Youth Without YouthImage: Sony Pictures Classics
Youth Without Youth, Tetro, Twixt—years could pass without us hearing the titles of these Francis Ford Coppola movies. These digitally-shot, classically-infused “late era” films excited, baffled, and irritated 21st century audiences in equal measure, but are too readily dismissed as a bad couple...
Youth Without Youth, Tetro, Twixt—years could pass without us hearing the titles of these Francis Ford Coppola movies. These digitally-shot, classically-infused “late era” films excited, baffled, and irritated 21st century audiences in equal measure, but are too readily dismissed as a bad couple...
- 5/20/2024
- by Rory Doherty
- avclub.com
Tea Shop Productions, whose psycho-thriller The Surfer starring Nicolas Cage premiered in Cannes Midnight, has unveiled a dynamic development slate featuring Ruth Paxton and Nicolas Winding Refn projects.
Paxton is lining up her next directing feature after Toronto 2021 title A Banquet with Brock Norman Brock attached to write, while producer Refn and Vertigo are collaborating with Tea Shop on a long-gestating remake of horror classic Witchfinder General.
Also in the pipeline are a co-production with Merman and Searchlight and the debut feature from Jimmy Dean based on the Julia Armfield short story Manti.
Tea Shop, co-founded in 2010 by Los Angeles-based...
Paxton is lining up her next directing feature after Toronto 2021 title A Banquet with Brock Norman Brock attached to write, while producer Refn and Vertigo are collaborating with Tea Shop on a long-gestating remake of horror classic Witchfinder General.
Also in the pipeline are a co-production with Merman and Searchlight and the debut feature from Jimmy Dean based on the Julia Armfield short story Manti.
Tea Shop, co-founded in 2010 by Los Angeles-based...
- 5/20/2024
- ScreenDaily
This one is for the true Lanthimites, the Dogtooth sisters, the biscuit women, The Killing of a Sacred Deer heads, a film to which the callbacks are so abundant that one can’t help but wonder what the connection is for writer-director Yorgos Lanthimos and co-screenwriter Efthimis Filippou behind the scenes, outside of simply sharing tones and themes that all of their other films share. Regardless, the director as we knew him pre-Emma Stone is back (relatively speaking). And this time… with Emma Stone!
In his eighth feature, old and new Lanthimos merge, the former reflected in story scope, unreal realism, and bone-dry Greek comedy, all wrapped up in the much-felt return of Filippou, with whom he last wrote Sacred Deer just before he launched into the Hollywood stratosphere with Tony McNamara and The Favourite, the dawn of his Emma Stone collaboration-turned-creative-partnership. And the latter is reflected in, well,...
In his eighth feature, old and new Lanthimos merge, the former reflected in story scope, unreal realism, and bone-dry Greek comedy, all wrapped up in the much-felt return of Filippou, with whom he last wrote Sacred Deer just before he launched into the Hollywood stratosphere with Tony McNamara and The Favourite, the dawn of his Emma Stone collaboration-turned-creative-partnership. And the latter is reflected in, well,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Luke Hicks
- The Film Stage
There are horror movies that don’t dive straight into the most frightening parts with all those jumpscares, loud sounds and rivers of blood. On the contrary, they set a chilling atmosphere of danger coming to swallow the characters and create a never-ending sense of unease quite slowly through perfectly developing suspense.
Here are 7 slow-burn horror must-watches, handpicked by Reddit.
The Wicker Man (1973)
First comes the cultish genre’s staple that follows a Christian detective during the investigation of the disappearance of a pagan tribe’s girl. It creates a very unsettling and even paranoidal atmosphere by blending mythical elements with onscreen reality.
Funny Games (2007)
Naomi Watts and Tim Roth’s psychological horror is a perfect example of a movie that takes time for the full extent of the terror to be revealed on screen. It focuses on a couple who get captured and tormented by two young criminals on their vacation.
Here are 7 slow-burn horror must-watches, handpicked by Reddit.
The Wicker Man (1973)
First comes the cultish genre’s staple that follows a Christian detective during the investigation of the disappearance of a pagan tribe’s girl. It creates a very unsettling and even paranoidal atmosphere by blending mythical elements with onscreen reality.
Funny Games (2007)
Naomi Watts and Tim Roth’s psychological horror is a perfect example of a movie that takes time for the full extent of the terror to be revealed on screen. It focuses on a couple who get captured and tormented by two young criminals on their vacation.
- 5/17/2024
- by info@startefacts.com (Ava Raxa)
- STartefacts.com
What’s your favorite Pulp Fiction scene? There are so, so many to choose from, but did you know the most complicated (and expensive) scene to shoot was one of the movie’s most celebrated, non-violent moments? Indeed, today we break down the iconic Jack Rabbit Slim’s scene from Quentin Tarantino’s smash 1994 hit- Pulp Fiction. The film follows multiple characters that are seemingly unrelated as their paths intertwine in various ways. At the center of the film is Vincent Vega (John Travolta)- a hitman and enforcer for a local crime boss. Vincent is asked by his employer to take his wife out on the town so she doesn’t get lonely while he’s away on business. Enter Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) as the gorgeous and somewhat mysterious wife.
What ensues is a platonic date that feels like a nice break from the film’s otherwise violent and gritty tone.
What ensues is a platonic date that feels like a nice break from the film’s otherwise violent and gritty tone.
- 5/16/2024
- by Kier Gomes
- JoBlo.com
Liam Neeson has signed on to star in the action thriller Hotel Tehran with Rocket Science launching Cannes sales.
Guy Moshe will direct and co-wrote the screenplay with Mark Bacci based on an original idea by former CIA operative Bazzel Baz. Plot details remain under wraps.
Production is due to commence in late summer.
Neeson joins previously announced Zachary Levi on the project, on which Rocket Science, Oakhurst Entertainment, Astral Future and Dreamtime Films handle global distribution.
Astral Future’s Matthew G. Zamias, Oakhurst’s Marina Grasic, Wendy Sweetmore of Dreamtime Films, and Moshe are producing.
Baz serves as executive...
Guy Moshe will direct and co-wrote the screenplay with Mark Bacci based on an original idea by former CIA operative Bazzel Baz. Plot details remain under wraps.
Production is due to commence in late summer.
Neeson joins previously announced Zachary Levi on the project, on which Rocket Science, Oakhurst Entertainment, Astral Future and Dreamtime Films handle global distribution.
Astral Future’s Matthew G. Zamias, Oakhurst’s Marina Grasic, Wendy Sweetmore of Dreamtime Films, and Moshe are producing.
Baz serves as executive...
- 5/14/2024
- ScreenDaily
Tim Roth is in talks to play political operative Henry Kissinger in Cannes package Kissinger Takes Paris.
Jeff Stanzler is set to direct from his own screenplay, billed as a satire with the announcement drawing comparisons to Wag the Dog. Robin Wright, Mary-Louise Parker, Lucy Hale, David Cross, Jimmy O. Yang, Rob Corddry and Dylan Penn are also in talks to star in the ensemble.
As for the plot, it’s perhaps best to quote the official synopsis verbatim: “The film tells the (mostly) true story of Henry Kissinger – a middle-aged, politically washed-up Harvard professor who, in 1968, travels to Paris at the height of its student protests and the dawn of the sexual revolution. Feeling energized, he crashes the Paris Peace Talks and changes the course of modern history. A few weeks later, Henry returns to America as the second most powerful man in the world – and even more astonishingly…...
Jeff Stanzler is set to direct from his own screenplay, billed as a satire with the announcement drawing comparisons to Wag the Dog. Robin Wright, Mary-Louise Parker, Lucy Hale, David Cross, Jimmy O. Yang, Rob Corddry and Dylan Penn are also in talks to star in the ensemble.
As for the plot, it’s perhaps best to quote the official synopsis verbatim: “The film tells the (mostly) true story of Henry Kissinger – a middle-aged, politically washed-up Harvard professor who, in 1968, travels to Paris at the height of its student protests and the dawn of the sexual revolution. Feeling energized, he crashes the Paris Peace Talks and changes the course of modern history. A few weeks later, Henry returns to America as the second most powerful man in the world – and even more astonishingly…...
