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Bryan Cranston may be a master of transformation, but even the Breaking Bad legend can’t always land a hit. His newest film, Everything’s Going to Be Great, just debuted with a less-than-stellar 50% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes — and that’s from only 12 reviews so far. That’s a far cry from the critical acclaim Cranston has enjoyed in projects like Trumbo or Breaking Bad, and a bit surprising given the talent involved. Directed by Jon S. Baird (Tetris) and written by I, Tonya scribe Steven Rogers, the movie features a strong cast that includes Chris Cooper and Allison Janney. But the one turning heads isn’t any of the big-name adults — it’s breakout star Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, who reportedly steals the entire show.

Set in 1989 Akron, Ohio, the film follows Buddy Smart (Cranston), an obsessive regional theater director trying to keep his artistic dream afloat. His long-suffering wife...

It sure seems as though most sitcom reboots were only spawned because corporate executives realized that exploiting the public’s nostalgia is a great way to maximize profits without having to go to the trouble of coming up with a fresh idea. How else do you explain recent soul-draining efforts like Girl Meets World and Fuller House?

Sometimes, it’s the stars of the original shows who are desperate to revisit their past TV glory. For example, Kelsey Grammer was instrumental in getting the Frasier revival made after years of struggling to launch shows about characters not named “Frasier Crane.”

So is the upcoming Malcolm in the Middle reboot just another nostalgia-baiting cash-grab? Seemingly, no. In fact, the person spearheading the new show is the one guy whose career blew up the most after the original series went off the air: Bryan Cranston.

After Malcolm wrapped, Cranston, who of course played the Wilkerson family patriarch,...

Bryan Cranston recently offered praise for his daughter, Taylor Dearden, and her performance as Dr. Mel King on The Pitt. Bryan Cranston's best movies and shows, like Breaking Bad and Trumbo, have made him a massive star and nearly a household name, but his daughter has also started making waves for herself. Taylor Dearden was one of the main cast members of The Pitt, and her character, Mel, quickly became a fan favorite of the acclaimed medical drama. She's frequently cited as one of the best characters on The Pitt, and Cranston decided to add to Dearden's growing list of compliments.

During an interview with the Associated Press, Bryan Cranston took the opportunity to speak about the success Taylor Dearden has enjoyed due to her performance on The Pitt.

"There is nothing that's more gratifying than when your kid receives praise. Nothing. No one can say anything to me that's better than that.

Bleecker Street has elevated Kent Sanderson to CEO, succeeding the company’s co-founder Andrew Karpen who died in April from brain cancer.

With Sanderson’s promotion, Bleecker Street’s long-time executive Tyler Dinapoli has been named president and chief marketing officer while Rachel Allen has been upped to executive VP of publicity.

Sanderson and Dinapoli have been with Bleecker Street since its inception in 2014. Karpen, a former CEO of Focus Features, established the independent studio with a mission to make movies for adult audiences. The company has released roughly 70 films over 10 years, including “Logan Lucky,” “Captain Fantastic,” “Trumbo” and “Sasquatch Sunset.”

Sanderson was elevated to president in late 2023 and previously served as Bleecker’s head of acquisitions and ancillary distribution. In his prior role, he led the acquisition of Debra Granik’s “Leave No Trace,” Steven Soderbergh’s “Logan Lucky” and Gavin Hood’s “Eye in the Sky” while overseeing...

Elle Fanning is officially stepping into the world of The Hunger Games! After weeks of rumors, it has now been confirmed that the actress will be playing the role of Effie Trinket in Sunrise on the Reaping, the upcoming prequel to the popular movie series. While fans may remember Elizabeth Banks in this role from the original movies, Fanning is all set to bring her own unique spin to the character. Excited to see her in Panem?

We are too! But before she steps into the Capitol’s spotlight, why don’t we explore some of her best work so far? Well! Fanning has been in the industry since she was a child and has participated in diverse roles and projects. So, here are the top five must-watch Elle Fanning movies to check out before you see her acting chops in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.

5. Trumbo

In Trumbo,...

Original Hunger Games star Elizabeth Banks expresses enthusiasm for the casting of a returning character in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. After five previous movies, the world of Suzanne Collins' beloved young adult book franchise is now set to return to the big screen once more with a new film from director Francis Lawrence. Based on Collins' novel of the same name, the Sunrise on the Reaping story follows Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) as he competes in the 50th Hunger Games, with Elle Fanning recently confirmed to be playing the returning Effie Trinket.

In a recent interview with People at the premiere of The Better Sister, Banks reacts to the news that Fanning will be playing Effie in Sunrise on the Reaping. Banks, who played Effie in the four original Hunger Games movies, reveals that she's already texted Fanning about it, sharing that she thinks the star is...

