News

The newly founded Sycamore Studios has bagged another high-profile piece of intellectual property for film adaptation.

Formed in August by Christian McGuigan and Timothy Reckart, Sycamore has won the rights to the bestselling graphic novel series “Zita the Spacegirl.” The project joins a development slate that also includes an animated feature take on the classic “Doctor Dolittle,” from screenwriters Cal Brunker and Bob Barlen.

The acquisition comes on the heels of a successful Series A funding round, which we hear was oversubscribed and fetched mid-seven-figures for Sycamore’s operations and productions.

Written by Ben Hatke, “Zita” follows a brave girl who is propelled into a cosmic adventure when her best friend is abducted by aliens. Zita’s unwavering determination to find her way back home and her courageous sacrifice for others transform her into an intergalactic hero. The property was previously set up at Fox Animation with Peter Chernin, and...

For comedy legend David Cross, starring in three films for the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise was a supposedly fun thing he’ll never do again.

When the Mr. Show star and co-creator first signed on for a half-live-action, half-animated film featuring the novelty song sensations Alvin and the Chipmunks, he earned significant ridicule from the ironic Gen-x alt-comedy scene that he was supposed to represent respectfully in the mainstream. In a blog post, Patton Oswalt claimed that 20th Century Fox offered both him and Brian Posehn the role of the greedy Jett Records executive Ian Hawke in the 2007 movie Alvin and the Chipmunks, but “we both threw the script across the room in disgust. David Cross caught it.”

Well, two Alvin and the Chipmunks movies later, the disgust caught up to Cross, as he would go on to describe the making of the tropical 2011 sequel film Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked...

What makes a film "bad?" Well, for starters, these kinds of movies fail to have any redeemable qualities or their flaws prominently outweigh everything they have to offer. In fact, some legendarily bad movies are widely known because they're so terrible. I'm talking about the likes of Tommy Wiseau's "The Room" or 2010's "Birdemic: Shock and Terror." However, movies in this vein still offer something meaningful despite their nonsensical nature, as there's fun to be had with an egregiously bad premise. For example, a franchise like "Sharknado" induces plenty of unintended laughs, where the escalating events are so baffling and cringe-worthy that the films become an outlet for mindless entertainment.

But what about a movie that is insufferably, irredeemably bad? As in, so bad it's currently the lowest-rated film on IMDb with a rating of 1.9 out of 10? If you've never heard of 2008's "Disaster Movie," you're probably better off not knowing,...

The Max Holiday 2024 collection That Time of Year is now live on the streaming service. The collection will serve as the hub for holiday content, showcasing an extensive selection of series, films, and more, guaranteed to bring joy and cheer to viewers during the festive season.

The That Time of Year collection kicks off the festivities today by spotlighting themed curations like “Comfort & Joy,” “Families We’re Thankful For” and “Season of Romance,” featuring new Max Original film Sweethearts (debuting Nov. 28) and others, making it seamless for subscribers to discover holiday classics and new favorites on Max.

On top of celebrating the 20th anniversary of Polar Express, viewers can also dive into nostalgic fan favorite films such as A Christmas Story, Elf, Holiday Harmony, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and ageless holiday classics like A Christmas Carol, A Christmas Story, A Carol for Another Christmas, Meet Me In St. Louis (Dec.

‘That Time of Year’ 2024 on Max

Max is celebrating the winter holidays with the “That Time of Year” collection, a special page featuring selected holiday films and series. The streamer’s also bringing back its special Yule log collection, with the 2024 selection including “World of Westeros Dragon Egg Yule Log,” “Harry Potter: Fireplace,” and “A Very Merry Rickmas Yule Log.”

2024’s been a tough year so holiday favorites Elf, A Christmas Story, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation will help take our minds off the world. Max’s lineup also includes the classic holiday films A Christmas Carol, A Carol for Another Christmas, Meet Me In St. Louis, and The Shop Around the Corner. And beginning November 29, the streamers highlighting favorite holiday episodes of Friends, Abbott Elementary, Young Sheldon, and The Big Bang Theory.

Max’s “That Time of Year” Highlights:

Holiday Essentials

8-Bit Christmas (2021)

A Carol for Another Christmas (1964)

A Christmas Carol...

Ask nearly anyone to describe Mr. T. and you’ve got the same description: the mohawk, the gold jewelry, the tank top, the muscles…It’s so distinct that it must be planned. And it is. But we bet you couldn’t tell us the significance of any of it: what the mohawk and chains symbolize, what the “T” really means deep down. And we bet you couldn’t tell us Mr. T.’s real name if your mama’s life depended on it. Is it for Tender? Or Tough? Maybe a little of both, depending on if he’s spitting motivational phrases or ready to whoop some butt at the club.

But rest assured, every move of Mr. T.’s – ever since being discovered by Sylvester Stallone – has been calculated, whose presence and aura – despite being tied to one specific moment in time – remains unforgettable. And yet, we know so little about the man.

