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This article is part of ScreenRant's Exclusive 2025 Movie Preview. Keep an eye out for the full feature next week!

A new The Rule of Jenny Pen image offers a closer look at the horror movie's terrifying puppet character. Jenny Pen follows elderly judge Stefan Mortensen (Pirates of the Caribbean and Finding Nemo star Geoffrey Rush) recovering from a stroke at a retirement home and being tormented by Dave Crealy (Dexter and Footloose star John Lithgow), who uses a puppet called Jenny Pen to torment his fellow retirees. Directed and co-written by James Ashcroft (Coming Home in the Dark), the movie - which will premiere on Shudder in 2025 - marks Geoffrey Rush's first movie performance since 2019's Storm Boy.

ScreenRant can now share an exclusive first look image from The Rule of Jenny Pen. It features Jenny herself, who is a bald baby doll with staring eyes. She is viewed from the side,...

Australian and New Zealand indie distributor Umbrella Entertainment will launch Brollie, a free of charge, ad-supported streaming service later this month. It will lean on Umbrella’s library of classic content and claims to be the first free streaming platform specializing in Australian film and TV content.

Brollie will launch on Nov. 23 with over 300 titles including: “Babadook”; “Two Hands” (dir. Gregor Jordan, 1999); cult classics “Sweat”; “Erskineville Kings”; and “Cut” starring Kylie Minogue.

Brollie will also have a section for Indigenous Australia, including a collection of films starring Aboriginal screen legend David Gulpilil. These include “Walkabout”; “Storm Boy”; and “The Last Wave”.

A documentary slate includes “Servant or Slave” and “Ablaze”.

Subscribers will be invited to be part of the Brollie Film Club, where Brollie’s in-house team handpicks the best of the catalogue twice a month. Members can terrify themselves with the ‘Australian Nightmares’ collection exploring the best of Aussie...

This year’s box office hit Evil Dead Rise is being unleashed on 4K and Blu-ray on June 27 – with no special features, we’re bummed to report – but it’s also streaming at home right now.

In addition to being up for grabs on various VOD platforms, Evil Dead Rise also made its debut on the Max – formerly HBO Max – streaming service today, June 23, 2023.

As you may recall, Evil Dead Rise was originally going straight-to-Max, but the pivot to theatrical ended up being a profitable move for Warner Bros. At the worldwide box office, the well-received sequel scared up a whopping $146.3 million worldwide in theaters.

Expect more Evil Dead soon…

Evil Dead Rise is directed by Lee Cronin, starring Lily Sullivan (“I Met a Girl,” TV’s “Barkskins”) and Alyssa Sutherland (TV’s “New Gold Mountain,” TV’s “Vikings).

From New Line Cinema and Renaissance Pictures, the film also stars...

Morgan Davies plays Danny in Evil Dead Rise, and here's everything there is to know about the young actor. Davies is one of the main characters in Evil Dead Rise, with his performance as the brother of Bridget and Kassie being one of the highlights of the film. Although he has had some roles in the past, many viewers were first introduced to Morgan Davies by Evil Dead Rise, and there's a lot to know about the up-and-coming actor.

Evil Dead Rise is the newest entry in the Evil Dead franchise, introducing Sam Raimi's classic horror series to a whole new generation. Evil Dead Rise is a reboot, with it following up on Raimi's original Evil Dead trilogy as well as the 2013 Evil Dead remake. However, rather than focusing on Ash Williams or Mia Allen, Evil Dead Rise introduces an all-new cast of characters. The film follows Beth...

A hit at the box office, brand new movie Evil Dead Rise was put up for grabs on at-home Digital last month, and the film is headed to 4K and Blu-ray on June 27. Additionally, Bloody Disgusting has learned today that Evil Dead Rise will be streaming on Max beginning June 23.

As you may recall, Evil Dead Rise was originally going straight-to-Max (formerly HBO Max), but the pivot to theatrical ended up being a profitable move for Warner Bros. At the worldwide box office, the well-received sequel scared up a whopping $146 million in theaters.

Evil Dead Rise is directed by Lee Cronin, starring Lily Sullivan (“I Met a Girl,” TV’s “Barkskins”) and Alyssa Sutherland (TV’s “New Gold Mountain,” TV’s “Vikings).

From New Line Cinema and Renaissance Pictures, the film also stars Morgan Davies (TV’s “The End,” “Storm Boy”), Gabrielle Echols (“Reminiscence”) and introducing Nell Fisher (“Northspur”). The...

New Line Cinema & Renaissance Pictures’ Evil Dead Rise will make its streaming debut on Max on June 23.

About the film:

New Line Cinema and Renaissance Pictures present a return to the iconic horror franchise, “Evil Dead Rise,” written and directed by Lee Cronin (“The Hole in the Ground”) and produced by longtime franchise producer Robert Tapert (“Don’t Breathe”). The movie stars Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols (“Reminiscence”) and introducing Nell Fisher (“Northspur”).

Moving the action out of the woods and into the city, “Evil Dead Rise” tells a twisted tale of two estranged sisters, played by Sullivan and Sutherland, whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.

