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The presents are piling in at Paramount+!

The streamer is celebrating the season of giving this December and is filling up its library with plenty of new goodies, from Christmas classics like “Frosty Returns” to the premiere of the crime thriller film “Finestkind,” starring Ben Foster, Toby Wallace, and Jenna Ortega.

Plus, rock around the Christmas tree (or just around the clock) with multiple big bashes, including the 101st National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, The 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, and New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash.

Check out The Streamable’s top picks for what’s new this month on Paramount+, and check out the full list of films, series, and sports coming to the platform in December!

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What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Paramount+ in December 2023? “Jules” | Monday,...

"Jules" is a new science fiction comedy feature directed by Marc Turtletaub, starring Ben Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris, Zoë Winters, Jade Quon and Jane Curtin, now streaming on AppleTV:

"...'Milton Robinson' is a widower living on his own. He frequently attends city council meetings and receives help from his daughter. One day, a 'UFO' lands in his backyard and a small humanoid alien crawls out. He attempts to get help, calling the police and his daughter, and bringing it up at the city council meeting but is brushed off as senile. 

" Milton brings the alien, who is uncommunicative, inside and treats him as a guest, providing the alien with a tray of assorted food but discovering that the alien only drinks water and eats apples. 'Sandy', an acquaintance, stops by and discovers the alien, telling Milton that they should keep it a secret for its own safety. 'Joyce',...

As if all the alien talk in the real world wasn’t enough, Mark Turtletaub’s Jules is going to make you want to have a little alien crash into your own backyard. The independent film starring Ben Kingsley, Jane Curtin, and Harriet Sansom Harris in pivotal roles is one that touches upon some difficult themes in a rather amusing manner. There are many moments of genuine, jaw-splitting laughter in this film that came as a complete surprise to me. Of course, without the Hollywood pomp and glamour, nobody would’ve heard about this little indie, but this film is better than many extraterrestrial experiments. Most importantly, even with such an extraordinary premise, it’s a very ordinary tale of loneliness and aging.

Jules follows an old man named Milton from a small town. Every week during the council meetings, Milton makes the same suggestions regarding the town slogan and...

Releases keep coming but talent is not comfortable promoting films, even indies, even if productions have waivers or don’t need them. Where that’s leading isn’t clear. “Who’s going to take the plunge first? We’ll see. The festivals will be the big test,” said one independent distribution exec.

From a moderate release like Jules, in nearly 800 theaters, to Sundance-premiering The Pod Generation, starring Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor on 100 screens, to French film Between Two Worlds with Juliette Binoche, opening on two screens this weekend, stars were not comfortable stepping out amid strikes. The WGA and AMPTP resume bargaining today for the first time in over three months. SAG-AFTRA remains in a standoff with studios over deteriorating pay and working conditions for its members.

“We got an interim agreement because [Jules] is an independent film. And yet, I think the actors…even within the interim agreement,...

(L-r) Jane Curtin as Joyce, Harriet Harris as Sandy, Ben Kingsley as Milton and Jade Quon as Jules, in Jules. Courtesy of Bleecker Street

A reclusive older man (Ben Kingsley), who has built his small-town daily routine around complaints about pedestrian safety at the town council meetings, has his routine upended when a flying saucer lands in his backyard, in director Marc Turtletaub’s dramedy Jules. Although sci fi is part of the premise, the real focus and strength of this whimsical, warm comedy Jules is an exploration of friendship in late life and aging generally, and the fine acting ensemble of Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris and Jane Curtin.

Milton (Kingsley) is more upset that the flying saucer took out his flower garden than he is surprised to find a spaceship in his backyard. With get-off-my-grass outrage, he calls the authorities to report the spaceship but gets the real world response you would expect: disbelief.

“Jules” is a new science fiction comedy feature directed by Marc Turtletaub, starring Ben Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris, Zoë Winters, Jade Quon and Jane Curtin , releasing August 11, 2023 in theaters:

“…a man's quiet life gets upended when a ‘UFO’ crashes in his backyard in rural Pennsylvania.

“As he befriends the mysterious extraterrestrial, things start to get complicated when two neighbors discover it and the government quickly closes in…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

To watch Marc Turtletaub’s “Jules” — a middlebrow dramedy starring Ben Kingsley as a widowed, half-senile eccentric so desperate for someone to care about him that he casually befriends the alien who crashes into his backyard — is to be reminded that truly strange movies have become hard to find. These days, a film this unusual is about as rare as a call from Milton’s estranged son, who hasn’t phoned home in several years.

