Principal photography has wrapped on “Think of England,” a satirical WWII drama from BAFTA-nominated writer/director Richard Hawkins.
The newly-announced film is set in the run up to the Allied invasion of France, when two British film projects are commission at the very highest level. For one, Winston Churchill himself insists that Laurence Olivier immediately embark upon a lavish production of Shakespeare’s “Henry V,” securing for him a state-of-the-art, 3-strip Technicolour camera and all of the available film stock.
As the description goes, “Think of England” is the story of the other, following a small and very disparate group of people sent to a remote Orkney island beach and tasked with a top secret mission — the making of pornographic films for the boys at the front. “For who knows how long this war still has to run, and fighting morale — as we learned only too well from the last one — is everything,...
The newly-announced film is set in the run up to the Allied invasion of France, when two British film projects are commission at the very highest level. For one, Winston Churchill himself insists that Laurence Olivier immediately embark upon a lavish production of Shakespeare’s “Henry V,” securing for him a state-of-the-art, 3-strip Technicolour camera and all of the available film stock.
As the description goes, “Think of England” is the story of the other, following a small and very disparate group of people sent to a remote Orkney island beach and tasked with a top secret mission — the making of pornographic films for the boys at the front. “For who knows how long this war still has to run, and fighting morale — as we learned only too well from the last one — is everything,...
- 9/23/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
There's a current Hollywood trend that is wholly disturbing. Many major studios -- but primarily Disney -- have been spending millions of dollars and hiring hundreds of effects technicians, animators, and designers to digitally resurrect dead actors to include in their franchise movies. The film "Alien: Romulus" did this recently, while the movies "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" and "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" hired actors Guy Henry and Bob Gunton to portray characters previously played by the late Peter Cushing and Harold Ramis before digitally altering them to resemble their predecessors. While Cushing's estate and Ramis' family signed off on this, it's still different from a living actor giving their consent to be digitally altered, like Jeff Bridges did for "Tron: Legacy."
The first example of digital grave robbing likely came in 2004 with the release of Kerry Conran's "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow," which featured a digital performance...
The first example of digital grave robbing likely came in 2004 with the release of Kerry Conran's "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow," which featured a digital performance...
- 9/17/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
James Earl Jones’ iconic voice was among his many gifts as a performer. With the actor having died this week at 93, it remains to be seen whether that voice could appear in new projects, particularly from the Star Wars franchise.
One of Jones’ signature roles was providing the voice of Darth Vader, which he originated in 1977’s Star Wars and continued throughout the initial trilogy before reprising the character in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Although Jones was not involved in the 2022 Disney+ series Obi Wan-Kenobi, his voice was used, with Skywalker Sound editor Matthew Wood telling Vanity Fair at the time that the actor had quietly retired from the role but signed over rights to his archival voice work.
Jones made the deal with Ukrainian startup Respeecher, which used AI to cull through audio from his early Darth Vader...
One of Jones’ signature roles was providing the voice of Darth Vader, which he originated in 1977’s Star Wars and continued throughout the initial trilogy before reprising the character in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Although Jones was not involved in the 2022 Disney+ series Obi Wan-Kenobi, his voice was used, with Skywalker Sound editor Matthew Wood telling Vanity Fair at the time that the actor had quietly retired from the role but signed over rights to his archival voice work.
Jones made the deal with Ukrainian startup Respeecher, which used AI to cull through audio from his early Darth Vader...
- 9/13/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski and Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Almost all of the Best Actor winners at this century’s 23 Academy Awards ceremonies have ticked at least one of these two boxes: they were over 40 or portraying a real-life fellow. The only exceptions: Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”) and Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”) who were 36 and 39 respectively when they won for playing fictional characters.
In 2024, Cillian Murphy, 47, won for his portrayal of scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer in the Best Picture champ “Oppenheimer.” He was the sixth Best Actor winner in a decade to prevail for playing a real person after Will Smith (“King Richard”), Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”), Gary Oldman (“The Darkest Hour”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Revenant”), and Eddie Redmayne;. The four to win for fictional parts were Brendan Fraser, Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”), Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker), and Casey Affleck (“Manchester by the Sea”). (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2025 Oscar predictions for Best Actor.)
Just four of these 10 men won on their first nomination: Murphy,...
In 2024, Cillian Murphy, 47, won for his portrayal of scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer in the Best Picture champ “Oppenheimer.” He was the sixth Best Actor winner in a decade to prevail for playing a real person after Will Smith (“King Richard”), Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”), Gary Oldman (“The Darkest Hour”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Revenant”), and Eddie Redmayne;. The four to win for fictional parts were Brendan Fraser, Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”), Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker), and Casey Affleck (“Manchester by the Sea”). (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2025 Oscar predictions for Best Actor.)
Just four of these 10 men won on their first nomination: Murphy,...
- 9/13/2024
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
The vampire subgenre has been at the forefront of horror for over 100 years, and the myths of undead creatures living off of human blood go back countless years further. The best vampire movies ever made are, mostly, incredibly varied. There’s a whole lot of great “Dracula” movies out there, sure, but also art-house nightmares, mainstream action movies, silly comedies, Neo-westerns, heartwarming romances and more. And if you ask us, these are the very, very best.
(Film Arts Guild) “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror” (1922)
F.W. Murnau’s eerie silent classic is 100 years old, and it still has the power to shock and horrify. Telling an extremely plagiarized version of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” – Stoker’s estate successfully sued, and nearly had every single copy of “Nosferatu” destroyed – the film stars Max Schreck as the verminous Count Orlok, who moves from his haunted castle to Germany, and brings a supernatural plague along with him.
(Film Arts Guild) “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror” (1922)
F.W. Murnau’s eerie silent classic is 100 years old, and it still has the power to shock and horrify. Telling an extremely plagiarized version of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” – Stoker’s estate successfully sued, and nearly had every single copy of “Nosferatu” destroyed – the film stars Max Schreck as the verminous Count Orlok, who moves from his haunted castle to Germany, and brings a supernatural plague along with him.
- 9/12/2024
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
“I pursued the glitz for a while. And I don’t regret it. But I know it wasn’t the real thing. It wasn’t the real thing.” This sentiment, which could almost be poetry or song lyrics, is spoken by Edna O’Brien in one of the final interviews she gave, which appears toward the end of director Sinéad O’Shea’s engaging documentary. “Glitz” is if anything an understatement: The film opens with something of a roll-call of O’Brien’s famous friends, showing the celebrated Irish author in her prime rubbing shoulders with the likes of Paul McCartney, Shirley MacLaine, Sean Connery, Jane Fonda, Judy Garland and Laurence Olivier. Indeed, she rubs more than shoulders with some of them: Romantic conquests include Robert Mitchum. Yowza.
After the razzle dazzle prologue to get newcomers interested with the promise of famous faces, the film proper begins, tracing O’Brien’s more humble roots in County Clare,...
After the razzle dazzle prologue to get newcomers interested with the promise of famous faces, the film proper begins, tracing O’Brien’s more humble roots in County Clare,...
- 9/8/2024
- by Catherine Bray
- Variety Film + TV
"Why did this astonishing man end his life exiled from the country he came to define?" Quite a question to ask. Greenwich Ent. has revealed an official US trailer for a UK documentary titled Mad About the Boy: The Noel Coward Story, arriving in the US this October. (Mad About the Boy is also the title of the next Bridget Jones film due out in 2025.) It already opened in the UK last year and is just now making its way to the US for those curious about the story of this enigmatic man. It tells the story of the extraordinary life of playwright, singer, actor, composer, director Noël Coward, who rose from poverty to stardom performing on Broadway and beyond, keeping his queer sexuality a secret. "He defined an era & led an extraordinary life." Featuring Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Frank Sinatra, Michael Caine and Lucille Ball as special guests. With...
- 9/1/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The California state Senate has passed a law that requires consent for the use of dead performers’ likenesses for AI-created digital replicas.