A New Line Cinema / Renaissance Pictures presentation of a Pacific Renaissance and Wild Atlantic Pictures production, “Evil Dead Rise...

Here in the United States, Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise is headed to Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on June 27, but you won’t find any special features listed on the back of the box. Bloody Disgusting has learned, however, that the UK home video release of Evil Dead Rise from StudioCanal will include two bonus features not found on the US physical release.

In the UK, Evil Dead Rise will be unleashed for home premiere June 5, and available to buy on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD, plus special edition SteelBook, from July 17.

StudioCanal’s 4K, Blu-ray and DVD will include…

Audio commentary with director Lee Cronin Lee Cronin’s horror short film Ghost Train

The good news? 4K discs are Region Free, so the track can be enjoyed in the United States by those who haven’t yet grabbed a Region Free player. As for why the...

Press Release: Experience a riveting, gore-filled thriller when “Evil Dead Rise” arrives for purchase Digitally at home on May 9. The film is directed by Lee Cronin, starring Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland. The film will also be available to purchase on 4K Uhd Combo Pack, Blu-ray and DVD beginning on June 27.

From New Line Cinema and Renaissance Pictures, the film also stars Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols (“Reminiscence”) and introducing Nell Fisher (“Northspur”). The film was produced by longtime franchise producer Rob Tapert and executive produced by series creator and horror icon Sam Raimi and cult legend and “Ash” himself, Bruce Campbell, along with John Keville, Macdara Kelleher, Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Romel Adam and Victoria Palmeri.

On May 9, “Evil Dead Rise” will be available for early Premium Digital Ownership at home for $24.99 and for 48-hour rental via PVOD for $19.99 Srp on participating digital platforms where you purchase movies, including Amazon Prime Video,...

This week’s release schedule is very light on the horror front, with just a small handful of new horror movies being offered up in the coming days. Among them? Evil Dead Rise comes home!

Here’s all the new horror releasing May 9 – May 14, 2023.

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

In the wake of scaring up over $100 million at the worldwide box office, Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise is now available Digitally at home. It’s coming to 4K and Blu-ray on June 27.

Evil Dead Rise is now available for early Premium Digital Ownership at home for $24.99 and for 48-hour rental via PVOD for $19.99 Srp on participating digital platforms where you purchase movies, including Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu.

Evil Dead Rise is directed by Lee Cronin, starring Lily Sullivan (“I Met a Girl,” TV’s “Barkskins”) and Alyssa Sutherland (TV’s “New Gold Mountain,...

In the wake of scaring up over $100 million at the worldwide box office, Bloody Disgusting can exclusively report today that Evil Dead Rise is now headed home this week!

Experience a riveting, gore-filled nightmare when Evil Dead Rise arrives for purchase Digitally at home on May 9. The film will also be available to purchase on 4K Uhd Combo Pack, Blu-ray and DVD beginning on June 27. Here’s everything you need to know:

On May 9, Evil Dead Rise will be available for early Premium Digital Ownership at home for $24.99 and for 48-hour rental via PVOD for $19.99 Srp on participating digital platforms where you purchase movies, including Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu. On June 27, Evil Dead Rise will be available on 4K Uhd Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD. Evil Dead Rise will also continue to be available to own in high definition and standard definition from participating digital retailers.

With Evil Dead Rise now in theaters around the world, I had a chance to catch up with Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland, who told me all about their introductions to the original "Evil Dead" films and their on-set experience!

New Line Cinema and Renaissance Pictures present a return to the iconic horror franchise, “Evil Dead Rise,” from writer/director Lee Cronin (“The Hole in the Ground”). The movie stars Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols (“Reminiscence”) and introducing Nell Fisher (“Northspur”).

Moving the action out of the woods and into the city, “Evil Dead Rise” tells a twisted tale of two estranged sisters, played by Sutherland and Sullivan, whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.

“Evil Dead Rise” is produced by Rob Tapert and executive...

Horror fans around the world will be checking out Evil Dead Rise this weekend and I recently caught up with writer and director Lee Cronin, who talks about his first experience watching The Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2, the work that went into creating the new necronomicon, and more!

New Line Cinema and Renaissance Pictures present a return to the iconic horror franchise, “Evil Dead Rise,” from writer/director Lee Cronin (“The Hole in the Ground”). The movie stars Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols (“Reminiscence”) and introducing Nell Fisher (“Northspur”).

Moving the action out of the woods and into the city, “Evil Dead Rise” tells a twisted tale of two estranged sisters, played by Sutherland and Sullivan, whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.

London and Singapore-based studio 108 Media is set to acquire a majority stake in U.K. film and TV financing firm Piccadilly Pictures, Variety can reveal.

Through its latest acquisition, 108 Media will also launch Piccadilly Pictures Apac. Serving the Asia Pacific region, the Singapore-headquartered content investment fund will focus on credit-based opportunities across the creative IP infrastructure.

Leading the management and operational charge of both Piccadilly entities will be co-founders and long-time producers and financiers Christopher Figg and Robert Whitehouse.