Not that “Jules” would seem all that bizarre just by looking at it. On the contrary, this modest late summer whatsit looks and feels just like a million other milquetoast charmers aimed at audiences of a certain age, what with its reassuringly nice score and endless array of conflict-avoidant medium shots. The difference here is that those medium shots feature Sir Ben Kingsley sitting on a couch next to a silent and seemingly naked extraterrestrial...

If it’s true that youth is wasted on the young, then so are friendly aliens.

Sure, the kids in E.T. had a great time with their pint-sized buddy from another planet, and so have countless other children in family-themed sci-fi films over the years. But it’s about time that seniors get in on the fun, and there’s plenty of it in Marc Turtletaub’s whimsical sci-fi dramedy that’s as much about the burdens and loneliness of old age as it is about extraterrestrial bonding. Featuring sterling performances from an uncharacteristically underplaying Ben Kingsley alongside Harriet Sansom Harris and Jane Curtin, Jules emerges as a low-key delight.

Set in the sort of western Pennsylvanian town that has clearly seen better days, the story revolves around 78-year-old Milton (Kingsley), who lives alone and whose early signs of dementia are made evident by his repeated verbatim requests at...

Jules director Marc Turtletaub with Anne-Katrin Titze on Ben Kingsley: “This is not a way we’ve ever seen Sir Ben before.”

Marc Turtletaub’s otherworldly Jules, written by Gavin Steckler, shot by Christopher Norr and scored by Volker Bertelmann (Oscar for Best Original Score of Edward Berger’s All Quiet On The Western Front), stars Ben Kingsley with Harriet Sansom Harris, Jane Curtin, Zoë Winters, and Jade Quon as the title character. The first time I spoke with Marc Turtletaub he was with Kelly Macdonald, star of his Puzzle (screenplay co-written by Oren Moverman) at Sony Pictures Classics. His producer credits include Jeff Nichols’ Loving (based in part on Nancy Buirski's The Loving Story), Marielle Heller’s A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, Davy Rothbart’s 17 Blocks, as executive producer Robin Wright’s Land, and an Oscar nomination for Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton’s Little Miss Sunshine.

Ben Kingsley, who likes to go to extremes, has played his share of frowningly overcivilized repressed geeks and also his share of seething walking-id maniacs. But for all of Kingsley’s dexterous light-and-dark range, it’s still rare to see him take on a character as painfully mild as Milton, the small-town codger he plays in “Jules.”

Milton, who is 78, lives by himself in a handsome dark-shingled house in Boonton, Penn. In the opening scene, he takes one of his long slow walks through town, then stands up at the open-mic forum in front of the Boonton city council, where he suggests changing the town motto from “A great place to call home” to “A great place to refer to as home.” He’s that kind of harmless eccentric fuddy-duddy with maybe a screw or two coming loose. The following week, he attends another city council meeting, where he stands...

Bleecker Street has dropped the new trailer for their upcoming sci-fi comedy Jules. The film stars Ben Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris (Licorice Pizza), Jane Curtin, Zoe Winters (“Succession”) and Jade Quon (a Hollywood stuntwoman).

Directed by Marc Turtletaub (Puzzle), Jules stars Kingsley as Milton, a man who lives a quiet life of routine in a small western Pennsylvania town, but finds his day upended when a UFO and its extra-terrestrial passenger crash land in his backyard. Before long, Milton develops a close relationship with the extra-terrestrial he calls “Jules.” Things become complicated when two neighbors (Samson Harris and Curtin) discover Jules and the government quickly closes in. What follows is a funny, wildly inventive ride as the three neighbors find meaning and connection later in life – thanks to this unlikely stranger.

Jules had its world premiere at the 2023 Sonoma International Film Festival, where it was the opening night film and...

"You've seen the movies, you know what happens to these guys when they fall to Earth." Bleecker Street has revealed the first official trailer for Jules, a sci-fi indie comedy from filmmaker Marc Turtletaub, best known for his charming film Puzzle from a few years ago. This recently premiered at the Sonoma Film Festival and will be playing in theaters nationwide starting in August before the summer is over. An unusual and unexpected visitor brings together several people living in a small town in rural Western Pennsylvania. A lonely older man befriends a mute alien visitor. Described as "a funny, wildly inventive ride as the three neighbors find meaning and connection later in life - thanks to this unlikely stranger." The film stars Ben Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris, Zoe Winters, Jane Curtin, Donald Paul, Jeff Kim, with Jade Quon as Jules. This looks surprisingly charming, with a cute lil' blue man alien in it.

Bleecker Street has acquired the North American rights to the Ben Kingsley-led sci-fi comedy Jules.

