Indie News
We’ve been here before.
Just writing that automatically makes one sound like a David Lynch character. Or perhaps even more perfectly Lynchian: “It’s happening again.” Yes, it’s true: David Lynch has taken to Twitter/X to announce a new project — er, something — for June 5.
Rumors have abounded ever since his last project, “Twin Peaks: The Return,” wrapped on Showtime in 2017, that another project was in the works. About what, who can say, but the total and complete lack of information certainly has not prevented speculation.
This sure sounds like something of import this time, though.
“Ladies and gentleman, something is coming along…. for you to see and hear,” Lynch said in his X video on Memorial Day, May 25. “And it will be coming along on June 5.”
Love the way he says “June Five” rather than “June Fifth.”
Could this be just the resumption of him giving daily...
Just writing that automatically makes one sound like a David Lynch character. Or perhaps even more perfectly Lynchian: “It’s happening again.” Yes, it’s true: David Lynch has taken to Twitter/X to announce a new project — er, something — for June 5.
Rumors have abounded ever since his last project, “Twin Peaks: The Return,” wrapped on Showtime in 2017, that another project was in the works. About what, who can say, but the total and complete lack of information certainly has not prevented speculation.
This sure sounds like something of import this time, though.
“Ladies and gentleman, something is coming along…. for you to see and hear,” Lynch said in his X video on Memorial Day, May 25. “And it will be coming along on June 5.”
Love the way he says “June Five” rather than “June Fifth.”
Could this be just the resumption of him giving daily...
- 5/27/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire Television
Molly Gordon makes everything better. She was a stand-out among stand-outs in films like Good Boys, Booksmart, and Shiva Baby. Then she showed her talents on the other side of the camera, co-writing/directing the hilarious indie hit Theater Camp. Now she plays Claire on the beloved series The Bear, which is about to drop its third season. On this episode she talks about why she loves improv, how her parents unintentionally formed her comedy sensibilities, getting “buzzed” from in-person auditions, “locking in” with Jeremy Allen White, why she’s always aspiring to a child-like lack of self consciousness, and much more. […]
The post “I Want To Get Back To That Lack of Self-Consciousness I Had as a Kid” Molly Gordon, Back To One, Episode 293 first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Want To Get Back To That Lack of Self-Consciousness I Had as a Kid” Molly Gordon, Back To One, Episode 293 first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/28/2024
- by Peter Rinaldi
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Molly Gordon makes everything better. She was a stand-out among stand-outs in films like Good Boys, Booksmart, and Shiva Baby. Then she showed her talents on the other side of the camera, co-writing/directing the hilarious indie hit Theater Camp. Now she plays Claire on the beloved series The Bear, which is about to drop its third season. On this episode she talks about why she loves improv, how her parents unintentionally formed her comedy sensibilities, getting “buzzed” from in-person auditions, “locking in” with Jeremy Allen White, why she’s always aspiring to a child-like lack of self consciousness, and much more. […]
The post “I Want To Get Back To That Lack of Self-Consciousness I Had as a Kid” Molly Gordon, Back To One, Episode 293 first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Want To Get Back To That Lack of Self-Consciousness I Had as a Kid” Molly Gordon, Back To One, Episode 293 first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/28/2024
- by Peter Rinaldi
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
“There’s a wonderful thing that happened when MoviePass went away.”
It’s an odd thing for the founder of MoviePass to say, but Stacy Spikes told IndieWire as much. That’s because in the wake of the spectacular crash and burn of his subscription movie-ticketing company, numerous copycats and in-house loyalty programs quickly tried to re-create what Spikes built.
“You had a lot of people introduced to subscription models, [which] validated that subscription models work, and that consumers like them,” Spikes said.
After MoviePass shuttered in 2019 — then under the leadership of Mitch Lowe and Ted Farnsworth after Spikes had been pushed out in 2017 — Spikes re-acquired the MoviePass brand in an auction and relaunched the company in 2022, hoping to build back his baby’s name after the former CEOs caused so much ill will.
Less than two years later, Spikes has achieved something the company never did before — especially not when...
It’s an odd thing for the founder of MoviePass to say, but Stacy Spikes told IndieWire as much. That’s because in the wake of the spectacular crash and burn of his subscription movie-ticketing company, numerous copycats and in-house loyalty programs quickly tried to re-create what Spikes built.
“You had a lot of people introduced to subscription models, [which] validated that subscription models work, and that consumers like them,” Spikes said.
After MoviePass shuttered in 2019 — then under the leadership of Mitch Lowe and Ted Farnsworth after Spikes had been pushed out in 2017 — Spikes re-acquired the MoviePass brand in an auction and relaunched the company in 2022, hoping to build back his baby’s name after the former CEOs caused so much ill will.
Less than two years later, Spikes has achieved something the company never did before — especially not when...
- 5/28/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
The Story of Souleymane follows an undocumented delivery worker as he prepares for an asylum application interview while pedaling through the Paris streets. But belying the innocuous title and unassuming premise, this latest narrative feature from veteran filmmaker Boris Lojkine is actually a fast-paced thriller. And also a logistical feat as Lojkine’s lens races to keep up with his less than honest protagonist as he literally cycles through a Kafkaesque EU system in which even the most mundane move might […]
The post “I Was Much More Influenced by Andrea Arnold’s Work or That of the Safdie Brothers”: Boris Lojkine on His Cannes Jury Prize-Winning The Story of Souleymane first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Was Much More Influenced by Andrea Arnold’s Work or That of the Safdie Brothers”: Boris Lojkine on His Cannes Jury Prize-Winning The Story of Souleymane first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/28/2024
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The Story of Souleymane follows an undocumented delivery worker as he prepares for an asylum application interview while pedaling through the Paris streets. But belying the innocuous title and unassuming premise, this latest narrative feature from veteran filmmaker Boris Lojkine is actually a fast-paced thriller. And also a logistical feat as Lojkine’s lens races to keep up with his less than honest protagonist as he literally cycles through a Kafkaesque EU system in which even the most mundane move might […]
The post “I Was Much More Influenced by Andrea Arnold’s Work or That of the Safdie Brothers”: Boris Lojkine on His Cannes Jury Prize-Winning The Story of Souleymane first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Was Much More Influenced by Andrea Arnold’s Work or That of the Safdie Brothers”: Boris Lojkine on His Cannes Jury Prize-Winning The Story of Souleymane first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/28/2024
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
In line with the IndieWire Craft team’s best film cinematography list of 2024, we’re going to keep track of film scores that strike us as exceptional over the course of this year. We’ve already seen (and heard!) a number of really good soundtracks that complement their stories, add momentum and pathos, and even spike dramatic moments with a bit of musical humor. Some of the biggest action blockbusters of the year have delivered instrumental bangers that are far from, in the words of Immortan Joe, mediocre. But some of the smallest, weirdest films of the year also have music that is perfectly placed in order to help us feel our way through the lonely forest home of cryptids and the absurd maze of the U.S. immigration system alike.