Piccadilly Pictures and its associated businesses have raised and arranged approximately £150 million (183 million) in the last decades through financing the entire chain, from production funding, lending against tax credits, cash-flowing contracted pre-sales, and gap financing unsold rights. Notable films in its recent financing slate include the upcoming Helen Mirren-starrer “Golda”; the Geoffrey Rush-led “Storm Boy”; psychedelic horror “Mandy,” with Nicolas Cage; shark creature-feature “Great White”; and “Close,” with Noomi Rapace.

Shawn Seet to direct romantic comedy, created and led by actress Shuang Hu.

Prime Video has ordered romantic comedy Five Blind Dates as its first Australian Amazon original feature, which will begin shooting next month.

The story was created by US comedian Nathan Ramos-Park and China-born Australian actor Shuang Hu, who plays a woman that is told by a fortune teller that she will meet her soulmate on one of the next five dates she goes on.

It will be directed by Australia’s Shawn Seet, who is known primarily for TV series such as The Code but has made...

Prime Video will begin filming of its first Australian Amazon original movie, “Five Blind Dates” from next month. The romantic comedy film was created and written by actor and influencer Shuang Hu and actor and comedian Nathan Ramos-Park.

“Five Blind Dates” is an exploration of Chinese culture and family dynamics with a story that follows a tenacious tea shop owner who is told by a fortune-teller that she will find her soulmate on one of the next five dates she goes on.

Directed by Shawn Seet the film will feature an ensemble cast fronted by Hu. Additional cast announcements will follow. Production will take place in Townsville and Sydney.

The film will be produced by Goalpost Pictures Australia, with Goalpost’s Kylie du Fresne as producer and Ben Grant and Rosemary Blight as executive producers.

While visiting her family in Townsville for her sister’s engagement festivities, Hu’s character...

The late David Gulpilil will receive Aacta’s highest honour, the Longford Lyell Award, for his outstanding contribution to Australian cinema on Wednesday.

The legendary actor died on Monday, aged 68, four years after a diagnosis of terminal lung cancer.

Aacta began work on the tribute and award six months ago, with Gulpilil accepting the honour a few weeks ago from South Australia as he was unable to travel.

First presented in 1968, the award honours Australian film pioneer Raymond Longford and his partner in filmmaking and life, Lottie Lyell. Previous recipients include Cate Blanchett, George Miller, Paul Hogan, Jack Thompson and Jacki Weaver.

Aacta has said this year’s prize acknowledges not just Gulpilil’s incredible body of work, but his role in creating more diverse, inclusive, and truthful Australian stories.

A Mandjalpingu man from Ramingining, Arnhem Land, Gulpilil’s first role was in Nick Roeg’s 1971 film Walkabout as a teenager.

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSAbove: David Dalaithngu in Nicolas Roeg's Walkabout.Renowned Aboriginal film actor David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu has died. David Dalaithngu was seen as a trailblazer for his early roles in Walkabout (1971) and Storm Boy (1976), and later performances in films like the semi-autobiographical Charlie's Country (2013). He rose to prominence as an actor and traditional dancer during a time in which Indigenous roles were frequently played by non-Indigenous actors, often in blackface. In his own words, he described acting as a "piece of cake." Steven Soderbergh, Channing Tatum, and writer Reid Carolin have joined forces for the next installment in the Magic Mike franchise, entitled Magic Mike's Last Dance. "The stripperverse will never be the same," Channing Tatum said. First Cow takes the number one in Cahiers du cinéma's top ten list for 2021! The list...

The star has left behind a profound body of work – and a permanent, inimitable impression on his industry

In the 1976 classic Storm Boy, the great Yolŋu actor David Dalaithngu delivers a line that became immortalised in Australian cinema. “Bird like him, never die,” he says, describing the pelican Mr Percival.

The substance of that line can apply to the man himself, who will live on through the light and shadow of the cinema, on to which he left a permanent and inimitable impression.

David Dalaithngu, actor, dancer and Australian cultural icon, is credited with helping reinvent Australian film. His role in Walkabout (1971) contributed to the end of blackface being used in Australian cinema. Dalaithngu had a string of successful roles in the 1970s and 80s including in Storm Boy (1976) and Crocodile Dundee (1986). His longest creative collaboration was with director Rolf de Heer, with whom he worked for more than 15 years. Together they crafted The Tracker (2002) for which Dalaithngu won an Aactar award, Ten Canoes (2006) and Charlie’s Country (2014) for which Dalaithngu won best actor in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section.

Walkabout (1971) Max L. Raab Productions & Si Litvinoff Film Production. Storm Boy (1976) Ambience Entertainment production. Crocodile Dundee (1986) Paramount Pictures Studios. Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) Rumbalara Films, Olsen Levy & Showtime Australia. Charlie’s Country (2014) Adelaide Film Festival & Bula'bula Arts Aboriginal. My Name is Gulpilil (2021) Vertigo Productions...

Legendary Indigenous actor David Dalaithngu, known for his roles in Walkabout, Storm Boy, and Ten Canoes, has died aged 68.