Back in 2022, 20th Century Studios, director Dan Trachtenberg, and the Hulu streaming service brought the world a new addition to the Predator franchise, the 1719-set Prey – a film that went over so well, Tranchtenberg was given the opportunity to continue expanding the Predator series. In February of 2024, it was announced that he was moving forward with a project called Predator: Badlands, which is now aiming for a November 7, 2025 theatrical release. With more details on the new film starting to emerge, we figured this was the right time to put together a list of Everything We Know About Predator: Badlands:

Prey Creative Team

Dan Trachtenberg directed Predator: Badlands from a screenplay he wrote with his Prey collaborator Patrick Aison – and they crafted a very different sort of story this time around. The studio has revealed that the film is set in the future on a remote planet, telling the story of a young Predator,...

Andrew Karpen, founder and CEO of Bleecker Street, has died after an extended battle with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer. He was 59.

Karpen was a mainstay of the independent film industry for much of the 21st century, serving as co-ceo of Focus Features for more than a decade before leaving to found Bleecker Street, which took its name from the New York street where Focus’ headquarters was located, in 2014.

Bleecker Street made its first film acquisition at TIFF 2014 with “Pawn Sacrifice,” which starred Tobey Maguire as chess legend Bobby Fischer. In the decade since, Bleecker Street’s filmography has included movies like “Captain Fantastic” starring Viggo Mortensen and “Trumbo” starring Bryan Cranston, both of whom received Oscar nominations for their performances.

Other films include the Steven Soderbergh heist film “Logan Lucky” and the war drama “Eye in the Sky” starring Helen Mirren as well as Alan Rickman in his last live action role.

Andrew Karpen, the founder and CEO of indie distributor Bleecker Street, the former co-ceo of Focus Features, and an all-around icon as an indie film executive, has died. He was 59.

Karpen died on Monday, April 28. In 2024, he had been diagnosed with a form of brain cancer called glioblastoma, detailing the extent and severity of his condition in a piece in Deadline.

“Our industry has lost a giant” said Kent Sanderson, Bleecker Street’s President and Andrew’s longtime friend. “Andrew taught us all so much, foremost of which is the value of kindness, honesty, and family above all else. His leadership and courage will inspire all of us at Bleecker Street for the rest of our lives.”

Karpen founded Bleecker Street as a New York City-based independently financed studio in August 2014, having released more than 75 films including titles like “Logan Lucky,” “Leave No Trace,” “The Assistant,” “Rumours,” “Mass,” “The Starling Girl,...

Andrew Karpen, the respected CEO of Bleecker Street Media who founded the indie distribution company after spending a decade as a top executive with Focus Features, died Monday. He was 59.

He was diagnosed last year with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, and died in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

“Our industry has lost a giant,” Bleecker Street president Kent Sanderson said in a statement. “Andrew taught us all so much, foremost of which is the value of kindness, honesty, and family above all else. His leadership and courage will inspire all of us at Bleecker Street for the rest of our lives.”

Karpen launched New York-based Bleecker Street in 2014 with the backing of Manoj Bhargava, founder of the 5-hour Energy drink. He named his company with a nod to the old Focus headquarters at 65 Bleecker St.

“I’m looking forward to bringing the work of great filmmakers into the marketplace, and...

Andrew Karpen, a widely respected film executive and the founder of Bleecker Street Media, died on Monday in Connecticut. He was 59.

Karpen, an easygoing fixture of the indie film scene, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, in 2024. Before launching Bleecker Street in 2014, Karpen served as co-ceo of Focus Features for more than a decade.

“Our industry has lost a giant,” said Kent Sanderson, Bleecker Street’s president and Karpen’s longtime friend, in a statement. “Andrew taught us all so much, foremost of which is the value of kindness, honesty, and family above all else. His leadership and courage will inspire all of us at Bleecker Street for the rest of our lives.”

At Bleecker Street, Karpen oversaw the release of 75 films including “Trumbo” and “Captain Fantastic,” which received Oscar nominations for the performances of Bryan Cranston and Viggo Mortensen. The company also released arthouse box office...

Bleecker Street Media founder and CEO Andrew Karpen died Monday from glioblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer that upended his life when it was discovered in January 2024. He was 59.

Karpen has been a fixture in the independent film space for decades, and went from co-ceo of Focus Features to form Bleecker Street Media in 2014. Bleecker has released more than 75 films since then, theatrical releases across all genres. That includes films from auteurs like Steven Soderbergh (Logan Lucky), Debra Granik (Leave No Trace), andOscar-nominated films including Captain Fantastic and Trumbo. He was known as the epitome of class; an executive you could look in the eye and trust what he told you. He turned 59 on April 18.

Deadline detailed the ordeal that Karpen and his wife Pam went through, a piece I wrote to spur donations to help the work of Dr. John Boockvar, a neurosurgeon at the Brain...

The out of this world talented Stephen Root is joining “Resident Alien” Season 4 in a guest star role, Variety has learned exclusively.

Root will play the father of Harry (Alan Tudyk). According to the official character description, Root’s character will appear to his son in human form and “push Harry to go back to his evil alien roots.”