- 5/14/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Henry Kissinger may have only died in November, but the controversial politician is already set to get the satirical comedy treatment.
Tim Roth, Robin Wright, Mary-Louise Parker, Lucy Hale, David Cross, Jimmy O. Yang, Rob Corddry and Dylan Penn are in talks to star in the feature film “Kissinger Takes Paris,” set during Kissinger’s younger, pre-Vietnam War years.
Roth (“The Hateful Eight,” “Sundown”) will star as Kissinger, while Jeff Stanzler will direct from his screenplay, and Claude Dal Farra and Brian Keady of Bcdf Pictures (“To Leslie”) are producing along with Stanzler. CAA Media Finance and Concourse Media are co-representing domestic rights, and Concourse is handling international rights, with sales launching at Cannes.
The film — likened to political satires such as “Don’t Look Up” and “Wag the Dog” — is set to tell the (mostly) true story of when Kissinger, described as “a middle-aged, politically washed-up Harvard professor,” traveled to...
Tim Roth, Robin Wright, Mary-Louise Parker, Lucy Hale, David Cross, Jimmy O. Yang, Rob Corddry and Dylan Penn are in talks to star in the feature film “Kissinger Takes Paris,” set during Kissinger’s younger, pre-Vietnam War years.
Roth (“The Hateful Eight,” “Sundown”) will star as Kissinger, while Jeff Stanzler will direct from his screenplay, and Claude Dal Farra and Brian Keady of Bcdf Pictures (“To Leslie”) are producing along with Stanzler. CAA Media Finance and Concourse Media are co-representing domestic rights, and Concourse is handling international rights, with sales launching at Cannes.
The film — likened to political satires such as “Don’t Look Up” and “Wag the Dog” — is set to tell the (mostly) true story of when Kissinger, described as “a middle-aged, politically washed-up Harvard professor,” traveled to...
- 5/14/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Tim Roth, Robin Wright and Mary-Louise Parker are among a starry ensemble in talks to join Kissinger Takes Paris, a darkly comedic package that Concourse is introducing to Cannes buyers.
Lucy Hale, David Cross, Jimmy O. Yang, Rob Corddry, and Dylan Penn are also in talks to star in the project, which Jeff Stanzler will direct from his screenplay and produce alongside Claude Dal Farra and Brian Keady of To Leslie producers Bcdf Pictures.
Roth is being lined up to portray Henry Kissinger in the project, which presents him in 1968 as a middle-aged, washed-up Harvard professor who crashes the Paris...
Lucy Hale, David Cross, Jimmy O. Yang, Rob Corddry, and Dylan Penn are also in talks to star in the project, which Jeff Stanzler will direct from his screenplay and produce alongside Claude Dal Farra and Brian Keady of To Leslie producers Bcdf Pictures.
Roth is being lined up to portray Henry Kissinger in the project, which presents him in 1968 as a middle-aged, washed-up Harvard professor who crashes the Paris...
- 5/14/2024
- ScreenDaily
When most cinephiles think of Francis Ford Coppola, they think of his miracle run in the 1970s. During that decade, he directed four films, all of them five-star masterpieces: The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather, Part II, and Apocalypse Now. Or they think of embarrassments from his for-hire period, including the Robin Williams weepy Jack. Yet those five films hardly encapsulate the entire career of Francis Ford Coppola, which will likely end with the upcoming Megalopolis. Instead the best indication of Coppola as an artist and filmmaker might be found in the most recent movies he’s made, with Coppola having released three self-produced and self-financed pictures every two years between 2007 and 2011: Youth Without Youth, Twixt, and Tetro.
Although they vary in quality, and none top his work from the ’70s, this independent trio captures the experimental and romantic heart that lies at the center of Coppola’s overall oeuvre.
Although they vary in quality, and none top his work from the ’70s, this independent trio captures the experimental and romantic heart that lies at the center of Coppola’s overall oeuvre.
- 5/14/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
Who knew that French author Pierre Boulle’s slim, satirical 1963 novel, Le Planete des Singes, would lead to one of the most successful science fiction franchises of all time? Consisting of 10 films (to date), two TV series , comic books (including a magazine series from Marvel), toys, games, merchandise and more, Planet of the Apes remains one of the most enduring and unique sci-fi sagas in cinematic history.
The success of the original film, 1968’s Planet of the Apes, led studio 20th Century Fox (which finally made the movie after years of development and stalling) to launch a series of sequels. That wasn’t necessarily unheard of back then, but those sequels—which include Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)—told one complete story, unlike anything done on film before.
The success of the original film, 1968’s Planet of the Apes, led studio 20th Century Fox (which finally made the movie after years of development and stalling) to launch a series of sequels. That wasn’t necessarily unheard of back then, but those sequels—which include Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)—told one complete story, unlike anything done on film before.
- 5/11/2024
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling felt very sorry that she had to kill off Professor Severus Snape. Played by the late Alan Rickman, Snape is a fan-favorite figure despite his stance as an anti-hero and a morally grey persona.
Alan Rickman as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films
The writer later apologized to the fans for what she did as many mourned the loss of Snape, as well as other beloved characters. In fact, she already told the late actor about the fate of the famed professor even before they made it to the screen.
J.K. Rowling Explains Why She Kills Off Characters
In an interview for her website, as transcribed by Times of London (via Deadline), Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling revealed she spoke with Alan Rickman and told him the real deal about Severus Snape.
“He rang me up and said, ‘Look, I’m spinning plates here.
Alan Rickman as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films
The writer later apologized to the fans for what she did as many mourned the loss of Snape, as well as other beloved characters. In fact, she already told the late actor about the fate of the famed professor even before they made it to the screen.
J.K. Rowling Explains Why She Kills Off Characters
In an interview for her website, as transcribed by Times of London (via Deadline), Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling revealed she spoke with Alan Rickman and told him the real deal about Severus Snape.
“He rang me up and said, ‘Look, I’m spinning plates here.
- 5/6/2024
- by Ariane Cruz
- FandomWire
Filmmaker Tim Burton is known for his gothic aesthetics and choosing to tell stories of weird characters. The filmmaker has put his stamp on blockbusters such as Batman as well as more personal stories such as Big Fish. He will be returning to one of his most beloved franchises with the Michael Keaton starrer Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
One movie in his filmography that stands out from the rest is his 2001 revival of Planet of the Apes. The project served as a remake of the 1968 classic sci-fi film, and starred Mark Wahlberg, Helena Bonham Carter, and more. The film was not received well upon release and is often considered to be a subpar remake of the original. Actor Paul Giamatti, who played Limbo, spoke about his experience while shooting the film.
Paul Giamatti Has A Theory On Why Tim Burton Cast Him As Limbo A still from Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes...
One movie in his filmography that stands out from the rest is his 2001 revival of Planet of the Apes. The project served as a remake of the 1968 classic sci-fi film, and starred Mark Wahlberg, Helena Bonham Carter, and more. The film was not received well upon release and is often considered to be a subpar remake of the original. Actor Paul Giamatti, who played Limbo, spoke about his experience while shooting the film.
Paul Giamatti Has A Theory On Why Tim Burton Cast Him As Limbo A still from Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes...
- 5/2/2024
- by Nishanth A
- FandomWire
Exclusive: Cameras have started rolling in Sofia, Bulgaria, on the survival-thriller Savage Hunt from Dutch filmmaker Roel Reiné (Halo).
The pic comes from a screenplay penned by Chad Law and Christopher Jolley. The story follows a vengeful tracker who is brought in to hunt down a large grizzly bear, which has begun attacking humans when a new local resort begins construction, disrupting the natural habitat of the wildlife.
The production has told us they are currently using a real grizzly bear on location as part of the shoot.
“We wanted to strive for as much realism as possible, showing how powerful nature can be, and the effects of man encroaching on an animal’s natural environment,” producers said.