His death comes after he attended the premiere of documentary My Name Is Gulpilil at the Adelaide Festival earlier this year, defying a terminal lung cancer prognosis from 2017 that had only given him six months to live.

The news was confirmed on Monday night by South Australian Premier Steven Marshall, who described the trailblazing actor as a “once-in-a-generation artist”.

“It is with deep sadness that I share the passing of an iconic, once-in-a-generation artist who shaped the history of Australian film and Aboriginal representation on screen – David Dalaithngu Am,” he wrote in a statement.

“My thoughts are with his family, and his dear friend and carer Mary Hood.”

A Mandhalpuyngu man from the Arafura Swamp region in Arnhem Land, Dalaithngu was just 16 when he starred in his breakout role in Nicolas Roeg’s 1971 film Walkabout,...

The actor starred in films including ‘Walkabout’, ‘Crocodile Dundee’ and ‘Rabbit-Proof Fence’

David Gulpilil, one of Australia’s most recognisable actors both locally and abroad, has died at the age of 68.

In a statement issued today, the premier of South Australia, Steven Marshall, described him as an “iconic, once-in-a-generation artist who shaped the history of Australian film and Aboriginal representation on screen”.

Gulpilil was first cast in Walkabout (1971), directed by Nicolas Roeg, and has been a feature of Australian cinema for the past 50 years, including roles in two local films that are among the highest-grossing releases ever in Australia: Crocodile Dundee...

David Gulpilil, the revered Indigenous Australian actor and dancer, known for his performances in films such as Rabbit-Proof Fence, Crocodile Dundee, The Tracker and Walkabout, has died aged 68 following a battle with cancer.

Gulpilil’s death was confirmed Monday in a statement by South Australian Premier Steven Marshall. “It is with deep sadness that I share with the people of South Australia the passing of an iconic, once-in-a-generation artist who shaped the history of Australian film and Aboriginal representation on screen – David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu (Am),” he posted on social media.

Gulpilil received mainstream recognition for his performances in blockbuster comedy Crocodile Dundee (1986) and Phillip Noyce’s drama Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002), which garnered the actor his first best actor prize from the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards.

He was also well known for 2002 feature The Tracker, in which he played the title character, and further collaborations with director...

From Walkabout, Storm Boy, Crocodile Dundee and Rabbit Proof Fence, to Australia, The Proposition and Charlie’s Country, the work of David Gulpilil forms a throughline in modern Australian cinema.

Knowing that his career has touched Australians far and wide and across generations, distributor Abcg Films wanted to ensure documentary My Name Is Gulpilil was accessible and could reach audiences across the country.

Directed by Molly Reynolds, the film sees the legendary Indigenous actor, who has terminal lung cancer, tell his story in his own words – there are no talking heads from anyone else.

The film was originally intended to exist as a posthumous tribute, though Gulpilil has defied the odds. Indeed, despite his illness, he was even able to be there in person for the film’s premiere at the Adelaide Festival in March.

Abcg Film, led by Alicia Brescianini and Cathy Gallagher, has a long history of working with...

Melbourne-based private film finance group Elevate Production Finance has hired Shana Levine as head of production investment.

Levine joins other recent recruits in London-based film financier and producer Charles Auty, who is COO, and Brisbane-based entertainment and finance lawyer Ted Cawrey, who is head of legal and business affairs.

Epf MD Craig McMahon said Levine’s appointment would now mean the company could provide “superior end-to-end service to productions”.

Since launching in 2017, Elevate has helped fund a number of Australian and international films, including George Miller’s Three Thousand Years Of Longing; Rich Lee’s War Of The Worlds starring Eva Longoria; Liam-Neeson starrer Blacklight; Sophia Banks’ debut feature Black Site; and Film Nation’s Misanthrope, directed by Damián Szifron.

During the height of Covid-19, the company, which is backed by Australian and international institutions and private equity, reassessed its protocols to provide debt funding to productions despite the pandemic.

"I'm an actor, I'm a dancer, I'm a singer and also, a painter. This film is about me. This is my story of my story." Abcg Film has released a trailer for My Name is Gulpilil, a feature film about the extraordinary life of Indigenous actor, dancer, artist, and screen legend, David Gulpilil. You definitely know who he is! The only actor to appear in both of the two highest grossing Australian films of all time, Crocodile Dundee (1986) and Australia (2008), Gulpilil is known throughout the world for his unforgettable performances - from his breakthrough in Walkabout (1971) to films including Storm Boy (1976), Mad Dog Morgan (1976), Peter Weir's The Last Wave (1977), The Tracker (2002), Rabbit Proof Fence (2002), The Proposition (2005) and his Cannes Best Actor award winning role in Rolf de Heer's Charlie's Country (2013). Integral to the telling of so many legendary screen stories, Gulpilil, now nearing the end of his life, generously shares...

Integral to the telling of so many legendary screen stories, David Gulpilil, now nearing the end of his life, generously shares his own story in My Name is Gulpilil.

The actor, dancer, singer and painter takes audiences on the journey that is his most extraordinary, culture-clashing life.