“Resident Alien” was renewed for Season 4 in June 2024, with the show set to move from Syfy to fellow NBCUniversal cabler USA Network. The new season does not have a premiere date at the time of this publishing. Along with Tudyk and Root, the cast also includes Sara Tomko, Alice Wetterlund, Levi Fiehler, Meredith Garretson, Corey Reynolds, and Elizabeth Bowen.

Root is a highly versatile actor with a strong resume across television and film. He received an Emmy nomination in 2019 for best supporting actor in a comedy for his work on the HBO series “Barry,...

20th Century Studios has released the trailer for “Predator: Badlands,” the sixth installment in the beloved action sci-fi franchise. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the film stars Elle Fanning as two twin sisters.

Trachtenberg previously directed “Prey,” the last installment in the “Predator” film series. “Prey” was released exclusively on Hulu and went on to score four nominations at the 2024 Emmys. It would take home the win for outstanding sound editing. Trachtenberg’s other directorial bouts include films like “10 Cloverfield Lane,” and shows such as “The Lost Symbol,” “The Boys,” “Black Mirror” and “BlackBoxTV.”

Fanning recently starred as Russian monarch Cathrine the Great in three seasons of Hulu’s “The Great” and starred opposite Timothée Chalamet as Sylvie Russo in James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown.” Some of her former credits include “Super 8,” “Maleficent,” “Trumbo,” “The Boxtrolls,” “The Neon Demon” and “B’Twixt Now and Sunrise.

"I just want the house... I built it." Searchlight Pictures has unveieled the first official trailer for relationship comedy The Roses, the latest comedy from filmmaker Jay Roach. Searchlight has this set for release at the end of August at the end of the summer coming up in a few more months. "All's fair when love is war." A tinderbox of competition and resentments hidden underneath the façade of a picture-perfect couple is ignited when the husband's professional dreams come crashing down and his (ex-)wife's career takes off. An updated take on the book "The War of the Roses" written by Warren Adler, which was already adapted before into 1989 comedy of the same name. The Roses features Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Andy Samberg, Allison Janney, Belinda Bromilow, Sunita Mani, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Demetriou, Zoë Chao, and Kate McKinnon. This trailer starts out all nice and peaceful, erupting into all-out divorce chaos by the end.

A 15-part documentary series directed by Philip Gelatt, First Word on Horror highlights insightful conversations with authors Stephen Graham Jones, Paul Tremblay, Elizabeth Hand, Laird Barron, and Mariana Enriquez about the real-life influences behind their work and how they approach the craft of writing effective horror that lingers long after it's read.

With a new episode featuring Bram Stoker Award-nominated Mariana Enriquez coming to Substack on April 24th, we have an exclusive clip from the upcoming episode to share with Daily Dead readers, as well as the exclusive reveal of the episode's hauntingly mesmerizing artwork by Santiago Caruso, which depicts Mariana's short story "Adela's House."

Below, you can view Santiago's poster art and watch Marianna Enriquez discuss the horrors of dictatorship in our exclusive clip, and we also have additional details on First Word on Horror. To learn more about the documentary series, visit:

https://etchstudio.substack.com/s/first-word-on-horror...

“My Weekend as a 28-year-old in Chicago”.It’s become a cliché that today’s short social videos—be they TikToks, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts—pass through the cultural digestive tract without a hitch. Swiping up may summon a fresh piece of content from the depths, but it also hurls the previous clip into an algorithmically opaque sea. For all the ink spilt on these videos’ malignant effects on the attention span of a generation, relatively little attention has been paid to the videos themselves. Few shorts merit the nigh Herculean effort required to resurface them, and yet, for over two years, I’ve found myself returning to one in particular.It opens with a shot typical of a lifestyle vlog: the subject, a goateed, floppy-haired yuppie in a white tank top exposing a head-spinning number of squiggly arm tattoos, takes a step back from the front-facing camera, having...

Production has wrapped on the conspiracy thriller Lone Wolf, which stars Lily Gladstone – who was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for her performance in Killers of the Flower Moon – and Bryan Cranston, who is best known for starring in the TV series Breaking Bad but also happens to be an Oscar nominee for his performance in the film Trumbo. Lone Wolf is the latest film from director Mark Pellington, whose previous credits include Survive, The Severing, Nostalgia, The Last Word, I Melt with You, Henry Poole Is Here, The Mothman Prophecies, and Arlington Road.

Deadline reports that filming took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Gladstone and Cranston are joined in the cast by O’Shea Jackson, Jr. (Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera), Jennifer Ehle (Zero Dark Thirty), Chet Hanks (Dead Wrong), and Spencer Garrett (Yes Man).

Scripted by Tom Chilcoat, co-writer of the 2022 Brian Austin Green horror thriller Last the Night,...

Oscar nominee Guy Pearce from The Brutalist, Maria Pedraza from Money Heist, and Farming actor-director Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje have joined Alex Pettyfer on the erotic thriller Blurred, which Cloud9 Studios is introducing to EFM buyers next week.