SAG-AFTRA has been among the organizations championing the legislation as a means of helping the estates of deceased performers maintain some control over AI-created fakes and replicas of famous figures. The union was quick to herald the passage of Ab 1836 in a statement after the Senate moved on the bill in an unusual Saturday session.
The passage of Ab 1836, which now awaits the signature of Gov. Gavin Newsom, comes four days after the state Senate passed Ab 2602, which toughens the consent requirements for the use of AI to replicate living performers.
Related Content: SAG-AFTRA Wins Passage of California Bill to Limit AI Replicas
“For those who would use the digital replicas of deceased performers in films, TV shows, videogames, audiobooks, sound recordings and more, without first getting the consent of those performers’ estates,...
SAG-AFTRA has been among the organizations championing the legislation as a means of helping the estates of deceased performers maintain some control over AI-created fakes and replicas of famous figures. The union was quick to herald the passage of Ab 1836 in a statement after the Senate moved on the bill in an unusual Saturday session.
The passage of Ab 1836, which now awaits the signature of Gov. Gavin Newsom, comes four days after the state Senate passed Ab 2602, which toughens the consent requirements for the use of AI to replicate living performers.
Related Content: SAG-AFTRA Wins Passage of California Bill to Limit AI Replicas
“For those who would use the digital replicas of deceased performers in films, TV shows, videogames, audiobooks, sound recordings and more, without first getting the consent of those performers’ estates,...
- 8/31/2024
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
“All you have to do,” says author Shawn Levy, who wrote King of Comedy, the definitive Jerry Lewis biography, is to give the plot summary. “If you just tell people: Jerry Lewis wrote, directed and starred in a drama about a clown in a concentration camp leading children into the gas chambers, people say: ‘What? How have I never heard of this movie, how have I never seen it?’ “
You haven’t seen the film, The Day the Clown Cried. No one has. Jerry Lewis shot it in 1972, but it was never released. And it never will be. It is one of the last white whales of lost cinema, like Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune or Orson Welles’ The Other Side of the Wind, except Jodorowsky never got to shoot a single frame of his Arrakis epic. And Welles’ opus was eventually finished, 48 years later, thanks to Netflix money. It screened...
You haven’t seen the film, The Day the Clown Cried. No one has. Jerry Lewis shot it in 1972, but it was never released. And it never will be. It is one of the last white whales of lost cinema, like Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune or Orson Welles’ The Other Side of the Wind, except Jodorowsky never got to shoot a single frame of his Arrakis epic. And Welles’ opus was eventually finished, 48 years later, thanks to Netflix money. It screened...
- 8/30/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Greenwich Entertainment has acquired U.S. and Canadian distribution rights to “Mad About the Boy – The Noel Coward Story,” an intimate portrait of one of the 20th century’s greatest writers and wits.
Barnaby Thompson produced, wrote and directed the documentary about Coward, using unprecedented access to Coward’s estate. The film is told in his own words and music, using his diaries, photos and home movies, along with archival interviews with Coward and his contemporaries. Alan Cummings narrates and Rupert Everett voices Coward.
Coward was a popular and acclaimed playwright, actor, director, singer, songwriter and novelist. He wrote 60 plays, 500 songs, five screenplays, 14 films adapted from his plays, nine musicals, 300 poems, 21 short stories, two novels and three autobiographies. He also performed in over 70 plays and 12 movies.
But before he achieved fame, he grew up in poverty and left school when he was only nine years old. He was also covertly...
Barnaby Thompson produced, wrote and directed the documentary about Coward, using unprecedented access to Coward’s estate. The film is told in his own words and music, using his diaries, photos and home movies, along with archival interviews with Coward and his contemporaries. Alan Cummings narrates and Rupert Everett voices Coward.
Coward was a popular and acclaimed playwright, actor, director, singer, songwriter and novelist. He wrote 60 plays, 500 songs, five screenplays, 14 films adapted from his plays, nine musicals, 300 poems, 21 short stories, two novels and three autobiographies. He also performed in over 70 plays and 12 movies.
But before he achieved fame, he grew up in poverty and left school when he was only nine years old. He was also covertly...
- 8/29/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Denzel Washington has consistently delivered standout performances — including as a director in recent years! — across his decades-long career. He already has two Oscars to his name and could be on his way to a third Academy Award with his role in Ridley Scott‘s “Gladiator II.”
This follow-up to the 2000 Best Picture champ stars Lucius (Paul Mescal) as Lucius, the grandson of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. Lucius is forced into slavery but resolves to fight as a gladiator under the leadership of power broker Macrinus. And that’s where Washington comes in. The titanic Washington plays Macrinus, who is the mentor figure to Lucius and also opposes the rule of emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn).
We are predicting that Washington will be nominated for Best Supporting Actor alongside Samuel L. Jackson (“The Piano Lesson”), Clarence Maclin (“Sing Sing”), Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”), and Stanley Tucci (“Conclave...
This follow-up to the 2000 Best Picture champ stars Lucius (Paul Mescal) as Lucius, the grandson of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. Lucius is forced into slavery but resolves to fight as a gladiator under the leadership of power broker Macrinus. And that’s where Washington comes in. The titanic Washington plays Macrinus, who is the mentor figure to Lucius and also opposes the rule of emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn).
We are predicting that Washington will be nominated for Best Supporting Actor alongside Samuel L. Jackson (“The Piano Lesson”), Clarence Maclin (“Sing Sing”), Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”), and Stanley Tucci (“Conclave...
- 8/26/2024
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
“Slow Horses” star Gary Oldman is the frontrunner to win Best Drama Actor at the upcoming Emmys. Oldman earned his first and only Oscar six years ago for his portrayal of World War II-era British prime minister Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour.” That win was sandwiched between two other lead bids for “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” (2012) and “Mank” (2021). His sole Emmy nomination to date came in 2001 for his guest appearance in the two-part seventh season finale of “Friends”; he lost to Derek Jacobi (“Frasier”).
On Apple TV+’s “Slow Horses,” which is based on a series of novels by Mick Herron, Oldman plays Jackson Lamb, a particularly uncouth MI5 officer saddled with the responsibility of supervising a group of service rejects. This constitutes his very first regular role on a continuing series and his first live action TV performance at all in over two decades.
Oldman would be the 12th...
On Apple TV+’s “Slow Horses,” which is based on a series of novels by Mick Herron, Oldman plays Jackson Lamb, a particularly uncouth MI5 officer saddled with the responsibility of supervising a group of service rejects. This constitutes his very first regular role on a continuing series and his first live action TV performance at all in over two decades.
Oldman would be the 12th...
- 8/24/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s home has hit the market.
The divorcing duo’s Beverly Hills mansion (some photos embedded below) has been posted on Zillow.
Asking price: $68 million — and that doesn’t include its $1,100-a-day tax bill, as first reported by The New York Post.
Sometimes, when high-end celebrity property gets listed, the reaction is “that much … for that?”
This is not one of those times. The 38,000 square foot house — dubbed Crestview Manor — sits on five acres and is a tasteful stunner with open floor plans, mountain views, a large pool, 12-car garage and rather cool “indoor sports complex” that includes a state-of-the-art gym, boxing ring and pickleball court.
There are also 12 bedrooms and 24 bathrooms — so, yes, two bathrooms per bedroom. So you could use a different bathroom every day for nearly a month if so desired. Only one of the 24 is shown in the Zillow ad and...
The divorcing duo’s Beverly Hills mansion (some photos embedded below) has been posted on Zillow.
Asking price: $68 million — and that doesn’t include its $1,100-a-day tax bill, as first reported by The New York Post.
Sometimes, when high-end celebrity property gets listed, the reaction is “that much … for that?”
This is not one of those times. The 38,000 square foot house — dubbed Crestview Manor — sits on five acres and is a tasteful stunner with open floor plans, mountain views, a large pool, 12-car garage and rather cool “indoor sports complex” that includes a state-of-the-art gym, boxing ring and pickleball court.