Film Bridge International has sales rights to the pic and will introduce it to buyers at the forthcoming Cannes market. Producing the pic are United Film’s Gabriel Georgiev, Ellen Wander, and...
The pic comes from a screenplay penned by Chad Law and Christopher Jolley. The story follows a vengeful tracker who is brought in to hunt down a large grizzly bear, which has begun attacking humans when a new local resort begins construction, disrupting the natural habitat of the wildlife.
The production has told us they are currently using a real grizzly bear on location as part of the shoot.
“We wanted to strive for as much realism as possible, showing how powerful nature can be, and the effects of man encroaching on an animal’s natural environment,” producers said.
Film Bridge International has sales rights to the pic and will introduce it to buyers at the forthcoming Cannes market. Producing the pic are United Film’s Gabriel Georgiev, Ellen Wander, and...
- 5/1/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Gilles Bannier, the director of the first seasons of hit series Blue Lights and Trigger Point is opening up a new drama indie, Alef UK. The London-based label will be a subsidiary of Alef One, Nora Melhli’s Paris-based prodco that counts Flight MH370 and doc Carlos Ghosn The Last Flight among its credits.
French born writer-director Bannier has been based in England for a decade and will be Creative Director of the new UK drama business. His directing credits include iconic dramas Spiral and Les Beaux Mecs as well as The Tunnel, which is where he first collaborated with Melhli, who was a producer on the Kudos drama. The duo also worked together on Tim Roth-starrer Tin Star.
Melhli worked at Endemol and Altice before teaming with Jacques Arthur Essebag to create Alef One in 2018. She told Deadline that working with Bannier during Covid – and the problem-solving...
French born writer-director Bannier has been based in England for a decade and will be Creative Director of the new UK drama business. His directing credits include iconic dramas Spiral and Les Beaux Mecs as well as The Tunnel, which is where he first collaborated with Melhli, who was a producer on the Kudos drama. The duo also worked together on Tim Roth-starrer Tin Star.
Melhli worked at Endemol and Altice before teaming with Jacques Arthur Essebag to create Alef One in 2018. She told Deadline that working with Bannier during Covid – and the problem-solving...
- 4/30/2024
- by Stewart Clarke
- Deadline Film + TV
Mark Ruffalo, who replaced Edward Norton by taking over as Hulk in the MCU, has been very candid about the recasting of the Marvel superhero. Norton starred in the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk. However, the studio decided to recast the character for future projects reportedly due to creative differences with Norton, alleging that they sought an actor who could blend well with The Avengers ensemble cast.
Mark Ruffalo | Credit: Marvel Studios
And the studio decided to move ahead with Ruffalo, who made his MCU debut with the 2012 film. However, after landing the role, he did reach out to the Fight Club star to discuss the transition and shared that Norton offered his full support for his future in the superhero franchise.
Mark Ruffalo Reached Out to Edward Norton Upon Securing the Role of Hulk in the MCU
Replacing Edward Norton in the MCU was a significant challenge for Mark Ruffalo,...
Mark Ruffalo | Credit: Marvel Studios
And the studio decided to move ahead with Ruffalo, who made his MCU debut with the 2012 film. However, after landing the role, he did reach out to the Fight Club star to discuss the transition and shared that Norton offered his full support for his future in the superhero franchise.
Mark Ruffalo Reached Out to Edward Norton Upon Securing the Role of Hulk in the MCU
Replacing Edward Norton in the MCU was a significant challenge for Mark Ruffalo,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Laxmi Rajput
- FandomWire
Quentin Tarantino is one of the most decorated filmmakers of all time. He has helmed numerous films, such as Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction, which have gone on to achieve a sort of cult-like status among film buffs. The director has teamed up with the crème de la crème of Hollywood, and the efforts have always paid off, delivering memorable projects every single time.
Tarantino and Walton Goggins collaborated on The Hateful Eight in 2015, to a similar effect. The film was hailed by critics, and it even went on to win an Academy Award. It enjoyed a good run on Netflix, but it is set to leave the streaming platform this month, much to the dismay of fans.
Tarantino’s film is about to leave the streaming platform (Source: The Hateful Eight) How Quentin Tarantino revived The Hateful Eight, starring Walton Goggins
Quentin Tarantino‘s filmography is enviable, and he...
Tarantino and Walton Goggins collaborated on The Hateful Eight in 2015, to a similar effect. The film was hailed by critics, and it even went on to win an Academy Award. It enjoyed a good run on Netflix, but it is set to leave the streaming platform this month, much to the dismay of fans.
Tarantino’s film is about to leave the streaming platform (Source: The Hateful Eight) How Quentin Tarantino revived The Hateful Eight, starring Walton Goggins
Quentin Tarantino‘s filmography is enviable, and he...
- 4/20/2024
- by Sreshtha Roychowdhury
- FandomWire
Exclusive: Ryuhei Kitamura (The Midnight Meat Train) is set to direct roller coaster thriller Thrill Ride, which Film Bridge International is launching for sales ahead of next month’s Cannes market.
Production is being lined up for the fourth quarter of this year with filming due to take place in Bulgaria at Pro Cinema Studios.
Penned by Chad Law and Christopher Jolley, the English-language film will tell the story of a group of people, including two young women, who are trapped upside down on a roller coaster taken over by a mysterious saboteur threatening to drop them all one-by-one to their deaths.
Producing will be United Film’s Gabriel Georgiev, Ellen Wander and Jordan Dykstra. Casting is in process.
Japanese filmmaker Kitamura is known for Japanese and English-language movies including Godzilla: Final Wars, Bradley Cooper thriller The Midnight Meat Train, No One Lives with Luke Evans, Japanese action pic Lupin III,...
Production is being lined up for the fourth quarter of this year with filming due to take place in Bulgaria at Pro Cinema Studios.
Penned by Chad Law and Christopher Jolley, the English-language film will tell the story of a group of people, including two young women, who are trapped upside down on a roller coaster taken over by a mysterious saboteur threatening to drop them all one-by-one to their deaths.
Producing will be United Film’s Gabriel Georgiev, Ellen Wander and Jordan Dykstra. Casting is in process.
Japanese filmmaker Kitamura is known for Japanese and English-language movies including Godzilla: Final Wars, Bradley Cooper thriller The Midnight Meat Train, No One Lives with Luke Evans, Japanese action pic Lupin III,...
- 4/19/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
“Babylon Berlin: Season One” is the beginning of a complex political crime period drama that has run for four seasons in Germany, with a fifth yet to come. It’s won a scheisse-load of awards and nominations for the series and many of its components, and is best appreciated by concentrated viewing – preferably in binges – rather than casual or background entertainment.
It’s set in 1929. Gereon Rath (Volker Bruch) is an honest, intelligent cop who has just moved to the titular city. He’s paired with Burno Wolter (Peter Kurth), a brutish fellow detective of questionable virtue. The former looks like mellowed version of Tim Roth; the latter somewhere between Gert Frobe and Simon Oakland. The crimes they’re assigned to cover seem local, but lead quickly down the rabbit hole of international intrigue, overrun with individual and group conflicts, misdirection and betrayals, spanning from Russia to Germany and beyond.
It’s set in 1929. Gereon Rath (Volker Bruch) is an honest, intelligent cop who has just moved to the titular city. He’s paired with Burno Wolter (Peter Kurth), a brutish fellow detective of questionable virtue. The former looks like mellowed version of Tim Roth; the latter somewhere between Gert Frobe and Simon Oakland. The crimes they’re assigned to cover seem local, but lead quickly down the rabbit hole of international intrigue, overrun with individual and group conflicts, misdirection and betrayals, spanning from Russia to Germany and beyond.
- 4/15/2024
- by Mark Glass
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Louis Leterrier's "The Incredible Hulk" was released in August of 2008, a year before Disney made their notorious $4 billion purchase of Marvel Entertainment. Once the Disney purchase was finalized, the company announced its plan to build out the then-new Marvel Cinematic Universe, which was novel at the time. Disney also retconned Paramount's "Iron Man," and Leterrier's movie (made for Universal) into the MCU, using a foundation that had already been built. The announcement of a whole string of interconnected superhero movies set the pop world on fire, and the ensuing decade would be crushed -- both positively and negatively -- by Marvel.