Ben Cookson wrote and will direct, with Pettyfer and James Ireland producing through their Dark Dreams Entertainment alongside Yariv Lerner for Film Forage.

Blurred takes place against the backdrop of the New York fashion scene and is described by Cloud9 president and executive producer Pia Patatian as a “beautiful, raw and intense thrill ride”. Production wrapped in the UK last summer and Patatian will...

Pantheon Media Group, the studio formerly known as Asylum Entertainment Group, has tapped producer and marketing vet Kelly Mullen to serve as its head of brands. Mullen will report to Pantheon Media Group chairman Steve Michaels, who announced the news on Thursday.

At Pantheon, which is part of Endeavor’s nonscripted content group, Mullen will work with its more than 20 shingles to find new collaborations, financing and partnership models.

“Kelly’s reputation and her relationships within the brand world are unmatched,” Michaels said in a statement. “In the current marketplace, it has never been more important to forge partnerships that fit both a brand’s messaging and a project’s narrative. She has the unique ability to bridge that gap, allowing more of our content to be creatively financed and greenlit.”

Mullen joins from Unilever, where she was global head of entertainment and culture marketing. While there, she launched the...

From plots of political treachery and imitate romances to vast multiverses and epic intercontinental warfare, the fantasy genre encompasses much of the stories that make life so rich. Many of these tales come from the literary world, bled from the ink of such legendary writers as J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis, H.P. Lovecraft, as well as those who follow in their footsteps, like Andrzej Sapkowski, Terry Pratchett, and George R.R. Martin. 

Whether adapting the work of these prolific authors or creating a world that's entirely new, the fantasy genre demands one thing: grand narrative scale. Perhaps this is why such stories have flourished through the medium of television in recent years, taking viewers to distant lands, ancient times, and far away worlds we could once only dream of through the pages of a book. 

But not all fantasy TV series are created equal, which is why we've assembled a...

James Gunn’s Dcu is officially underway and it is high time a few casting choices are made for some key characters in the universe. The filmmaker and co-chief of DC Studios has maintained that no greenlight will be given for a project unless it has a solid script and seems to be giving time to set up solo films. However, all of them need to lead up to a huge villain.

Josh Brolin, who played Thanos in the MCU, recently shared a fanart of himself in the design of Darkseid. This fueled the rumors that Brolin was still in talks with Gunn after he refused the offer to play Hal Jordan a.k.a Green Lantern in the Dcu. While casting Brolin as Darkseid, who is basically DC’s Thanos is not a good choice, there are other actors who fit the bill.

1. Javier Bardem Javier Bardem in Dune:...

Tubi, Fox’s free streaming service, has announced its list of December titles. The Tubi December 2024 slate features new Tubi Originals, TV series, and numerous action, art house, Black cinema, comedy, documentary, drama, horror, kids and family, romance, sci-fi and fantasy, thriller, and Western titles.

As a leading ad-supported video-on-demand service, the company engages diverse audiences through a personalized experience and the world’s largest content library of over 250,000 movies and TV episodes, a growing collection of exclusive Originals, and nearly 250 live channels.

You can watch the Tubi December 2024 lineup for free on Android and iOS mobile devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub Max, Comcast Xfinity X1, and Cox Contour.

You can also watch the service on connected television devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Vizio TVs, Sony TVs, Samsung TVs, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and on the Tubi site.

Tubi Originals...

Bryan Cranston's 2016 true crime drama film The Infiltrator features an elaborate cast based on real-life characters. Directed by Brad Furman and written by his mother Ellen Furman, The Infiltrator is based on the book of the same name by U.S. Customs Special Agent Robert Mazur, who Cranston plays in the film. Despite receiving mostly positive reviews upon its July 2016 theatrical release, The Infiltrator grossed $22 million at the global box office against an estimated budget of between $28 and $47 million. It ranks number 8 on Netflix's U.S. Top 10 Movies list at the time of writing.

While not typically considered among Bryan Cranston's best movies, The Infiltrator earned a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 72%. The narrative follows a dedicated agent who dives into the grimy underworld of money laundering and blurs the line between duty and deception. Cranston's Robert Mazur goes undercover as a corrupt businessman named Bob Musella who...

Barry Levinson’s John F. Kennedy mystery conspiracy thriller “Assassination” just got a massive injection of talent. Already starring Levinson mainstay Al Pacino, joining what now feels like an all-star ensemble is Academy Award–winner Jessica Chastain, Academy Award-winner Brendan Fraser”, and Academy Award-nominee Bryan Cranston.

Continue reading Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston & Brendan Fraser Join Al Pacino In Barry Levinson’s JFK ‘Assassination’ Thriller at The Playlist.

Fox Entertainment has unveiled plans for an upcoming drama series called “Billionaire Apocalypse.” The show will explore themes of wealth inequality and social responsibility. It was created by Jay Carson, known for his work on “The Morning Show.”