From the streets of Gotham to the boulevards of Hollywood, Batman has made a lasting mark on pop culture over the past 85 years – so much so that the character will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, making him the first superhero to receive the dedication and one of an exclusive group of fictional characters.

Appropriately enough, Batman will find his Hollywood Walk of Fame star placed between co-creator Bob Kane and famed portrayer Adam West. While guests have yet to be confirmed for the September 26th ceremony, it would be incredible if the likes of Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, and more turned up for the event. Sadly, West died in 2017 while voice talent Kevin Conroy passed away in 2022.

But Batman isn’t the first fictional character to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as he will join less than two dozen others,...

Many horror fans probably know that one of the working titles for Wes Craven's 1996 slasher revival "Scream" was "Scary Movie." "Scream," if you'll recall, was a metanarrative horror film, a slasher populated by teenage characters who were movie-savvy enough to recognize they were, themselves, in a slasher situation. The killer had seen "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th," and arranged his murders accordingly. As a character says late in the film, "Movies don't create killers. Movies make killers creative."

"Scream" almost immediately entrenched itself in the pop consciousness, tapping into 1990s self-awareness and reviving the moribund slasher genre for the irony generation. It also wasn't long before the culture became self-aware of its own self-awareness, and thought to dissect the very act of dissection. The ironic mockery of irony was the dominant ethos of the late 1990s. Listen to Harvey Danger's "Flagpole Sitta" sometime for another example of the attitude at play.

Exclusive: In a highly competitive situation involving six parties, Paramount Pictures has snapped up rights to Over Asking, a sexual revenge thriller spec from Caroline Dries.

Both streamers and traditional studios were in the mix, as others who made offers included Amazon, Apple, Skydance, New Line and Sony, according to multiple sources, who said that the deal came in at north of seven figures.

Said to be a throwback in the vein of Paramount’s classic erotic thrillers, the film watches as a chance encounter between a seemingly perfect couple and a powerful female attorney leads the couple down a scary path that throws everything into jeopardy. Karen Rosenfelt (The Twilight Saga) will serve as its producer.

The deal was described as a heartening reflection of a market that most have been down on, amid the contraction following last year’s damaging double strike, demonstrating that studios are still more...

One cannot understate the strange cultural dominance Hugh Wilson's 1984 comedy "Police Academy" held over the pop zeitgeist throughout the 1980s. Clearly a child of "Animal House," "Police Academy" was a traditional snobs-vs.-slobs comedy that pitted winking wiseacres against their stern commanding officers at a police school in an unnamed city. I've long had a theory that the "Police Academy" movies take place in Metropolis, the city where Superman lives. With Superman taking care of major crimes, the local police force would likely become complacent, unused to enforcing the law. 

None of the "Police Academy" movies were well-reviewed, recognized by critics as crass, dumb, and low-brow. This is a series that banks on misogyny, offensive stereotypes, and a lot of crotch/sex humor. There is no wit to the "Police Academy" movies. Roger Ebert famously gave the first film zero stars, citing merely how dreadfully unfunny and uninspired it is.

When Paul King's 2014 film "Paddington" came out, audiences had reason to be skeptical. The beloved title character, a talking Peruvian bear left alone at London's Paddington station, wasn't necessarily a good fit for a live-action take. Movies like 2002's "Scooby Doo" and 2007's "Alvin and the Chipmunks" were proof that audiences would show up for CGI versions of classic characters, but the movies could also be ugly and loud, the most cynical kind of children's movie. Nobody wanted that fate for Paddington Bear.

But the character flourished in the new medium. King's film received a great deal of critical praise, getting a 97% positive approval rate on RottenTomatoes. The movie was sparkling, playful, and gleefully imaginative, and rather than stop the movie dead, Paddington's (voiced by Ben Wheatley) wild antics set the stage for physical comedy in the vein of Charlie Chaplin. 2017's "Paddington 2" was even better, finding...

To talk about Peter Cullen's voice acting career is to take a trip through the last five decades of mainstream U.S. animation. The man has lent his voice to so many noteworthy cartoon series that it boggles the mind, including "Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo," "The Smurfs," "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends," "Voltron: Defender of the Universe," "Alvin and the Chipmunks," "Muppet Babies," "Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers," and "Invincible." But one cannot even begin to do justice to his body of work without touching on the iconic character that he's voiced across multiple animated shows and feature films for nearly 40 years now. Truly, at this point, Cullen is all but synonymous with his onscreen counterpart: Eeyore. 

After debuting as the Autobots' intrepid leader in "The Transformers" in 1984, Cullen took over voicing the most relatable resident of the Hundred Acre Wood from the late Ralph Wright (who voiced...