If any criteria has guided our score choices so far this year, it probably is weirdness. Music is the most immediate route into emotion,...
If any criteria has guided our score choices so far this year, it probably is weirdness. Music is the most immediate route into emotion,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Sarah Shachat
- Indiewire
For months now, awards prognosticators across the interwebs have been lamenting the state of the Emmy’s Drama categories. No, not the Emmy Awards that already happened (let’s not get into all that again) but the one TV Academy members will vote on in a few weeks. After a strike-altered release calendar and the departure of daddy’s No. 1 boy, 2024 was destined to be a strange awards season. Seven of last year’s eight nominees for Best Drama Series are no longer in contention. None of the most recent Primetime Emmy winners are eligible. A new Best Director, Writer, Actor, Actress and more will be crowned. Yet in an often-repetitive TV awards cycle, the excitement typically felt for a fresh field has been tempered by this year’s lackluster yield.
That is, excitement was tempered until a few weeks ago, when a white knight golden samurai rode in to rescue the Emmys.
That is, excitement was tempered until a few weeks ago, when a white knight golden samurai rode in to rescue the Emmys.
- 5/28/2024
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Bret Easton Ellis’ series at HBO is inching closer to reality. HBO has tapped Kristoffer Borgli to direct the series adaptation of the Ellis book “The Shards.”
Borgli, who directed last year’s “Dream Scenario” starring Nicolas Cage and 2022’s “Sick of Myself,” is attached to direct and serve as an executive producer on the series that’s currently in development at HBO.
Ellis published “The Shards” just last year, and the series per its official logline is “set in the early ’80s and tracks a group of privileged Los Angeles High School friends as a serial killer strikes across the city.”
But what makes “The Shards” ripe for an adaptation is that it’s a pulpy and sexy yet sprawling and unwieldy piece of fiction featuring much of Ellis’ own biography. While it follows the murders of a serial killer known as The Trawler with great detail, it also...
Borgli, who directed last year’s “Dream Scenario” starring Nicolas Cage and 2022’s “Sick of Myself,” is attached to direct and serve as an executive producer on the series that’s currently in development at HBO.
Ellis published “The Shards” just last year, and the series per its official logline is “set in the early ’80s and tracks a group of privileged Los Angeles High School friends as a serial killer strikes across the city.”
But what makes “The Shards” ripe for an adaptation is that it’s a pulpy and sexy yet sprawling and unwieldy piece of fiction featuring much of Ellis’ own biography. While it follows the murders of a serial killer known as The Trawler with great detail, it also...
- 5/28/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Previously, Glen Powell has made it clear he is not interested in Marvel films and superhero films, in general. However, if you’re looking for a Batman, perhaps someone can convince him.
Read More: Glen Powell Passed On New ‘Jurassic World’ & ‘Bourne’ Films & Says He Won’t Do A Marvel Project
Speaking in a long profile over at GQ, Glen Powell talked about his aversion to superhero films.
Continue reading Glen Powell’s “Wild Take” On Batman Would Be Closer To Michael Keaton at The Playlist.
Read More: Glen Powell Passed On New ‘Jurassic World’ & ‘Bourne’ Films & Says He Won’t Do A Marvel Project
Speaking in a long profile over at GQ, Glen Powell talked about his aversion to superhero films.
Continue reading Glen Powell’s “Wild Take” On Batman Would Be Closer To Michael Keaton at The Playlist.
- 5/28/2024
- by Martin Miller
- The Playlist
Over the course of 45 years and five films, director George Miller has created something unparalleled in the world of action cinema: an epic franchise that started great (with 1979’s “Mad Max”) and has grown exponentially more audacious, complex, and visionary with each subsequent film. Each time Miller returns to the “Mad Max” universe — from “The Road Warrior” (1981) and “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” (1985) to “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015) — he expands upon and deepens the story with increasing ambition, a project that has now culminated in the most epic (in both length and mythological impact) entry in the series to date, “Furiosa.” The longevity of the series and the enduring fertility of Miller’s imagination have proven one of the movies’ great surprises over the years — especially to Miller himself.
In fact, when asked whether he ever envisioned the “Mad Max” saga lasting for decades, Miller had a quick answer. “Never!” he...
In fact, when asked whether he ever envisioned the “Mad Max” saga lasting for decades, Miller had a quick answer. “Never!” he...
- 5/28/2024
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
The big winners out of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival suggest bright times ahead for indie and international moviegoing. Sean Baker’s “Anora” winning the Palme was a kind of apotheosis for the self-made indie filmmaker. And Neon already has the movie for U.S. distribution — the company’s fifth Palme d’Or winner in a row. Meanwhile, other Cannes winners like “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix), “All We Imagine as Light” (Sideshow/Janus), and “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Neon) have homes awaiting them on the other side of their journeys out of Cannes and into the world.
But in a compressed time for film sales across fiction and nonfiction titles, that means plenty of movies that premiered at Cannes are still searching for a home. And what a world where the latest film from two-time Palme d’Or winner Francis Ford Coppola is among them (“Megalopolis”). Same with David Cronenberg...
But in a compressed time for film sales across fiction and nonfiction titles, that means plenty of movies that premiered at Cannes are still searching for a home. And what a world where the latest film from two-time Palme d’Or winner Francis Ford Coppola is among them (“Megalopolis”). Same with David Cronenberg...
- 5/28/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio and David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Rachel Brosnahan and Boyd Holbrook have something in common. Yes, they’re both actors, but they’re also both incredibly underrated. Sure, Brosnahan has received all sorts of acclaim for her role in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” but she’s just damn good in almost anything she works in. And Holbrook elevates every role. That’s why the reason a re-release of “Boomtown” caught our eye. A film from 2017 is getting a re-release, and a new trailer.
Continue reading ‘Boomtown’ Trailer: Rachel Brosnahan & Boyd Holbrook star in Sabyn Mayfield’s New Film at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Boomtown’ Trailer: Rachel Brosnahan & Boyd Holbrook star in Sabyn Mayfield’s New Film at The Playlist.
- 5/28/2024
- by Martin Miller
- The Playlist
While most of the discussion regarding James Gunn’s Dcu seems to be on “Superman,” which is currently about halfway through production, there are still plenty of other projects at DC Studios that are moving forward, including, apparently, the long-awaited series, “Lanterns.” And now, we know some of the names of folks who are helping craft the series.
On Instagram, over the weekend, James Gunn confirmed the rumors that a couple of major names were leading the way on the TV series, “Lanterns.”
Read More: ‘Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow’ From DC Studios Lands Summer 2026 Release
“Yes, it’s true,” said Gunn.
Continue reading ‘Lanterns’: Damon Lindelof Among Writers Brought In To Craft James Gunn’s DC TV Series at The Playlist.
On Instagram, over the weekend, James Gunn confirmed the rumors that a couple of major names were leading the way on the TV series, “Lanterns.”
Read More: ‘Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow’ From DC Studios Lands Summer 2026 Release
“Yes, it’s true,” said Gunn.