There are also 12 bedrooms and 24 bathrooms — so, yes, two bathrooms per bedroom. So you could use a different bathroom every day for nearly a month if so desired. Only one of the 24 is shown in the Zillow ad and...
- 8/23/2024
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Image Source: Warner Bros There’s an exclusive list of Hollywood celebrities who have won both Oscars and Razzies for their acting: Laurence Olivier, Faye Dunaway, Liza Minnelli, Brad Pitt, Marlon Brando, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kevin Kline, Roberto Benigni, Charlton Heston, Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Al Pacino, Eddie Redmayne, Kim Basinger, Jared Leto, Tom Voight, and Halle Berry. But only two of them have actually accepted their Golden Raspberry Awards: Bullock (for 2009’s All About Steve) and Berry, who famously (and sarcastically) called 2004’s Catwoman “a god-awful movie” when she turned up at the Razzies ceremony. These days, even though Catwoman is saddled with an 8% Rotten Tomatoes score, Berry is more charitable when she talks about the movie in interviews. But she says there are several things she would have changed about the film, and she would welcome the opportunity to direct a new Catwoman movie, assuming she was given creative...
- 8/21/2024
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Alfred Hitchcock has long been revered as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time. He also holds the unfortunate distinction of being one of Oscar’s biggest losers, with five Best Director nominations and no wins. Still, who needs an Oscar when you’ve impacted world cinema as significantly as “Hitch” has? Let’s take a look back at 25 of his greatest films, ranked from worst to best.
Known as “the Master of Suspense,” Hitchcock cut his teeth directing silent movies in his native England. With films like “The Lodger” (1927), he gained a reputation for helming tense and stylish psychological thrillers. With the invention of sound came an added element to Hitchcock’s work: a sly sense of humor.
He moved to America in 1940 to direct two films that earned Best Picture nominations: “Foreign Correspondent” and “Rebecca,” which took home the top prize. Hitchcock competed for directing “Rebecca,...
Known as “the Master of Suspense,” Hitchcock cut his teeth directing silent movies in his native England. With films like “The Lodger” (1927), he gained a reputation for helming tense and stylish psychological thrillers. With the invention of sound came an added element to Hitchcock’s work: a sly sense of humor.
He moved to America in 1940 to direct two films that earned Best Picture nominations: “Foreign Correspondent” and “Rebecca,” which took home the top prize. Hitchcock competed for directing “Rebecca,...
- 8/10/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.
First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.
Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.
The Pitch: Otto Preminger Plays New Games in Widescreen
By the discerning standards of IndieWire After Dark, there’s nothing too salacious or gruesome going on in “Bunny Lake Is Missing.” Instead, it’s Otto Preminger’s camera that’s nasty here. This is, first, a gorgeously shot movie, and one that doesn’t just rely on one camera or staging approach to yank us into its mystery and hold us there against our will.
There are plenty of classic Preminger long takes, of course, with the kind of diabolical dolly...
First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.
Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.
The Pitch: Otto Preminger Plays New Games in Widescreen
By the discerning standards of IndieWire After Dark, there’s nothing too salacious or gruesome going on in “Bunny Lake Is Missing.” Instead, it’s Otto Preminger’s camera that’s nasty here. This is, first, a gorgeously shot movie, and one that doesn’t just rely on one camera or staging approach to yank us into its mystery and hold us there against our will.
There are plenty of classic Preminger long takes, of course, with the kind of diabolical dolly...
- 8/3/2024
- by Sarah Shachat and Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
In 1951, “Cyrano de Bergerac” star José Ferrer made history as the first performer to win an Oscar for a role that had already brought him a Tony. What’s more, his successful film acting bid came mere weeks after he received a TV academy notice for playing de Bergerac, thus making him the first person nominated for an Oscar and an Emmy in a single year. Scroll through our photo gallery to find out which other 50 men have since achieved the same feat.
Twenty members of this club triumphed at the Oscars but came up short at the Emmys while another nine did the opposite. The only actor who has ever won both awards in a 12-month span is George C. Scott (1971 – Oscar: “Patton”; Emmy: “The Price”), who, as a dual 1962 nominee, also stands with Peter Falk, Laurence Olivier, Jason Robards, Robin Williams, and Mahershala Ali as one of this list’s six multi-year entrants.
Twenty members of this club triumphed at the Oscars but came up short at the Emmys while another nine did the opposite. The only actor who has ever won both awards in a 12-month span is George C. Scott (1971 – Oscar: “Patton”; Emmy: “The Price”), who, as a dual 1962 nominee, also stands with Peter Falk, Laurence Olivier, Jason Robards, Robin Williams, and Mahershala Ali as one of this list’s six multi-year entrants.
- 8/2/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
In 1951, “Cyrano de Bergerac” star José Ferrer made history as the first performer to win an Oscar for a role that had already brought him a Tony. What’s more, his successful film acting bid came mere weeks after he received a TV academy notice for playing de Bergerac, thus making him the first person nominated for an Oscar and an Emmy in a single year. Scroll through our photo gallery to find out which other 50 men have since achieved the same feat.
Twenty members of this club triumphed at the Oscars but came up short at the Emmys while another nine did the opposite. The only actor who has ever won both awards in a 12-month span is George C. Scott (1971 – Oscar: “Patton”; Emmy: “The Price”), who, as a dual 1962 nominee, also stands with Peter Falk, Laurence Olivier, Jason Robards, Robin Williams, and Mahershala Ali as one of this list’s six multi-year entrants.
Twenty members of this club triumphed at the Oscars but came up short at the Emmys while another nine did the opposite. The only actor who has ever won both awards in a 12-month span is George C. Scott (1971 – Oscar: “Patton”; Emmy: “The Price”), who, as a dual 1962 nominee, also stands with Peter Falk, Laurence Olivier, Jason Robards, Robin Williams, and Mahershala Ali as one of this list’s six multi-year entrants.
- 8/2/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Pat Heywood, the veteran Scottish actress who made her film debut as Olivia Hussey’s nurse and confidant in Franco Zeffirelli’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, has died. She was 92.
Heywood died June 26, the Scottish Daily Mail reported.
During her four-decade career, Heywood portrayed the maid in the manor at the center of Freddie Francis’ horror comedy Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly (1970) and the wife of British serial killer John Christie (Richard Attenborough) in the Richard Fleischer-directed 10 Rillington Place (1971).
Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet (1968), which also starred Leonard Whiting alongside Hussey and featured narration from Laurence Olivier, was a hit at the box office as it introduced a new generation to Shakespearean tragedy. Paul McCartney, Phil Collins and Anjelica Huston had been among those considered for the top roles.
The film won Oscars for cinematography and costumes and was nominated for best picture and director, and Heywood...
Heywood died June 26, the Scottish Daily Mail reported.
During her four-decade career, Heywood portrayed the maid in the manor at the center of Freddie Francis’ horror comedy Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly (1970) and the wife of British serial killer John Christie (Richard Attenborough) in the Richard Fleischer-directed 10 Rillington Place (1971).
Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet (1968), which also starred Leonard Whiting alongside Hussey and featured narration from Laurence Olivier, was a hit at the box office as it introduced a new generation to Shakespearean tragedy. Paul McCartney, Phil Collins and Anjelica Huston had been among those considered for the top roles.
The film won Oscars for cinematography and costumes and was nominated for best picture and director, and Heywood...
- 7/26/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
My World Of Flops is Nathan Rabin’s survey of books, television shows, musical releases, or other forms of entertainment that were financial flops, critical failures, or lack a substantial cult following.In a 2022 interview with Vulture, Golden Raspberries co-founder Maureen Murphy addressed one of the odious organization’s most...
- 7/25/2024
- by Nathan Rabin
- avclub.com
When Hallmark executives spoke at the recent TCA Summer 2024, they focused on the newly branded streaming service Hallmark+. They also discussed the reality shows “with heart.” However, what has not received much coverage is Hallmark’s answer to whether they will bring back the Hall Of Fame Movies.
What did these executives have to say about that?
