser Feast: Works of Nature “illuminates the hidden forces surrounding us, revealing the sublime through sensory journeys beyond our everyday perception. From the roots of a majestic Amazonian tree to the unseen branches of the body and the birth of galaxies, this hypnotic, immersive experience explores the rhythm that cultivates and connects all life – breath.”

Featuring five major digital artworks, the experience features “guided meditation, large-scale screen works and interactive experiences,...

New images from Kristin Scott Thomas’ North Star (formally My Mother’s Wedding), have dropped. The film will have its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and is the directorial debut for Thomas. She also co-wrote the screenplay with John Micklethwait.

The cast includes Academy award nominee Scarlett Johansson, BAFTA award nominee Sienna Miller, and Cannes Best Actress winner Emily Beecham, who play the sisters. Academy award nominee and BAFTA award-winner Scott Thomas plays Diana Frost, their mother.

North Star follows three sisters from very different walks of life return to their childhood home to celebrate a momentous event: the third wedding of their twice-widowed mother, Diana (Kristin Scott Thomas). As the weekend unfolds in unexpected ways, Katherine (Scarlett Johansson), a Captain in the Royal Navy; Victoria (Sienna Miller), a Hollywood star; and Georgina (Emily Beecham), a palliative nurse,...

Nicky Whelan has signed with Stewart Talent for representation.

Australian-born Whelan began her career in the role of Pepper Steiger in the international soap opera Neighbours. She followed that with a move to the U.S. and roles in several successful comedies including Hall Pass alongside Owen Wilson and directed by the Farrelly brothers, and The Wedding Ringer with Josh Gad and Kevin Hart.

Whelan’s extensive television credits include the series regular role of Maya on the hit sitcom Scrubs, series regular alongside Milo Ventimiglia on The Chosen, and the lead role of Annie Mason in the Robert Rodriguez-directed drama series Matador.

Most recently, Whelan starred in the action thriller The Best Man, opposite Vince Vaughn in The Binge, and opposite Bruce Willis in Trauma Center. Whelan is also starring in the action film 72 Hours slated for 2023. Whelan’s other film credits include: shark attack thriller Maneater,...

It’s been years since we heard about Terrence Malick’s The Way of the Wind––as it so happens our 2020 reveal that it had changed titles from The Last Planet might be the most recent info of note. Even by his meticulous and secretive standards has the film, which shot in 2019, seemed less and less likely to ever emerge, making it a relief that some update’s arrived courtesy producer Alex Boden, who told Variety the project is “very much in the edit room.”

Not that it goes much deeper (we said some update), as Boden seems to be reporting secondhand, saying “Terry is very happy with what he is working on so far is the word.” The shooting-to-premiere rate on recent films has tended to be three years so Wind‘s four-year gap with a pandemic in-between leaves certain wiggle room, if not the gnawing knowledge that every...

Freida Pinto has signed on to “Surface” Season 2 at Apple, Variety has learned exclusively.

Pinto joins series star Gugu Mbatha-Raw as well as fellow new cast member Phil Dunster of “Ted Lasso” fame. As previously announced, “Surface” Season 2 will see Mbatha-Raw’s character Sophie return to her hometown of London and “rediscovering the unfinished relationships that have haunted her memories – as she finds out where she really came from, and what made her the flawed person she was.”

Pinto will play Grace, Quinn’s (Dunster) fiancé. Quinn is the troubled scion of the infamous Huntley family. As the soon-to-be newest member of the Huntley family, Grace is said to be “conflicted about what she’s really signing up for, and forms a special bond with Sophie.”

Pinto is best known to American audiences for her role in the Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire.” Her other film credits include “Trishna, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,...

“Nomadland” director Chloé Zhao has landed two heavy hitters for her next film, “Hamnet,” set up at Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners. Oscar nominees Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal are both in talks to star in the film, an individual with knowledge of the project told IndieWire.