"The Incredible Hulk" was sort of the red-headed stepchild of those early films. It starred Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, and Norton, as with any of his films, attempted to assert creative control over the project. The tone of "Incredible" is steelier and more machine-like than the...
"The Incredible Hulk" was sort of the red-headed stepchild of those early films. It starred Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, and Norton, as with any of his films, attempted to assert creative control over the project. The tone of "Incredible" is steelier and more machine-like than the...
- 4/9/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
In the midst of all conversations regarding the greatest wrestlers of all time, many names often come up. However, one thing is for sure, The Undertaker will always be near the top. With a career that has spanned over three decades, 33 years to be precise, The Phenom has taken on generations of superstars, and has stayed on top of the business for a long time. However, all the good things come to an end, as he decided to hang his hat and long coat back in 2020.
The Undertaker | image: WWE
Nevertheless, The Undertaker’s popularity transcended wrestling, making him a pop culture icon and arguably the most recognized face on the planet. Since WrestleMania 40 is around the corner, a report regarding his return is looming and fans are excited about it.
The Undertaker Is Expected Make a Return in WrestleMania Xl
WrestleMania is the grandest stage of them all in professional wrestling,...
The Undertaker | image: WWE
Nevertheless, The Undertaker’s popularity transcended wrestling, making him a pop culture icon and arguably the most recognized face on the planet. Since WrestleMania 40 is around the corner, a report regarding his return is looming and fans are excited about it.
The Undertaker Is Expected Make a Return in WrestleMania Xl
WrestleMania is the grandest stage of them all in professional wrestling,...
- 3/27/2024
- by Tushar Auddy
- FandomWire
Oh, what a world it would have been if veteran actor Johnny Depp had worked with another iconic director Quentin Tarantino in one of his most famous projects. Starring Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta in the main lead, Tarantino created the iconic 1994 movie Pulp Fiction.
In the film, the role of Pumpkin went to Tim Roth. According to recent reports, however, Tarantino had made a backup plan if Tom Roth had refused. In the list of actors to play the role of Pumpkin, Johnny Depp was a strong second contender and the world would have surely loved him in that role!
Tim Roth as Pumpkin in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction
Johnny Depp Could Have Worked With Quentin Tarantino!
It is no doubt that Tim Roth’s performance as Pumpkin was an iconic one. Playing an erratic lover who decides to rob a restaurant with his brilliant ideology, the...
In the film, the role of Pumpkin went to Tim Roth. According to recent reports, however, Tarantino had made a backup plan if Tom Roth had refused. In the list of actors to play the role of Pumpkin, Johnny Depp was a strong second contender and the world would have surely loved him in that role!
Tim Roth as Pumpkin in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction
Johnny Depp Could Have Worked With Quentin Tarantino!
It is no doubt that Tim Roth’s performance as Pumpkin was an iconic one. Playing an erratic lover who decides to rob a restaurant with his brilliant ideology, the...
- 3/17/2024
- by Visarg Acharya
- FandomWire
CAA has signed Deal Productions, a European film and TV banner co-founded by actor-turned-filmmaker Désirée Nosbusch (“Bad Banks”) and Alexandra Hoesdorff (“High Fantasy”).
Based in Luxembourg, the company handles development, financing, packaging and production of independently-produced films and TV worldwide. Nosbusch, a well-known actor whose recent credits include “Bad Banks” and “Sissi,” is now making her directorial feature debut with “Poison,” a drama starring Tim Roth and Trine Dyrholm.
Hoesdorff’s recent projects as a producer include “Souvenir” starring Isabelle Huppert; “High Fantasy,” which premiered at Toronto in 2017 and played at the Berlinale and Rotterdam; and “Flatland,” which competed at Toronto in 2019 after opening the Berlinale Panorama section. Hoesdorff has also produced several titles for streamers, including “Sawah” and “Girls With Balls,” released in 2020 on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, respectively.
Deal Productions is currently in development and production on a slate of series and films supported by the lucrative Luxembourg Film Fund.
Based in Luxembourg, the company handles development, financing, packaging and production of independently-produced films and TV worldwide. Nosbusch, a well-known actor whose recent credits include “Bad Banks” and “Sissi,” is now making her directorial feature debut with “Poison,” a drama starring Tim Roth and Trine Dyrholm.
Hoesdorff’s recent projects as a producer include “Souvenir” starring Isabelle Huppert; “High Fantasy,” which premiered at Toronto in 2017 and played at the Berlinale and Rotterdam; and “Flatland,” which competed at Toronto in 2019 after opening the Berlinale Panorama section. Hoesdorff has also produced several titles for streamers, including “Sawah” and “Girls With Balls,” released in 2020 on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, respectively.
Deal Productions is currently in development and production on a slate of series and films supported by the lucrative Luxembourg Film Fund.
- 3/13/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Many of cinema’s hard men are notorious softies in real life. Ray Winstone may well be one of those, even if he admits to not looking particularly approachable.
“My wife always says to me, ‘Why do you look like you’re going to kill someone when you walk into a room?'” he tells Variety. “But I don’t mean to!”
Winstone’s long-standing status as the go-to man to depict violent approach-with-caution individuals or British mob bosses continues to serve him, however, as “The Gentleman” — Guy Ritchie’s eight-part Netflix spinoff of his 2019 gangster comedy feature of the same name — proves. In the series, awash in the classic Ritchie mix of guns, drugs, violence, aristocrats, boxing and tweed, Winstone stars as a gangland patriarch and head of a massive weed-growing empire. Because of course he does — who else would you cast as an elder statesman than the actor...
“My wife always says to me, ‘Why do you look like you’re going to kill someone when you walk into a room?'” he tells Variety. “But I don’t mean to!”
Winstone’s long-standing status as the go-to man to depict violent approach-with-caution individuals or British mob bosses continues to serve him, however, as “The Gentleman” — Guy Ritchie’s eight-part Netflix spinoff of his 2019 gangster comedy feature of the same name — proves. In the series, awash in the classic Ritchie mix of guns, drugs, violence, aristocrats, boxing and tweed, Winstone stars as a gangland patriarch and head of a massive weed-growing empire. Because of course he does — who else would you cast as an elder statesman than the actor...
- 3/8/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
If any part of you has been curious as to how French filmmaker Olivier Assayas spent the early days of the global pandemic, along comes “Suspended Time” to answer your question, with very much the answer you might expect: pretty comfortably, thanks for asking. Alternating a thinly fictionalised portrait of the artist isolating at his family’s country home with fully autobiographical narration by the director himself, this mildly amusing but vastly indulgent bagatelle feels a tardy entry in the first wave of lockdown cinema — too late to feel fresh, but still too soon to have accumulated much meaningful perspective on an experience we all remember too well. Assayas devotees will take some pleasure in its formal fillips and self-references. Others need not apply.
At its most interesting — and quietly gossipy, if you are so minded — “Suspended Time” could be read as a reply work of sorts to “Bergman Island,...
At its most interesting — and quietly gossipy, if you are so minded — “Suspended Time” could be read as a reply work of sorts to “Bergman Island,...
- 2/17/2024
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will open the 15th annual TCM Classic Film Festival on Thursday, April 18 with a 35mm screening of the classic neo-noir Pulp Fiction (1994). Two-time Academy Award nominee John Travolta will attend to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film.
Pulp Fiction kicks off a weekend of programming set within the theme “Most Wanted: Crime and Justice in Film,” as well as the 30th anniversary of the network.
“Pulp Fiction is one of the most important and influential movies of the 1990s. It was Quentin Tarantino’s magnum opus and the beginning of a well-deserved comeback for John Travolta,” said Ben Mankiewicz, TCM primetime anchor and official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. “Like Bonnie and Clyde and The Godfather, it changed our thinking about the type of stories Hollywood could tell.”