It’s probably a little bit of an odd box office record to boast about, but when Universal’s animated movie “Sing” made $270.3 million in North America and $631 million globally, it did so without ever having been number one at the domestic box office. Christopher Nolan‘s “Oppenheimer,” a biopic starring Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, has just surpassed “Sing’s” domestic box office, so it now holds that all-time record.

Maybe that doesn’t seem so odd, but it’s actually quite hard for a movie to make more than $200 million in North America without ever having a single weekend in first place, even if only its opening weekend. In fact, only eight movies made over $200 million without being number one, and that’s including “Oppenheimer.”

See Box office: All time domestic top-grossing movies

In 2002, Nia Vardalos‘ breakout indie hit “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” had an astounding run at the box office,...

To celebrate the first week of Max, we are sending seven days of curated thematic Max Highlights. Earlier this week we sent the best programming to watch over Memorial Day Weekend and the worlds to explore on Max. Today we showcase kids and family series and movies.

Max brings a more prominent kids and family experience, introducing a default Kid’s Profile for new subscribers along with accompanying Parental Controls, including the ability to limit content by ratings, lock access to adult profiles, and prevent children from exiting a kid’s profile.

Max offers an expansive offering of kids content, including dedicated hubs for Cartoon Network programming and Sesame Workshop. Max is the home of other iconic and beloved kids and family brands and franchises, including Scooby-Doo!, Looney Tunes, select films from the Studio Ghibli catalog, and more. With a breadth of content from classics to next generation Max Originals,...

Composer Christopher Lennertz was declared a BMI Icon at Broadcast Music Inc.’s 39th annual Film, TV and Visual Media Awards Wednesday night (May 10) in Beverly Hills.

Lennertz, a two-time Emmy nominee, veteran film composer and game-music creator, was honored for his 30-year career in media music-making.

BMI president and CEO Mike O’Neill presented the award, noting that Lennertz was “legendary for his diverse and distinct impact across the worlds of film, television and gaming” and telling the 51-year-old composer, “your captivating scores have taken us on a thrilling ride.”

Added BMI’s VP creative, film, TV and visual media Tracy McKnight: “His compelling body of work, from blockbuster films to hit TV shows and gaming, highlights Christopher’s passion for all styles of music and has made him one of the industry’s most sought-after composers. He is also dedicated to giving back through philanthropic work and advancing the next generation of composers.

Duane Earl Poole, writer of “Hart to Hart,” died on April 1 due to cancer. He was 74.

Poole worked under Aaron Spelling’s team of writers and producers on television programs including “Hart to Hart,” “The Love Boat,” “Lottery!,” “Glitter” and “Hotel.”

He also worked with Hanna-Barbera’s production team alongside Sid and Marty Kroft, where he contributed to children’s programs such as “The Great Grape Ape,” “A Flintstones Christmas,” “The Smurfs,” “Electra Woman and Dyna Girl,” “Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks” and “C.H.O.M.P.S.”

Poole was born on Sept. 15, 1948, in Prescott, Ariz. Shortly after his birth, Poole was awarded first runner-up in the Gerber Baby Photo Search, marking the beginning of his career in show business.

His family then moved to Washington, where Poole would eventually attend the University of Washington. After he graduated from college, Poole began working for King World Productions in Seattle. He...

Beth Riesgraf is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Parker on the tv shows Leverage and Leverage: Redemption.

Beth Riesgraf Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education

Beth Riesgraf was born on August 24, 1978 (Beth Riesgraf: Age 44), in Belle Plaine, Minnesota to Janet and Elroy Riesgraf. She graduated from Cimarron-Memorial High School in 1996 where she was student body president and senior prom queen. Riesgraf has one child, Pilot Riesgraf-Lee, from her past relationship with actor Jason Lee.

Beth Riesgraf Biography: Career

In an exclusive interview with uInterview, Riesgraf talked about what got her interested in acting in the first place. “When I was five, my kindergarten had a gong show, and I was Peter Rabbit. I had my little shaky voice was still happening back then and I had to sing and hop down the aisle with my basket,” Riesgraf laughed. “The gong went at the end,...

Exclusive: Film industry veteran Michele ‘Missy’ Imperato Stablile has been named President, Worldwide Physical Production, Warner Bros. Pictures. She will report directly to Warner Bros Pictures Group Co-Chair and CEOs Michael DeLuca and Pam Abdy. She’ll join the studio in the coming weeks.

In her new role, Imperato Stabile will lead the division responsible for all aspects of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group’s film productions, including digital effects, post-production services and product placement.

“We think Missy’s one of the best in the business,” said DeLuca and Abdy. “We’ve had the pleasure of working with her before and have seen how skillfully she works with our creative partners and production teams to deliver a top-notch filmmaking experience, which results in great films. We can’t wait for her to get started.”

Imperato has been a producer, executive producer and production...

Many titles disappear from Netflix without warning every day.

This explains why you might have noticed some films and TV shows have been removed while flicking through your watchlist.