(L-r) Mike Perry, President and CEO, Hallmark, Lisa Hamilton Daly, Executive Vice President, Programming, Hallmark Media, Darren Abbott, Chief Brand Officer, Hallmark and Emily Powers, Executive Vice President, Streaming and Digital Platforms Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Hallmark Media Will Hallmark Hall Of Fame Movies Return?
At the TCA Summer 2024, Hallmark executives shared big news about the rebranding of the network’s streaming platform. Those executives include President and CEO, Mike Perry, EVP of Programming, Lisa Hamilton Daly, Chief Brand Officer Darren Abott, and EVP Streaming and Digital Platforms Emily Powers.
What did these executives have to say about that?
(L-r) Mike Perry, President and CEO, Hallmark, Lisa Hamilton Daly, Executive Vice President, Programming, Hallmark Media, Darren Abbott, Chief Brand Officer, Hallmark and Emily Powers, Executive Vice President, Streaming and Digital Platforms Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Hallmark Media Will Hallmark Hall Of Fame Movies Return?
At the TCA Summer 2024, Hallmark executives shared big news about the rebranding of the network’s streaming platform. Those executives include President and CEO, Mike Perry, EVP of Programming, Lisa Hamilton Daly, Chief Brand Officer Darren Abott, and EVP Streaming and Digital Platforms Emily Powers.
- 7/23/2024
- by Georgia Makitalo
- TV Shows Ace
Welcome back to Oscars Playback, in which Gold Derby editors and Experts Christopher Rosen and Joyce Eng revisit Oscar ceremonies and winners of yesteryear. This week, we cover the 57th Academy Awards in 1985, honoring the films of 1984.
“Amadeus” topped the night with eight wins from a co-leading 11 nominations (tied with “A Passage to India”). The period drama nabbed Best Picture (the second of three Best Picture wins for producer Saul Zaentz), Best Director for Milos Forman and Best Actor for F. Murray Abaraham, who defeated co-star Tom Hulce. This marked the 12th and last time multiple performers from the same film were nominated for Best Actor.
See Oscars Playback: When ‘Terms of Endearment’ and Shirley MacLaine deserved this
But the ceremony might most be remembered for spawning the oft misquoted line, “You like me! You really like me!” What Sally Field, who won her second Best Actress statuette with “Places in the Heart,...
“Amadeus” topped the night with eight wins from a co-leading 11 nominations (tied with “A Passage to India”). The period drama nabbed Best Picture (the second of three Best Picture wins for producer Saul Zaentz), Best Director for Milos Forman and Best Actor for F. Murray Abaraham, who defeated co-star Tom Hulce. This marked the 12th and last time multiple performers from the same film were nominated for Best Actor.
See Oscars Playback: When ‘Terms of Endearment’ and Shirley MacLaine deserved this
But the ceremony might most be remembered for spawning the oft misquoted line, “You like me! You really like me!” What Sally Field, who won her second Best Actress statuette with “Places in the Heart,...
- 7/23/2024
- by Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
It’s not uncommon for a prominent British actor to be labeled British acting royalty. All types, from Laurence Olivier to Maggie Smith, have worn the label but nobody perhaps has literally worn that title recently to the extent as Helen Mirren. She has had a long varied career and has earned her place as one of the holders of acting’s triple crowns by playing a variety of British monarchs.
Her Oscar came for playing the British Queen Elizabeth II in “The Queen,” which dealt with her reaction to the unexpected death of Princess Diana. She would revisit the role nine years later for a Tony on Broadway in the play “The Audience,” which dealt with Elizabeth’s relationships with the various prime ministers who have served under her. It was a different Queen, Elizabeth I, that would bring Mirren one of her four Emmys, when she starred in...
Her Oscar came for playing the British Queen Elizabeth II in “The Queen,” which dealt with her reaction to the unexpected death of Princess Diana. She would revisit the role nine years later for a Tony on Broadway in the play “The Audience,” which dealt with Elizabeth’s relationships with the various prime ministers who have served under her. It was a different Queen, Elizabeth I, that would bring Mirren one of her four Emmys, when she starred in...
- 7/20/2024
- by Robert Pius, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Yvonne Furneaux, the glamorous actress who had memorable performances in Michelangelo Antonioni’s Le Amiche, Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita and Roman Polanski’s Repulsion, has died. She was 98.
Furneaux died July 5 at her home in North Hampton, New Hampshire, of complications from a stroke, her son, Nicholas Natteau, told The Hollywood Reporter.
She also was the female lead in the Hammer horror film The Mummy (1959), starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Though she considered the project less than ideal, she said she ultimately learned from those actors that “if you don’t take a film like The Mummy seriously and put your heart and soul into it, then you can bring it down,” she explained in Mark A. Miller’s 2010 book, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing and Horror Cinema.
She starred in Italian, French, German and Spanish films during her career.
In Le Amiche (1955), a hit at the...
Furneaux died July 5 at her home in North Hampton, New Hampshire, of complications from a stroke, her son, Nicholas Natteau, told The Hollywood Reporter.
She also was the female lead in the Hammer horror film The Mummy (1959), starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Though she considered the project less than ideal, she said she ultimately learned from those actors that “if you don’t take a film like The Mummy seriously and put your heart and soul into it, then you can bring it down,” she explained in Mark A. Miller’s 2010 book, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing and Horror Cinema.
She starred in Italian, French, German and Spanish films during her career.
In Le Amiche (1955), a hit at the...
- 7/18/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mit „Saltburn“ erhitzte Emerald Fennell durchaus die Gemüter. Die Badewannenszene! Die Grabszene! Die Tanzszene! Nach ihrem knalligen Eat-the-Rich-Szenario mit einem hervorragenden Barry Keoghan soll es nun an die Verfilmung von Emily Brontës „Sturmhöhe“ gehen.
Emerald Fennell (Credit: Imago / Avalon.red)
Um den Exzess der Reichen und einen Außenseiter, der sich wie ein Parasit reinzeckt ging es in „Saltburn“. Damit hat Filmemacherin Emerald Fennell für gehörig Gesprächsstoff gesorgt, die einen haben ihn geliebt, die anderen gehasst. Immer interessant, wenn ein Film so spaltet. Jetzt hat sich die oscargekrönte britische Filmemacherin (bestes Drehbuch für ihr Regiedebüt „Promising Young Woman“) ein neues Projekt ausgesucht: Emily Brontës bereits mehrfach verfilmter Roman „Wuthering Heights“. „Sturmhöhe“, so der deutsche Titel, gilt als ein Klassiker der britischen Romanliteratur des 19. Jahrhunderts. Die Story erzählt von der tragischen Liebe zwischen Catherine, der Tochter des Landbesitzers Mr. Earnshaw, und dem enigmatischen Findelkind Heathcliff. Die erste Verfilmung entstand bereits 1920 als Stummfilm,...
Emerald Fennell (Credit: Imago / Avalon.red)
Um den Exzess der Reichen und einen Außenseiter, der sich wie ein Parasit reinzeckt ging es in „Saltburn“. Damit hat Filmemacherin Emerald Fennell für gehörig Gesprächsstoff gesorgt, die einen haben ihn geliebt, die anderen gehasst. Immer interessant, wenn ein Film so spaltet. Jetzt hat sich die oscargekrönte britische Filmemacherin (bestes Drehbuch für ihr Regiedebüt „Promising Young Woman“) ein neues Projekt ausgesucht: Emily Brontës bereits mehrfach verfilmter Roman „Wuthering Heights“. „Sturmhöhe“, so der deutsche Titel, gilt als ein Klassiker der britischen Romanliteratur des 19. Jahrhunderts. Die Story erzählt von der tragischen Liebe zwischen Catherine, der Tochter des Landbesitzers Mr. Earnshaw, und dem enigmatischen Findelkind Heathcliff. Die erste Verfilmung entstand bereits 1920 als Stummfilm,...