Continue reading ‘Lanterns’: Damon Lindelof Among Writers Brought In To Craft James Gunn’s DC TV Series at The Playlist.
- 5/28/2024
- by Martin Miller
- The Playlist
Despite a muted reception back in May 1994 — certainly compared to Spike Lee’s previous film “Malcolm X” — “Crooklyn” has endured for three decades as one of the director’s most treasured films.
At the time, Spike Lee was still in the first decade of his career as a director, and “Crookyln” marked his seventh film in nine years with his “brand” in the popular consciousness as a polemical artist at the vanguard of the ’90s Black New Wave that also featured filmmakers such as John Singleton, Mario Van Peebles, and the Hughes Brothers.
Crooklyn, while fitting within Spike’s collected body of work about the Black experience in America, took a detour in tone from his earlier, more overtly political films such as “Do the Right Thing” and “Jungle Fever.” Contemporary reactions to the film were mixed, and “Crooklyn,” like all of Spike’s post-”Malcolm X” films up to “Inside Man,...
At the time, Spike Lee was still in the first decade of his career as a director, and “Crookyln” marked his seventh film in nine years with his “brand” in the popular consciousness as a polemical artist at the vanguard of the ’90s Black New Wave that also featured filmmakers such as John Singleton, Mario Van Peebles, and the Hughes Brothers.
Crooklyn, while fitting within Spike’s collected body of work about the Black experience in America, took a detour in tone from his earlier, more overtly political films such as “Do the Right Thing” and “Jungle Fever.” Contemporary reactions to the film were mixed, and “Crooklyn,” like all of Spike’s post-”Malcolm X” films up to “Inside Man,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Sam Moore
- Indiewire
Earlier today, we shared a news item about Rahul Kohli being a bit heartbroken that he didn’t land a role in Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four.” Now, here’s a story about another actor, Glen Powell, who is finally able to joke about the fact that he “blew” the final audition for a major “Star Wars” role. It goes to show you how actors can never forget the times they came so close to landing career-changing roles.
Read More: Glen Powell Passed On New ‘Jurassic World’ & ‘Bourne’ Films & Says He Won’t Do A Marvel Project
Speaking to GQ, Glen Powell talked about all of the opportunities that didn’t work out for him.
Continue reading ‘Solo’: Glen Powell “Blew The Final Audition” To Lead ‘Star Wars’ Spinoff Film at The Playlist.
Read More: Glen Powell Passed On New ‘Jurassic World’ & ‘Bourne’ Films & Says He Won’t Do A Marvel Project
Speaking to GQ, Glen Powell talked about all of the opportunities that didn’t work out for him.
Continue reading ‘Solo’: Glen Powell “Blew The Final Audition” To Lead ‘Star Wars’ Spinoff Film at The Playlist.
- 5/28/2024
- by Martin Miller
- The Playlist
There’s something so frustrating about watching a show that should work but can’t quite figure out how to put its puzzle pieces together. Sometimes, the pieces just don’t fit. That’s the experience for the bulk of the six episodes of Netflix’s “Eric,” a drama that tries to do so many different things that it ends up doing too little of any of them. Its most fatal flaw might be that its conceit never feels thematically engaging, distracting from what works best about the show, a series of excellent performances that work on a scene-by-scene basis but never come together to form an effective show overall.
Continue reading ‘Eric’ Review: Benedict Cumberbatch’s ‘Sesame Street’-Meets-Kidnapping Series Can’t Find The Right Tones To Support Strong Performances at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Eric’ Review: Benedict Cumberbatch’s ‘Sesame Street’-Meets-Kidnapping Series Can’t Find The Right Tones To Support Strong Performances at The Playlist.
- 5/28/2024
- by Brian Tallerico
- The Playlist
Are you optimistic about the Dallas Cowboys 2024 NFL season? Well, recent history suggests you probably shouldn’t be. (Giants fan over here.) But there is something exciting leading in to the summer’s Dallas Cowboys training camp: a new cheerleading docuseries from director Greg Whiteley, the man behind Netflix’s “Cheer” and “Last Chance U.”
“America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,” a collection of seven 45-minute episodes, will follow the squad from start to finish — meaning from their auditions to the team’s inevitable late-regular-season or early-post-season collapse. The cheerleaders are led by their longtime director Kelli Finglass.
The docuseries, which is definitely not “Cheer” Season 3 (except it definitely should be), premieres on June 20 on Netflix.
Whiteley executive produces alongside Adam Leibowitz for One Potato Productions; Andrew Fried and Dane Lillegard of Boardwalk Pictures and Ross M. Dinerstein and Rebecca Evans of Campfire Studios also executive produce for their respective companies.
“America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,” a collection of seven 45-minute episodes, will follow the squad from start to finish — meaning from their auditions to the team’s inevitable late-regular-season or early-post-season collapse. The cheerleaders are led by their longtime director Kelli Finglass.
The docuseries, which is definitely not “Cheer” Season 3 (except it definitely should be), premieres on June 20 on Netflix.
Whiteley executive produces alongside Adam Leibowitz for One Potato Productions; Andrew Fried and Dane Lillegard of Boardwalk Pictures and Ross M. Dinerstein and Rebecca Evans of Campfire Studios also executive produce for their respective companies.
- 5/28/2024
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
While some might have predicted it, you wouldn’t be wrong in saying that most people were surprised at the low box office debut for “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.” The film has made approximately $33 million over the four-day holiday weekend, which is one of the worst Memorial Weekend debuts in decades. That would seemingly stop all discussion about more ‘Mad Max’ films in the near future, which means ‘The Wasteland’ might not ever see the light of day.
Continue reading ‘The Wasteland’: George Miller’s Next ‘Mad Max’ Film Is A “Saga” Similar To ‘Furiosa’ at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Wasteland’: George Miller’s Next ‘Mad Max’ Film Is A “Saga” Similar To ‘Furiosa’ at The Playlist.
- 5/28/2024
- by Martin Miller
- The Playlist
Illustrations by Maddie Fischer.Throughout the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, we'll be publishing a wide variety of interviews, dispatches, capsules, ballots, and lists. Subscribe to the Weekly Edit newsletter for exclusive contributions from filmmakers, critics, and programmers on the Croisette.Interviews“A Whole World: A Conversation with Andrea Arnold” by Caitlin QuinlanThe Carrosse d’Or–winner describes her raw, lived-in films as cinematic jigsaw puzzles.Dispatches“The Center Will Not Hold” by Leonardo GoiWhile the festival maintained its routine ostrich-like stance, some of the most intriguing films dove right into our troubled times.“Final Warnings” by Daniel KasmanQuentin Dupieux’s latest and Jean-Luc Godard’s last interrogate the death and life of great cinema.“Let There Be Light” by Leonardo GoiBeyond works by established filmmakers, some of the festival’s most singular titles were films from new and emerging voices.Capsules“First Impressions” by Giovanni Marchini Camia, Jordan Cronk, Beatrice Loayza,...