“Hamnet” is a historical fiction take on the Bard, William Shakespeare, that tells the story of his wife Anne “Agnes” Hathaway and her romance with the man who would become the world’s most famous playwright. The novel focuses on the death of the couple’s son, Hamnet, who died at age 11 in 1596 and has been speculated to be an inspiration for Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet.”

Specific character details for Buckley and Mescal were not disclosed.

“Hamnet” is based on a New York Times-best-selling novel from 2020 by author Maggie O’Farrell. Zhao is co-writing the script with O’Farrell.

Liza Marshall through Hera Pictures and Pippa Harris,...

Two-time Academy Award winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao will direct “Hamnet,” an adaptation of the critically acclaimed, award winning novel by Maggie O’Farrell, Amblin Partners, Hera Pictures, Neal Street Productions and Book of Shadows announced on Tuesday.

Zhao and O’Farrell will write the script together.

The New York Times Bestselling historical fiction novel imagines the story of Agnes – the wife of the world’s most famous writer, William Shakespeare – as she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her only son, Hamnet. The novel charts the emotional, familial and artistic consequences of that loss, bringing to life a human and heart-stopping story as the backdrop to the creation of Shakespeare’s most famous play, Hamlet.

Also Read:

The 40 Best Movies on Hulu Right Now

Hamnet won the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Fiction Prize at the 2020 National Book Critics Circle Awards, and was also shortlisted for...

Terrence Malick is known for filming the impossible, and his movies have a mystique to them, even though most of his filmography is dedicated to capturing the fragility of human life. While some of his stories are far from accessible, his viewers know beforehand that his movies will have some of the most beautiful images ever filmed. The distinctive cinematography of Malick's movies is an essential trademark. While he has worked with several different collaborators in the photography department, his camera always feels like it's floating among his characters, as if it's a character itself.

Terrence Malick is a Palme d'Or and Golden Bear winner but has never won an Oscar, even though he's been nominated three times. Malick is constantly reinventing himself, and both he and his movies are full of surprises. After making two highly successful movies in the 1970s, the filmmaker engaged in a 20-year hiatus before...

The year is finally at an end. Despite all the breathless prophesying and doomsdaying, the industry is in more or less the same place it started in January. Marvel has not, and probably never will completely wrestle the production and exhibition of non IP-films about regular human beings into the ground, adults are slowly but surely returning to theaters to see film artists play with original ideas, and there still are no movie stars.

Film culture is as dynamic and exciting as ever. I had the good fortune to attend both the Cannes and Toronto International Film Festivals this year, which means I was exposed to a far broader range of international cinema than what my trusty combination of small indie theaters, VOD services like Mubi and Kanopy, and effedupmovies.com can provide. That also means many of those films, no matter how wonderful, won't make the cut, as they didn't secure a 2022 release.

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

First Love (A.J. Edwards)

Following The Better Angels and Age Out, A.J. Edwards’ third feature, First Love, is both a tender tale of blossoming romance and nuanced depiction of the pride and human frailties that can disrupt a decades-long bond. The writer-director, who got his start working with Terrence Malick on The Tree of Life, The New World, To the Wonder, Knight of Cups, and Song to Song, displays an immense amount of grace in this recession-era portrait of family and romance. Led by Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Diane Kruger, Jeffrey Donovan, and Sydney Park, the film got a quiet release earlier this summer, but certainly deserves to find an audience in coming years.

Where to Stream: Hulu

The Legend of Molly Johnson...

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Just over a decade ago, Scott Cooper called Christian Bale to offer him the starring role in Out of the Furnace, which he wrote specifically for Bale. Cooper was only a couple years removed from his feature directorial debut, Crazy Heart, which landed Jeff Bridges a long-deserved Oscar. Since Cooper tailor made Crazy Heart just for Bridges, he took the same approach with Bale and Furnace, except Bale politely declined the invitation at first. After all, Bale, who was still a young father at the time, was also nearing production on Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups, and to top it all off, he had to promote his final Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises, in between it all.