In an attempt to avoid a surprise, here is a compilation of everything being removed in March, including several titles labelled as a Netflix Original.

The removals also includes Arrested Development, which has thrown the future availability of its final season into question. Find the full list below.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 March

The Associate

Balto

Barb Wire

Beethoven

Beethoven’s Big Break

The Blues Brothers

The Boy Next Door

Bridget Jones’s Baby

The Brothers Grimm

Clear and Present Danger

Confusion Na Wa

Connected

Cop Car

The Debt

Disconnect

Doomsday

Escape from Alcatraz

The Expendables

The Expendables 2

The Expendables 3

47 Ronin

Gold Statue

Halloween H20

Hell on the Border...

Many titles disappear from Netflix without warning every day.

This explains why you might have noticed some films and TV shows have been removed while flicking through your watchlist.

In an attempt to avoid a surprise, here is a compilation of everything being removed in March, including several titles labelled as a Netflix Original.

The removals also includes Arrested Development, which has thrown the future availability of its final season into question. Find the full list below.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 March

The Associate

Balto

Barb Wire

Beethoven

Beethoven’s Big Break

The Blues Brothers

The Boy Next Door

Bridget Jones’s Baby

The Brothers Grimm

Clear and Present Danger

Confusion Na Wa

Connected

Cop Car

The Debt

Disconnect

Doomsday

Escape from Alcatraz

The Expendables

The Expendables 2

The Expendables 3

47 Ronin

Gold Statue

Halloween H20

Hell on the Border...

Many titles disappear from Netflix without warning every day.

This explains why you might have noticed some films and TV shows have been removed while flicking through your watchlist.

In an attempt to avoid a surprise, here is a compilation of everything being removed in March, including several titles labelled as a Netflix Original.

The removals also includes Arrested Development, which has thrown the future availability of its final season into question. Find the full list below.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 March

The Associate

Balto

Barb Wire

Beethoven

Beethoven’s Big Break

The Blues Brothers

The Boy Next Door

Bridget Jones’s Baby

The Brothers Grimm

Clear and Present Danger

Confusion Na Wa

Connected

Cop Car

The Debt

Disconnect

Doomsday

Escape from Alcatraz

The Expendables

The Expendables 2

The Expendables 3

47 Ronin

Gold Statue

Halloween H20

Hell on the Border...

Many titles disappear from Netflix without warning every day.

This explains why you might have noticed some films and TV shows have been removed while flicking through your watchlist.

In an attempt to avoid a surprise, here is a compilation of everything being removed in March, including several titles labelled as a Netflix Original.

The removals also includes Arrested Development, which has thrown the future availability of its final season into question. Find the full list below.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 March

The Associate

Balto

Barb Wire

Beethoven

Beethoven’s Big Break

The Blues Brothers

The Boy Next Door

Bridget Jones’s Baby

The Brothers Grimm

Clear and Present Danger

Confusion Na Wa

Connected

Cop Car

The Debt

Disconnect

Doomsday

Escape from Alcatraz

The Expendables

The Expendables 2

The Expendables 3

47 Ronin

Gold Statue

Halloween H20

Hell on the Border...

Many titles disappear from Netflix without warning every day.

This explains why you might have noticed some films and TV shows have been removed while flicking through your watchlist.

In an attempt to avoid a surprise, here is a compilation of everything being removed in March, including several titles labelled as a Netflix Original.

The removals also includes Arrested Development, which has thrown the future availability of its final season into question. Find the full list below.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 March

The Associate

Balto

Barb Wire

Beethoven

Beethoven’s Big Break

The Blues Brothers

The Boy Next Door

Bridget Jones’s Baby

The Brothers Grimm

Clear and Present Danger

Confusion Na Wa

Connected

Cop Car

The Debt

Disconnect

Doomsday

Escape from Alcatraz

The Expendables

The Expendables 2

The Expendables 3

47 Ronin

Gold Statue

Halloween H20

Hell on the Border...

Exclusive: My Name is Earl star Jason Lee has signed with Buchwald for representation in all areas.

Lee recently joined the ensemble cast of the upcoming Netflix/Shondaland murder-mystery series The Residence, based on the Kate Anderson Brower book of the same name, and will star opposite Uzo Aduba, Andre Braugher, and Ken Marino.

The multihyphenate is widely recognized for playing the lead role in the Emmy-winning comedy series My Name is Earl, which aired on NBC for four seasons and earned him two Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations. He also starred in the TNT series Memphis Beat, produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov, which ran for two seasons. His other television credits include Greg Garcia’s Raising Hope and the NBC/Broadway Video series Up All Night, opposite Christina Applegate and Maya Rudolph.

On the film side, Lee starred in Vanilla Sky and the Oscar-winning Almost Famous for director Cameron Crowe.

Many titles disappear from Netflix without warning every day.