“Billionaire Apocalypse” will follow the richest man in the world after a financial crisis causes his wealth to disappear. With his money gone, he loses power and control over his employees and family. The series looks at how this affects the relationships of those who relied on his wealth.

Carson will write and produce the show. He has experience in both politics and entertainment. Previously, Carson worked as a spokesperson in the U.S. Senate and for President Bill Clinton. Later he produced “House of Cards” for Netflix and created “The Morning Show” for Apple TV+.

Hollywood star Hugh Jackman and veterans Lawrence Bender and Kevin Brown will also serve as executive producers.

Fox is developing a drama series about the richest man in the world having to flee his private island after a global financial collapse.

Billionaire Apocalypse (w/t) comes from The Morning Show creator Jay Carson, who will write, and exec producers including Hugh Jackman, Pulp Fiction producer Lawrence Bender and Kevin Brown, exec producer of Starz’ Flesh and Bone.

The network is unveiling the project at Mipcom, where it is hunting for international partners.

Fox Entertainment Studios is producing and it will be distributed internationally by Fox Entertainment Global.

The series follows the richest man on the planet, 200 of his employees, and his family as they are forced to flee to his private island in the wake of a global financial collapse, where the employees and family members — who he’s treated as afterthoughts for decades — quickly realize he’s no longer rich and thus no longer in charge.

Fox said late Sunday night that it is developing a drama series tentatively titled Billionaire Apocalypse that hails from The Morning Show creator Jay Carson and counts Hugh Jackman among its executive producers.

The drama, from Fox Entertainment Studios for the Fox network, is written and executive produced by Carson, creator and writer of Apple+’s Emmy-nominated Morning Show. Also serving as exec producers are Lawrence Bender (Flesh and Bone, Pulp Fiction) and Kevin Brown (Flesh and Bone, Trumbo).

The logline for the drama: “The richest man on the planet, 200 of his employees, and his family are forced to flee to his private island in the wake of a global financial collapse, where the employees and family members — who he’s treated as afterthoughts for decades — quickly realize he’s no longer rich and thus no longer in charge.”

The project, which has received a script commitment, is being distributed worldwide by Fox Entertainment Global.

Over the last decade, companies like Netflix, NBCUniversal and Cinelease have committed an enormous amount of capital to filming in New Mexico. That development, along with attractive tax rebates from the state, has enabled Santa Fe to blossom into an enviable production hub.

The combination of that growth and a forward-thinking creative community has also helped generate a unique, on-the-rise energy to the Santa Fe International Film Festival, which in 2024 earned a place on Moviemaker Magazine’s list of “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” for the second year in a row.

Nestled in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the festival offers up a rare mixture of natural beauty, professional networking opportunities for up-and-coming artists, and superbly curated programming. Returning for its 16th edition October 16-20, this year’s theme is identity and collective humanity — exploring what makes a person distinct while also binding them to one another.

I will admit that I’m not a regular listener to Rainn Wilson’s podcast. I also have no ill will toward the man, and do feel it’s unfair that he’s been so thoroughly pigeonholed as Dwight from The Office. I actually thought he was fantastic in Super, from James Gunn’s pre-Guardians days. However, a recent clip from his podcast, Soul Boom, perfectly encapsulates that awkward moment when you find that someone you felt was a kindred spirit may not, in fact, share the same experience with you that you think they do.

It’s a segment in which Wilson attempts to delve into Bryan Cranston’s thoughts about being stuck forever being known only as Walter White; I’d assume inspired by feeling a sense of connection to his personal prison of Dwighthood. Specifically, he prompts Cranston, “Tell me about your relationship with Walter White,...

Bleecker Street executives Kent Sanderson and Myles Bender can vividly remember their first time seeing “Eye in the Sky,” a drone warfare thriller starring Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman that premiered in 2015 at Toronto Film Festival with hopes of finding distribution. Not long into the Canadian screening, they were held rapt by film but quickly realized their contemporaries in the room didn’t feel the same way.

“Within 15 minutes, I started watching a lot of other buyers get up and leave. I guess they felt the film was too challenging,” says Sanderson, Bleecker Street’s president. He and Bender, head of marketing and creative advertising, pushed for their boss, the film company’s co-founder and CEO, Andrew Karpen, to watch the film so they could bid on the distribution rights. Bender recalls, “We were looking at each other and saying, ‘What are we seeing that they aren’t?’”

Karpen shared...

Bleecker Street celebrated its 10th anniversary on Saturday night following the New York Film Festival premiere of Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths.” It was an emotional evening, one that honored Bleecker Street’s track record of producing acclaimed indies such as “Captain Fantastic” and “Trumbo,” as well as its endurance in a challenging business. Much of that credit goes to Andrew Karpen, Bleecker Street’s founder and the recipient of the Variety Vanguard Award.

“There are few people who love independent movies like Andrew Karpen, who spent the last 25 years championing independent movies,” said Ramin Setoodeh, Variety‘s co-editor-in-chief, who noted that in addition to launching Bleecker Street, Karpen served as co-ceo of Focus Features for more than a decade.