Cooper and Out of the Furnace remained at a standstill until Bale ultimately changed his mind, leading to a ongoing collaboration and friendship that...

Kristen Stewart is one of the best, most unpredictable performers of her generation. Her portrayal of Bella Swan in "The Twilight Saga" made her a worldwide movie star, and she used that cachet to make a series of artistically ambitious films from the non-mainstream likes of Olivier Assayas, Kelly Reichardt and Pablo Larrain (whose "Spencer" earned Stewart her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress). Five years ago, she branched out and made her first short film, the captivatingly impressionistic "Come Swim," which premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Her talent seems to know no bounds, so it's exciting to learn that she'll make her feature directing debut with "The Chronology of Water."

Based on Lidia Yuknavitch's 2012 memoir (a finalist for that year's Pen Center USA Creative Nonfiction Award), the project reteams Stewart with Ridley Scott's Scott Free production company, and is set to star Imogen Poots. If...

For cinephiles, every Cate Blanchett film is a major event simply because of her participation, but "TÁR" represents the turning of a new page for the actress. The film is both aware of and informed by Blanchett's stature and prowess. It's the most overt sign to date that her commanding screen presence is too big to deny. Her brilliance is now just a commonly held truth.

At this point, declaring that Cate Blanchett is the best actress of her generation should hardly qualify as a controversial statement. She's Gen X's answer to Meryl Streep, both in the consistent quality of her work and her undeniable commitment to the craft of acting. While we've come to expect certain elements from a Blanchett performance — resolute strength, undeniable intelligence, and a flair for the theatrical — each is its own distinct and special experience. And with her interest in producing only just beginning to...

The first look image from My Mother’s Wedding, the directorial debut from Kristin Scott Thomas, has been released. The film stars Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, and Emily Beecham.

Principle photography on the film — which Scott Thomas co-wrote with John Micklethwait — has been completed. The film follows the story of three sisters who return to their childhood home for the third wedding of their twice-widowed mother, Diana. The three daughters now lead very different lives: Georgina, a palliative nurse; Victoria, a Hollywood star; and Katherine, a captain in the Royal Navy. Over the weekend, the family gathers to celebrate a new marriage, but mother and daughters alike are forced to revisit the past and confront the future, with help from a colorful group of unexpected wedding guests.

The cast includes Academy award nominee Scarlett Johansson, BAFTA award nominee Sienna Miller, and Cannes Best Actress winner Emily Beecham, who play the sisters. Academy award nominee and BAFTA award-winner Scott Thomas plays Diana Frost, their mother.

This marks the third time Scott Thomas and Johansson have played mother and daughter since 1998’s The Horse Whisperer.

“I have wanted to direct for a long time and it was thrilling to create this fictional family using my own childhood memories as a springboard,” said Kristin Scott Thomas. “Directing and acting with such talented actresses and reuniting with Scarlett Johansson has been exhilarating.”

The cast is filled out by BAFTA award nominee, Freida Pinto, Sindhu Vee, Joshua McGuire, Mark Stanley, Thibault de Montalembert and Samson Kayo.

Additional credits include director of photography Yves Belanger, BAFTA award-winning Production Designer Andrew McAlpine, Casting Director Lucy Bevan, Editor Gary Dollner, Costume Designer Sinead Kidao, and Academy award nominated Hair and Make-Up Designer Daniel Phillips.

CAA Media Finance, which arranged financing for the film, represents domestic rights.

Back in May, Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” kicked off the summer with the biggest opening of the year so far. Since then, it has grossed more than 400 million, while still being overshadowed by Paramount’s own sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick,” which is nearing 600 million.

This weekend, Marvel is going to try to take back some of the box office attention from “Maverick” with “Thor: Love and Thunder,” the Taika Waititi-directed follow-up to his 2017 blockbuster, “Thor: Ragnarok.” Once again starring Chris Hemsworth as the God of Thunder with Tessa Thompson returning as Valkyrie, “Love and Thunder” is joined by the return of Natalie Portman’s Dr. Jane Foster and two more Oscar winners in Christian Bale, who plays the movie’s main antagonist, Gorr the God Butcher, and Russell Crowe. Read on for our box office preview.