- 7/13/2024
- by Barbara Schuster
- Spot - Media & Film
Emerald Fennell, who wrote and directed Saltburn, had set her next project, an adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel Wuthering Heights.
The novel, which was first published in 1847, deals with “Heathcliff, an orphan-turned-foster-son who falls in love with the daughter of the family who owns the estate on which he now lives, Wuthering Heights. After running away, Heathcliff rises up through the ranks of the gentry and exacts revenge on the families — the Earnshaws and the Lintons — who kept him from his true love.” Although some early reviews didn’t quite know what to make of the novel, it has since been accepted as one of the greatest English-language novels of all time.
Related Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net: Echo, Killers Of The Flower Moon, John Wick, Robocop, Saltburn
Fennell tweeted a logo for the Wuthering Heights movie with the caption, “Be with me always. Take any form.
The novel, which was first published in 1847, deals with “Heathcliff, an orphan-turned-foster-son who falls in love with the daughter of the family who owns the estate on which he now lives, Wuthering Heights. After running away, Heathcliff rises up through the ranks of the gentry and exacts revenge on the families — the Earnshaws and the Lintons — who kept him from his true love.” Although some early reviews didn’t quite know what to make of the novel, it has since been accepted as one of the greatest English-language novels of all time.
Related Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net: Echo, Killers Of The Flower Moon, John Wick, Robocop, Saltburn
Fennell tweeted a logo for the Wuthering Heights movie with the caption, “Be with me always. Take any form.
- 7/12/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Saltburn and Promising Young Woman writer-director Emerald Fennell has teased an adaptation of Wuthering Heights in a post on X that elicited excitable online speculation on Friday.
Fennell posted an image bearing the legends “Be With Me Always. Take Any Form. Drive Me Mad” and “A Film By Emerald Fennell”.
Screen has confirmed Fennell is reuniting with Saltburn collaborator MRC Film on the latest take on Emily Brontë’s mid-19th century gothic tale of obsession and desire involving Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff.
Alison Owen of Monumental Pictures is lining up what is understood to be a separate Wuthering Heights project with Studiocanal.
Fennell posted an image bearing the legends “Be With Me Always. Take Any Form. Drive Me Mad” and “A Film By Emerald Fennell”.
Screen has confirmed Fennell is reuniting with Saltburn collaborator MRC Film on the latest take on Emily Brontë’s mid-19th century gothic tale of obsession and desire involving Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff.
Alison Owen of Monumental Pictures is lining up what is understood to be a separate Wuthering Heights project with Studiocanal.
- 7/12/2024
- ScreenDaily
Saltburn filmmaker Emerald Fennell has set her next film as an adaption of the classic gothic novel Wuthering Heights.
The Emily Brontë book follows Heathcliff, an orphan-turned-foster-son who falls in love with the daughter of the family who owns the estate on which he now lives, Wuthering Heights. After running away, Heathcliff rises up through the ranks of the gentry and exacts revenge on the families — the Earnshaws and the Lintons — who kept him from his true love.
The Brontë novel was previously adapted for the screen in 1939 by William Wyler with Laurence Olivier starring as Heathcliff, again in 1992 by director Peter Kosminsky starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, and in 2011 by Andrea Arnold.
Fennell, whose onscreen work includes The Crown and Barbie, broke out as a filmmaker with her work on the series Killing Eve. She went on to win an Oscar for the screenplay of her first feature film Promising Young Woman,...
The Emily Brontë book follows Heathcliff, an orphan-turned-foster-son who falls in love with the daughter of the family who owns the estate on which he now lives, Wuthering Heights. After running away, Heathcliff rises up through the ranks of the gentry and exacts revenge on the families — the Earnshaws and the Lintons — who kept him from his true love.
The Brontë novel was previously adapted for the screen in 1939 by William Wyler with Laurence Olivier starring as Heathcliff, again in 1992 by director Peter Kosminsky starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, and in 2011 by Andrea Arnold.
Fennell, whose onscreen work includes The Crown and Barbie, broke out as a filmmaker with her work on the series Killing Eve. She went on to win an Oscar for the screenplay of her first feature film Promising Young Woman,...
- 7/12/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Academy Award winner Emerald Fennell looks to have found her next feature project on the heels of Saltburn, as she’s taken to X to tease that she’ll be helming an adaptation of Wuthering Heights, the classic Gothic romance by Emily Brontë.
Sources tell Deadline that the project will reunite Fennell with studio MRC, which was involved with Saltburn in the same capacity. No word on who will star or distribute, but a tagline accompanying a piece of art posted to her official account reads: “Be With Me Always. Take Any Form. Drive Me Mad.” View the post below.
Published by Brontë under the pseudonym Ellis Bell, a year before her death, Wuthering Heights is set in the Yorkshire moors and revolves around the intense and often destructive relationships between two families: the Earnshaws and the Lintons. The narrative is framed by Mr. Lockwood, a tenant at Thrushcross Grange,...
Sources tell Deadline that the project will reunite Fennell with studio MRC, which was involved with Saltburn in the same capacity. No word on who will star or distribute, but a tagline accompanying a piece of art posted to her official account reads: “Be With Me Always. Take Any Form. Drive Me Mad.” View the post below.
Published by Brontë under the pseudonym Ellis Bell, a year before her death, Wuthering Heights is set in the Yorkshire moors and revolves around the intense and often destructive relationships between two families: the Earnshaws and the Lintons. The narrative is framed by Mr. Lockwood, a tenant at Thrushcross Grange,...
- 7/12/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The Yorkshire Moors are about to get freaky.
Emerald Fennell is teasing her own film adaptation of “Wuthering Heights,” the famed 1847 gothic novel by Emily Brontë about two families living in northern England.
The “Saltburn” filmmaker posted about the project on social media, sharing a graphic that reads, “Be with me always – Take any form – Drive me mad,” a line from the novel. Insiders tell Variety that the filmmaker will reteam with MRC, the studio behind her hit “Saltburn.”
pic.twitter.com/NZXNYAm1wZ
— Emerald Fennell (@emeraldfennell) July 12, 2024
There have been a handful of screen adaptations of “Wuthering Heights” throughout the years, including William Wyler’s 1939 film starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon; Robert Fuest’s 1970 movie with Timothy Dalton and Anna Calder-Marshall; and Peter Kosminsky’s 1992 film led by Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche. There have been two TV movies — in 2009 with Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley, and in...
Emerald Fennell is teasing her own film adaptation of “Wuthering Heights,” the famed 1847 gothic novel by Emily Brontë about two families living in northern England.
The “Saltburn” filmmaker posted about the project on social media, sharing a graphic that reads, “Be with me always – Take any form – Drive me mad,” a line from the novel. Insiders tell Variety that the filmmaker will reteam with MRC, the studio behind her hit “Saltburn.”
pic.twitter.com/NZXNYAm1wZ
— Emerald Fennell (@emeraldfennell) July 12, 2024
There have been a handful of screen adaptations of “Wuthering Heights” throughout the years, including William Wyler’s 1939 film starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon; Robert Fuest’s 1970 movie with Timothy Dalton and Anna Calder-Marshall; and Peter Kosminsky’s 1992 film led by Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche. There have been two TV movies — in 2009 with Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley, and in...
- 7/12/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Nicolas Cage isn’t looking to adapt to the rise of artificial intelligence in Hollywood any time soon.
The Oscar winner spoke out against the technology during an interview with “The Orchid Thief” author Susan Orlean for The New Yorker. Orlean’s nonfiction book was the source material for Charlie Kaufman’s meta film “Adaptation,” with Cage portraying screenwriter Kaufman (and his fictional twin brother Donald) and Meryl Streep playing Orlean.
Cage explained to Orlean that, just after the interview, he had to undergo a “scan” for his upcoming Prime Video series “Noir,” in which Cage reprises his animated “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” webslinger role, this time in live-action. He revealed concerns about how that scan of his likeness could ultimately be further manipulated by artificial intelligence technology.
“They have to put me in a computer and match my eye color and change — I don’t know,” Cage said. “They...