The evening was also a chance for Karpen’s friends and colleagues to recognize his personal courage. The Bleecker Street chief was diagnosed with glioblastoma in January. “We are in awe of Andrew,...

Exclusive: Primetime Emmy nominee Alan Tudyk has signed with Artists First.

The multi-hyphenate continues to be repped by Gersh Agency and UTA for voice over.

Tudyk recently reprised his Rogue One: A Star Wars Story role of K2SO in the second season of Disney+’s Andor.

The Juilliard School alum is also voicing Doctor Phosphorus in Max’s upcoming DC animated series, Creature Commandos. Tudyk also plays Hei Hei in Disney Animation’s upcoming Moana 2.

Most recently he starred as the lead title role on the Amblin/SyFy series Resident Alien from David Dobkin and Chris Sheridan, which was Syfy’s highest-rated new drama in more than eight years with the premiere pulling in nearly 10 million viewers.

Tudyk starred in the role of Mr. Darling in David Lowery’s Peter Pan for Disney opposite Jude Law, Jim Gaffigan, and Yara Shahidi.

When it comes to Disney, Tudyk’s...

Variety will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Bleecker Street with a cocktail party and awards presentation to Bleecker Street CEO Andrew Karpen on Oct. 5 at the New York Film Festival. Karpen will be honored with the Variety Vanguard Award for his exemplary leadership and extensive contributions to the indie film community. Variety’s co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh will give remarks and present the award.

The invite-only cocktail party will also celebrate the New York Premiere of Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths,” which Bleecker is releasing Dec. 6 in a qualifying run, followed by a Jan. 10 nationwide rollout. The film stars Academy Award nominee Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Secrets and Lies”), alongside Leigh regular Michele Austin, and explores deep-rooted family dynamics with humor, pathos and Leigh’s singular view into the human condition.

Karpen founded Bleecker Street in August 2014. Having guided the company through a time of immense industry disruption and change, he has established...

It's strange to think that quite a few networks turned down "Breaking Bad" before it became the gargantuan hit series it did. The show largely defined what is meant by the term "the golden age of TV," providing pre-streaming audiences with a slickly-made premium drama that represents exactly the kind of high-quality entertainment that's often lacking in today's oversaturated media landscape.

What's more, "Breaking Bad" launched or catapulted the careers of several of its actors, most notably Bryan Cranston, who played Walter White/Heisenberg — a chemistry teacher who goes on a meth-dealing odyssey to become a drug kingpin. Cranston has become nothing short of a megastar in the wake of his seminal series, but it wasn't just the former "Malcolm in the Middle" star that received a post-"Breaking Bad" boost. Many of the actors involved with the series have seen their careers take off since the show went off...

Katey Sagal and Mark Harelik have been cast in “One Piece” Season 2, Variety has learned.

Netflix made the announcement on their social channels on Wednesday. Sagal will play Dr. Kureha, while Harelik will play Dr. Hiriluk in the live-action adaptation of the popular manga series.

They will appear alongside fellow new Season 2 cast members Daniel Lasker, Camrus Johnson, Jazzara Jaslyn, David Dastmalchian, Werner Coetser, Brendan Murray, Clive Russell, Callum Kerr, Julia Rehwald, Rob Colletti, and Ty Keogh.

Sagal is known for her starring roles in shows like “Sons of Anarchy,” “Married…With Children,” “8 Simple Rules,” and “The Conners.” She is also known for lending her voice to the character Leela in the popular animated series “Futurama,” which was recently revived at Hulu. Sagal is also an accomplished musician and has released multiple albums.

She is repped by CAA and B and B Management.

Harelik has recently appeared in shows like “Presumed Innocent,...

It’s not uncommon for a prominent British actor to be labeled British acting royalty. All types, from Laurence Olivier to Maggie Smith, have worn the label but nobody perhaps has literally worn that title recently to the extent as Helen Mirren. She has had a long varied career and has earned her place as one of the holders of acting’s triple crowns by playing a variety of British monarchs.

Her Oscar came for playing the British Queen Elizabeth II in “The Queen,” which dealt with her reaction to the unexpected death of Princess Diana. She would revisit the role nine years later for a Tony on Broadway in the play “The Audience,” which dealt with Elizabeth’s relationships with the various prime ministers who have served under her. It was a different Queen, Elizabeth I, that would bring Mirren one of her four Emmys, when she starred in...

Michael Weatherly seemingly confirms Tony & Ziva spinoff filming has started. NCIS: Tony & Ziva focuses on Tony and Ziva's relationship, set in Europe. Showrunner John McNamara is penning a 10-episode series.

NCIS star Michael Weatherly seemingly confirms the start of filming for the Tony & Ziva spinoff. The long-running procedural drama, one of the most popular franchises produced by CBS Studios, is reuniting stars Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo for the first time in over a decade for a Paramount+ Original called NCIS: Tony & Ziva. The duo will executive produce the project, which catches up with popular characters Tony Dinizzo and Ziva and their complicated relationship.