See Grab the popcorn and sound off in...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Burning (Lee Chang-dong)

After Poetry, it makes sense that Lee Chang-dong would find himself interested in deconstructing another literary genre: the murder mystery. Adapting Haruki Murakami’s short story “Barn Burning” for the screen, the South Korean master has created something that feels akin to a real page turner, with each cut, the tensions, and the mystery rise as we become desperate to know whatever happened to Shin Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-seo), the young woman who went missing, leaving her childhood friend Lee Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in) searching for her. With pulpy characters, including a delicious Steven Yeun as a mysterious Gatsby-like figure, and a dark sense of humor, the film also serves as a study of class and the way in which the...

Following The Better Angels and Age Out, A.J. Edwards’ third feature, First Love, is both a tender tale of blossoming romance and a nuanced depiction of the pride and human frailties that can disrupt a decades-long bond. The writer-director, who got his start working with Terrence Malick on The Tree of Life, The New World, To the Wonder, Knight of Cups, and Song to Song, displays an immense amount of grace in this recession-era portrait of family and romance.

Led by Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Diane Kruger, Jeffrey Donovan, and Sydney Park, the film will now get a release beginning this Friday and I was pleased to chat with him about returning to the coming-of-age story in a new angle, his depiction of class, being inspired by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Sidney Lumet, and more.

The Film Stage: Your last film was a coming-of-age story of sorts. And this one obviously takes...

You've heard me, scornful, harsh, and discontented,Mocking and loathing War: you've asked me whyOf my old, silly sweetness I've repented—My ecstasies changed to an ugly cry. You are aware that once I sought the Grail,Riding in armour bright, serene and strong;And it was told that through my infant wailThere rose immortal semblances of song. But now I've said good-bye to Galahad,And am no more the knight of dreams and show:For lust and senseless hatred make me glad,And my killed friends are with me where I go.Wound for red wound I burn to smite their wrongs;And there is absolution in my songs.—Siegfried Sassoon, “The Poet as Hero”Films about art and artists face different obstacles in making the art itself cinematic. A movie about a painter, like Pollock (2000) or My Left Foot (1989), can simply observe them at work. Keiichi Hara’s animated...

Exclusive: Scarlett Johansson’s new movie, My Mother’s Wedding, that’s also Kristin Scott Thomas’ feature directorial debut has added BAFTA and Golden Globe nominee Sienna Miller, SAG ensemble winner Freida Pinto and Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Emily Beecham. Cameras are currently rolling, Deadline hears.

Details with regard to the pic’s plot are under wraps, but Thomas wrote it with John Micklethwait. Producers are Finola Dwyer and Steven Rales.

Back in 2017, it was reported that Thomas was making her feature directorial debut with The Sea Change, based on Elizabeth Jane Howard’s novel of the same name. This is not that project, nor did it come to fruition.

Miller received a 2013 Golden Globe nomination in the Best Actress TV Miniseries/Movie category and BAFTA Best Leading Actress nom for HBO’s The Girl in which she played Tippi Hedren to Toby Jones’ Alfred Hitchcock. She also received...

After getting his start with Terrence Malick on the editing team for The New World, Knight of Cups, and Song to Song, A.J. Edwards has proven to be a formidable writer-director in his own right. Following The Better Angels and Age Out, his third feature, First Love, will now arrive in theaters and on VOD on June 17 and the first trailer has debuted. Starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Diane Kruger, Jeffrey Donovan, and Sydney Park, the film features new original music by Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry.

The story follows Jim (Fiennes Tiffin), a senior in high school experiencing the highs and lows of his first love with Ann (Park) as they navigate their pending departure to college. At the same time, Jim’s parents (Kruger and Donovan) are dealing with the familial fallout of a financial crisis. Cinematography is courtesy of Jeff Bierman, who worked with Edwards on Age...