This explains why you might have noticed some films and TV shows have been removed while flicking through your watchlist.

In an attempt to avoid a surprise, here is a compilation of everything being removed in March, including several titles labelled as a Netflix Original.

The removals also includes Arrested Development, which has thrown the future availability of its final season into question. Find the full list below.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 March

The Associate

Balto

Barb Wire

Beethoven

Beethoven’s Big Break

The Blues Brothers

The Boy Next Door

Bridget Jones’s Baby

The Brothers Grimm

Clear and Present Danger

Confusion Na Wa

Connected

Cop Car

The Debt

Disconnect

Doomsday

Escape from Alcatraz

The Expendables

The Expendables 2

The Expendables 3

47 Ronin

Gold Statue

Halloween H20

Hell on the Border...

Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally and David Cross are joining the fourth and final season of Netflix’s “The Umbrella Academy,” the streamer announced Friday. Production on the last installment of the hit superhero drama is currently underway in Toronto.

Husband and wife duo Offerman and Mullally will play Drs. Gene and Jean Thibedeau, “a married pair of community college professors from New Mexico who wear sensible footwear and suffer from the most extreme case of deja vu this timeline has ever seen,” per their character details.

David Cross will portray Sy Grossman, who is described as “an upstanding, shy business owner and family man desperate to reconnect with his estranged daughter, who will stop at nothing to get her back.”

Also Read:

Megan Mullally Admits It’ll Be ‘Weird’ If Husband Nick Offerman Doesn’t Get Emmy Nod for ‘Last of Us’ (Video)

Offerman is coming off of a critically...

Burbank, CA – One of the Man of Steel’s most personal tales in DC history – from the mind of comics icon Grant Morrison, and produced under the expert oversight of animation legends Bruce Timm and Dwayne McDuffie – All-Star Superman will be available to own on 4K Ultra HD for the very first time on April 18, 2023 from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment.

Grant Morrison’s beloved, Eisner Award-winning vision of Superman’s heroic final days on Earth is brought to exquisite, animated life in All-Star Superman. The film begins as the Man of Steel rescues an ill-fated mission to the Sun (sabotaged by Lex Luthor) but, in the process, is oversaturated by radiation – which accelerates his cell degeneration. Sensing even he will be unable to cheat death, Superman ventures into new realms – finally revealing his secret to Lois, confronting Lex Luthor’s perspective of humanity, and attempting to ensure Earth’s...

HBO Max may (hopefully) be done randomly pulling original series from the service, but there are still a number of TV shows and films due to leave HBO Max in January as part of the regularly scheduled shuffling.

Multiple seasons of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” will leave HBO Max on Jan. 3, so get those final binge-watches in Asap. And the beloved WB series “Everwood” is due to depart on Jan. 21 if you feel like seeing what young Chris Pratt was up to in the early 2000s.

In terms of movies leaving HBO Max, there are quite a lot. “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” turns into a ghost on Jan. 20, while Jon M. Chu’s delightful musical “In the Heights” leaves on Jan. 27.

Noteworthy films leaving HBO Max on Jan. 31 include the first three “John Wick” movies, the first three “Jurassic Park” films, the first two installments in the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise,...

It can be hard to keep track of all the movies released over the years, especially with long-running franchises like “Alvin and the Chipmunks.” This blog post is here to make your life easier by listing all of the beloved “Alvin and the Chipmunks” movies in order. Our goal is for you to quickly reference this article when deciding which movie in the franchise to watch next.

The “Alvin and the Chipmunks” movie series has been a fan favorite for decades. These lovable, singing rodents have captured the hearts of audiences of all ages with their catchy tunes and hilarious antics. The movies follow the adventures of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore as they navigate the ups and downs of life as famous musicians with the help of their guardian Dave Seville.

From the classic animated films of the 1980s to the more modern, live-action/animated hybrid films of the 2000s and 2010s,...

It's hard to understate just how revolutionary John Kricfalusi's "The Ren & Stimpy Show" was to the world of animation. Having worked on stultifying commercial products throughout the 1980s, John K., as he is better known, longed for the old, wilder, more creative days of Termite Terrace (the nickname for Warner Bros. Pictures' animation department from the 1930s through the 1950s). He particularly admired Bob Clampett and aimed to make stranger, more grotesque cartoons. The '80s were a time of product-based cartoon shows like "Transformers," "My Little Pony," and "Alvin and the Chipmunks." Such shows were seemingly only green-lit if they had pre-existing "marquee value" or a product to sell.

The airing of "The Ren & Stimpy Show" kicked the door open for a new generation of creator-based cartoon shows. Original ideas began flooding the marketplace in earnest in the early '90s and cynical, product-forward cartoons series fell by the wayside.

