Angelina Jolie Hosts ‘Origin’ Soiree As Ava DuVernay Film Picks Up More Heavy Hitter Support In Oscar Voting Final Days

Angelina Jolie is the latest star to check out one of Los Angeles’ trendiest sushi restaurant!

IFC Films and Sapan Studio announced today that they have acquired the North American rights to Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan’s Ghostlight out of the Sundance premiere section.

A former Lockerbie publican is calling on the Scottish Government to do more to support the hospitality industry.

Colman Domingo organized his closet to distract himself, “The Holdovers” actor Paul Giamatti was sound asleep and “Killers of the Flower Moon” breakout Lily Gladstone texted with Leonardo DiCaprio after making history as the first Native American nominee. On the morning of the 2024 Oscar nominations, Variety spoke to this year’s contenders — including “The Holdovers” star Da’Vine Joy Randolph and “Past Lives” director Celine Song — about getting recognized by the Academy. How does it feel to make history with this nomination? It’s truly something that belongs to my community.

Ava DuVernay’s Origin’s theatrical debut grossed a solid $875k on 130 screens with a $7k per-theater average said to be better than Neon anticipated.

Angelina Jolie is spending the afternoon with a friend.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh and penned by David Koepp, the haunting psychological thriller Presence follows a fractured family as a mysterious supernatural force infiltrates their new home that has taken interest in their daughter Chloe. The film is written by David Koepp and stars Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday, West Mulholland, and Julia Fox.An unsettling presence permeates the home of Chris (Sullivan) and Ruth (Liu)  before they even move in. This supernatural entity is a witness to the family’s most vulnerable moments. It has a particular focus on the couple’s young daughter Chloe (Liang), who is always at odds with her mother and Brother Tyler (Maday). However, the young girl is in mourning because of her two girls, one of them her best friend Nadia, died recently.  

Neon is opening Origin on 130 screens and plans to expand the Ava DuVernay film, which premiered in Venice and had a excellent qualifying run in December.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Composer Kris Bowers calls the score to Ava DuVernay‘s “Origin” “one of the most meaningful” of his career, but there’s one music cue, “Leaves,” which he says “stands out as one of my favorite pieces I’ve ever composed.” Inspired by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson’s “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent, “Origin” follows Wilkerson’s journey in writing the book. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor plays Isabel as the film explores how caste systems have shaped societies.

Brad Pitt was not expecting to see Angelina Jolie’s family during his recent outing in Beverly Hills. The Hollywood star had an “awkward” encounter with his ex-wife’s father and brother while spending some quality time with his new girlfriend Ines de Ramon.ANGELINA JOLIE’S BROTHER DISCUSSES PROTECTING HER KIDS AFTER BRAD PITT DIVORCEBRAD PITT IS ‘AT EASE’ WITH INES DE RAMON: HOW THEY CELEBRATED THEIR BIRTHDAYBRAD PITT USED TO BE A NO-SHOWERING CHAMPION SAYS HIS FORMER ROOMMATEThe actor attended an exhibition by his ‘Moneyball’ director Bennett Miller at the opening of the Gagosian Gallery in Los Angeles.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Put your pencils down, and pass your ballots to the front. The nominations voting period for the 96th Academy Awards is now closed. The latest influences on the race came from the Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globes, where Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” topped both groups.

Adobe and the Adobe Foundation announced the first-ever Adobe Film & TV Fund committing $6M to support underrepresented creators and filmmakers in finding career opportunities in the film and TV industry. Through this new initiative, the company and Foundation aim to drive greater representation in the film industry by providing resources, community, and support to underrepresented creators on-screen and behind the camera.

Ava DuVernay is frustrated, and perhaps the odd way her acclaimed drama, “Origin” has largely been ignored by the awards circuit hasn’t helped (“I wish she was at the Globes or SAG Awards or Critics Choice or the other nominations that didn’t come,” the filmmaker recently lamented about her “Origin” star Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor). It’s no secret that the ideas of diversity, equity, and inclusion are under attack in the United States at the moment (just look at what happened to former Harvard President Claudine Gay and the coordinated attack on her from the far right that led her to step down from her post).

By Ava DuVernay etched her name in history during the 80th Venice International Film Festival, as her groundbreaking film Origin shattered barriers as the first-ever selection directed by a Black woman for the prestigious competition. DuVernay defied expectations by weaving a compelling nonfiction narrative inspired by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson's Caste.Building on her legacy of tackling challenging topics in American history through works like Selma and When They See Us, DuVernay brings her directorial prowess to the forefront in her latest film.

As awards season switches up a gear, with the handing out of the Golden Globes and the publication of the Bafta shortlists, one major title stands out in the International categories of both: Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winning courtroom drama Anatomy of a Fall. It would be a reasonable bet for the Oscar win in any year — if it were actually eligible. In lieu of Triet’s film, which fell well within Academy rules in terms of the amount of English spoken, the French selection panel opted instead for period gourmet drama The Taste of Things to do battle for the country’s honor, a move that is sure to cause a lot of confusion in the coming weeks.

The Inclusion List for episodic programming, which recognizes the most inclusive series in broadcast, cable and streaming. Following a similar effort for films, the list analyzes on-screen and behind-the-camera personnel from more than 500 programs to determine the 100 most inclusive broadcast and cable series from the 2021-22 broadcast season, as well as streaming series from 2021 to 2023.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were not in attendance at the 2024 Golden Globes last night but still found themselves at the brunt of a savage joke.

Zahara Jolie, Angelina Jolie 's eldest daughter, has made a bold statement by distancing herself from her adopted father, Brad Pitt.The 18 year old, currently navigating college life, has opted to shed her Jolie-Pitt surname and now goes by Zahara Marley Jolie. Attending Spelman College, Zahara recently joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, and during her induction, she proudly declared: "My name is Zahara Marley Jolie.

Angelina Jolie and her daughter Zahara Marley Jolie are doing some shopping together!

EXCLUSIVE: “This is a beautiful piece of art that I had no idea was going to resonate so deeply with me,” Regina King declared at last night’s overflowing tastemaker screening of Ava DuVernay’s Origin. “It’s a film about connectivity,” the Oscar winner added to the heavy hitter crowd. “I believe this is a film that will be studied in Anthropology classes for years and years to come.”