The Oscar winner spoke out against the technology during an interview with “The Orchid Thief” author Susan Orlean for The New Yorker. Orlean’s nonfiction book was the source material for Charlie Kaufman’s meta film “Adaptation,” with Cage portraying screenwriter Kaufman (and his fictional twin brother Donald) and Meryl Streep playing Orlean.
Cage explained to Orlean that, just after the interview, he had to undergo a “scan” for his upcoming Prime Video series “Noir,” in which Cage reprises his animated “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” webslinger role, this time in live-action. He revealed concerns about how that scan of his likeness could ultimately be further manipulated by artificial intelligence technology.
“They have to put me in a computer and match my eye color and change — I don’t know,” Cage said. “They...
- 7/8/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
It doesn’t take the Wizard of Oz to recreate Judy Garland’s voice — just AI.
The late, legendary actress is being reintroduced to audiences via AI audio company ElevenLabs, which received permission from Garland’s daughter Liza Minnelli to use her voice in its new “Iconic Voices” option on the Reader App. Users will be able to hear “Garland” read them books, articles, and essays.
“It’s exciting to see our mother’s voice available to the countless millions of people who love her,” Minnelli, who is the representative of Garland’s estate, said in a statement to media. “Through the spectacular new technology offered by ElevenLabs, our family believes that this will bring new fans to Mama, and be exciting to those who already cherish the unparalleled legacy that Mama gave and continues to give to the world.”
Other voices that ElevenLabs has recreated include James Dean, Burt Reynolds,...
The late, legendary actress is being reintroduced to audiences via AI audio company ElevenLabs, which received permission from Garland’s daughter Liza Minnelli to use her voice in its new “Iconic Voices” option on the Reader App. Users will be able to hear “Garland” read them books, articles, and essays.
“It’s exciting to see our mother’s voice available to the countless millions of people who love her,” Minnelli, who is the representative of Garland’s estate, said in a statement to media. “Through the spectacular new technology offered by ElevenLabs, our family believes that this will bring new fans to Mama, and be exciting to those who already cherish the unparalleled legacy that Mama gave and continues to give to the world.”
Other voices that ElevenLabs has recreated include James Dean, Burt Reynolds,...
- 7/3/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Orson Welles first rose to fame with revisionist takes on William Shakespeare’s work, among them a 1937 theatrical production of Julius Caesar set in a fascist state and, a year earlier, Voodoo Macbeth, which relocated the plot of Macbeth to Haiti and featured an entirely black cast. His 1948 film adaptation of the play is similarly faithful in its use of the original text, with the actors going as far as to adopt thick highland brogues. The film likewise transposes Welles’s theatrical experimentations into cinematic terms, existing largely as a showcase for the auteur’s arcane, fussy expressionism, as well as the many cultural quirks borne of a peripatetic life. For example, in the opening scene in which Macbeth (Welles) meets the three witches, they make a facsimile of the lord out of clay, a voodoo-like touch that could be a subtle nod to Welles’s vaunted all-black stage production.
- 7/1/2024
- by Jake Cole
- Slant Magazine
A new season of films celebrates how different directors have found a way to bring Shakespeare’s work forward, from Baz Luhrmann to Derek Jarman
What is the Shakespeare canon if not the ideal treasure trove of IP? Truancy laws mandate that students develop at the very least a passing familiarity with Romeo and Juliet, the highest-brow pop culture artifact nonetheless considered universally common knowledge, and the themes isolated in those lesson plans can be easily mapped onto present-day scenarios: the heedless forbidden passions of Romeo and Juliet, the topsy-turvy crushes of Twelfth Night, the power struggles of Hamlet, Macbeth, and Lear. Best of all, as far as Hollywood types are concerned, it’s all open-source mythology in the public domain, the sweet spot of brand recognition nobody has to pay for.
And yet since the decline of the studio system’s golden age, there hasn’t been much of...
What is the Shakespeare canon if not the ideal treasure trove of IP? Truancy laws mandate that students develop at the very least a passing familiarity with Romeo and Juliet, the highest-brow pop culture artifact nonetheless considered universally common knowledge, and the themes isolated in those lesson plans can be easily mapped onto present-day scenarios: the heedless forbidden passions of Romeo and Juliet, the topsy-turvy crushes of Twelfth Night, the power struggles of Hamlet, Macbeth, and Lear. Best of all, as far as Hollywood types are concerned, it’s all open-source mythology in the public domain, the sweet spot of brand recognition nobody has to pay for.
And yet since the decline of the studio system’s golden age, there hasn’t been much of...
- 7/1/2024
- by Charles Bramesco
- The Guardian - Film News
In September 2021, Olivia Colman bagged her first career Emmy for “The Crown” despite having failed on her Oscar bid for “The Father” five months earlier. This made her the 16th performer to triumph at the Emmys after going home empty-handed at the same year’s Oscars and the fourth to do so during the 21st century. The release of the 2024 Emmy nominations ballots confirmed that nine of the 16 actors who lost at the latest Oscars ceremony are capable of joining Colman on said list.
Gold Derby’s current Emmy odds indicate that the man and woman with the best hopes of following in Colman’s footsteps are Ryan Gosling and Jodie Foster, who just earned their respective third and fifth Academy Award notices for their supporting turns in “Barbie” and “Nyad.” They are now generally expected to share in the experience of being first-time acting Emmy nominees thanks to his...
Gold Derby’s current Emmy odds indicate that the man and woman with the best hopes of following in Colman’s footsteps are Ryan Gosling and Jodie Foster, who just earned their respective third and fifth Academy Award notices for their supporting turns in “Barbie” and “Nyad.” They are now generally expected to share in the experience of being first-time acting Emmy nominees thanks to his...
- 6/20/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
The musical “Hell’s Kitchen” and the drama “Stereophonic” are leading the nominations with 13 followed closely by the musical “The Outsiders” with 12 for the 77th annual Tony Awards which will be telecast live from Lincoln Center June 16 on Pluto and CBS. The ceremony hosted for the third consecutive year by Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose will also hand out several special Tony Awards.
Two powerhouse directors (and previous Tony winners), George C. Wolfe and Jack O’Brien, are set to receive special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. Other special honors will go to sound designer Abe Jacobs, Alex Edelman for his one-man show “Just for Us,” and Nikiya Mathis for her hair and wig design for the Tony nominated “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.” Among those receiving Tonys for excellence in the theater are the Dramatist Guild Foundation, the Samuel J. Friedman Heath Center for the Performing Arts and the Wilma Theater.
Two powerhouse directors (and previous Tony winners), George C. Wolfe and Jack O’Brien, are set to receive special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. Other special honors will go to sound designer Abe Jacobs, Alex Edelman for his one-man show “Just for Us,” and Nikiya Mathis for her hair and wig design for the Tony nominated “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.” Among those receiving Tonys for excellence in the theater are the Dramatist Guild Foundation, the Samuel J. Friedman Heath Center for the Performing Arts and the Wilma Theater.
- 6/11/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
This article contains multitudes of Hit Man spoilers.
The words “true story” are always a curious thing to see at the beginning of a film. Sometimes the term is applied to sober-eyed dramas that seek to convince you they’re nearly documentaries. Think of your Spotlights and All the President’s Mens. More often than not though, the phrase is used as a marketing gimmick for stories where the word “truth” is an abstraction. Think Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Which is what makes another Texan director’s latest indie effort, the beguiling Hit Man now on Netflix, so amusingly slippery. Richard Linklater and Glen Powell’s comedy is indeed based on a “true story,” as they promise at the start. And during the end credits, the film has the photographs to prove it: Gary Johnson was a real man who helped assist in the conviction of dozens of...
