The Francis Lawrence-directed “Red Sparrow” was given a hard R in the States. It starred Jennifer Lawrence as a Russian spy and, by, all accounts, the sexuality and violence in the film was something that we rarely see these days in a big studio movie. J-Law even delivered the first nude scene of her career. The film itself was a well-made spy thriller, albeit one with some overlength issues, but, again, it was the kind of adult drama that is rarely greenlit these days in Hollywood.
Read moreAva DuVernay Says She's Not Being Offered Genre Movies Because She's a Woman
For the most part, I like Ava Duvernay’s work from “Selma” to”Middle of Nowhere,” but the outspoken political mindset the writer-director has displayed, especially on Twitter, these last few years hasn’t always helped her out. Take for example her latest point of contention, that she doesn’t get offered the same opportunities as her white male counterparts.
Read moreBox-Office: ‘Aladdin' Makes $100M in Just 4 Days; ‘Booksmart' Disappoints.
Yesterday, I mentioned that “Booksmart” director Olivia Wilde urged audiences to go see her film, noting that the film is “getting creamed by the big dogs out there.” Wilde’s plea didn’t have much effect, at least in terms of the film’s Sunday earnings.
Read moreGeorge Lucas on ‘The Phantom Menace' 20 Years Later: “I love Episode I very much"
The official Star Wars site has a nice little “looking-back “ anecdote on the 20th anniversary of “Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace.”
Read more‘Terminator: Dark Fate' Official Poster
People are underestimating the potential of Tim Miller’s upcoming Terminator movie, a sort of back-to-the-basics approach by producer James Cameron and Miller to bring the franchise back to its glory days (the first two films). Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton are back. What more do you need? Also, don’t, for a second, think Cameron is the mastermind behind the whole film; Yes, Miller is credited as director but you very much need to see this film as a directorial duet. Cameron and Miller are the co-directors.
Read moreChristopher Nolan’s New Film Is Titled ‘Tenet'
As per Variety:
“Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Kenneth Branagh will appear in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, “Tenet.”
“Clémence Poésy, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine are also joining the cast that includes John David Washington, Elizabeth Debicki, and Robert Pattinson.”
“Tenet,” which is being filmed on location across seven countries, is an action epic evolving from the world of international espionage.”
“Nolan is directing from his own original screenplay and will use a mix of Imax and 70mm film to bring the story to the big screen.”
“Nolan’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Hoyte van Hoytema, production designer Nathan Crowley, editor Jennifer Lame, costume designer Jeffrey Kurland, and visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson. The score is being composed by Ludwig Göransson.”
Pixar Claims No More Sequels After ‘Toy Story 4'
Last summer's "Incredibles 2," came off the heels of some rather disappointing sequels from toon company Pixar. With the exceptions of “Toy Story 2” and “Toy Story 3,” they have had had a lackluster set of continuations delivered to us these last few years. Sure, there were things to like about "Finding Dory," and "Monster University," maybe less so in regards to "Cars 2,” "Cars 3," but they all lacked the overall focus and thematic resonance of their predecessors. In short, none of them needed a sequel. It was all about branding and marketing merchandise. However, when Pixar focuses on non-sequels they usually hit aces, think of their last two "Coco" and "Inside Out," both wondrous adventures that showcased the company's indelible talents as cinematic gift-givers.
I’ve been brandishing the theory that maybe Pixar has finally lost its mojo and sold its soul to the Disney machine, but I was proven wrong today when it was revealed [via THR] that the upcoming “Toy Story 4,” which arrives June 21, will be the last sequel before Pixar starts work, solely, on new, original projects and not sequels, led by new boss Pete Docter.
“He’s really looking out for the new voices and really loading up the development pool,” Producer Mark Nielsen said. “It’s all original films after this one right now.”
It all starts in 2020, with “Onward,” directed by “Monsters University” director Dan Scanlon.
The Problem isn't Cannes, It's the Lack of Born and Bred Female Directors
Cannes head Thierry Fremaux gave us a nice overview of the submissions he got for this year’s festival—according to him, 26% of the feature films submitted were directed by a woman. 19 of the 69 films included in the Official Selection (which means features and shorts) were directed by women, which is 27.5%. That’s it, that’s all, folks.