- 5/28/2024
- MUBI
Illustrations by Maddie Fischer.For more Cannes 2024 coverage, subscribe to the Weekly Edit newsletter.Eephus.For all the thrills that come from watching the latest film by this or that renowned auteur, I don’t come to Cannes for confirmation, but for the pleasure of discovery. And nothing quite matches the exhilaration of reckoning with a new voice—the kind that jolts you out of your festival torpor and reminds you of all the beauty and magic the cinema can muster. As usual, those epiphanies were a lot harder to come by in the official competition than in the risk-friendlier Directors’ Fortnight, an independent sidebar born in 1969 as a counterprogram dedicated, per its mission statement, “to showcasing the most singular forms of contemporary cinema.” It is here that some of the greatest have shown their earliest stuff, an illustrious pedigree that’s flaunted before each screening through a short reel...
- 5/28/2024
- MUBI
Almost as interesting as news of who is cast in the next big superhero film is the news about who almost made the cut. And with the cast of “The Fantastic Four” being announced a few months ago, we know who will be starring in the Marvel Studios film. But who didn’t make the cut? Well, one name that we now know is Rahul Kohli.
Read More: Giancarlo Esposito Teases MCU Role & Says He’ll Show Up In A Series Also
Speaking with Salaam Nerds, Rahul Kohli talked about what it’s like to be a name that gets thrown in the mix of fancasting, where fans come up with their dream picks for superhero roles.
Continue reading ‘The Fantastic Four’: Rahul Kohli Talks About Losing Mr. Fantastic Role To Pedro Pascal at The Playlist.
Read More: Giancarlo Esposito Teases MCU Role & Says He’ll Show Up In A Series Also
Speaking with Salaam Nerds, Rahul Kohli talked about what it’s like to be a name that gets thrown in the mix of fancasting, where fans come up with their dream picks for superhero roles.
Continue reading ‘The Fantastic Four’: Rahul Kohli Talks About Losing Mr. Fantastic Role To Pedro Pascal at The Playlist.
- 5/28/2024
- by Martin Miller
- The Playlist
Glen Powell may have a lock on a slew of beloved 1970s and 1980s franchise reboots, but the actor almost traveled to a galaxy far, far away a decade ago.
Powell told GQ UK that he was amid the final casting round to play Han Solo in “Star Wars” prequel film “Solo” circa 2018.
“I can joke about it now, [but] I blew that final audition,” Powell admitted.
Ansel Elgort also auditioned but it was Alden Ehrenreich who was instead cast in the lead role. The feature, directed by Ron Howard, bombed at the box office.
“It’s haunting when you blow those moments,” Powell added. “But that’s one of the parts of [the Hollywood myth] that’s not true. That was always somebody else’s ride to go on. You know what I mean? It was never yours to go on. If you put your time in, you’ll get your ride.”
It...
Powell told GQ UK that he was amid the final casting round to play Han Solo in “Star Wars” prequel film “Solo” circa 2018.
“I can joke about it now, [but] I blew that final audition,” Powell admitted.
Ansel Elgort also auditioned but it was Alden Ehrenreich who was instead cast in the lead role. The feature, directed by Ron Howard, bombed at the box office.
“It’s haunting when you blow those moments,” Powell added. “But that’s one of the parts of [the Hollywood myth] that’s not true. That was always somebody else’s ride to go on. You know what I mean? It was never yours to go on. If you put your time in, you’ll get your ride.”
It...
- 5/28/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
When you’re the CEO of Netflix, obviously you’re going to be pro-streaming. You might even say things that most people would shake their heads at, but you believe. Because you’re the best evangelist for your company. All that to say, it’s no surprise Ted Sarandos said some wild stuff about Netflix and streaming films on a phone.
Speaking as part of a New York Times interview, Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos once again talked about how you can equate box office wins with streaming success and even used two massive 2023 films to prove his point.
Continue reading Netflix CEO Says ‘Barbie’ & ‘Oppenheimer’ Would Have Been Just As Successful On Streaming at The Playlist.
Speaking as part of a New York Times interview, Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos once again talked about how you can equate box office wins with streaming success and even used two massive 2023 films to prove his point.
Continue reading Netflix CEO Says ‘Barbie’ & ‘Oppenheimer’ Would Have Been Just As Successful On Streaming at The Playlist.
- 5/28/2024
- by Martin Miller
- The Playlist
Richard Dreyfuss is gonna need a smaller platform.
The actor attended a “Jaws” retrospective screening at the Cabot theater in Beverly, Massachusetts and participated in a post-screening Q&a. However, Dreyfuss used the platform to make negative comments about the trans community, women (he referred to them as submissive and weak), and the #MeToo movement, according to the Boston Globe.
Dreyfuss walked onstage wearing a dress over his clothes, using a cane, and dancing to Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.” It only got weirder from there.
When referencing teenagers transitioning, Dreyfuss said, “It’s not Ok because when the kid’s 15, she’s going to say, ‘I’m an octopus.'”
IndieWire has reached out to Dreyfuss’ representatives for comment.
The Cabot executive director J. Casey Soward issued a formal apology to patrons for Dreyfuss’ outburst onstage.
“We regret that an event that was meant to be a conversation to...
The actor attended a “Jaws” retrospective screening at the Cabot theater in Beverly, Massachusetts and participated in a post-screening Q&a. However, Dreyfuss used the platform to make negative comments about the trans community, women (he referred to them as submissive and weak), and the #MeToo movement, according to the Boston Globe.
Dreyfuss walked onstage wearing a dress over his clothes, using a cane, and dancing to Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.” It only got weirder from there.
When referencing teenagers transitioning, Dreyfuss said, “It’s not Ok because when the kid’s 15, she’s going to say, ‘I’m an octopus.'”
IndieWire has reached out to Dreyfuss’ representatives for comment.
The Cabot executive director J. Casey Soward issued a formal apology to patrons for Dreyfuss’ outburst onstage.
“We regret that an event that was meant to be a conversation to...
- 5/28/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Agnieszka Holland’s filmography will be celebrated this June thanks to the Museum of the Moving Image and the Polish Cultural Institute New York.
MoMI will host a retrospective featuring nine of Holland’s most beloved films leading up to the release of her latest “Green Border.” The nine features include highlights “Europa Europa” on and “The Secret Garden,” which both will screen in 35mm with Holland in attendance on June 20 and 21.
The retrospective will take place from June 7 through 21 and serve as a toast to Holland’s “undimmed ability to depict historical trauma and human struggle with sensitivity and compassion” across her 60 years in filmmaking, per the official press statement.
The retrospective will feature her initial work made in Poland, including “Provincial Actors,” “Fever,” and “A Woman Alone,” along with Holland’s 1990s art house features “Europa Europa” and “The Secret Garden,” and depictions of present-day political resistance like “Spoor” and “In Darkness.
MoMI will host a retrospective featuring nine of Holland’s most beloved films leading up to the release of her latest “Green Border.” The nine features include highlights “Europa Europa” on and “The Secret Garden,” which both will screen in 35mm with Holland in attendance on June 20 and 21.