Recently, Weatherly seemingly offered an update on NCIS: Tony & Ziva, sharing a post on Instagram with an intriguing caption.

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Michael Weatherly (@themichaelweatherly)

The actor and executive producer writes: The beginning of a new era...

New characters will join Tony and Ziva for the NCIS spinoff on Paramount+. The ensemble will feature a Russian hacker, a French liaison, and a teenage daughter, Tali. Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo will reprise their roles and executive produce the show.

New character descriptions reveal the characters joining Tony and Ziva in the NCIS spinoff. The long-running procedural drama, one of the most popular franchises produced by CBS Studios, is reuniting stars Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo for the first time in over a decade for a Paramount+ Original called NCIS: Tony & Ziva. Although Weatherly and de Pablo will reprise their respective roles as Tony Dinozzo and Ziva David, in addition to executive producing, they won't be the show's only stars.

An update from TVLine sheds light on the supporting characters, mentioning that the Paramount+ drama is looking to cast a character somewhat similar to Perdita Weeks,...

Jake Gyllenhaal is an attorney accused of murder in the Apple TV+ limited series “Presumed Innocent,” which is based on the Scott Turow novel.

Here’s who plays who in the rest of the cast and where you might have seen the cast before. Where appropriate, we’ve also listed who played the character in the 1990 movie that starred Harrison Ford, but not all the characters in the series line up with those in the movie.

The first two episodes premiered on June 12 and subsequent episodes debut on Wednesdays through July 24.

Jake Gyllenhaal as Rusty Sabich Jake Gyllenhaal as Rusty Sabich in “Presumed Innocent” (Credit: Apple)

The “Zodiac” star plays Chicago prosecutor Rusty Sabich, who is accused of the brutal murder of his mistress Carolyn Polhemus who was also his colleague. Gyllenhaal recently starred in the “Road House” remake and will return for its sequel. In the 1990 movie, Harrison Ford played this role.

Your Honor fell short of expectations due to lackluster storytelling. Bryan Cranston faced unfair comparisons to Breaking Bad in Your Honor. Your Honor season 2 improved but couldn't secure a third season.

Your Honor was Bryan Cranston's highly anticipated television follow-up to Breaking Bad, but the series did not even come close to matching the latter's quality. After Breaking Bad wrapped, Cranston could seemingly do no wrong, having dedicated 62 episodes and five seasons to one of the greatest television series ever made and making Walter White one of television's most iconic and profound anti-heroes. Cranston starred in a few movies after Breaking Bad ended, such as 2014's Godzilla, 2015's Trumbo, and 2016's Kung Fu Panda 3 and Why Him?, and had a recurring role in Sneaky Pete.

Your Honor was expected to mark Cranston's celebrated return to starring in a television series that had many people calling it Breaking Bad's replacement in a way.

When Andrew Karpen wants to convince a filmmaker to let him release their movie, he doesn’t blow them away by offering more and more money. For one thing, Bleecker Street, the indie studio he founded in 2014, doesn’t have the financial firepower of an Apple or a Netflix.

“Our pitch is always centered around the kind of experience that they will have with us, knowing that we will be collaborative and transparent,” Karpen says. “I always say, ‘This is not a campaign where you will just be emailed the final poster and trailer and given two tickets to the premiere.’”

And over nearly 70 films, that openness has kept Karpen and his small but mighty staff in the game. While Bleecker is celebrating its 10th anniversary, many of its competitors haven’t managed to survive in a business that’s only become more treacherous to navigate. Several of Bleecker’s contemporaries,...

Tony and Ziva raise their daughter together in the new NCIS spinoff. The couple finds themselves on the run in Europe after an attack. The spinoff will be titled NCIS: Tony & Ziva.

The title of Tony and Ziva's upcoming NCIS spinoff has been revealed by stars and executive producers Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo. The long-running procedural drama, which is one of the most popular franchises produced by CBS Studios, will continue in several forms. Following the announcement that original star Mark Harmon would return to narrate and executive produce a Gibbs-focused prequel called NCIS: Origins for CBS, it was reported in February Weatherly and de Pablo are reprising their respective fan-favorite roles as Tony Dinozzo and Ziva David for a Paramount+ series.

On Instagram, Weatherly and de Pablo have now revealed that the spinoff will be titled NCIS: Tony & Ziva.

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Rocky Carroll expresses interest in reprising his role as Leon Vance for the upcoming Tony and Ziva spinoff for NCIS. Carroll says: "Video check-in would be nice. Id like to see their faces when Vance just walks into the room." Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo will reprise their roles for a new NCIS spinoff show tentatively titled NCIS: Europe.