Even though the first Thor movie grossed almost 450 million in 2011, few people walking out of the theater probably thought the God of Thunder would go where Captain America and Iron Man could not and earn a fourth entry in his franchise. Sure, some of this achievement has to do with Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. completing their stories in Avengers: Endgame. But it has just as much to do with the revelation of Chris Hemsworth’s comedic abilities and the total tonal shift director Taikia Waititi brought to Thor: Ragnarok.

For this unprecedented fourth solo movie, Thor: Love and Thunder, Hemsworth and Waititi not only reprise their roles as Thor and Korg but they’re joined by a team of Academy Award winners and fan favorites. These remarkable talents will help tell the next chapter in Thor’s story, which finds him looking for his place in the galaxy...

This review of “You Won’t Be Alone” was first published on Jan. 22 after its premiere at Sundance.

The dismal arthouse horror-drama “You Won’t Be Alone” will surely test the patience of viewers who expect a straightforward, character-driven, or even generic period chiller. Set in 19th century Macedonia, writer-director Goran Stolevski’s debut feature presents a disorienting narrative about Nevena (mostly played by Noomi Rapace), a shape-shifting teenage witch who’s kidnapped and then haunted by the malicious “wolf-eateress” conjurer Maria.

The movie’s heavy-handed and often distracting impressionistic style — lots of too-tight extreme close-ups, wobbly hand-held camerawork, whispery stream-of-conscious voiceover narration, and over-edited montages — will understandably frustrate some viewers and draw comparisons to recent dramas directed by Terrence Malick as well as Robert Eggers’ “elevated horror” movies “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse.”

Stolevski’s pretentious and mindlessly alienating style also smothers his ensemble cast’s performances and his crew’s diligent contributions,...

Dane DeHaan has signed on to star alongside Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie and Josh Hartnett in Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer for Universal Pictures, Deadline has confirmed.

Nolan’s latest is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin. Murphy stars as the theoretical physicist of the same name, whose work on the Manhattan Project led to the invention of the atomic bomb. Details as far as the character DeHaan is playing have not been disclosed.

Nolan is directing the film, going before cameras in New Mexico, from his own script. He is also producing with Emma Thomas and Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven, with the film slated to debut in theaters on July 21, 2023.

Dehaan will next appear in...

The Way of the Wind

There was a time when receiving a new Terrence Malick film to premiere was like waiting for paint to dry — and while we are far from the almost decade passing between projects there was a tremendous amount of output after Tree of Life when he premiered To the Wonder (2012), Knight of Cups (2015) and Song to Song (2017) in a five year stretch. Soon to enter it’s third year in post production, The Way of the Wind is nonetheless an ambitious project — perhaps in the same scope as A Hidden Life (2019). We know there’ll likely be some performances left on the cutting room floor but we expect to see Géza Röhrig as Jesus Christ, Mark Rylance as Satan and Matthias Schoenaerts as Saint Peter — perhaps on the Croisette this summer.…...

Exclusive: Freida Pinto is expanding her relationship with eOne, signing a first-look deal with the indie studio for her Freebird Films Entertainment. Under the pact, Freebird Films, run by Pinto and her producing partner Emily Verellen Strom, will develop series for broadcast, cable and streaming with a focus on content highlighting the experience of women – especially among diverse and underrepresented groups.

The deal comes as Pinto and Strom are developing as executive producers a limited series adaptation of Anuradha Bhagwati’s memoir Unbecoming for eOne, with Pinto attached to star. Freebird Films is also in negotiations for additional books and articles to adapt.

“We are delighted to partner with Freida and Emily in their vision to prioritize diverse stories about women for all audiences,” said Jacqueline Sacerio, eOne’s EVP Scripted Television. “Their combined world view and creative insight will mesh well with our goal of creating content that resonates with viewers everywhere.

Exclusive: Nicky Whelan (Trauma Center) will star opposite Frank Grillo (The Purge) in action movie Hounds Of War.