The retrospective will take place from June 7 through 21 and serve as a toast to Holland’s “undimmed ability to depict historical trauma and human struggle with sensitivity and compassion” across her 60 years in filmmaking, per the official press statement.
The retrospective will feature her initial work made in Poland, including “Provincial Actors,” “Fever,” and “A Woman Alone,” along with Holland’s 1990s art house features “Europa Europa” and “The Secret Garden,” and depictions of present-day political resistance like “Spoor” and “In Darkness.
- 5/28/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Giancarlo Esposito is one of the most interesting actors working today. He’s also an actor who hasn’t been shy about his desire to join Marvel Studios MCU franchise. And whenever there’s an actor talking about joining the MCU, fans get in a tizzy trying to come up with the perfect superhero role. Well, now that Esposito has confirmed that he is signed to do an MCU project, fans are going crazy with speculation.
Continue reading Giancarlo Esposito Teases MCU Role & Says He’ll Show Up In A Series Also at The Playlist.
Continue reading Giancarlo Esposito Teases MCU Role & Says He’ll Show Up In A Series Also at The Playlist.
- 5/28/2024
- by Martin Miller
- The Playlist
Before Simon (Théodore Pellerin) struts out on stage every night in his drag regalia, he prepares backstage by lip-syncing to Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman.” His persona, Glory Gore, isn’t fully formed at this point — she’s only been half-painted into existence — but when Chaka belts out the lyrics to her signature anthem, something physically shifts within Simon as he begins to inhabit the words and the woman inside him alike. Although the other drag queens roll their eyes and tease Simon for always playing the same song each night, it’s not long before everyone joins him for a communal singalong that speaks to the uniquely queer connection these queens have bonded through.
Yet “Solo” isn’t so much about belonging as it is the desperate need to belong, and it’s this pain that Simon is forced to work through when his life twists into...
Yet “Solo” isn’t so much about belonging as it is the desperate need to belong, and it’s this pain that Simon is forced to work through when his life twists into...
- 5/28/2024
- by David Opie
- Indiewire
Each time a new ‘Knives Out’ film is announced, we typically find ourselves with a flood of news about who is joining the always flashy cast. Well, last week, we heard that Rian Johnson’s new installment in the franchise is called “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” and it appears we have the first two names joining Daniel Craig in the all-star cast.
Continue reading ‘Wake Up Dead Man’: Josh O’Connor & Cailee Spaeny Join The Cast Of The Next ‘Knives Out’ Film at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Wake Up Dead Man’: Josh O’Connor & Cailee Spaeny Join The Cast Of The Next ‘Knives Out’ Film at The Playlist.
- 5/28/2024
- by Martin Miller
- The Playlist
Chris Perfetti Thinks ‘Abbott Elementary’ Season 4 Might Be Even More Meta Than Season 3 [Interview]
After three critically acclaimed and award-winning seasons, Chris Perfetti still finds it hard to watch himself on “Abbott Elementary.” But as Jacob, the “social puppy dog” of “Abbott’s” faculty, Perfetti finds himself more and more ingrained in different storylines and he’s having to get more comfortable with it. Especially considering the strikes limited the 2024 season to just 14 episodes.
Read More: Janelle James recognizes Ava’s “hustle” on “Abbott Elementary” [Interview]
Perfetti also humbly admits that the show’s star and creator, Quinta Brunson, has to pretty much explain a substantial number of pop culture references to him.
Continue reading Chris Perfetti Thinks ‘Abbott Elementary’ Season 4 Might Be Even More Meta Than Season 3 [Interview] at The Playlist.
Read More: Janelle James recognizes Ava’s “hustle” on “Abbott Elementary” [Interview]
Perfetti also humbly admits that the show’s star and creator, Quinta Brunson, has to pretty much explain a substantial number of pop culture references to him.
Continue reading Chris Perfetti Thinks ‘Abbott Elementary’ Season 4 Might Be Even More Meta Than Season 3 [Interview] at The Playlist.
- 5/28/2024
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
If Cannes has come to an end that means a slew of summer festivals is about to pop up around the globe. New York will see the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival debut next week while the 2024 Annecy International Animation Festival begins on June 9. At the end of the month, one of Europe’s longest-running tier A1 festivals, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, will return for its 58th edition. This morning, Kviff revealed a majority of its world premiere and competition slate and it includes new films from Mark Cousins, Oleh Sentsov, Moaz Deshe, and others.
Continue reading Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2024 Includes New Films From Mark Cousins, Oleh Sentsov, & Noaz Deshe at The Playlist.
Continue reading Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2024 Includes New Films From Mark Cousins, Oleh Sentsov, & Noaz Deshe at The Playlist.
- 5/28/2024
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
Disappointment hung in the air a few days into the 2024 Cannes Film Festival when no main competition films had universally wowed industry and press. But you have to know where to look, which often means going outside the official selection and into sidebars like Un Certain Regard and Directors’ Fortnight in search of gems.
By the end of the festival, though, more than a few stunners had emerged. The competition’s final days brought a series of potentially historic and beloved-on-the-ground Palme contenders: Mohammad Rasolouf’s searing Iranian drama “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” Payal Kapadia’s day-in-the-life Mumbai portrait “All We Imagine as Light,” and Sean Baker’s wild and crazy sex worker odyssey “Anora.”
Elsewhere, movies like Matthew Rankin’s Abbas Kiarostami homage “Universal Language” and Mahdi Fleifel’s “To a Land Unknown,” the only Palestinian movie to play Cannes this year, impressed in Directors’ Fortnight, the...
By the end of the festival, though, more than a few stunners had emerged. The competition’s final days brought a series of potentially historic and beloved-on-the-ground Palme contenders: Mohammad Rasolouf’s searing Iranian drama “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” Payal Kapadia’s day-in-the-life Mumbai portrait “All We Imagine as Light,” and Sean Baker’s wild and crazy sex worker odyssey “Anora.”
Elsewhere, movies like Matthew Rankin’s Abbas Kiarostami homage “Universal Language” and Mahdi Fleifel’s “To a Land Unknown,” the only Palestinian movie to play Cannes this year, impressed in Directors’ Fortnight, the...
- 5/27/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio and David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
“I always tell people it just feels like ‘Tig in space.'”
That’s Tig Notaro on her “Star Trek: Discovery” character, Jett Reno, who’s a deadpan wisecracking, nickname-assigning engineer on the show. Out of the blue, Jett will call another character “Bobcat” or suddenly reveal an expected part of her past, such as her former life as a bookseller or bartender. Gauntlet thrown to Paramount+ to release the recipe for Jett’s “Seven of Limes.”
Needless to say, Jett’s become a fan favorite, and in a new interview with IndieWire, Notaro opens up a bit about just how much Jett means to her too — a lot.
“Yeah, who knows?” Notaro said when asked if there’s a chance we could continue to see Jett on “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” the planned series that will take place after “Discovery” wraps up. “Maybe the full-blown Jett Reno spinoff. I...
