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13.03.2024 - 03:57 / variety.com
William Earl administrator Sydney Sweeney is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but fans are sure to be shocked by her wild new horror movie that pushes her creativity in front of and behind the camera to new extremes. “Immaculate” is the third project that director Michael Mohan and Sweeney have collaborated on, after the 2018 series “Everything Sucks!” and the 2021 thriller “The Voyeurs.” Their newest creative vision is a project filled with twists, blood and a surprising amount of horniness for a movie set at an Italian convent. Sweeney plays Cecilia, an American nun who transfers to Italy and is forced to face a lot of dark secrets hidden in the walls of the gorgeous nunnery.
Sweeney is also a producer on the film, which is set to debut on Tuesday at this year’s South by Southwest festival. Mohan spoke with Variety about the unlikely genesis of the project, the importance of cinema not shying away from sensuality onscreen and how Sweeney was able to make the movie even scarier. What was the genesis of “Immaculate”? It’s the first film I’ve directed that I did not write myself.
Andrew Lobel wrote this script about 18 years ago, and in the mid-2010s it was about to be made with a studio. Sydney, when she was 15 or 16, auditioned for the lead role. The character wasn’t a nun back then — it was a high schooler — and she was one of the last two people up for the role.
Then it just sort of evaporated. Andrew stepped away from the business at that point. He was fed up and went and worked in video games for a while.
Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Hulu‘s new reality show about the drama-ridden Vanderpumps is finally here.
Naman Ramachandran Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” debuted atop the U.K. and Ireland box office with £4 million ($5.1 million), according to numbers from Comscore. In the process, the band of ectoplasm hunters ended the three-week reign of Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part II” in pole position.
William Earl administrator The world of celebrity charitable foundations is big business, from old Hollywood stars like the late Paul Newman’s Newman’s Own Foundation donating hundreds of millions to charity via its food products, to young superstars like Olivia Rodrigo’s Fund 4 Good advocating for reproductive rights on her Guts World Tour. It’s the perfect way for A-listers to spotlight their philanthropy, while their accounts make sure the generosity is accounted for and publicists can place items about caring clients.The Will And Jada Smith Family Foundation was the perfect outlet for the Hollywood power couple to advocate for the issues that mattered to them, including health and wellness, arts education and sustainability.
“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” collected $45.2 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, handing Sony Pictures the studio’s first No. 1 film since last summer.The opening weekend for “Frozen Empire,” in 4,345 theaters, was nearly exactly the same as the $44 million launch for “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” in 2021.“Afterlife” rebooted the franchise with a sequel built around the descendants (Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace) of Harold Ramis’ Egon Spengler, along with Paul Rudd’s seismologist Gary Grooberson.Neither film has been a hit with critics, but audiences have been more receptive.
SPOILER ALERT – Do not read ahead if you haven’t seen Immaculate yet!
Jack Black has said that he would be interested in making a School Of Rock sequel should the opportunity arise.Black, well-known for playing rock musician turned substitute teacher Dewey Finn in the 2003 comedy, confirmed in a recent interview that he would like to do a second movie.Speaking with JOE, the Kung Fu Panda star said: “I wish there’d be a School Of Rock 2 Electric Boogaloo,” referring to the title of a sequel to the film Breakin’.“I’m ready,” added Black.He explained how he’d like to have the original film’s writer, Mike White, working on the hypothetical sequel. White, who starred in the film as Dewey’s roommate Ned Schneebly, is known for creating, writing and directing the hit HBO series, The White Lotus.Black explained: “You know Mike White wrote the first one and he’s a genius.”He continued: “And we’d have to have Mike White back in the saddle, but he’s real busy right now with [The] White Lotus, the best show on TV.”The series, which has starred Jennifer Coolidge, Sydney Sweeney and Theo James among others has been renewed for a third season, set to premiere in 2025.
Sydney Sweeney has opened up more about starring in Sony Pictures‘ Madame Web, which she has described as a “strategic business decision”.Speaking to GQ UK recently, Sweeney responded to the film’s negative reception and co-star Dakota Johnson‘s comments about the film’s production and flop at the box office. While Johnson said she “probably will never do anything like it again”, Sweeney’s open to taking another crack at the film: “I think that if the story is right and you have the right team, I would love to.”However, Sweeney also revealed that her decision to act in Madame Web was more of a business move than anything else: “To me that film was a building block, it’s what allowed me to build a relationship with Sony.