Pulp Fiction gives an inside look at a community of criminals, starring Travolta, Uma Thurman,...
Pulp Fiction kicks off a weekend of programming set within the theme “Most Wanted: Crime and Justice in Film,” as well as the 30th anniversary of the network.
“Pulp Fiction is one of the most important and influential movies of the 1990s. It was Quentin Tarantino’s magnum opus and the beginning of a well-deserved comeback for John Travolta,” said Ben Mankiewicz, TCM primetime anchor and official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. “Like Bonnie and Clyde and The Godfather, it changed our thinking about the type of stories Hollywood could tell.”
Pulp Fiction gives an inside look at a community of criminals, starring Travolta, Uma Thurman,...
- 2/16/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: IFC Films and Shudder have acquired North American rights to John Maclean’s survival thriller Tornado featuring Tim Roth, Slow Horses’ Jack Lowden and Japanese star Kōki.
The follow-up to 2015’s Slow West will stream exclusively on AMC streamer Shudder in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with a theatrical release through IFC Films.
Tornado stars Academy Award-winner Roth, Lowden, Takehiro Hira (Giri/Haji) and Japanese star Mitsuki Kimura, known as Kōki (Touch). Set in 1790s Britain, it follows the eponymous lead (Kōki), a young and determined Japanese woman who finds herself caught in a perilous situation when she and her father’s (Takehiro) travelling puppet Samurai show crosses paths with a gang of ruthless criminals led by Sugarman (Roth) and his ambitious son Little Sugar (Lowden). In an attempt to create a new life for herself, Tornado seizes the opportunity to take matters into her own...
The follow-up to 2015’s Slow West will stream exclusively on AMC streamer Shudder in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with a theatrical release through IFC Films.
Tornado stars Academy Award-winner Roth, Lowden, Takehiro Hira (Giri/Haji) and Japanese star Mitsuki Kimura, known as Kōki (Touch). Set in 1790s Britain, it follows the eponymous lead (Kōki), a young and determined Japanese woman who finds herself caught in a perilous situation when she and her father’s (Takehiro) travelling puppet Samurai show crosses paths with a gang of ruthless criminals led by Sugarman (Roth) and his ambitious son Little Sugar (Lowden). In an attempt to create a new life for herself, Tornado seizes the opportunity to take matters into her own...
- 2/8/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Throughout the 96-year history of the Academy Awards, the amount of acting lineups consisting only of first-time nominees has reached 37, or about 10% of the overall total. While that number may not seem high in a general sense, these cases actually outnumber those exclusively involving veteran contenders by a ratio of three to one. However, although this list expanded as recently as 2023, rookie-only acting lineups are gradually becoming less common than veteran-only ones, the amount of which has nearly doubled within the last dozen years.
Whereas 75% of veteran-only acting quintets have involved lead performers rather than supporting ones, almost the exact opposite is true of lineups full of newcomers. For instance, only one existing case of the former kind concerns supporting actresses, whereas the same category has produced 15 rookie-only rosters. The last such group consisted of 2000 winner Angelina Jolie and nominees Toni Collette (“The Sixth Sense”), Catherine Keener (“Being John Malkovich...
Whereas 75% of veteran-only acting quintets have involved lead performers rather than supporting ones, almost the exact opposite is true of lineups full of newcomers. For instance, only one existing case of the former kind concerns supporting actresses, whereas the same category has produced 15 rookie-only rosters. The last such group consisted of 2000 winner Angelina Jolie and nominees Toni Collette (“The Sixth Sense”), Catherine Keener (“Being John Malkovich...
- 2/7/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Jack Lowden has joined the ensemble cast of 20th Century’s Ella McCay, the new movie from filmmaker James L. Brooks. Lowden joins a cast that includes Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, Ayo Edebiri, Albert Brooks, Kumail Nanjiani and Spike Fearn.
The film will follow an idealistic young politician who juggles familial issues and a challenging work life while preparing to take over the job of her mentor, the state’s longtime incumbent governor.
Brooks will also produce along with his producing partners Julie Ansell and Richard Sakai, who will produce through their Gracie Films banner. Seth Meier will executive produce.
EVP Scott Aversano will oversee for 20th. The film is currently in production.
Lowden’s star has been on the rise following the success of Apple’s drama series Slow Horses, on which he stars opposite Gary Oldman. Apple has been extremely happy with the series, with...
The film will follow an idealistic young politician who juggles familial issues and a challenging work life while preparing to take over the job of her mentor, the state’s longtime incumbent governor.
Brooks will also produce along with his producing partners Julie Ansell and Richard Sakai, who will produce through their Gracie Films banner. Seth Meier will executive produce.
EVP Scott Aversano will oversee for 20th. The film is currently in production.
Lowden’s star has been on the rise following the success of Apple’s drama series Slow Horses, on which he stars opposite Gary Oldman. Apple has been extremely happy with the series, with...
- 2/7/2024
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
The 6th American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors announced today that Kelvin Harrison Jr. is the recipient of the 2024 Rising Star Award which is presented to a contemporary artist in acknowledgement of their recent success and future promise in the film and television industry. The 2024 ABFF Honors is presented by Nice Crowd and will take place on Sunday, March 3rd at the Sls hotel in Beverly Hills, hosted by actor and comedian Tommy Davidson. Guests at the intimate, non-televised dinner will include ABFF honorees and festival partners.
As previously announced, the ABFF Honors will also celebrate legendary performer Garrett Morris; Academy Award nominated, Emmy nominated and Golden Globe-winning actress Taraji P. Henson; Tony, Emmy, AFI, and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright, and groundbreaking writer and producer Mara Brock Akil. The ABFF Fan Favorite Movie of the Year will also be announced at the show. Nominees in that category include: “A Thousand and One,...
As previously announced, the ABFF Honors will also celebrate legendary performer Garrett Morris; Academy Award nominated, Emmy nominated and Golden Globe-winning actress Taraji P. Henson; Tony, Emmy, AFI, and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright, and groundbreaking writer and producer Mara Brock Akil. The ABFF Fan Favorite Movie of the Year will also be announced at the show. Nominees in that category include: “A Thousand and One,...
- 2/6/2024
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood’ starts production (Photo Credit: Starz)
Filming has begun on Starz’s Outlander prequel Outlander: Blood of My Blood which dives into the lives of Jamie’s parents, Ellen and Brian, and Claire’s parents, Julia and Henry. The network’s start of production announcement confirmed Harriet Slater (Pennyworth) will star as Ellen and Jamie Roy (Condor’s Nest) is playing Brian. Hermione Corfield (The Road Dance) is on board as Julia and Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) stars as Henry.
“We’re thrilled to be telling the stories of these two couples. The origins of their relationships explore universal themes that transcend time periods, and we’re so excited for fans to discover and fall in love with these characters and their love stories the way they have with Claire and Jamie,” said Matthew B. Roberts, showrunner, executive producer, and writer on both series.
Season one will...
Filming has begun on Starz’s Outlander prequel Outlander: Blood of My Blood which dives into the lives of Jamie’s parents, Ellen and Brian, and Claire’s parents, Julia and Henry. The network’s start of production announcement confirmed Harriet Slater (Pennyworth) will star as Ellen and Jamie Roy (Condor’s Nest) is playing Brian. Hermione Corfield (The Road Dance) is on board as Julia and Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) stars as Henry.
“We’re thrilled to be telling the stories of these two couples. The origins of their relationships explore universal themes that transcend time periods, and we’re so excited for fans to discover and fall in love with these characters and their love stories the way they have with Claire and Jamie,” said Matthew B. Roberts, showrunner, executive producer, and writer on both series.
Season one will...
- 2/5/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Exclusive: Abbott Elementary is almost back in session and Season 3 will bring three new characters starring Josh Segarra (The Big Door Prize), Kimia Behpoornia (Hacks) and Benjamin Norris (Never Have I Ever) in recurring roles.
Segarra will portray Manny, Behpoornia will portray Emily and Norris will portray Simon. The trio are the good-natured Philadelphia school district representatives who aim to bring fresh perspectives to their roles as school ambassadors.