That’s Tig Notaro on her “Star Trek: Discovery” character, Jett Reno, who’s a deadpan wisecracking, nickname-assigning engineer on the show. Out of the blue, Jett will call another character “Bobcat” or suddenly reveal an expected part of her past, such as her former life as a bookseller or bartender. Gauntlet thrown to Paramount+ to release the recipe for Jett’s “Seven of Limes.”
Needless to say, Jett’s become a fan favorite, and in a new interview with IndieWire, Notaro opens up a bit about just how much Jett means to her too — a lot.
“Yeah, who knows?” Notaro said when asked if there’s a chance we could continue to see Jett on “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” the planned series that will take place after “Discovery” wraps up. “Maybe the full-blown Jett Reno spinoff. I...
- 5/27/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Nothing comes easy for “The Fall Guy” (Universal). Despite a home release 18 days after opening (typical for Universal) and outgrossing “Civil War” by $4 million despite playing for four weeks less, Alex Garland’s film shares top honors with the stuntman actioner this week on the VOD charts.
Both films, available for rental for 48 hours at $19.99, placed #1 on one chart apiece. “Civil War” leads at iTunes (ranking by transactions), while “Fall Guy” does at Fandango (calculated by revenue). One factor differentiating the two is that “Civil War” was released on Friday, while “Fall” debuted the previous Tuesday. That gave the latter an edge on Fandango, which has a weekly Monday-Sunday chart. It was #1 on iTunes on Wednesday through Friday, with “Civil War” #1 since.
“Fall” of course has been a disappointment in theaters. With a head of steam ahead of opening to excellent reviews, Ryan Gosling momentum, and a prime early May release date,...
Both films, available for rental for 48 hours at $19.99, placed #1 on one chart apiece. “Civil War” leads at iTunes (ranking by transactions), while “Fall Guy” does at Fandango (calculated by revenue). One factor differentiating the two is that “Civil War” was released on Friday, while “Fall” debuted the previous Tuesday. That gave the latter an edge on Fandango, which has a weekly Monday-Sunday chart. It was #1 on iTunes on Wednesday through Friday, with “Civil War” #1 since.
“Fall” of course has been a disappointment in theaters. With a head of steam ahead of opening to excellent reviews, Ryan Gosling momentum, and a prime early May release date,...
- 5/27/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
[Editor’s note: The following interview contains mild spoilers for “The Sympathizer,” Episode 7, “Endings Are Hard, Aren’t They?”]
In the end, “The Sympathizer” was not a show that kept things simple. An adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2015 novel, the HBO limited series helmed by filmmaker Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar concludes in a way that reframes the events of its premiere episodes, and eventually arrives at a thesis that helps ease the protagonist’s internal tug-of-war.
According to star Hoa Xuande, putting an emphasis on the “nothing” in the phrase “Nothing is more important than independence and freedom” makes his character The Captain, a Communist spy embedded in the South Vietnamese army, who begins to lose himself when he’s forced to follow that community in exile in the United States, “realize that he’s been fighting for these things that have been out of his reach, that are just ideals that are unobtainable, and that...
In the end, “The Sympathizer” was not a show that kept things simple. An adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2015 novel, the HBO limited series helmed by filmmaker Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar concludes in a way that reframes the events of its premiere episodes, and eventually arrives at a thesis that helps ease the protagonist’s internal tug-of-war.
According to star Hoa Xuande, putting an emphasis on the “nothing” in the phrase “Nothing is more important than independence and freedom” makes his character The Captain, a Communist spy embedded in the South Vietnamese army, who begins to lose himself when he’s forced to follow that community in exile in the United States, “realize that he’s been fighting for these things that have been out of his reach, that are just ideals that are unobtainable, and that...
- 5/27/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
When Bernard Hill died recently, I wrote about the unique feeling accompanying the real-life death of an actor when that actor has been especially associated with a dramatic death scene onscreen. That feeling is only magnified when it’s been a very long time since the actor performed the demise in question. Juanita Moore, with her character’s funeral in 1959’s “Imitation of Life” being the grandest of any in the movies, only dying in real life in 2013 is an example.
One of the most extreme of these has just occurred, a death that also represents the severing of another critical link to Old Hollywood. Darryl Hickman died this past Wednesday, May 22, at the age of 92. He was a child actor in “The Prisoner of Zenda” and John Ford’s “The Grapes of Wrath” who, upon exiting his teenage years, decided he wanted to become a monk. He entered a...
One of the most extreme of these has just occurred, a death that also represents the severing of another critical link to Old Hollywood. Darryl Hickman died this past Wednesday, May 22, at the age of 92. He was a child actor in “The Prisoner of Zenda” and John Ford’s “The Grapes of Wrath” who, upon exiting his teenage years, decided he wanted to become a monk. He entered a...
- 5/27/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
It’s been two years since one of the worst school shootings in American history. On May 24, 2022, a gunman killed 21 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Nineteen children were among the victims, and two teachers. It’s the kind of tragedy so horrific that outsiders to the community of 15,000 will think of it first whenever they hear the name Uvalde. And probably will for decades to come.
ABC News’ Investigative Unit wanted to go deeper. A couple of days after the shooting, the news network committed to a program called Uvalde: 365, in which they would keep journalists in Uvalde for an entire year to better understand how a small town handles the aftermath of such a tragedy, and how life goes on. The result is a unique documentary called “Print It Black,” referring to how the local newspaper, the Uvalde Leader-News, chose to run an edition the day after...
ABC News’ Investigative Unit wanted to go deeper. A couple of days after the shooting, the news network committed to a program called Uvalde: 365, in which they would keep journalists in Uvalde for an entire year to better understand how a small town handles the aftermath of such a tragedy, and how life goes on. The result is a unique documentary called “Print It Black,” referring to how the local newspaper, the Uvalde Leader-News, chose to run an edition the day after...
- 5/27/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
We’ve been here before.
Just writing that automatically makes one sound like a David Lynch character. Or perhaps even more perfectly Lynchian: “It’s happening again.” Yes, it’s true: David Lynch has taken to Twitter/X to announce a new project — er, something — for June 5.
Rumors have abounded ever since his last project, “Twin Peaks: The Return,” wrapped on Showtime in 2017, that another project was in the works. About what, who can say, but the total and complete lack of information certainly has not prevented speculation.
This sure sounds like something of import this time, though.
“Ladies and gentleman, something is coming along…. for you to see and hear,” Lynch said in his X video on Memorial Day, May 25. “And it will be coming along on June 5.”
Love the way he says “June Five” rather than “June Fifth.”
Could this be just the resumption of him giving daily...
Just writing that automatically makes one sound like a David Lynch character. Or perhaps even more perfectly Lynchian: “It’s happening again.” Yes, it’s true: David Lynch has taken to Twitter/X to announce a new project — er, something — for June 5.
Rumors have abounded ever since his last project, “Twin Peaks: The Return,” wrapped on Showtime in 2017, that another project was in the works. About what, who can say, but the total and complete lack of information certainly has not prevented speculation.
This sure sounds like something of import this time, though.