Naman Ramachandran Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part II” continued its sway atop the U.K. and Ireland box office for a third consecutive weekend with £4 million ($5.1 million), according to numbers from Comscore. Denis Villeneuve’s anticipated sequel has an all-star cast including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling and Javier Bardem reprising their roles from the first film, with Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken and Léa Seydoux joining them.
Sydney Sweeney is voicing her thoughts on the way her body is discussed by the general public and on social media.
Daniel D'Addario Chief TV Critic Sydney Sweeney’s had a huge 2024 so far — and her most startling act of the year is still ahead. In the early weeks of the year, her Sony Pictures romantic comedy with Glen Powell, “Anyone But You,” showed remarkable staying power at the box office, eventually building from a tepid early result amid holiday competition to over $200 million at the global box office on the strength of word-of-mouth.
William Earl administrator SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses plot twists from the premiere episode of “Manhunt.” The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was one of the biggest turning points in American history, and the new Apple TV+ series “Manhunt” examines the behind-the-scenes drama of a wartime government thrown into further chaos. Edwin Stanton (Tobias Menzies) leads the series as Lincoln’s close confidant and secretary of war, who goes on a mission to track down John Wilkes Booth (Anthony Boyle) after he shoots President Lincoln (Hamish Linklater). The seven-episode series is based on executive producer James L.
Sydney Sweeney and the stars of Immaculate are celebrating the premiere at Beyond Fest!
Jaden Thompson Lionsgate has debuted the trailer for Rupert Sanders’ remake of “The Crow,” starring Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs. The film is set for release on June 7. Both the 1994 version starring the late Brandon Lee and the upcoming remake are based on the graphic novel by James O’Barr.
Sydney Sweeney has addressed the box office flop of her latest film, Sony‘s superhero flick Madame Web.Last month, Madame Web premiered in cinemas around the world on February 14, and in its first six days, it took just $26.2 million (£20.8 million) in the US, and a further $25.7 million (£20.4 million) internationally. This represents an underperformance, even compared to Sony’s recent Morbius, which itself was seen as a commercial disappointment.The film has so far failed to garner any commercial success, rending it a “flop” at the box office.
Stephen Saito Ever since resurrecting the erotic thriller with the respectably lurid 2021 drama “The Voyeurs,” it was clear Sydney Sweeney and director Michael Mohan were interested in second comings. So it was only a matter of time before they’d turn their attention to Christ himself in “Immaculate,” an enjoyable if uneven horror film cut from a slightly different cloth than its religious brethren with a captivating turn from its star as a virginal nun whose pregnancy inspires questions beyond the health of the child, and a hell of an ending.
Variety Staff Follow Us on Twitter Within 24 hours of this year’s Academy Awards, total views on Variety social video covering the show hit 138 million, becoming the biggest day of Oscars social traffic in publication history. The previous record was held by coverage of the 2023 Oscars, which generated over 122 million views in just one day.
In the realm of religious horror, one filled with tales of divine terror, Immaculate emerges as the latest contender. Yet despite its promising setup within the shadowy confines of an Italian nunnery and a cast led by Sydney Sweeney, Álvaro Morte, Benedetta Porcaroli and Simona Tabasco, the film struggles to carve out a niche for itself. Directed by Michael Mohan and written by Andrew Lobel, the movie treads familiar ground, recycling familiar elements without delivering the novel twists, deeper insights or genuine horror in a genre that thrives on the exploration of faith’s darker dimensions.
Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Fresh off her recent stint hosting “Saturday Night Live,” Sydney Sweeney made her way to Austin and SXSW for the world premiere of her new religious horror film “Immaculate” — and on Tuesday night, she had the crowd screaming (and laughing at their own reactions) at the Paramount Theatre. The jump scares, in particular, had the entire theater jumping — and then giggling at their own fear. “Immaculate” leans into horror but also has plenty of moments of dark humor.
“It’s good to face fears.” That’s Sydney Sweeney‘s wisdom about doing live television, specifically her hosting duties recently on Saturday Night Live.
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