The words “true story” are always a curious thing to see at the beginning of a film. Sometimes the term is applied to sober-eyed dramas that seek to convince you they’re nearly documentaries. Think of your Spotlights and All the President’s Mens. More often than not though, the phrase is used as a marketing gimmick for stories where the word “truth” is an abstraction. Think Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Which is what makes another Texan director’s latest indie effort, the beguiling Hit Man now on Netflix, so amusingly slippery. Richard Linklater and Glen Powell’s comedy is indeed based on a “true story,” as they promise at the start. And during the end credits, the film has the photographs to prove it: Gary Johnson was a real man who helped assist in the conviction of dozens of...
- 6/7/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Flip through the pages of (or, because it’s 2024, click on) the October 2001 issue of Texas Monthly, and you’ll find an article by Skip Hollandsworth about a Houston man named Gary Johnson. He is described as being in his mid-fifties, “tall but not too tall, thin but not too thin…[who] sometimes wears wire-rimmed glasses that give him a scholarly appearance.” Gary teaches a few classes at a local junior college. Mostly, however, he pretends to be a professional killer for the police department when they want to set up...
- 6/5/2024
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
She was on the cover of Time magazine in her teens, and decades later the acclaimed actor is having another big moment. She discusses Feud, A Man in Full and the highs and lows of Hollywood
In those final fading years of the New York socialites, Diane Lane was a teenager and already an actor. It was Manhattan in the 70s, and she had glimpses into the world of high society insiders such as Babe Paley and Cz Guest – women the writer Truman Capote “collected” and then betrayed, as depicted in the Disney Plus series Feud: Capote vs The Swans. Lane, who plays queen bee Slim Keith, remembers occasionally coming into these women’s orbits.
“I met Lee Radziwill on several occasions,” she says, of the sister of Jackie Kennedy and another of Capote’s “swans”. “I was a young person and she was not, but I distinctly remember what...
In those final fading years of the New York socialites, Diane Lane was a teenager and already an actor. It was Manhattan in the 70s, and she had glimpses into the world of high society insiders such as Babe Paley and Cz Guest – women the writer Truman Capote “collected” and then betrayed, as depicted in the Disney Plus series Feud: Capote vs The Swans. Lane, who plays queen bee Slim Keith, remembers occasionally coming into these women’s orbits.
“I met Lee Radziwill on several occasions,” she says, of the sister of Jackie Kennedy and another of Capote’s “swans”. “I was a young person and she was not, but I distinctly remember what...
- 6/3/2024
- by Emine Saner
- The Guardian - Film News
Laurence Olivier was an Oscar-winning thespian best remembered for his psychologically intense Shakespeare adaptations, both as an actor and a director. Yet his filmography extends well past the Bard’s work. Let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1907 in Surrey, England, Olivier first came to prominence on the British stage. A series of acclaimed theatrical performances, most notably in Noel Coward‘s “Private Lives,” caught the attention of filmmakers both in the UK and the US.
He earned his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor for William Wyler‘s “Wuthering Heights” (1939), competing the very next year for Alfred Hitchcock‘s “Rebecca” (1940). Having firmly established himself as a formidable talent in front of the camera, he stepped behind it to great success with “Henry V”, the first of three films he would direct and star in based on the works of William Shakespeare.
Born in 1907 in Surrey, England, Olivier first came to prominence on the British stage. A series of acclaimed theatrical performances, most notably in Noel Coward‘s “Private Lives,” caught the attention of filmmakers both in the UK and the US.
He earned his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor for William Wyler‘s “Wuthering Heights” (1939), competing the very next year for Alfred Hitchcock‘s “Rebecca” (1940). Having firmly established himself as a formidable talent in front of the camera, he stepped behind it to great success with “Henry V”, the first of three films he would direct and star in based on the works of William Shakespeare.
- 5/18/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Al Pacino in the role of Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s epic crime drama The Godfather. However, Coppola went out of his way to cast the actor after Paramount wanted a Marvel star in the role of Michael. Interestingly, Al Pacino, a newcomer at the time, had a different role in mind. He eyed the role of the hot-headed Sonny Corleone, which later went to James Caan.
Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in a still from The Godfather
The studio was also against Coppola’s choice of Marlon Brando for the role of Vito Corleone. They initially considered Laurence Olivier for the role but once he became unavailable, Coppola and Paramount entered a months-long debate on casting Brando.
Al Pacino Wanted To Play A Different Character In The Godfather
Al Pacino initially wanted to play the role of Sonny Corleone...
Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in a still from The Godfather
The studio was also against Coppola’s choice of Marlon Brando for the role of Vito Corleone. They initially considered Laurence Olivier for the role but once he became unavailable, Coppola and Paramount entered a months-long debate on casting Brando.
Al Pacino Wanted To Play A Different Character In The Godfather
Al Pacino initially wanted to play the role of Sonny Corleone...
- 5/15/2024
- by Hashim Asraff
- FandomWire
Sir Anthony Hopkins won the Oscar in 2020 and received his sixth Academy Award nomination for “The Father.” With his impressive body of work, it’s somewhat stunning to realize he was 54 years old before he became a household name.
Hopkins was born on New Year’s Eve in 1937 to working-class parents in Wales. He was inspired by fellow Welsh actor Richard Burton to study drama. Young Hopkins found success in theater, eventually becoming an understudy for Laurence Olivier, successfully taking over when Olivier became ill. Although his career was thriving in the theater, Hopkins decided to try his luck in television and films, and soon received his break in 1968 playing Richard the Lionheart in “The Lion in Winter.” Hopkins worked steadily on both the small and big screens, often receiving praise for his work. However, it was over 20 years before he became one of the most recognized actors in the...
Hopkins was born on New Year’s Eve in 1937 to working-class parents in Wales. He was inspired by fellow Welsh actor Richard Burton to study drama. Young Hopkins found success in theater, eventually becoming an understudy for Laurence Olivier, successfully taking over when Olivier became ill. Although his career was thriving in the theater, Hopkins decided to try his luck in television and films, and soon received his break in 1968 playing Richard the Lionheart in “The Lion in Winter.” Hopkins worked steadily on both the small and big screens, often receiving praise for his work. However, it was over 20 years before he became one of the most recognized actors in the...
- 5/7/2024
- by Susan Pennington, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Synopsis: As an intimate portrait of William Shatner’s personal journey across nine decades of a boldly lived and fully realized life, William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill strips away all the masks he has worn during his storied career to reveal the man behind it all.
Review: William Shatner is a legendary actor better known for his iconic performance as Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek television series and films. He holds a unique place in Hollywood history. A fan favorite for over sixty years with a career on stage and screen as a writer and singer, and having traveled to space, Shatner’s legacy has built him a dedicated fanbase worldwide. Having written memoirs and shared his life story in many forms of media, You Can Call Me Bill is a unique documentary that does not follow the conventional format we have come to...
Review: William Shatner is a legendary actor better known for his iconic performance as Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek television series and films. He holds a unique place in Hollywood history. A fan favorite for over sixty years with a career on stage and screen as a writer and singer, and having traveled to space, Shatner’s legacy has built him a dedicated fanbase worldwide. Having written memoirs and shared his life story in many forms of media, You Can Call Me Bill is a unique documentary that does not follow the conventional format we have come to...
- 4/25/2024
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Update: After “Homeland’s” David Harewood told The Guardian that actors should be able to “Black up” for roles, but warned “it’d better be fucking good,” the actor clarified in a statement to Variety, “I don’t support or condone Blackface. My own documentary on the subject can be found on the BBC website. It is a grotesque distortion of race and should always be condemned.”
Previously: Speaking to The Guardian, Harewood, who also serves as president of prestigious British drama school the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, said: “We’re at this strange point in the profession where people go: ‘Oh, you can’t play that role because you’re not disabled, or you can’t play that because you’re not really from there.’ The name of the game is acting.”
He added, “Yes, we’ve got to be representative, but I do think we have to be careful.
Previously: Speaking to The Guardian, Harewood, who also serves as president of prestigious British drama school the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, said: “We’re at this strange point in the profession where people go: ‘Oh, you can’t play that role because you’re not disabled, or you can’t play that because you’re not really from there.’ The name of the game is acting.”