"Barbarian" has been out for a couple of weeks now (read our review of it here), but as word-of-mouth about the movie continues to grow, the surprise horror hit of the fall is looking to lure new prospective viewers and rental home guests out to the theater. If you're just now joining us, "Barbarian" stars Georgina Campbell as Tess, a young woman who arrives at the home she booked on 476 Barbarian Barbary Street, only to find that there's another guest already there. It happens to be a guy named Keith, played by Bill Skarsgård, the same actor who brought Pennywise the Clown to life in "It". Keith invites Tess in out of the rain on this proverbial dark and stormy night, and what could possibly go wrong?

"Barbarian" isn't yet playing in my neck of the woods, so if you haven't seen it yet, we're in the same boat. From what I've heard,...

Tino Franco is not liked by a famous actor. Pic credit: @tino.360/Instagram

Bachelor Nation has been pretty vocal about Tino Franco’s behavior on this season of The Bachelorette, especially lately.

However, it’s not only alums who have commented on Tino’s red flags throughout his time with Rachel Recchia, but one specific celebrity let viewers know he was not Team Tino.

Justin Long, most notable for his appearances on Dodgeball and Jeepers Creepers, as well as the voice of Alvin in the Alvin and the Chipmunks film series, has made it known that he cannot stand Tino.

As he made an appearance on the Chicks in the Office podcast, Justin first discussed how he believes these contestants are so worried about how the public perceives them.

After discussing Gabby Windey and Jason Alabaster’s relationship, Justin went on to state that he could not believe Tino is...

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A24’s acclaimed stop-motion/live-action hybrid “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” could be the wild card in the animated feature Oscar race — going up against such early favorites as Pixar’s “Turning Red,” Disney’s “Strange World,” and Netflix’s two stop-motion behemoths: “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” and Henry Selick’s “Wendell & Wild” (the latter being the lone animated feature premiering at TIFF).

And why not? The feature debut from director Dean Fleischer Camp (adapting a series of shorts he created with “Marcel” star Jenny Slate), has been embraced by critics for its charm, wit, inventive stop-motion, and its adorable breakout star. The one-inch anthropomorphic shell (voiced by Slate) lives with his grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini) and develops a friendship with doc filmmaker Dean (Fleischer Camp), who moves in and films Marcel’s daily activities, which go viral. Marcel, who’s in search of his lost family,...

Exclusive: Andy Fickman (One True Loves) will direct the fish-out-of-water feature My Dad’s A Famous Movie Star for Brick Lane Pictures, Convoke Media, Film Roman and Kranzmedia—also producing through his Oops Doughnuts Productions banner.

Details as to the film’s plot are being kept under wraps, though it’s said to be in the vein of titles like Billy Elliot, Waking Ned Devine and About a Boy. Fickman wrote the script with his wife, Kristen Gura Fickman. Brandon Evans (Big Bear) will produce for the Ireland-based Brick Lane Pictures, along with Todd Slater for Convoke (King of Killers), Steve Waterman (Alvin and the Chipmunks), Jeff Kranzdorf (The Good Neighbor), and Fickman and Betsy Sullenger (One True Loves) for Oops Doughnuts. Elaine Grainger (Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard) is handling casting, which is now underway for a fall shoot in Ireland.

“When I first got involved with the script...

Although the feature film “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers” was released on Disney+ and not in theaters, director Akiva Schaffer knows the importance of seeing a movie with an audience, as proven by the film’s tastemakers screening at the D23 conference and its L.A. world premiere.

“At home, it’s so easy to have a look at your phone,” he tells Variety. “You can miss half the things because they’re visual in the movie, but then again, as somebody who’s put out those movies and had nobody in the theaters, that’s not any good either.”

He’s referencing the poor box-office performance of his last feature, “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” (2016), which he directed and starred in along with the other two members of musical trio the Lonely Island: Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone. Since then, the film has garnered a cult following.

“When people...

It's been approximately 28 years since the internet went absolutely insane over the design of one blue hedgehog, but somehow we've made it to the release of "Sonic the Hedgehog 2." 

Following the unlikely success of the first film, the sequel goes bigger, bolder, and also overlong and exhausting. It wants to be a superhero movie, not one of the fun and colorful ones, but something like "Batman v Superman." And yet, it also has the level of cartoonish hijinks of "Alvin and the Chipmunks," with Knuckles and Tails serving as Simon and Theodore (but kind of edgier).

Of course, given the film is so inspired by...

The post Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Credits Scene Explained: The Sonic Universe Grows appeared first on /Film.

Harriet Halpern Beck, a veteran attorney and TV executive who represented Laugh-In producer George Schlatter and worked on deals for Saturday morning kids shows, died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness, a publicist announced. She was 80.

Upon graduation from Loyola Marymount University law school in 1980, Beck landed a job as a business affairs attorney for Filmways, then moved into children’s television as vp business affairs for Ruby-Spears Productions.

There, she helped shape Saturday morning TV as the company supplied such shows as Alvin and the Chipmunks, Mister T, Rambo, Punky Brewster, Dragon’s Lair and Rubik, the Amazing Cube to networks.