The ABC hit comedy returns with two new episodes for premiere on February 7. The series picks up mid-school year and will consist of 14 episodes, following last year’s dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Segarra currently stars in the Apple TV+ comedy, The Big Door Prize, opposite Chris O’Dowd. In 2023, Segarra starred in Scream 6 opposite Courteney Cox, Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera. Last summer, he starred as “Lance” in the third season of the HBO Max comedy series and opposite...
Segarra will portray Manny, Behpoornia will portray Emily and Norris will portray Simon. The trio are the good-natured Philadelphia school district representatives who aim to bring fresh perspectives to their roles as school ambassadors.
The ABC hit comedy returns with two new episodes for premiere on February 7. The series picks up mid-school year and will consist of 14 episodes, following last year’s dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Segarra currently stars in the Apple TV+ comedy, The Big Door Prize, opposite Chris O’Dowd. In 2023, Segarra starred in Scream 6 opposite Courteney Cox, Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera. Last summer, he starred as “Lance” in the third season of the HBO Max comedy series and opposite...
- 1/29/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Tornado is the second film from director John Maclean, and it’s just started filming in Scotland. More here:
Here’s a slightly bittersweet story about a filmmaker who made an excellent debut feature and then seemed to disappear. The good bit is – he’s back!
Still, we’ll start with the bitter bit if that’s okay with you. Back in 2015, John Maclean made his directorial debut with the slim, compelling western Slow West. Starring Michael Fassbender and Kodi Smit-McPhee, it’s a terrific western that Maclean also wrote. Yet after he made it, those hoping for a follow-up feature soon after would be disappointed. In fact, it’s taken nearly a decade to get to that point.
He told me back in 2015, back when I was elsewhere, that he worked on one film at a time. His next movie was never going to be quick, but still: it...
Here’s a slightly bittersweet story about a filmmaker who made an excellent debut feature and then seemed to disappear. The good bit is – he’s back!
Still, we’ll start with the bitter bit if that’s okay with you. Back in 2015, John Maclean made his directorial debut with the slim, compelling western Slow West. Starring Michael Fassbender and Kodi Smit-McPhee, it’s a terrific western that Maclean also wrote. Yet after he made it, those hoping for a follow-up feature soon after would be disappointed. In fact, it’s taken nearly a decade to get to that point.
He told me back in 2015, back when I was elsewhere, that he worked on one film at a time. His next movie was never going to be quick, but still: it...
- 1/24/2024
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
UK director Gurinder Chadha has revealed how she has struggled to set up her own take on Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol, as part of the oral evidence she has given during the first session of the UK Parliament’s cross-party Culture, Media and Sport (Cms) Committee today, January 23.
“Right now I’m putting together an independent Christmas film, set in London, very diverse, and it’s been a real struggle for me to get off the ground, partly because the lead character is Indian,” said the Kenyan born, British-Indian filmmaker Chadha, whose credits include Bend It Like Beckham...
“Right now I’m putting together an independent Christmas film, set in London, very diverse, and it’s been a real struggle for me to get off the ground, partly because the lead character is Indian,” said the Kenyan born, British-Indian filmmaker Chadha, whose credits include Bend It Like Beckham...
- 1/23/2024
- ScreenDaily
UK actor Tim Roth has joined John Maclean’s survival thriller Tornado as principal photography gets underway in Scotland, with HanWay Films on board for sales.
Roth, whose credits include Pulp Fiction and TV series Tin Star, joins the previously announced cast of Slow Horses’ Jack Lowden, Giri/Haji’s Takehiro Hira and Koki, who will also appear in Baltasar Kormakur’s upcoming feature Touch.
Tornado has pre-sold in a raft of territories, including Lionsgate UK which has picked up UK and Ireland rights, The Jokers in France, September Films in Benelux, M2 in Central Europe, McF in former Yugoslavia,...
Roth, whose credits include Pulp Fiction and TV series Tin Star, joins the previously announced cast of Slow Horses’ Jack Lowden, Giri/Haji’s Takehiro Hira and Koki, who will also appear in Baltasar Kormakur’s upcoming feature Touch.
Tornado has pre-sold in a raft of territories, including Lionsgate UK which has picked up UK and Ireland rights, The Jokers in France, September Films in Benelux, M2 in Central Europe, McF in former Yugoslavia,...
- 1/23/2024
- ScreenDaily
Benedict Fitzgerald, the co-writer of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, has died. He was 74.
Fitzgerald died Jan. 17 after a long illness at his home in Marsala, Sicily, his cousin Nancy Morgan Ritter told The Hollywood Reporter.
Best known for his work on Gibson’s 2004 Biblical epic, the highest-grossing Christian film, as well as the highest-grossing independent film of all time, Fitzgerald’s other credits include co-writing the screenplay for John Huston’s Wise Blood (1979), the adaptation of Flannery O’Connor’s novel.
Born on March 9, 1949, in New York, Fitzgerald was born into a literary household. His deeply Catholic mother, Sally, was a writer and editor and his father, Robert, was a poet, United States Poet Laureate (1984-1985), critic, and famed translator of classic ancient Greek and Latin texts, who was responsible for perhaps the most well-known translation of Homer’s The Odyssey.
In the late 1950s, Fitzgerald’s family...
Fitzgerald died Jan. 17 after a long illness at his home in Marsala, Sicily, his cousin Nancy Morgan Ritter told The Hollywood Reporter.
Best known for his work on Gibson’s 2004 Biblical epic, the highest-grossing Christian film, as well as the highest-grossing independent film of all time, Fitzgerald’s other credits include co-writing the screenplay for John Huston’s Wise Blood (1979), the adaptation of Flannery O’Connor’s novel.
Born on March 9, 1949, in New York, Fitzgerald was born into a literary household. His deeply Catholic mother, Sally, was a writer and editor and his father, Robert, was a poet, United States Poet Laureate (1984-1985), critic, and famed translator of classic ancient Greek and Latin texts, who was responsible for perhaps the most well-known translation of Homer’s The Odyssey.
In the late 1950s, Fitzgerald’s family...
- 1/22/2024
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This review was originally posted during TIFF 2023
Plot: After attending a high school reunion, a woman (Jessica Chastain) is followed home by a man (Peter Sarsgaard) with whom she has a history. Initially upset and thinking he’s a stalker, she learns that he has dementia and that if they have a history together, he can’t remember it.
Review: Michel Franco is a director whose work has grown steadily in stature over the last few years. I became aware of him after watching his class warfare drama New Order in 2020 and then his dark 2021 Tim Roth drama, Sundown. Both of those films were grim, and one might assume Memory, which deals with early onset dementia, sexual assault, and alcoholism, might be the same. While heavy, Franco’s made a profoundly empathetic and unlikely love story brilliantly acted by stars Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard.
Chastain’s Sylvia is a...
Plot: After attending a high school reunion, a woman (Jessica Chastain) is followed home by a man (Peter Sarsgaard) with whom she has a history. Initially upset and thinking he’s a stalker, she learns that he has dementia and that if they have a history together, he can’t remember it.
Review: Michel Franco is a director whose work has grown steadily in stature over the last few years. I became aware of him after watching his class warfare drama New Order in 2020 and then his dark 2021 Tim Roth drama, Sundown. Both of those films were grim, and one might assume Memory, which deals with early onset dementia, sexual assault, and alcoholism, might be the same. While heavy, Franco’s made a profoundly empathetic and unlikely love story brilliantly acted by stars Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard.
Chastain’s Sylvia is a...
- 1/16/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
British director and screenwriter who enjoyed huge success with his 1987 hit film Wish You Were Here
Grittiness and compassion were the twin hallmarks of the writer and director David Leland, who has died aged 82. He scripted a clutch of uncompromising films that launched the screen careers of Cathy Tyson, Emily Lloyd and Tim Roth. Leland’s writing was distinctly British in flavour but without the parochial sensibility that might have limited its appeal.