“Ladies and gentleman, something is coming along…. for you to see and hear,” Lynch said in his X video on Memorial Day, May 25. “And it will be coming along on June 5.”
Love the way he says “June Five” rather than “June Fifth.”
Could this be just the resumption of him giving daily...
- 5/27/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
The legendary orange tabby gets a 2D-looking makeover for “The Garfield Movie,” the fully animated origin story (voiced by Chris Pratt). That’s in stark contrast to Garfield’s hyper-real look in the previous live-action/animated hybrid movies (voiced by Bill Murray).
In the reboot, the lasagna-loving Garfield is abandoned as a kitty by his scruffy street cat dad, Vic (Samuel L. Jackson). Then he forms a family with Jon Arbuckle (Nicholas Hoult) and pup Odie (Harvey Guillén) and is reunited with Vic for a dangerous adventure. This involves a revenge plot, a dairy heist, and a train chase finale featuring weaponized Italian food, as well as flat camera work evoking the comic strip format.
Director Mark Dindal (“The Emperor’s New Groove”) was game for an origin story with untapped vulnerability, and selected Pratt after watching the actor profess his love of snack food and laziness.
“The idea that Garfield...
In the reboot, the lasagna-loving Garfield is abandoned as a kitty by his scruffy street cat dad, Vic (Samuel L. Jackson). Then he forms a family with Jon Arbuckle (Nicholas Hoult) and pup Odie (Harvey Guillén) and is reunited with Vic for a dangerous adventure. This involves a revenge plot, a dairy heist, and a train chase finale featuring weaponized Italian food, as well as flat camera work evoking the comic strip format.
Director Mark Dindal (“The Emperor’s New Groove”) was game for an origin story with untapped vulnerability, and selected Pratt after watching the actor profess his love of snack food and laziness.
“The idea that Garfield...
- 5/27/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
In our critics survey of the best movies at the Cannes Film Festival each year, it’s common to have the critics IndieWire’s polled disagree with the awards given by the festival jury itself. That is not the case for Cannes 2024. The best movies of the festival, picked by 55 critics, representing five continents, were topped by Sean Baker’s “Anora” in our poll, which, of course also won the Palme d’Or.
Last year, Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” topped our poll, differing from the Palme d’Or result, which went to Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall.” It must be said that voter enthusiasm in our poll for “The Zone of Interest” was even that much stronger: It received nearly half of all votes for best film. “Anora,” which stars Mikey Madison, received about a quarter of the overall votes for best film this time...
Last year, Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” topped our poll, differing from the Palme d’Or result, which went to Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall.” It must be said that voter enthusiasm in our poll for “The Zone of Interest” was even that much stronger: It received nearly half of all votes for best film. “Anora,” which stars Mikey Madison, received about a quarter of the overall votes for best film this time...
- 5/27/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
After John Waters made the once-improbable leap to the mainstream with “Hairspray,” a joyous film so devoid of filth that it was rated PG, he found himself in bizarre circumstances: He’d made a box-office success, a home-video smash, and his next film would be produced by Imagine Entertainment and released by Universal Pictures.
That film, the 1990 “Cry-Baby,” failed to duplicate the success of its predecessor, but it developed a cult following thanks in no small part to its star Johnny Depp. As such, the film’s popularity has earned it a 4K/Ultra HD reissue via Kino Lorber that will hit shelves May 28.
Waters was so excited about seeing his film receive this specialized treatment that he agreed to make the promotional rounds for its release. When IndieWire hopped on the phone with him, he detailed the origins of the film and his love of its music, discussed his...
That film, the 1990 “Cry-Baby,” failed to duplicate the success of its predecessor, but it developed a cult following thanks in no small part to its star Johnny Depp. As such, the film’s popularity has earned it a 4K/Ultra HD reissue via Kino Lorber that will hit shelves May 28.
Waters was so excited about seeing his film receive this specialized treatment that he agreed to make the promotional rounds for its release. When IndieWire hopped on the phone with him, he detailed the origins of the film and his love of its music, discussed his...
- 5/27/2024
- by Will Harris
- Indiewire
Kodak, which had a momentous 2023 with more than 60 movies shot on film has gotten off to a promising start in 2024 with Luca Guadignino’s “Challengers” and Jane Shoenbrun’s “I Saw the TV Glow, which A24 released wide May 17. Upcoming releases include Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” and Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu.”
Meanwhile, Kodak premiered 29 movies shot on film at Cannes. These included Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner, “Anora,” and four other contenders: Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Karim Aïnouz’s “Motel Destino,” and Miguel Gomes’ “Grand Tour.”
Additionally, four movies were featured in Un Certain Regard, and 16 titles across Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week were captured on film. Meanwhile, 16mm film continues to prove its popularity and relevance, with 23 of the on-film titles at the festival choosing it as their capture medium.
This article was first published January 27, 2024. It has been updated.
Cannes 2024 Premieres ‘Kinds...
Meanwhile, Kodak premiered 29 movies shot on film at Cannes. These included Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner, “Anora,” and four other contenders: Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Karim Aïnouz’s “Motel Destino,” and Miguel Gomes’ “Grand Tour.”
Additionally, four movies were featured in Un Certain Regard, and 16 titles across Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week were captured on film. Meanwhile, 16mm film continues to prove its popularity and relevance, with 23 of the on-film titles at the festival choosing it as their capture medium.
This article was first published January 27, 2024. It has been updated.
Cannes 2024 Premieres ‘Kinds...
- 5/27/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Jonathan Frakes has been directing episodes of various “Star Trek” series for the past 34 years, from his first episode behind the camera, “Next Generation” installment “The Offspring,” to the most recent episode of “Star Trek: Discovery.” He is continuity for the franchise that doesn’t quite exist in any other way.
And now, his “Star Trek” directing past is coming back to inform the present. An episode of “Next Gen” he directed in 1993, “The Chase,” is the inspiration for this entire fifth and final season of “Discovery.” A huge plot point from that episode — all of the sentient species in the galaxy were “planned,” billions of years ago, to spring up as they have by a highly advanced prior species called the Progenitors, who seeded the rudiments of their/our DNA on different planets — forms the basis for this 10-episode final run of the show that relaunched the “Star Trek” franchise on TV.
And now, his “Star Trek” directing past is coming back to inform the present. An episode of “Next Gen” he directed in 1993, “The Chase,” is the inspiration for this entire fifth and final season of “Discovery.” A huge plot point from that episode — all of the sentient species in the galaxy were “planned,” billions of years ago, to spring up as they have by a highly advanced prior species called the Progenitors, who seeded the rudiments of their/our DNA on different planets — forms the basis for this 10-episode final run of the show that relaunched the “Star Trek” franchise on TV.
- 5/27/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
[Editor’s note: Spoilers for “The Sympathizer” below.]
Turns out there was a very good reason for Robert Downey Jr. playing multiple roles in A24/HBO’s “The Sympathizer,” which is revealed in the Episode 7 finale. That’s when the versatile actor turns up in a surprising cameo as the Captain’s (Hoa Xuan Nguyen) father — a French Catholic priest, donning a long dark beard — and we learn that his other four character turns are toxic manifestations of the patriarch who disavowed him.