From his breakthrough performance in 1971’s Walkabout to today, Gulpilil is known for performances across films such as Storm Boy, Mad Dog Morgan, Crocodile Dundee, The Last Wave, The Tracker, Rabbit Proof Fence, Australia, Charlie’s Country, and Goldstone.

Early in 2017 Gulpilil was diagnosed with lung cancer. His doctors estimated six months, but David being David, was always likely to defy the odds.

Directed by Molly Reynolds, and produced by Gulpilil, Rolf de Heer, Peter Djigirr and Reynolds, My Name is Gulpilil marks the culmination of a 20 year creative collaboration.

A Vertigo Production, My Name is Gulpilil was commissioned by the Adelaide Film Festival...

Kate Bonner and Natasha Wanganeen in ‘Waiyiri.’

After playing characters who were in chains or oppressed earlier in her career, Natasha Wanganeen is relishing the chance to portray a wide diversity of roles.

Demonstrating her versatility, the Ngarrindjeri, Narungga, Kaurna and Noongar woman plays Indigenous bushranger Mary Ann Bugg in Network 10’s upcoming Drunk History Australia; a chef in Closer Productions/ABC comedy Aftertaste; and a government official in Seth Larney’s 2067.

“What I would love to do now is take all the strength from action movies, fantasy and sci-fi and put that into our style,” the Black Lives Matter activist tells If. “We are some of the strongest people on Earth.

“I want our kids to wake up and see us doing powerful things instead of seeing the mainstream media put out news about another death in custody or Indigenous people as alcoholics or facing drug issues. A...

Umbrella Films to distribute in Australia, New Zealand.

Arclight Films has come on board to represent worldwide sales excluding Australia and New Zealand on Venice Orizzonti selection The Furnace, an Australian adventure story that highlights the little-known history of Afghan cameleers.

Australian writer Roderick MacKay makes his directorial debut on the film starring Ahmed Malek, Jay Ryan, and David Wenham.

The Furnace is described as an unlikely hero’s tale set during the 1890s gold rush of Western Australia and highlights the forgotten history of the so-called ‘Ghan’ cameleers, predominantly Muslim and Sikh men from India, Afghanistan, and the Middle...

If you’re looking to dive into the best of independent and foreign filmmaking, The Criterion Channel has announced their August 2020 lineup. The impressive slate includes retrospectives dedicated to Mia Hansen-Løve, Bill Gunn, Stephen Cone, Terry Gilliam, Wim Wenders, Alain Delon, Bill Plympton, Les Blank, and more.

In terms of new releases, they also have Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles’ Bacurau, the fascinating documentary John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection, the Kenyan LGBTQ drama Rafiki, and more. There’s also a series on Australian New Wave with films by Gillian Armstrong, Bruce Beresford, David Gulpilil, and Peter Weir, as well as one on bad vacations with Joanna Hogg’s Unrelated, Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers, and more.

See the lineup below and explore more on their platform. One can also see our weekly streaming picks here.

25 Ways to Quit Smoking, Bill Plympton, 1989

The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, Roy Rowland,...

Netflix has debuted the first trailer for their latest rom-com ‘Love Wedding Repeat’ starring Sam Claflin and Olivia Munn.

While trying to make his sister’s wedding day go smoothly, Jack (Sam Claflin) finds himself juggling an angry ex-girlfriend (Freida Pinto), an uninvited guest with a secret, a misplaced sleep sedative, and the girl that got away (Olivia Munn) in alternate versions of the same day.

Written and directed by Dean Craig, the film also stars Eleanor Tomlinson, Joel Fry, Tim Key, Aisling Bea, Jack Farthing, and Allan Mustafa.

Also in trailers – Geoffrey Rush and Jai Courtney star in trailer for ‘Storm Boy’

The film hits Netflix on April 10th.

The post Sam Claflin stars in trailer for ‘Love Wedding Repeat’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Lightbulb distribution has debuted the first look trailer for the upcoming family feature ‘Storm Boy’.Based on the best-selling book by the same name, Storm Boy is a timeless story of unconditional friendship.

When Michael Kingley (Rush), a retired businessman, sees images from his past that he can’t explain, he is forced to recall his childhood memories and how, as a boy, he rescued and raised an orphaned pelican, Mr Percival.

The film stars Geoffrey Rush and Jai Courtney.

Also in trailers – Ed Helms and Taraji P. Henson star in red band trailer for ‘Coffee & Kareem’

The family feature is available on digital download from April 6th.

The post Geoffrey Rush and Jai Courtney star in trailer for ‘Storm Boy’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Erika Addis. (Photo: Erin Lee)

Erika Addis, head of cinematography at Griffith Film School and Australian Cinematographers Society (Acs) Queensland president and national vice-president, chairs Acs’ Women’s Advisory Panel. She reflects on why cinematography remains male-dominated.

I’m frequently asked ‘Why are there so few women cinematographers?’ I do speculate on the reasons, but the answer is not simple.

Cinematographers need a combination of creativity, technical ability, spatial skills, people skills and stamina – both mental and physical. None of these capacities should be a bar to women entering the camera department on the basis of gender alone. That said, the chronically low rates of women employed as director of photography or camera operator are astonishing.