His early draft of Mona Lisa (1986), an underworld thriller about the relationship between a sex worker (Tyson) and her driver (Bob Hoskins), was tougher and nastier than the finished film. Leland shared the screenplay credit with its Irish director, Neil Jordan.
Grittiness and compassion were the twin hallmarks of the writer and director David Leland, who has died aged 82. He scripted a clutch of uncompromising films that launched the screen careers of Cathy Tyson, Emily Lloyd and Tim Roth. Leland’s writing was distinctly British in flavour but without the parochial sensibility that might have limited its appeal.
His early draft of Mona Lisa (1986), an underworld thriller about the relationship between a sex worker (Tyson) and her driver (Bob Hoskins), was tougher and nastier than the finished film. Leland shared the screenplay credit with its Irish director, Neil Jordan.
- 1/2/2024
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Quentin Tarantino Once Fought Hard To Get This MCU Actor Over Johnny Depp For His Film Pulp Fiction ( Photo Credit – Wikimedia; IMDb; Facebook )
Johnny Depp might be one of the biggest Hollywood stars, but sometimes, for some filmmakers, that is not enough to feature in a film. Celebrated director Quentin Tarantino is a prime example of such a director who chose this MCU star over Depp for his cult classic Pulp Fiction. The 1994 film had an ensemble cast of Bruse Willis, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Samuel L Jackson, John Travolta, and more.
The film boasts Tarantino’s cinematic brilliance and a gripping plotline, telling the stories revolving around two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits. On the other hand, Depp was already a massive movie star with some blockbusters in his filmography. The Pirates of the Caribbean star was already a...
Johnny Depp might be one of the biggest Hollywood stars, but sometimes, for some filmmakers, that is not enough to feature in a film. Celebrated director Quentin Tarantino is a prime example of such a director who chose this MCU star over Depp for his cult classic Pulp Fiction. The 1994 film had an ensemble cast of Bruse Willis, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Samuel L Jackson, John Travolta, and more.
The film boasts Tarantino’s cinematic brilliance and a gripping plotline, telling the stories revolving around two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits. On the other hand, Depp was already a massive movie star with some blockbusters in his filmography. The Pirates of the Caribbean star was already a...
- 1/1/2024
- by Esita Mallik
- KoiMoi
Clockwise from left: Foe (Amazon Studios), Mad Max (American International Pictures), The Passenger (Paramount Home Entertainment)Image: The A.V. Club
Amazon’s Prime Video revs up the new year with new originals and several movies focused on automobiles and other modes of transportation. A few short months before Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga...
Amazon’s Prime Video revs up the new year with new originals and several movies focused on automobiles and other modes of transportation. A few short months before Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga...
- 12/31/2023
- by Robert DeSalvo
- avclub.com
From Wish You Were Here to Mona Lisa and The Big Man, he was determined to shine a light on those marginalised in society albeit using his quirky sense of humour
David Leland was a master of understatement with a social conscience and wildly wicked sense of humour, arising like his friends the Pythons from our everyday humdrum British universe in the 60s and 70s.
More than 40 years ago I saw the astonishing Made in Britain. The film that made Tim Roth – who played a violent skinhead – a star, was written by Leland for the producer and director Alan Clarke. It was a a biting attack on rightwing Thatcherite policies and it is just as relevant to today’s brutal system.
David Leland was a master of understatement with a social conscience and wildly wicked sense of humour, arising like his friends the Pythons from our everyday humdrum British universe in the 60s and 70s.
More than 40 years ago I saw the astonishing Made in Britain. The film that made Tim Roth – who played a violent skinhead – a star, was written by Leland for the producer and director Alan Clarke. It was a a biting attack on rightwing Thatcherite policies and it is just as relevant to today’s brutal system.
- 12/29/2023
- by Stephen Woolley
- The Guardian - Film News
David Leland, a director of stage and screen whose filmmaking CV includes films such as Wish You Were Here, Personal Services and Land Girls, has died. He was 82.
Born in 1941 in Cambridge, Leland initially trained as an actor at the Central Speech of School and Drama and had many stage credits before moving into direction at the Crucible Theatre. That began his collaboration with Alan Clarke in 1981. He wrote Made In Britain, which Clarke directed and featured the first screen role of Tim Roth. In 1986, Leland and director Neil Jordan co-wrote the screenplay for Mona Lisa, which starred Bob Hoskins.
Leland then wrote Personal Services, which was directed by Terry Jones and followed the true-life story of Cynthia Payne, who ran a private brothel.
Payne was also the subject of Leland's next film his directorial debut, Wish You Were Here, which chronicled her teenage years, starring Emily Lloyd.
While his next two films,...
Born in 1941 in Cambridge, Leland initially trained as an actor at the Central Speech of School and Drama and had many stage credits before moving into direction at the Crucible Theatre. That began his collaboration with Alan Clarke in 1981. He wrote Made In Britain, which Clarke directed and featured the first screen role of Tim Roth. In 1986, Leland and director Neil Jordan co-wrote the screenplay for Mona Lisa, which starred Bob Hoskins.
Leland then wrote Personal Services, which was directed by Terry Jones and followed the true-life story of Cynthia Payne, who ran a private brothel.
Payne was also the subject of Leland's next film his directorial debut, Wish You Were Here, which chronicled her teenage years, starring Emily Lloyd.
While his next two films,...
- 12/27/2023
- by James White
- Empire - Movies
Emmy winning “Band of Brothers” director David Leland, who was also a prolific writer with over five decades in the industry, died Sunday at age 82.
The news came from his longtime agency Cassaroto Ramsay & Associates on Wednesday.
“Our beloved client writer/director, David Leland has passed away. We will miss his incredible talent and warm spirit so very much,” the agency said. “Our thoughts are with his family at this time.”
Leland, born in England at the height of World War II, trained as an actor and stage manager before establishing himself as a screenwriter and director. Among his most popular films are the 1983 cult classic “Made in Britain,” 1986’s Golden-Globe and Oscar-nominated “Mona Lisa” with Bob Hoskins and 1987’s “Wish You Were Here.”
Leland was renowned for writing two films about British suburban madam Cynthia Payne, 1987’s “Personal Services” and Cannes Film Festival hit “Wish You Were Here,” the...
The news came from his longtime agency Cassaroto Ramsay & Associates on Wednesday.
“Our beloved client writer/director, David Leland has passed away. We will miss his incredible talent and warm spirit so very much,” the agency said. “Our thoughts are with his family at this time.”
Leland, born in England at the height of World War II, trained as an actor and stage manager before establishing himself as a screenwriter and director. Among his most popular films are the 1983 cult classic “Made in Britain,” 1986’s Golden-Globe and Oscar-nominated “Mona Lisa” with Bob Hoskins and 1987’s “Wish You Were Here.”
Leland was renowned for writing two films about British suburban madam Cynthia Payne, 1987’s “Personal Services” and Cannes Film Festival hit “Wish You Were Here,” the...
- 12/27/2023
- by Eileen AJ Connelly
- The Wrap
The British film-maker also wrote the landmark TV play Made in Britain, starring Tim Roth, and won an Emmy award for Band of Brothers
David Leland, the director behind popular 1980s hit Wish You Were Here and writer on a string of acclaimed British films including Made in Britain, Mona Lisa and Personal Services, has died aged 82. His agency Casarotto Ramsay and Associates said in a statement that Leland died on Sunday surrounded by his family. They added: “He is survived by his wife, Sabrina, his four daughters, his son and his six grandchildren … all of whom he loved almost as much as Arsenal football club.”
Born in 1941, Leland initially trained as an actor at the Central School of Speech of Drama, before becoming part of the breakaway that led to the creation of the Drama Centre in 1963. He secured small roles in 1970s films such as John Mackenzie’s directorial debut One Brief Summer,...
David Leland, the director behind popular 1980s hit Wish You Were Here and writer on a string of acclaimed British films including Made in Britain, Mona Lisa and Personal Services, has died aged 82. His agency Casarotto Ramsay and Associates said in a statement that Leland died on Sunday surrounded by his family. They added: “He is survived by his wife, Sabrina, his four daughters, his son and his six grandchildren … all of whom he loved almost as much as Arsenal football club.”