Director Marc Turtletaub’s pic, which debuted and won the Stolman Audience Award for best feature at the Sonoma Film Festival, will get an exclusive release in theaters on Aug. 11.

Jules follows Milton, played by Kingsley, who lives a quiet life but finds his day upended when a UFO and its extra-terrestrial passenger crash land in his backyard. Before long, Milton develops a close relationship with the extra-terrestrial he calls Jules, and life become complicated when two neighbors discover Jules and the government quickly closes in.

Jules culminates with the three neighbors finding meaning and connection later in life, thanks to the unlikely stranger they meet. The film also stars Harriet Sansom Harris, Zoe Winters, Jade Quon and Jane Curtin.

Written by Gavin Steckler, Jules is produced by Debbie Liebling, Andy Daly and Michael B. Clark.

Bleecker Street has acquired the North American rights to “Jules” from director Marc Turtletaub (“Puzzle”) and starring Ben Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris, Zoe Winters, Jade Quon and Jane Curtin.

Written by Gavin Steckler (“Review”), “Jules” made its world premiere at this year’s Sonoma International Film Festival where it was the opening night film and won the Stolman Audience Award for Best Feature. Bleecker Street will release the film in theaters on August 11.

“Jules” follows Milton (Kingsley) who lives a quiet life of routine in a small western Pennsylvania town, but finds his day upended when a UFO and its extra-terrestrial passenger crash land in his backyard. Before long, Milton develops a close relationship with the extra-terrestrial he calls “Jules.”

However, things become complicated when two neighbors (Harris and Curtin) discover Jules and the government quickly closes in. What follows is a funny, wildly inventive ride as the three neighbors...

Exclusive theatrical release set for August 11.

Bleecker Street has acquired North American rights to Marc Turtletaub’s sci-fi comedy Jules starring Ben Kingsley and has set an August 11 exclusive theatrical release.

The film follows Milton (Kingsley) whose quiet life in a small western Pennsylvania town is upended when a UFO and its alien passenger crashes land in his backyard.

Milton develops a close relationship with the extra-terrestrial, whom he calls Jules, and things get complicated when two neighbours discover Jules and the government starts to close in. Harriet Sansom Harris, Zoe Winters, Jade Quon, and Jane Curtin star.

Gavin Steckler...

Bleecker Street has picked up North American rights to the sci-fi comedy Jules, starring Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley (Gandhi), Emmy nominee Harriet Sansom Harris (Licorice Pizza) and two-time Emmy winner Jane Curtin (3rd Rock from the Sun), slating it for an exclusive theatrical release on August 11th.

The film will contend on its opening weekend with Sony’s Gran Turismo, the Uni horror Last Voyage of the Demeter and Luca Guadagnino’s Uar tennis drama Challengers with Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, with Paramount, Nickelodeon and Point Grey’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem to be among the likely holdovers following its launch the weekend prior.

Directed by Marc Turtletaub (Puzzle) from a script by Gavin Steckler (Review), Jules tells the story of Milton (Kingsley), who lives a quiet life of routine in a small western Pennsylvania town, but finds his day upended when a UFO and...

In 1982, the same year Sir Ben Kingsley won his Best Actor Oscar for Gandhi, the year’s other big movie was Steven Spielberg’s E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial. Now, 40 years later, Kingsley has found his own E.T., a sort of combination of that classic with a bit of Cocoon, and perhaps The Father. But Jules, the new dramedy having its world premiere on opening night of the Sonoma Film Festival, marches to its own sweet beat, and represents yet another game attempt to bring that older adult audience back to theaters. A smart distributor should take a close look.

Directed by industry veteran producer and director Marc Turtletaub and written by Gavin Steckler, this slight but engaging, even quirky little film, is a crowd-pleaser that presents Kingsley with a role that fits like a glove, and one we haven’t seen him often do, especially with a full head of hair.

Sir Ben Kingsley, 79, has one foot planted in Beverly Hills, the other in Oxfordshire, England — nearly 200 miles southeast of his native Lancashire, where he was raised by his British model and actress mom and his father, a Kenyan-born family doctor of Indian descent.

“[Oxfordshire] is more Shakespeare country,” Kingsley said on the phone. “The Cotswold Hills, limestone hills that run through the center of the British Isles across the Channel into France. It looks like Normandy. Our house looks rather French, a petite château. It looks like it should be on a wine label.”

Wine is front and center, per usual, at this year’s Sonoma International Film Festival, where Kingsley is attending the world premiere of “Jules,” from director Marc Turtletaub and writer Gavin Steckler. In this sci-fi heart-tugger with a senior twist, Kingsley delicately portrays elderly Pennsylvania suburbanite Milton. He’s losing control of his memory, so no one...