When I started out in film in 1974, women were excluded from all kinds of workplaces. I didn’t see any other women around in technical roles and it was unusual to be a female in the camera department.

‘Ride Like a Girl.’

The Australian films and feature docs released in cinemas last year, including minor contributions from holdovers, generated more than $40.2 million.

While that trailed the 2018 total of $57.4 million, there are several positives for the screen production industry.

The not-so-good news for the broader screen sector is that the 2019 calendar year B.O. seems certain to fall below $1.2 billion for the first time since 2014.

Ten titles including three feature docs – Damon Gameau’s 2040, Richard Lowenstein’s Mystify: Michael Hutchence and Daniel Gordon’s The Australian Dream – each grossed more than $1 million.

Rachel Griffiths’ Ride Like a Girl was the stand-out, raking in $11.5 million. Arguably, Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding ($5.2 million), Shawn Seet’s Storm Boy ($5 million) and Rachel Ward’s Palm Beach ($4.4 million) fulfilled their potential and reaped the benefits of wide releases and hefty marketing campaigns – a level of support denied to numerous local films.

Plus Jennifer Kent’s elegant and brutal colonial drama, Lupita Nyong’o battling zombies, and the best biopic since Chopper

Do impressive box office results indicate a film is worth seeing? Should good business be considered as important as rave reviews?

The dichotomy between great art and popular art is almost as old as art itself. This year in Australian cinema there was a profound disconnect between the best locally produced films and the ones audiences most wanted to see. Titles such as Ride Like a Girl, Palm Beach and Storm Boy, for instance, did commendable business at the box office, but all were artistically wanting, to say the least.

In this context, as always, the role of the critic is surely to separate the wheat from the chaff. To qualify for this list, films must have had either some kind of theatrical release this year outside the festival circuit or a direct-to-television/streaming release.

Natalie Miller.

The Australian films and feature documentaries released in cinemas this year including holdovers collectively have grossed $39.7 million.

So while the calendar year total will fall short of 2018’s $57.4 million, it should be noted Peter Rabbit was the top local title last year, grossing $26.7 million, which alone could explain the year-on-year decline. Sony Pictures is due to launch Peter Rabbit 2 next March, so that is virtually certain to be a big contributor to the 2020 revenues.

As Cinema Nova has supported almost every Australian release, If asked co-executive director Natalie Miller to assess the overall commercial and critical appeal of this year’s Oz slate.

“It’s not bad but it’s not great,” says the veteran exhibitor/distributor, who gives high marks to Ride Like a Girl, Top End Wedding, Storm Boy, Palm Beach and the feature docs 2040, Mystify: Michael Hutchence and The Australian Dream.

Among the...

The adventures of Stamford Raffles, a British statesman and founder of modern Singapore, is to be told through the perspective of his wives in “Mrs Raffles.” The independently produced series has attached British writer Alison Hume as lead writer and showrunner.

The project is an adaptation of “Olivia & Sophia,” a novel written by Singapore-based writer Rosie Milne. “The untold story of their extraordinary adventures in the early 1800s will immerse viewers in the exotic and diverse countries of Southeast Asia through a thrilling mix of character-driven fiction and factual historical events,” said production company 108 Media.

The project will be developed through 108 Media’s London office by Richard Mewis. Financing will be assembled through an equity media fund that 108 Media is launching in the region early next year. 108 Media’s CEO Abhi Rastogi and its president of production/development, Justin Deimen will serve as executive producers.

“’Mrs Raffles’ is a...

Murray Forrest.

Murray Forrest has received the Society of Australian Cinema Pioneers’ inaugural Humanitarian Award, recognising his long commitment to the Motion Picture Industry Benevolent Society (Mpibs).

The former head of film processing labs Atlab and Colorfilm, Forrest has served as chairman of the Mpibs, which financially supports industry people who have fallen on hard times, for 24 years.

Announcing the accolade at the society’s annual dinner on Thursday night, Pioneers national president Russell Anderson said the award recognizes outstanding and exceptional service to the cinema industry, in particular charity work, mentoring and community service.

Accepting the award, Forrest recalled meeting Sir Norman Rydge, chairman of Colorfilm’s parent the Greater Union Organisation, 55 years ago, a few months after he had joined the company.

Sir Norman informed the 22-year-old Forrest about the Cinema Pioneers and the Mpibs, where he became a councilor several years before being appointed chairman.

Sir Norman’s son Alan Rydge,...

‘Tidelands’.

The nominees for this year’s Australian Production Design Guild (Apdg) Awards have been unveiled, with 140 nominees across 19 categories.

Those behind the worlds of Hotel Mumbai, Judy and Punch, Ladies in Black and Storm Boy are in contention for the best production design on a feature film award, while those who helped to put together A Place To Call Home (Season 6), Black Mirror: Striking Vipers, Bloom and Tidelands will vie for the equivalent award in TV/web series.

Overall, Netflix series Tidelands leads with four nominations, while feature films I Am Mother and Ladies In Black have three each.

Apdg president George Liddle said: ‘The guild is thrilled to represent all the talent from the diverse areas of design and to highlight and award the outstanding work produced over the last year in our annual awards.”