He added, “Yes, we’ve got to be representative, but I do think we have to be careful.
- 4/23/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Succession star Sarah Snook and singer-actress Nicole Scherzinger were among the big winners at the 2024 Olivier Awards, which were revealed this evening at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Scroll down for the full list of winners.
Snook picked up the Best Actress gong for her multi-character performance in the Sydney Theatre Company’s version of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. The play also picked up Best Costume Design for Marg Horwell. Scherzinger landed Best Actress in a Musical for her turn as Norma Desmond in the recent revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway-bound Sunset Boulevard.
Elsewhere, the Best Director award went to Jamie Lloyd for the Savoy Theatre production of Sunset Boulevard while Vanya starring Andrew Scott landed Best Revival. Mark Gatiss won Best Actor for The Motive and the Cue. Will Close nabbed Best Supporting Actor for his role in the National Theatre’s...
Snook picked up the Best Actress gong for her multi-character performance in the Sydney Theatre Company’s version of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. The play also picked up Best Costume Design for Marg Horwell. Scherzinger landed Best Actress in a Musical for her turn as Norma Desmond in the recent revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway-bound Sunset Boulevard.
Elsewhere, the Best Director award went to Jamie Lloyd for the Savoy Theatre production of Sunset Boulevard while Vanya starring Andrew Scott landed Best Revival. Mark Gatiss won Best Actor for The Motive and the Cue. Will Close nabbed Best Supporting Actor for his role in the National Theatre’s...
- 4/14/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye and Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
The Olivier Awards will be available to stream on Britbox this year, alongside its regular UK broadcast on ITV1. The Olivier Awards will take place on Sunday, April 14, and will be available to American and Canadian audiences on SVOD service Britbox on the same day. Australian audiences will have access to the stream from Monday, April 15.
Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham is set to return as host to the Royal Albert Hall this year, and will be joined by a starry lineup of presenters including Edward Enninful, Brian Cox, and Cara Delevingne.
The past year saw a record-breaking number of new plays on British stages, and the nominees reflect a significant crossover between the screen and the stage. Hollywood stars nominated this year include first-time Olivier nominee Sarah Jessica Parker for Plaza Suite, James Norton for A Little Life, and Nicole Scherzinger for Sunset Boulevard.
Sunday’s ceremony will see performances...
Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham is set to return as host to the Royal Albert Hall this year, and will be joined by a starry lineup of presenters including Edward Enninful, Brian Cox, and Cara Delevingne.
The past year saw a record-breaking number of new plays on British stages, and the nominees reflect a significant crossover between the screen and the stage. Hollywood stars nominated this year include first-time Olivier nominee Sarah Jessica Parker for Plaza Suite, James Norton for A Little Life, and Nicole Scherzinger for Sunset Boulevard.
Sunday’s ceremony will see performances...
- 4/12/2024
- by Hannah Abraham
- Deadline Film + TV
Billy Dee Williams is sharing his thoughts on actors wearing blackface.
If you didn’t know, blackface is the practice of non-black performers using black makeup to portray a caricature of black people on stage or on film.
In a new interview, the 87-year-old Star Wars actor looked back at the late English actor Laurence Olivier wearing blackface in the 1965 movie adaption of Othello.
Keep reading to find out more…“When he did Othello, I fell out laughing,” Billy recalled on the Club Random with Bill Maher podcast.
“He stuck his ass out and walked around because Black people are supposed to have big asses…I fell out laughing,” he added.
“And Bradley Cooper thinks he’s got a problem with the nose,” host Bill Maher noted of Bradley Cooper wearing a prosthetic nose to portray composer Leonard Bernstein in Maestro.
“I thought it was hysterical,” Billy chimed in. “I love that kind of stuff.
If you didn’t know, blackface is the practice of non-black performers using black makeup to portray a caricature of black people on stage or on film.
In a new interview, the 87-year-old Star Wars actor looked back at the late English actor Laurence Olivier wearing blackface in the 1965 movie adaption of Othello.
Keep reading to find out more…“When he did Othello, I fell out laughing,” Billy recalled on the Club Random with Bill Maher podcast.
“He stuck his ass out and walked around because Black people are supposed to have big asses…I fell out laughing,” he added.
“And Bradley Cooper thinks he’s got a problem with the nose,” host Bill Maher noted of Bradley Cooper wearing a prosthetic nose to portray composer Leonard Bernstein in Maestro.
“I thought it was hysterical,” Billy chimed in. “I love that kind of stuff.
- 4/11/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Since cinema is more than a hundred years old today, there naturally have been changes in the trends and culture as well as the lives of films and film stars in the industry, the most revolutionary in modern times being none other than Robert Downey Jr. with his successful run of the MCU.
But even before his fame and popularity soared in the stratosphere with Marvel Studios, the star wasn’t afraid of taking big risks in hopes of huge returns on them.
Robert Downey Jr. in a still from Iron Man 2
One of the most iconic roles of his life also happened to be a high-risk one, where the star went blackface for his 2008 comedy film Tropic Thunder. While this decision was indeed controversial, actor Billy Dee Williams feels like anyone should be able to express their creative ideas on screen, referring to another star who wore blackface in the past.
But even before his fame and popularity soared in the stratosphere with Marvel Studios, the star wasn’t afraid of taking big risks in hopes of huge returns on them.
Robert Downey Jr. in a still from Iron Man 2
One of the most iconic roles of his life also happened to be a high-risk one, where the star went blackface for his 2008 comedy film Tropic Thunder. While this decision was indeed controversial, actor Billy Dee Williams feels like anyone should be able to express their creative ideas on screen, referring to another star who wore blackface in the past.
- 4/9/2024
- by Deepak Bisht
- FandomWire
Actor Billy Dee Williams has come out in support of performers wearing ‘blackface’, as he believes actors should be able to perform in blackface. In a new episode of Bill Maher’s ‘Club Random’ podcast, the ‘Star Wars’ actor recalled watching Laurence Olivier in 1965’s ‘Othello’, where Olivier wore blackface to portray the title role.
“When he did ‘Othello’, I fell out laughing,” Williams said.
“He stuck his a** out and walked around, you know, because Black people are supposed to have big a***s. I thought it was hysterical. I loved it,” Williams added, reports variety.com.
“I love that kind of stuff.”
The podcast host asked, “Today, they would never let you do that,” to which Williams replied, “Why?”
“Blackface?” Maher questioned in a tone of surprise.
The actor said: “Why not? You should do it. If you’re an actor, you should do anything you want to do.
“When he did ‘Othello’, I fell out laughing,” Williams said.
“He stuck his a** out and walked around, you know, because Black people are supposed to have big a***s. I thought it was hysterical. I loved it,” Williams added, reports variety.com.
“I love that kind of stuff.”
The podcast host asked, “Today, they would never let you do that,” to which Williams replied, “Why?”
“Blackface?” Maher questioned in a tone of surprise.
The actor said: “Why not? You should do it. If you’re an actor, you should do anything you want to do.
- 4/9/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Star Wars actor says he believes actors should be free to ‘do anything you want to do’, in a discussion about Laurence Olivier’s performance in Othello
Billy Dee Williams has said that actors should be able to perform in blackface, with the Star Wars actor revealing that he believes, “If you’re an actor, you should do anything you want to do”.
Speaking to Bill Maher on the Club Random podcast, the 87-year-old actor recalled laughing while watching the 1965 film Othello, where the titular character played by Laurence Olivier is in blackface. Williams said he thought the performance was “really interesting”.
Billy Dee Williams has said that actors should be able to perform in blackface, with the Star Wars actor revealing that he believes, “If you’re an actor, you should do anything you want to do”.
Speaking to Bill Maher on the Club Random podcast, the 87-year-old actor recalled laughing while watching the 1965 film Othello, where the titular character played by Laurence Olivier is in blackface. Williams said he thought the performance was “really interesting”.
- 4/9/2024
- by Sian Cain
- The Guardian - Film News
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