The movie will follow a group of mercenaries who take on jobs that are considered impossible. After a mission goes wrong due to a shocking betrayal, only one of them is left alive to avenge his fallen brothers. Whelan plays Jenna, whose steely heart belies her admiration of the Hounds and, especially, Colonel Hart (Grillo’s character).

Filming is due to begin later this year on location in Malta. Lowell Dean (Wolf Cop) will direct from Jean Pierre Margo’s (Blood On The Crown) script.

Dean Devlin’s Electric Entertainment (Independence Day: Resurgence) is handling sales. The film is a co-production between Twilight Entertainment’s Shayne Putzlocher and Jaggurnaught’s Jean Pierre Margo, Pedja Miletic and Aaron Briffa. It is also produced and co-financed by Sara Shaak of Anamorphic Media. Executive producers are Frank Grillo,...

Must get firewood to stay warm for the winter. This gorgeous, moving stop-motion animated short film is made by a filmmaker based in the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. Winter's Blight is a stop-motion short written and directed and animated by filmmaker Claire Campbell, and it's available to watch on Vimeo now after playing at festivals for a few years. The film tells the story of a reclusive elderly man Bill who livies in a remote forest in Central Otago. "This film has been a true labour of love and has received great support from the local film and Arts commission to get it made." It also features a really lovely score by fellow New Zealander composer Hanan Townshend, known for his work on feature films including To the Wonder, Knight of Cups, Strawberry Days, Semper Fi, and Blue Miracle. It's a dialogue-free short that is so tender and heartfelt,...

Exclusive: Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Joe Lo Truglio is making his feature directorial debut with the horror movie Outpost which will begin production on Monday, July 11. The actor, writer and producer bills the pic as a “nightmare on a mountain, about a woman fighting demons – and the demons are winning.”

Joining Beth Dover (Orange Is The New Black) is an ensemble cast that includes Dylan Baker, Becky Ann Baker, Dallas Roberts, Ta’Rea Campbell, and Ato Essandoh.

Lifelong horror fan Lo Truglio says, “It seemed like the perfect time to pivot and do something I’ve wanted to do since I was thirteen: make a scary movie. And to do it with friends, new and old – that’s the dream. We’re lucky.”

Lo Truglio produces alongside Kara Baker (Zola) and Joe Mortimer.

Existential malaise is the theme of this quiet drama from newcomer Henry Butash, who cut his teeth in postproduction on two films by Terrence Malick – Song to Song and Knight of Cups. Evidence of this résumé is found all over the camerawork, which floats around its subjects like The Tree of Life, capturing their movements with a serene yet realist quality.

The subjects are Jane (Jessica Hecht) and Arthur (Mike Faist), two lonely souls who meet in a sprawling Atlantic City casino. Jane eyes the young man at a roulette table, having meandered across the floor in an almost trance-like state. This sequence is entirely non-verbal, allowing us to feel Jane’s reverie as she immerses herself in the ambience of ringing slot machines and murmuring croupiers.

Jane has been numbed by her husband’s infidelity, yet her pain goes deeper than that. She’s rudderless, unfulfilled. What has brought her to this point?...

Capturing the awe-inspiring wonders of our world has been an endeavor since the dawn of image-making, and with ever-evolving advancements in technology there’s an unparalleled pristineness in one’s ability to record such beauty. In his feature debut Awaken, director Tom Lowe takes this pursuit to heart, traversing the planet with the eye of a treasure hunter, collecting only the most stunning shots imaginable to convey the splendor of where we all collectively call home. The film’s main calling card––being executive produced by Terrence Malick and Godfrey Reggio––inevitably also sets a perhaps unfairly high bar as the film falls short of achieving the masterful rhythm and level of insightful connection between humanity, nature, and technology found in its clear inspirations. However, as a sensory experience, there’s still plenty of wonder worth beholding across its rather brief 75-minute runtime.

Shot in 4K over five years across 30 countries,...