‘Chevalier’ Review: Kelvin Harrison Jr.’s Fiery Take on a Forgotten French Maestro Ought to Set the Record Straight

Well, it doesn’t sound like Johnny Depp wasted any time jumping right back into his role as a big ol’ movie star!

The Cannes Film Festival has announced a raft of new additions to the Official Selection of its 76th edition running May 16 to 27.

Scarlett Johansson and Gwyneth Paltrow are setting the record straight about rumours of friction while filming “Iron Man 2”.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor It took the combined talent of composers Kris Bowers and Michael Abels to help filmmaker Stephen Williams ensure Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ music lives on after his life story was erased from the history books. Williams’ new film, “Chevalier” tells the story of the illegitimate son of a plantation owner and slave. Played by Kelvin Harrison Jr., Chevalier is a promising young Black musician who excels at fencing, playing the violin and wooing the court of Marie Antoinette. In dividing their tasks, Abels wrote the music for the on-camera performances while Bowers composed the film’s score.

When Samara Weaving was cast in Stephen Williams’ “Chevalier,” she knew she’d have work to do. Maybe some research on her character, Marie-Joséphine de Comarieu, a real-life star of the French theater in the late 19th century.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Netflix has set the launch date for Part 3 of “Lupin,” its popular heist series starring Omar Sy, for Oct. 3. Louis Leterrier, who’s just been tapped to helm the next installment in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, is back in the director’s chair for the third part of “Lupin,” which will come more than two years after Part 2. As previously reported, the new season of “Lupin” started filming in the French capital in November 2021, so the launch comes a good deal of time after Part 2 debuted in June 2021. Sy is reprising his role as Assane Diop, a character inspired by the world-famous gentleman thief and master of disguise, Arsène Lupin. The cast will also bring back Ludivine Sagnier and Clotilde Hesme, among others.

Cher makes a quick appearance on the red carpet at the premiere of Chevalier held at El Capitan Theatre on Sunday night (April 16) in Los Angeles.

Judy Blume is speaking out and setting the record straight over her comments about J.K. Rowling.

Jeanne du Barry starring Johnny Depp.Directed by French filmmaker Maïwenn, the biographical drama follows the life of Jeanne du Barry (played by Maïwenn), who climbed the social hierarchy to become the last royal mistress of King Louis XV (Depp).The film marks Depp’s first feature performance in three years, and comes after the actor won his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard last year.Asked by Variety about the “controversial choice” to open the festival with the actor’s comeback, Fremaux said: “I don’t see Maïwenn’s film as a controversial choice at all, because if Johnny Depp had been banned from working it would have been different, but that’s not the case.“We only know one thing, it’s the justice system and I think he won the legal case. But the movie isn’t about Johnny Depp.”Jeanne du Barry will open the festival on May 16, before it is released in cinemas in France on the same day.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Once pitted againsteach other as rivals, streamers and broadcasters have become unlikely allies in the face of increased competition and economic pressure following the pandemic and the launch of more content viewing platforms.  Even in France, where Netflix was referred to as the “devil” by France Televisions president Delphine Ernotte Cunci in a 2019 interview, the tide has turned and a number of ambitious series have been jointly financed by both local broadcasters and streamers.  Examples of collaborations vary from period drama series such as “The Bonfire of Destiny” and “Women at War,” from TF1 and Netflix, to action series like Ziad Doueiri’s “Dark Hearts,” from  France Televisions and Amazon Prime Video. What do these shows have in common? They shot in French with local casts, and have the high budgets and production values that are typically allocated to international co-productions like “Marie Antoinette,” which shot in English and was produced with French and foreign TV partners. 

Cannes chief Thierry Frémaux unveiled the bulk of the Official Selection for the 76th edition of the festival at a packed press conference in Paris on Thursday morning.

Refresh for latest…: While a handful of big-ticket Cannes Film Festival titles have already been revealed, the bulk of the Official Selection for the 76th edition will be unveiled today. General Delegate Thierry Frémaux is announcing the lineup for the May 16-27 event from Paris’ UGC Normandie cinema this morning and we are updating the list live below; you can also watch the livestream here.

The Cannes Film Festival will announce the lineup for its 76th edition Thursday morning at 11 a.m. Paris time (2 a.m. PT/5 a.m. ET). The press conference will stream live from the UGC Normandie cinema on the Champs-Elysées.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, should have been as famous as Mozart — except he wasn’t. Stephen Williams‘ new film “Chevalier” starring Kelvin Harrison Jr. as the titular violinist explores why. From Searchlight Pictures, the film opens in theaters on April 21 and follows Chevalier, a name bestowed on him after he caught the attention of Marie Antoinette, the illegitimate son of an African slave and plantation owner. Before bursting onto the scene, he performed violin concertos while building his fencing skills, becoming known as the “Black Mozart.” In a clip from the film, Bologne takes on a challenge against Mozart (Joseph Prowen), accepting a violin duel.

contestant Jackie Bonds is setting the record straight amid criticism surrounding her behavior in the most recent drop of season 4 episodes. In the new episodes, viewers see Jackie and Marshall Glaze's rocky relationship struggle after he walks out amid their fight when Jackie tells her fiancé to «boss up.»Eventually they break things off, and Jackie is seen meeting up with her ex from the pods, Josh Demas, who confesses his love for her and asks her to give love a shot with him.

Maïwenn, the director of Johnny Depp’s latest film, “Jeanne du Barry”, is being sued by Edwy Plenel, the editor-in-chief of Mediapart magazine, for allegedly assaulting him at a restaurant.

Johnny Depp is making his comeback to the big screen in the new movie Jeanne du Barry and he worked with French filmmaker Maiwenn on the project.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent French actor-director Maiwenn, whose latest film “Jeanne du Barry” starring Johnny Depp is set to open the Cannes Film Festival, is being sued by Edwy Plenel, the editor-in-chief of Mediapart magazine for allegedly attacking him at a restaurant. A police complaint was filed on March 7 by Plenel, accusing Maiween of aggression. Variety confirmed the filing with the Paris prosecutor’s office following local news reports. In the complaint, Plenel alleges that he was assaulted by Maiwenn in late February while eating at a restaurant in the posh seventh arrondissement of Paris. Maiwenn, who was sitting by herself at a nearby table, allegedly came to his table and grabbed him by the hair before spitting in his face without saying a word, then stormed out of the venue, leaving Plenel “traumatized by the incident,” according to the news outlet AFP, which quoted the police complaint.

Good afternoon Insiders, Jesse Whittock back in the hot seat. Johnny Depp, Disney and a bizarre UK government department called the Valuation Office Agency were in the international film and TV news this week. Make sure to sign up to the Insider newsletter by clicking here. Let’s go.

Johnny Depp will be making his comeback in a big way this year.