She later worked ...

Harriet Halpern Beck, a veteran attorney and TV executive who represented Laugh-In producer George Schlatter and worked on deals for Saturday morning kids shows, died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness, a publicist announced. She was 80.

Upon graduation from Loyola Marymount University law school in 1980, Beck landed a job as a business affairs attorney for Filmways, then moved into children’s television as vp business affairs for Ruby Spears Productions.

There, she helped shape Saturday morning TV as the company supplied such shows as Alvin and the Chipmunks, Mister T, Rambo, Punky Brewster, Dragon’s Lair and Rubik, the Amazing Cube to networks.

She later ...

Clifford the Big Red Dog was born in a series of children’s books, the first of which was published in 1963. In the decades since, the adventures of the scarlet canine mascot-hero have been spun into three popular PBS Kids TV series, a live musical, video games, and the 2004 animated feature “Clifford’s Really Big Movie,” which was adapted from one of the TV series (and did very little business). All of which is to say that unlikely as it may sound, the new “Clifford the Big Red Dog” is the first really big Clifford movie. So what does that mean?

It means that the film retains some of the benign humanistic qualities of its source, but that it has also been shoved into the knockabout slapstick high jinks paradigm of such CGI-critter-meets-live-action comedies as “Sonic the Hedgehog” and “Garfield: The Movie” and the “Alvin and the Chipmunks” films. Most...

Need proof that moviegoing is far from returning to normal? Look no further than this weekend’s domestic box office charts.

Case in point: “Paw Patrol,” an animated movie based on the popular kids TV show, left Hugh Jackman’s sci-fi romance drama “Reminiscence” in the dust in North America, with the heroic pups of Adventure City collecting six times more in its debut than a film toplined by one of the most charismatic actors in Hollywood. That’s the unpredictable reality of the movie theater business as the delta variant continues to depress ticket sales across the globe. Hurricane Henri, which is currently battering parts of the Northeast, is also keeping people at home.

Neither “Paw Patrol” nor “Reminiscence,” two of the four new films to open this weekend, were able to best Ryan Reynolds’ action comedy “Free Guy,” which remained victorious for the second weekend straight. The Disney...

There’s a great deal of power to financially successful franchise that can lower its own bar: look no further than the “Alvin and the Chipmunks” movies and their squeakquels. Also, see the “Purge” series. Their charm in depicting the history of a national holiday where crime is legal for 12 hours has been fueled by cheap politics and easy commentary targets, flattening the tense air of a home invasion in the original movie to feature-length, monotonous free-for-alls.

Continue reading ‘The Forever Purge’: The Once Scary Inhumanity Of The Franchise Curdles Into Cheap, Exploitative Gruel [Review] at The Playlist.

There’s a lot of talk about the secret formula behind delicious Krabby Patties in “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run,” but the real secret formula lies in the creative trust that has managed to create not one, not two, but now three thoroughly entertaining feature-length adaptations of the long-running TV show.

In an era when so many 25-page children’s books or eight-minute animated shorts have been bloated beyond proportion on their way to becoming 90-minute movies, Team SpongeBob deserves credit for unlocking the alchemy behind building up and building out a storyline and a set of characters without losing sight of what made the original beloved in the first place.

This time around, writer-director Tim Hill steps in, and he’s managed to take the goofy denizens of Bikini Bottom on a road trip that is visually dazzling and almost consistently hilarious, mixing verbal and physical humor,...

Update: Transformers star Josh Duhamel is officially boarding the Lionsgate Jennifer Lopez movie Shotgun Wedding. Jennifer Coolidge and Sonia Braga are also joining to respectively play the moms of Duhamel and Lopez’s characters.

The announcement was made by Erin Westerman, president of production for the Lionsgate Motion Pictures Group.

“We couldn’t be happier for our bride and groom of this Shotgun Wedding,” said Westerman, confirming the casting of Duhamel. “We know Josh and Jennifer will make a compelling and sexy on-screen couple and they will be fun sparring partners as their dream destination wedding erupts into a memorable nightmare. We are also thrilled to bring Jennifer and Sonia on to our cast as Mothers of the Bride and Groom. Their acting and comedic talents will add another fun layer to this already-rich action-comedy.”

Logline: Darcy (Lopez) and Tom (Duhamel) gather their lovable but very opinionated families for the...

Exclusive: ICM Partners has signed Valerie Walsh Valdes and Leslie Valdes and will represent the couple, who co-created and executive produce Nick Jr.’s Santiago of the Seas, in all areas.

Valerie is most known for co-creating and executive producing Nickelodeon’s iconic children series Dora The Explorer. She has also served to co-create and executive produce spinoffs Go, Diego, Go and Dora And Friends. She is currently developing a reboot of Dora the Explorer.