Hosted by Mc Adam Eliot, the Apdg Awards will be held on December...

‘Ride Like a Girl.’

Australian writers, producers, directors, funding agencies and distributors should ask one key question when evaluating feature film projects: Does this warrant a theatrical release or is streaming a smarter option?

That’s among the most perceptive propositions put forward by a cross-section of screen industry professionals as If sought suggestions on ways to maximise the potential of Australian films as the independent film sector continues to suffer in the cluttered theatrical market.

Some ideas proferred – such as filmmakers identifying their audience at the outset, spending more money on marketing – appear to be stating the obvious. But the fact that some execs see the need to re-emphasize these points suggests lessons have not been learned in some quarters.

The Australian features released in cinemas this year plus holdovers have grossed $37.6 million, trailing the $54.2 million collected in the same period last year, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.

David Seargeant.

The chairman of the National Association of Cinema Operators (Naco) has warned that Netflix and other streaming companies are endangering medium-sized films that can gross $5 million-$8 million in Australia.

In his opening address at the Australian International Movie Convention on Monday David Seargeant reiterated his criticism of a handful of Australian cinemas that have booked Netflix productions The King, The Irishman, Marriage Story and The Two Popes despite a three-week theatrical window.

Seargeant expressed his disappointment at these exhibitors’ decision “to take a film on the basis of a technical release for short term gain and not giving the film the benefit of a theatrical season.”

He did not name the cinemas, which If has identified as Dendy Cinemas, Eddie Tamir’s Classic, Lido and Cameo Cinemas in Victoria and Randwick Ritz, the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, New Farm Cinemas and The Elizabeth Picture Theatre in Brisbane and The Backlot in Perth.

‘Joker’ (Photo credit: Warner Bros)

Is Todd Phillips’ Joker an enthralling masterpiece or a disturbing and deeply derivative incitement to commit violence? The comic book-inspired movie has polarised the critics but audiences in Australia and around the world have voted with their feet.

The action adventure starring Joaquin Phoenix as the twisted, disenfranchised clown-for-hire and stand-up comic in 1980s Gotham smashed industry opening records for October in Oz, the Us and internationally last weekend.

Meanwhile Rachel Griffiths’ Ride Like a Girl now ranks as the top-grossing Australian release of the year after racing through its second weekend. Ticket sales surged thanks to the school holidays and the new releases including Indian import War and Chinese dramas My People, My Country and The Captain.

The top 20 titles harvested $21.9 million from Thursday through Sunday, 80 per cent up on the previous weekend, according to Numero.

Joker punched up $9.7 million and $11.9 million including the Monday Labor Day holiday.

Action star Jai Courtney has begun to see more opportunities, in recent years, to flex his dramatic chops along with his muscles, utilizing his Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (Waapa) theater education. Known for projects such as “Spartacus,” “A Good Day to Die Hard,” “Terminator Genisys,” and “Suicide Squad,” Courtney has recently expanded both genres as well as the depth in his choice of roles with “Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later,” “Storm Boy,” “Buffaloed,” and “Semper Fi,” his latest film directed by Henry Alex Rubin (“Murderball“).

Continue reading Jai Courtney On ‘Semper Fi,’ ‘The Suicide Squad,’ Being “Pumped” About The New ‘Terminator’ & More [Interview] at The Playlist.

Screen Australia has announced the five finalists who will compete in its pitching competition, Pitcher Perfect, to be held at VidCon in Melbourne this Friday.

Each creative team will send two representatives, who have five minutes to pitch their concept live on stage to a panel of judges. The winning team will receive $30,000 from Screen Australia to develop their concept.

The inaugural Pitcher Perfect judges are:

Sbs production supervisor Nicole Coventry Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason Viacom International Media Network Anz general manager and Svp Ben Richardson Warner Media director of communications Wadooah Wali

The session will be hosted by Susie Youssef and feature a performance by comedy duo Double Denim.

The finalists were selected from 93 applications, and will also receive intensive pitch training from Rosie Lourde and Jason Geary.

“Being able to do a killer ‘elevator pitch’ is an essential skill for any creative, and something we want our...

Veteran actor, David Wenham and rising star Ahmed Malek are set to star in “The Furnace.” The adventure drama is by first time feature director Roderick MacKay, with production by Timothy White (“I Am Mother”) and Tenille Kennedy (“H Is For Happiness”).

Set in Western Australia’s 1890s gold rush, “The Furnace” is an unlikely hero’s tale, navigating greed and the search for identity in a new land. It illuminates the forgotten history of Australia’s ‘Ghan’ cameleers, predominantly Muslim and Sikh men from India, Afghanistan and Persia, who opened up the country’s desert interior, and formed unique bonds with local Aboriginal people.

Malek, an Egyptian actor who was named one of the Rising Stars at the Toronto Film Festival in 2018, will play a camel driver who teams up with a bushman, played by Wenham. Together, they must outwit zealous troopers in a race to reset gold bars at a secret furnace.