In fact, it’s a revelation to the Captain as well when all of them blend together in his mind as troubling paternal figures during a traumatic flashback. There’s Claude, the pop music-loving CIA operative; Hammer, the gay East Asian studies professor; Ned Godwin, the military vet-turned-congressman; and Niko, the counter-culture film director. They all contribute in a surreal way to the Captain’s identity crisis as a North Vietnamese communist spy and South Vietnamese sympathizer.
Turns out there was a very good reason for Robert Downey Jr. playing multiple roles in A24/HBO’s “The Sympathizer,” which is revealed in the Episode 7 finale. That’s when the versatile actor turns up in a surprising cameo as the Captain’s (Hoa Xuan Nguyen) father — a French Catholic priest, donning a long dark beard — and we learn that his other four character turns are toxic manifestations of the patriarch who disavowed him.
In fact, it’s a revelation to the Captain as well when all of them blend together in his mind as troubling paternal figures during a traumatic flashback. There’s Claude, the pop music-loving CIA operative; Hammer, the gay East Asian studies professor; Ned Godwin, the military vet-turned-congressman; and Niko, the counter-culture film director. They all contribute in a surreal way to the Captain’s identity crisis as a North Vietnamese communist spy and South Vietnamese sympathizer.
- 5/27/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Right from its first scene, ‘Challengers’ features some of the most cinematic and satisfying tennis we’ve seen on the big screen. Director Luca Guadagnino and cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom designed sequences that capture the competition, personal and sexual politics, and drama at play with each serve, volley, and backhand. The scenes are visceral, dynamic, and, at times, sexy.
But there is one particular tennis scene that really stands out, having been heavily discussed online, and proving to be both the film’s love it or hate it bold stroke, as well as the How the hell did they shoot that scene. In a key moment of a match between Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) the camera adopts the point-of-view of the tennis ball — the camera flying, spinning, bouncing, as the ball is smacked back and forth between the two pro’s rackets.
With the film hitting PVOD this holiday weekend,...
But there is one particular tennis scene that really stands out, having been heavily discussed online, and proving to be both the film’s love it or hate it bold stroke, as well as the How the hell did they shoot that scene. In a key moment of a match between Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) the camera adopts the point-of-view of the tennis ball — the camera flying, spinning, bouncing, as the ball is smacked back and forth between the two pro’s rackets.
With the film hitting PVOD this holiday weekend,...
- 5/27/2024
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
The last four years in Hollywood have been a wake-up call for an industry that had spent the previous decade as a boomtown of creative ambition. With the Covid-19 pandemic, production costs increased, theater attendance went down, and the bubble finally burst. Feeling the squeeze, both the writers and actors went on strike last year, and the studios drastically cut spending. Streaming’s entrance into the film and television economy had inexorably altered the way for all parties to make money. A deal did eventually come to pass, one that heavily focused on safeguards surrounding AI.
Speaking to The New York Times for an extensive interview, Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos likened the adjustment to working with AI to how his world-beating streamer handled shifting its business away from DVD rentals. He said, “In periods of radical change in any industry, the legacy players generally have a challenge, which is they...
Speaking to The New York Times for an extensive interview, Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos likened the adjustment to working with AI to how his world-beating streamer handled shifting its business away from DVD rentals. He said, “In periods of radical change in any industry, the legacy players generally have a challenge, which is they...
- 5/26/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Walton Goggins Says Making ‘The White Lotus’ Is ‘Meta on Every Level’: ‘We’re Guests…Playing Guests’
Walton Goggins has been around for a while. His first credited acting roles date back to 1992, when he would’ve only been 21, and his supporting turns on FX’s “The Shield” and “Justified” helped him craft an image that appealed to the likes of big-name directors like Quintin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg. Goggins, now 52, is taking on roles he never would’ve dreamed of, like his standout performance as The Ghoul in Amazon Prime’s television adaptation of the “Fallout” video-game series and an upcoming role in the highly anticipated third season of HBO’s “The White Lotus.” However, in a recent interview with the LA Times, Goggins remembered a time in his career where his success wasn’t looking like a certainty.
“I was talking to my agent,” Goggins said, reflecting on a lull in work, “and asked him, ‘Why is it so hard?’ And he said, ‘It isn’t hard,...
“I was talking to my agent,” Goggins said, reflecting on a lull in work, “and asked him, ‘Why is it so hard?’ And he said, ‘It isn’t hard,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Missing out on making (even more) Oscars history is ancient history to Lily Gladstone.
The “Killers of the Flower Moon” breakout could have been the first Native-American actress to win the Best Actress Academy Award — if not for Emma Stone’s physical and soul-baring turn as Bella Baxter in “Poor Things.” For now, being the first Native-American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award will have to do, but with all the projects and opportunities Gladstone’s got on her plate after “Killers” — including being a recent part of Greta Gerwig’s jury at Cannes — it’s easy to imagine more awards are on the way.
“I mean, regardless of how things turned out, I have work coming out and I have work lined up,” Gladstone said of her Oscar loss in a recent interview with Empire Magazine. “And I have this beautiful film ‘Fancy Dance’ queued up. I...
The “Killers of the Flower Moon” breakout could have been the first Native-American actress to win the Best Actress Academy Award — if not for Emma Stone’s physical and soul-baring turn as Bella Baxter in “Poor Things.” For now, being the first Native-American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award will have to do, but with all the projects and opportunities Gladstone’s got on her plate after “Killers” — including being a recent part of Greta Gerwig’s jury at Cannes — it’s easy to imagine more awards are on the way.
“I mean, regardless of how things turned out, I have work coming out and I have work lined up,” Gladstone said of her Oscar loss in a recent interview with Empire Magazine. “And I have this beautiful film ‘Fancy Dance’ queued up. I...
- 5/26/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
American independent filmmaker Sean Baker was, for us at Filmmaker, the thrilling winner of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or for his forthcoming Neon release, Anora, a comedy about a sex worker, played by Mickey Madison, and her relationship with a Russian oligarch’s son. “This literally has been my singular goal as a filmmaker for the past 30 years,” Baker said on accepting the award from the Greta Gerwig-led jury, “so I’m not really sure what I’m going to do with the rest of my life. But I do know that I will continue to fight for cinema because right […]
The post Watch: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or Acceptance Speech for Anora first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Watch: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or Acceptance Speech for Anora first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/26/2024
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
American independent filmmaker Sean Baker was, for us at Filmmaker, the thrilling winner of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or for his forthcoming Neon release, Anora, a comedy about a sex worker, played by Mickey Madison, and her relationship with a Russian oligarch’s son. “This literally has been my singular goal as a filmmaker for the past 30 years,” Baker said on accepting the award from the Greta Gerwig-led jury, “so I’m not really sure what I’m going to do with the rest of my life. But I do know that I will continue to fight for cinema because right […]
The post Watch: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or Acceptance Speech for Anora first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Watch: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or Acceptance Speech for Anora first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/26/2024
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
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