Box Office: ‘Avengers: Endgame' had its third weekend at #1 with $63M
“Avengers: Endgame” had to put up a real fight at this weekend’s box office. It did manage to beat “Detective Pikachu,” which ended up with an impressive $58M.
Read morePeter Jackson Doesn't Want to Direct a Superhero Movie; Was Offered ‘Aquaman' Twice
In a new interview with Empire, director Peter Jackson claims he isn’t interested in directing a superhero movie and that he’d already been offered the chance to direct “Aquaman.,” but he turned it down. Twice.
“[WB Executive Kevin Tsujihara] said, ‘Are you a fan of Aquaman?’ I said, ‘No.’ Six months later: ‘Peter, are you a fan of Aquaman?’ I said, ’No, Kevin, I already told you this’,” Jackson said. “I’m not a superhero guy. I read ‘Tintin’… Look, films are hard. I only want to make something that I have a deep passion for.”
Pre-Cannes Thoughts; Fremaux Says 50% Female Films Would “Show A Lack Of Respect”
it's always interesting to go through the competition lineup at Cannes, especially if, like me, you've been attending the fest for quite a few years now. The stakes are always high for world cinema whenever this film fest to end all film fests kicks off mid-may. A good chunk of the European film industry counts on Cannes to produce its fair share of successful titles..
Read more‘A Hidden Life’: New Photos of Terrence Malick’s WWII Drama
I’m headed to Cannes this coming weekend. Yes, there’s the Tarantino, but there also is Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life.” That’s the other BIG American premiere.
Read moreDexter Fletcher Details How He Was Called Up to Replace Bryan Singer and Save ‘Bohemian Rhapsody'
We all know that Bryan Singer caused total chaos during production of “Bohemian Rhapsody,’” to the point where, on some days, he would just not show up on-set at all. At some point, Fox higher-ups had enough of his erratic behavior and demanded that Singer be fired from ‘Bohemian’. Replacing him was Dexter Fletcher, who is the director of the upcoming Elton John biopic “Rocket Man.” Supposedly there wasn’t much left to shoot (around weeks), but Fletcher came in to complete the film at the behest of old pal Rami Malek would seems to have pleaded to Fletcher to come and save the movie.
Read more‘I am Mother’: Hilary Swank's Wonky Sci-Fi Robot Movie
I did not review “I am Mother” when I saw its premiere at this past January’s Sundance Film Festival. Mostly because it doesn’t bring anything new to the genre. We already know that if you’re making a sci-fi about artificial intelligence then you most likely will have to deal with the, ahem, downside in accepting robots as “one of us.”
Read moreElton John Biopic ‘Rocketman' Officially Rated R
On Box-Office-Mojo’s MPAA Ratings update we finally have official confirmation that Dexter Fletcher’s “Rocketman” will indeed be rated R. The official guideline reads as follows, “Rocketman” is Rated R For language throughout, some drug use and sexual content.”
Read moreWoody Allen's ‘Rainy Day In New York' Venice-Bound? Italy, Germany and Spain announce release dates.
Good news came on Sunday, courtesy of Italy’s Lucky Red. The Italian outlet reported that Woody Allen’s currently-in-limbo “Rainy Day in New York” was confirmed for an October 3rd Italian release date. This instantly led to speculation about a potential Venice Film Festival bow in September.
Read moreJames Cameron Congratulates ‘Avengers: Endgame' on Surpassing Titanic
‘The Lodge' Trailer: Arthouse Horror Done Right.
Arthouse horror is on a tear right now, and it’s no secret. One of the most inspiring movements in American cinema right now, modern classics like “Hereditary,” “Get Out,” “The Witch,” “It Follows,” et al. have reinvigorated a genre blunted by the cheap slasher films of the ’80s and ’90s and sparked something of a movement, thoughtful, emotionally bruising and sometimes glacially paced horror. Who knows, look back in 10 years, and cinema historians may find an even deeper correlation that we can see to our toxic, uncertain times, and this cinema of unease and collective trauma.
Read moreWhy Europe Is Releasing Woody Allen's ‘A Rainy Day In New York' But the U.S. Refuses To
It needs to be stated that what is happening right now in America is a unique and very interesting time filled with a bombardment of social movements, civil liberty discussions and other such things that seem to now be part of a powerful social media, most especially Twitter.
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