‘Top End Wedding’, ‘Hearts and Bones’ and ‘The King’ are among the 34 longlisted films.

Some 34 feature films will compete for nominations for this year’s Aacta Awards, and the longlist covers a diverse range of titles, from box office earners like Top End Wedding and Storm Boy, through to critically lauded films like The Nightingale and micro budget indies such as Suburban Wildlife.

However, perhaps the most notable inclusion in the longlist is David Michôd’s Netflix Original The King, which premiered at Venice Film Festival last week to an eight-minute standing ovation.

Typically, to be eligible for Aacta Awards, a film – even when made for a streaming platform – must have paid cinema screenings in Australia or local festival play.

Aacta has made an exception for The King, which is not due to play in Australian cinemas or in festivals before its release on Netflix later this year, because of...

‘Ride Like a Girl’.

Graeme Mason recognises the structural challenges facing independent films but does not subscribe to the view that this is a down year for Australian cinema.

While the Screen Australia CEO acknowledges 2019 has yet to produce a breakout hit like Peter Rabbit, Lion or Ladies in Black, he rates the year to date as very successful on a number of fronts, including:

Seven films have each grossed each more than $1 million. Exhibitors have high hopes for Rachel Griffiths’ Ride Like a Girl, the Michelle Payne biopic staring Teresa Palmer, which Transmission Films launches on September 26; some pundits think it can make upwards of $10 million. The consistent popularity of feature doc such as Damon Gameau’s 2040 and Richard Lowenstein’s Mystify: Michael Hutchence. Australian films are making their marks at the Sundance, Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals. Shannon Murphy won the gig of directing two episodes of...

‘Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan.’

The box office results for the Australian films and feature docs released in cinemas this year underline yet again the deep polarisation in the indie film market between the higher earners and the also-rans.

The top five titles – Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding, Shawn Seet’s Storm Boy, Anthony Marais’ Hotel Mumbai, Damon Gameau’s 2040 and Richard Lowenstein’s Mystify: Michael Hutchence – accounted for $15.8 million or 93 per cent of the Oz releases’ takings.

The Aussie films plus holdovers racked up nearly $17 million through the end of July, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.

That’s a long way below the $40.6 million generated in the same period last year, led by Peter Rabbit’s $26.6 million, Breath’s $4.4 million (finishing with $4.6 million) and Sweet Country’s $2 million.

Surveying the challenges facing the indie film business, Transmission Films’ Andrew Mackie tells If:...

Wayne Blair and Miranda Tapsell on the set of ‘Top End Wedding’.

Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding has edged past Shawn Seet’s Storm Boy to rank as the highest grossing Australian film this year.

At the half way mark of the year, the Australian films and feature docs released in cinemas, plus holdovers, have racked up a modest $15.6 million, according to the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.

That’s a long way below the $40 million generated in the same period last year, led by Peter Rabbit’s $26.6 million, Breath’s $4.4 million (finishing with $4.6 million) and Sweet Country’s $2 million.

So can the industry surpass or match the 2018 calendar year total of $57.4 million? That was the third biggest year ever behind 2001’s $63.1 million and the all-time record of 2015’s $88.1 million, the year of Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dressmaker and Oddball.

Exhibitors are optimistic about the outlook for the rest of the year,...

Little Johnny, Robbie and Blue in ‘Robbie Hood.’

Sbs will mark Naidoc Week 2019 (July 7-14) with a raft of programming that celebrates the success and shares the unique stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, starting July 5.

Ludo Studio’s Robbie Hood, a short-form comedy series from writer-director Dylan River, will premiere on Sbs On Demand on July 5 and on Sbs Viceland on July 9.

The six episodes follow precocious 13-year-old Robbie (Pedrea Jackson) and his friends Georgia Blue (Jordan Johnson) and little Johnny (Levi Thomas) as they skirt the law to right the wrongs they see going down in their Alice Springs home town.

Also screening on the free streaming platform that week will be Indigenous-themed classic movies including Bruce Beresford’s The Fringe Dwellers, John Honey’s Manganinnie, Steve Jodrell’s Tudawali and Philippe Mora’s Mad Dog Morgan.

The new free-to-air movie channel Sbs World Movies will...

‘2040’.

Five months into the year, 18 Australian films and feature docs released in cinemas since the start of the year, plus holdovers, have racked up a modest $14.3 million.

That compares with $37.6 million generated in the same period last year, led by Peter Rabbit’s $26.4 million, Breath’s $3.6 million in four weeks (finishing with $4.6 million) and Sweet Country’s $2 million.

Shawn Seet’s Storm Boy is the top title with nearly $5 million, a creditable result. But almost certainly that would have been rather higher if Sony Pictures had been able to use Geoffrey Rush in the publicity campaign.

Wayne Blair’s Top End Wedding has grossed $4.7 million through Sunday, its sixth weekend, and could finish with $5.5 million.

Anthony Maras’ Hotel Mumbai collected $3.3 million, knee-capped by the dreadful co-incidence of opening on the same weekend as the Christchurch massacre.

Damon Gameau’s 2040 has earned $568,000 after its second weekend and, buoyed by word-of-mouth, distributor...