NCIS actor Rocky Carroll says that he wants to cameo in the upcoming Tony and Ziva spinoff. The long-running procedural drama, which is one of the most popular franchises produced by CBS Studios, will continue in several forms. After it was announced that original star Mark Harmon would return to narrate and executive produce a Gibbs-focused prequel called NCIS: Origins for CBS, it was revealed that Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo are reprising their respective fan-favorite roles as Tony Dinozzo and Ziva for a Paramount+ show.

During a conversation with TV Insider,...

Actor John Goodman, 71, known for Roseanne and The Big Lebowski, was spotted with a slimmed-down figure at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. Goodman was with his wife, Anna Beth Goodman this weekend. Goodman has lost a remarkable 200 pounds over the last few years.

Goodman wore khaki pants and a dark green sweatshirt over a blue shirt, while his wife wore a white blouse with dark pants and white sneakers.

Since 2007, Goodman has been working on his health after quitting drinking. The actor worked with a fitness trainer to build an exercise routine and reshape his diet. It was said that Goodman took on a “Mediterranean-style eating plan,” incorporating fish, nuts, olive oil, vegetables and fruits.

Goodman’s exercise routine consisted of working out six days a week, aiming to take 10,000 to 12,000 steps daily with a treadmill or elliptical bicycle.

In 2016, Goodman talked to Howard Stern about his fitness journey.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman will star in Searchlight Pictures’ The Roses, a reimagining of the 1989 dark comedy The War Of The Roses to be directed by Jay Roach.

Tony McNamara, whose credits include Poor Things and The Great, wrote the screenplay based on the novel by Warren Adler.

The Roses centres on the seemingly perfect family life of Theo and Ivy, whose private competition and resentments are exposed when Theo’s professional dreams come crashing down.

Cumberbatch is producing through his SunnyMarch with Leah Clarke and Adam Ackland, who have been in development on the project since 2017. Colman is...

Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog) and Olivia Colman (The Favourite) have been tapped to star in The Roses, a reimagining of the 1989 classic The War of the Roses that Jay Roach (Bombshell) will direct for Searchlight Pictures.

Currently in development, the dark comedy’s logline is as follows: Life seems easy for picture-perfect couple Theo (Cumberbatch) and Ivy (Colman): successful careers, great kids, an enviable sex life. But underneath the façade of the perfect family is a tinderbox of competition and resentments that’s ignited when Theo’s professional dreams come crashing down.

Directed by Danny DeVito and starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, the original film adaptation of The War of the Roses was released by 20th Century Fox in 1989, garnering a BAFTA and three Golden Globe nominations, including for Best Motion Picture, among other accolades.

Tony McNamara (Poor Things) has scripted Searchlight’s new take...

NCIS is expanding with a new spin-off NCIS: Europe featuring Tony and Ziva on the run with daughter Tali in Europe. Michael Weatherly has been teasing surprises for devoted NCIS fans. With the new series written by John McNamara, NCIS: Europe will head into production later this year.

NCIS is expanding with another new spin-off featuring fan-favorite characters Tony Dinosso and Ziva David, and Michael Weatherly has been teasing even more surprises to come. Announced last week, fans were excited to discover that in addition to the upcoming “Young Gibbs” prequel series, NCIS Origins, they will also finally get to see Tony and Ziva reunited on screen in their own series.

NCIS CrimeMystery Release DateSeptember 23, 2003CastMark Harmon, sean murray, Wilmer Valderrama, david mccallum, Rocky Carroll, Brian DietzenSeasons17

The spinoff, which will reportedly be titled NCIS: Europe, will see Weatherly and Cote de Pablo reprising their roles as Tony and Ziva,...

Since the establishment of the Academy Awards in 1929, exactly 60 films have achieved lone lead male acting nominations, meaning they were each recognized in the Best Actor category and nowhere else. The last such instance occurred in 2023 and involved “Aftersun” star Paul Mescal, who, at 26, stood out as the youngest member of a lineup consisting only of first-time Oscar contenders. Although his low-budget movie had a strong shot at an original screenplay bid and was viewed as a serious Best Picture candidate, it ended up getting no love outside the acting branch.

Before Mescal was recognized, his category hadn’t seen a lone nominee since Willem Dafoe earned his first lead bid for “At Eternity’s Gate” in 2019. This was the ninth time that four or more years separated consecutive Best Actor loners, with the single largest gap having spread between Cary Grant and Clifton Webb. Such nominations appear to be becoming less common in this category,...

Last month, we heard that Bleecker Street, a studio that has previously brought us films like Logan Lucky, Captain Fantastic, Trumbo, and Golda, among many others, will be giving the Stone Age horror thriller Out of Darkness (which was formerly going by the title The Origin) a theatrical release in the United States on February 9, 2024. With that date right around the corner, a trailer for the film has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.

Out of Darkness has been making the festival rounds recently and even earned nominations in five categories at the British Independent Film Awards. Safia Oakley-Green won in the Breakthrough Performance category.

The feature debut for both director Andrew Cumming and screenwriter Ruth Greenberg, Out of Darkness is a survival horror film following a group of six who have struggled across the narrow sea to find a new home. They are starving, desperate,...