As a showrunner, Valerie has produced more than 300 half hours of animated television, seen in over 150 countries, and translated into 30 languages. Additionally, she has won a Peabody Award for Outstanding Children’s Programming, multiple NAACP Image Awards, Imagen Awards and Parent’s Choice Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards.

Leslie kicked off his television professional career as a staff writer for Dora the Explorer. He also served as the head writer and producer of Disney Junior’s The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

If there’s one thing the Hollywood Foreign Press Association loves to do, it’s to give birth to a star — so could “Love, Victor’s” Michael Cimino be next? The half-hour Hulu series — which is set in the same world as the 2018 coming-of-age dramedy film “Love, Simon” — boasts the 21-year-old actor in his first-ever leading role, for which he could (and should) land a Golden Globe nomination in the Best TV Comedy Actor category.

Cimino plays Victor Salazar, a 16-year-old who embarks on a journey of self-discovery when he and his family move from Texas to Shady Creek, Atlanta. As opposed to “Love, Simon’s” Simon Spier (Nick Robinson), who struggles primarily with coming out, Victor is still trying to navigate and understand his sexual orientation. Cimino sells his character’s inner conflict impeccably, stumbling over his words and his heart patently skipping a beat whenever Victor is opposite his crush,...

Exclusive: Growing German studio Leonine has confirmed the appointment of former Red Arrow Studios exec Nina Etspüler to the role of Head of Entertainment Development and revealed key details about her role.

Etspüler, the former Group Creative Director at Arrow, will join from 1 January, 2021 and will be tasked with shaping and coordinating the development of production brands i&u TV, Odeon Entertainment, and future non-fiction investments in formats.

In addition, she will establish a production brand for Leonine that develops entertainment and non-fiction formats by female execs and creatives in front of and behind the camera. She will report to CEO Fred Kogel.

At Red Arrow, Etspüler was responsible for global format and content development as well as acquisitions and the international market. She was helped develop and roll out formats including Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds, Kiss Bang Love, Buying Blind – Das Hauskauf Experiment and Look Me In The Eye.

Ken Spears, co-founded of Ruby-Spears Productions and co-creator of “Scooby-Doo,” has died at the age of 82.

In a statement to Variety, Spears’ son, Kevin Spears, said his father died on Friday due to complications related to Lewy body dementia.

“Ken will forever be remembered for his wit, his story-telling, his loyalty to family, and his strong work ethic,” he said. “Ken has not only made a lasting impression on his family, but he has touched the lives of many as co-creator of ‘Scooby-Doo.’ Ken has been a role model for us throughout his life and he will continue to live on in our hearts.”

Spears’ death comes just months after his longtime producing partner, Joe Ruby, died of natural causes at the age of 87.

Ruby and Spears co-created the beloved animated kids’ mystery series “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?” at Hanna-Barbera in 1969. The original run of the show ended in 1976, though...

Ken Spears, co-creator of the beloved animated series “Scooby-Doo” and co-founder of Ruby-Spears Productions along with the late Joe Ruby, died Friday. He was 82.

Spears’ son, Kevin Spears, tells Variety that he died from complications related to Lewy body dementia.

“Ken will forever be remembered for his wit, his story-telling, his loyalty to family, and his strong work ethic,” Kevin Spears says. “Ken has not only made a lasting impression on his family, but he has touched the lives of many as co-creator of ‘Scooby-Doo.’ Ken has been a role model for us throughout his life and he will continue to live on in our hearts.”

Born Charles Kenneth Spears on March 12, 1938, Spears grew up in Los Angeles, Calif., where he befriended the son of animation producer William Hanna. Spears was later hired at Hanna’s company, Hanna-Barbera Productions, in 1959 as a sound editor. While working in the editing department,...

Katherine Langford has yet to miss in her young career.

The Australian actor already has a mighty impressive resume that includes two hit Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why and Cursed, as well as two esteemed films in Knives Out and Love, Simon. In her latest return to the screen, Langford stars in Brian Duffield’s Spontaneous, a high-concept sci-fi comedy that is currently registering a 97% score among Rotten Tomatoes critics.

Spontaneous focuses on Langford’s Mara and her budding relationship with Charlie Plummer’s Dylan. The catch is that their love story begins amid a rising pandemic involving spontaneously exploding teenagers at their high school. Even ...

Katherine Langford has yet to miss in her young career.

The Australian actor already has a mighty impressive resume that includes two hit Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why and Cursed, as well as two esteemed films in Knives Out and Love, Simon. In her latest return to the screen, Langford stars in Brian Duffield’s Spontaneous, a high-concept sci-fi comedy that is currently registering a 97% score among Rotten Tomatoes critics.

Spontaneous focuses on Langford’s Mara and her budding relationship with Charlie Plummer’s Dylan. The catch is that their love story begins amid a rising pandemic involving spontaneously exploding teenagers at their high school. Even ...