Born in 1941, Leland initially trained as an actor at the Central School of Speech of Drama, before becoming part of the breakaway that led to the creation of the Drama Centre in 1963. He secured small roles in 1970s films such as John Mackenzie’s directorial debut One Brief Summer,...
- 12/27/2023
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
David Leland, the British writer, director and actor whose credits include “Wish You Were Here,” “The Borgias” and more, died on Dec. 24, according to his agents Casarotto Ramsay & Associates. He was 82. A cause of death was not revealed.
Leland cut his teeth in theater, where he directed the world premiere of Michael Palin and Terry Jones’ “Their Finest Hours” and gave Pierce Brosnan his first opportunity to act on stage in the British premiere of Tennessee Williams’ “The Red Devil Battery Sign.”
A distinguished film and TV screenwriting career followed, including “Made in Britain” (1982) directed by Alan Clarke and starring Tim Roth; “Birth of a Nation” (1983) by Mike Newell; and Neil Jordan’s Oscar, Golden Globe and WGA-nominated “Mona Lisa” (1986), featuring a BAFTA-winning performance by Bob Hoskins.
Leland made his directorial debut with “Wish You Were Here” (1987), which won him the BAFTA for best original screenplay, and the film...
Leland cut his teeth in theater, where he directed the world premiere of Michael Palin and Terry Jones’ “Their Finest Hours” and gave Pierce Brosnan his first opportunity to act on stage in the British premiere of Tennessee Williams’ “The Red Devil Battery Sign.”
A distinguished film and TV screenwriting career followed, including “Made in Britain” (1982) directed by Alan Clarke and starring Tim Roth; “Birth of a Nation” (1983) by Mike Newell; and Neil Jordan’s Oscar, Golden Globe and WGA-nominated “Mona Lisa” (1986), featuring a BAFTA-winning performance by Bob Hoskins.
Leland made his directorial debut with “Wish You Were Here” (1987), which won him the BAFTA for best original screenplay, and the film...
- 12/27/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
David Leland, the veteran British theater, film and TV writer and director best known for his 1987 debut movie Wish You Were Here, has died. He was 82.
Leland’s death on Christmas Eve was announced by his longtime publicist, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates.
Born on April 20, 1941, Leland initially trained as an actor at the Central Speech of School and Drama and had many stage credits before moving into direction at the Crucible Theatre.
Leland worked with such British talent as Michael Palin and Terry Jones and directed the world premiere of Their Finest Hours. Pierce Brosnan got his first opportunity to act on stage in the British premiere of Tennessee Williams’ The Red Devil Battery Sign at The Round House, which Leland directed.
“David Leland holds a mighty place in my heart,” Brosnan said in a statement. “I was just out of Drama Center where David was also an alumni. It...
Leland’s death on Christmas Eve was announced by his longtime publicist, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates.
Born on April 20, 1941, Leland initially trained as an actor at the Central Speech of School and Drama and had many stage credits before moving into direction at the Crucible Theatre.
Leland worked with such British talent as Michael Palin and Terry Jones and directed the world premiere of Their Finest Hours. Pierce Brosnan got his first opportunity to act on stage in the British premiere of Tennessee Williams’ The Red Devil Battery Sign at The Round House, which Leland directed.
“David Leland holds a mighty place in my heart,” Brosnan said in a statement. “I was just out of Drama Center where David was also an alumni. It...
- 12/27/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
British director and actor David Leland has died aged 82, according to his long-time agency, Cassaroto Ramsay & Associates
The theater, film and TV star passed away on Christmas Eve (December 24), surrounded by his family.
Leland’s career spanned over five decades. He is known for writing two films about British suburban madam Cynthia Payne, the BAFTA-nominated Personal Services in 1987 and the Cannes Film Festival hit Wish You Were Here.
The former was directed by Terry Jones and starred Julie Walters, while Leland directed the latter himself, with Emily Lloyd starring.
Leland won the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay for Wish You Were Here and the film won the Fipresci prize at Cannes.
He is also noted for serving as co-showrunner of Showtime series The Borgias and for giving Pierce Brosnan his first stage opportunity in the British premiere of Tennessee Williams’ The Red Devil Battery Sign at The Round House, which Leland directed.
The theater, film and TV star passed away on Christmas Eve (December 24), surrounded by his family.
Leland’s career spanned over five decades. He is known for writing two films about British suburban madam Cynthia Payne, the BAFTA-nominated Personal Services in 1987 and the Cannes Film Festival hit Wish You Were Here.
The former was directed by Terry Jones and starred Julie Walters, while Leland directed the latter himself, with Emily Lloyd starring.
Leland won the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay for Wish You Were Here and the film won the Fipresci prize at Cannes.
He is also noted for serving as co-showrunner of Showtime series The Borgias and for giving Pierce Brosnan his first stage opportunity in the British premiere of Tennessee Williams’ The Red Devil Battery Sign at The Round House, which Leland directed.
- 12/27/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
One can't say much to defend the clunky script or the bad casting decisions for Tim Burton's 2001 film adaptation of Pierre Boulle's "Planet of the Apes." Not only did Burton's film alter the story of the original novel into something far less poignant, but Mark Wahlberg didn't project the "square-jawed space hero" archetype that his character was clearly written as. Estella Warren and Kris Kristofferson also didn't fare well as put-upon wilderness dwellers, coming across as dainty weekend warriors who had never been camping before.
Where Burton's film excels, however, is the ape design. The makeup effects by Rick Baker are some of the best in cinema history, looking eerily natural on the faces of previously recognizable actors. Additionally, the ape cast went through extensive movement training and their chimpanzee, gorilla, and orangutan body movements are impressive and convincing.
The ape cast also did its job with aplomb.
Where Burton's film excels, however, is the ape design. The makeup effects by Rick Baker are some of the best in cinema history, looking eerily natural on the faces of previously recognizable actors. Additionally, the ape cast went through extensive movement training and their chimpanzee, gorilla, and orangutan body movements are impressive and convincing.
The ape cast also did its job with aplomb.
- 12/24/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
TV crossovers have been around almost as long as the medium of television itself. Before the advent of modern shared universes, they were mostly just a lark intended to goose viewership. When "Adventures of Superman" star George Reeves turned up as the show's namesake in the 1957 "I Love Lucy" episode "Lucy and Superman," it was all a big in-joke and not some kind of serious declaration that Lucy and Ricky Ricardo somehow existed in the same universe as the Man of Steel. Nearly 60 years later, when "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" Detective Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) crossed paths with Jess Day (Zooey Deschanel) from "New Girl," it was a similar bit of fun ... assuming you could refrain from thinking too hard about the in-universe implications.
Speaking of not thinking too hard about canonical implications, Hart Hanson's playful yet by and large grounded Fox procedural "Bones" likewise crossed over with, of all shows,...
Speaking of not thinking too hard about canonical implications, Hart Hanson's playful yet by and large grounded Fox procedural "Bones" likewise crossed over with, of all shows,...
- 12/23/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
The working relationship between writer and director Quentin Tarantino and actor Tim Roth is excellent, going all the way back to Tarantino's first feature, "Reservoir Dogs." So when it came to his second film, "Pulp Fiction," Tarantino knew he wanted to have Roth involved in some capacity and was going to write a character in the film with him specifically in mind. That character wasn't the now-infamous Pumpkin, however, and the creation of Pumpkin and Amanda Plummer's character Honey Bunny had a whole lot to do with a hilarious request on Roth's part. It's hard to imagine "Pulp Fiction" without Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, who kick off the entire movie with their loving and slightly terrifying conversation immediately before holding up a diner at gunpoint. But according to both Roth and Tarantino, the pairing was somewhat serendipitous.
Apparently Tarantino was at the premiere of Plummer's film "The Fisher King,...
Apparently Tarantino was at the premiere of Plummer's film "The Fisher King,...
- 12/10/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
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