In ‘Murf The Surf,’ Director R.J. Cutler Explores Dashing Jewel Thief-Turned Murderer Who Became A Proto-True Crime Celebrity

Karen Idelson The subtleties of war. The struggle with loss and grief. The search for a home and belonging. The terror of puberty. The realization of mortality. This year’s Oscar nominees in the animated feature category never shied away from the big issues. Underneath the bold exteriors of their artistic and technological achievements, each one embraced difficult, rich themes. “I think there’s a way that young and old can both feel the emotion and the meaning of the story,” says “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” helmer Joel Crawford. “Puss’ story is something we can all relate to in a way. He’s this fearless hero who has this moment where when he comes across the wall, feels fear for the first time because he knows he’s run out of lives and that he’s mortal — like all of us — for the first time. That moment is an impression of fear that I think everybody can feel. But then we are also able to tap into to some brighter kind of themes as well like hope through this impressionistic style we used in the animation. 

Joel Dommett really did deliver thumb-thing special when he prepared a romantic meal. In an interview with Guilty Pleasures, The Masked Singer favourite relived how he served up – or sever-ed up – a shock for his model missus Hannah. ‘I cut off my thumbnail while chopping chives.

Sailor Brinkley is following in her mom Christie Brinkley's footsteps, in more ways than one! The 24-year-old has her mom's model looks, and she is putting them to good use. The young model has recreated one of Christie's iconic campaigns, along with fellow nepo-babies Ella Travolta, whose parents are John Travolta and the late Kelly Preston, plus Victoria and David Beckham's eldest son, Brooklyn.Sailor is the youngest of the blonde bombshell's three kids. Her first daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, 37, she shares with her ex-husband Billy Joel.

Thania Garcia The affirmation in the title of Karol G’s fourth studio album, “Mañana Será Bonito” (“Tomorrow Will Be Beautiful”), is a mantra she had repeated to herself “a few hundred times a week” over the past few years — though most days, she says she didn’t believe it. On paper, Karol’s career in 2020 was nothing short of exciting. Countless headlines identified her as a Colombian superstar taking over the world and riding high off successful collaborations from peers like J. Balvin and highly successful singles like the Nicki Minaj-featuring “Tusa,” which appeared as part of her Grammy-nominated “KG0516” in 2021. She also attracted other headlines — ones that pried into the demise of her very public relationship with her former fiancé, Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA. Mentioning his name feels tedious, but at the time, their status as a power couple was heavily intertwined with their individual images as rapidly rising acts.

Living the single life. Kristin Cavallari opened up about the reality of dating — and revealed why she isn’t in a rush to be in a relationship.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Max Cutler, one of Spotify’s most senior podcast execs, is departing the streamer after nearly four years with the company. Cutler, who has served as Spotify’s VP, head of talk creator content and partnerships, will be leaving the company to “return his entrepreneurial roots,” according to a source close to Spotify. He had joined Spotify in 2019 with its acquisition of Parcast, the scripted podcast studio he co-founded. Cutler will remain at Spotify until May 1. With Cutler’s exit, Spotify head of global podcast studios Julie McNamara is assuming leadership of licensed podcast exclusives, which include its deals with Joe Rogan, Alex Cooper (“Call Her Daddy”) and Emma Chamberlain.

Christopher Vourlias Firefly Productions is prepping a new high-end drama that the Belgrade-based outfit is billing as Serbia’s first ever superhero series. “Generation Tesla” is based on the famed Serbian American inventor Nikola Tesla, best known for his pioneering work on electricity. In the series Tesla creates an electric frequency at the time of his death that opens a portal to a new dimension, where many of his unfinished projects and ideas are hidden. As the keeper of a vast trove of secrets and knowledge, Tesla must confront the greatest enemy ever known to man, who is looking to steal the secret of this mysterious frequency to rule the world. To fight him, Tesla assembles a team of superheroes, whom he contacts through a video game-obsessed teenager, in order to save the planet.

Marta Balaga Crime shows look for a new angle, argued Berlinale Series participants on Monday.  There is no shortage of new offerings, from Berlinale Market Selects’ “Two Sides of the Abyss,” Serbia’s “The Fall” or South Africa’s “Donkerbos,” created by Nico Scheepers, to China’s melancholic, decades-spanning “Why Try to Change Me Now,” with Golden Bear winner Yinan Diao attached as executive producer. But while there is still an appetite for traditional detective stories, producers and broadcasters are venturing out of the “damaged, middle-aged white detective slot on a Sunday night,” suggested All3Media International’s Rachel Glaister. They are also thinking about their younger audience.

According to Joel Thurm, David Hasselhoff was "blessed with looks, luck and me." The veteran casting director said he was the one "who paved the way" for the actor’s "best years" in shows like "The Young and the Restless," "Knight Rider" and "Baywatch." He also witnessed a new star make a major splash on "Baywatch," the series about lifeguards who tackled rescues and relationships. Thurm, who recently wrote the tell-all "Sex, Drugs & Pilot Season: Confessions of a Casting Director," claimed to Fox News Digital that Hasselhoff was hesitant about having Pamela Anderson join the cast. "I’m sure [Pamela] is a lovely woman in person from what I can see and certainly from what I’ve learned from her new Netflix documentary, but it’s no surprise the ratings went up when she joined," said Thurm.

Do you hear the hearts of fan girls breaking all over the world? Niall Horan has officially dashed any chances of us hearing a collaboration with his friend Lewis Capaldi any time soon. 

Marta Balaga SEO: Petit Film boards Agnieszka Smoczyńska’s ‘Hot Spot’  DESCRIPTION: Paris-based Petit Film boards ‘Hot Spot’ by ‘The Silent Twins’ director Agnieszka Smoczyńska By MARTA BAŁAGA Paris-based Petit Film has boarded “Hot Spot” by Polish director Agnieszka Smoczyńska.  The story, set in the near future, follows a disillusioned private eye Djonny, called to investigate a murder at a refugee camp. But he becomes increasingly unstable as he confronts a cyber witch who gradually takes control of his life. 

Guild award season got serious Saturday night as the Directors Guild of America handed out its annual honors for directorial achievement. With a potential work stoppage in the months ahead, the 2023 DGA Awards were a moment of requisite celebration for the nominees, winners, and guild overall.

Zack Sharf Evangeline Lilly said in a new interview with Esquire magazine that she was well aware she’d ignite controversy by posting photos on social media from an anti-vaccine mandates rally in Washington D.C. The “Lost” and Marvel star faced backlash in January 2022 after participating in the rally, which she joined in support of “bodily sovereignty.” “I believe nobody should ever be forced to inject their body with anything, against their will, under threat of violent attack, arrest or detention without trial, loss of employment, homelessness, starvation, loss of education, alienation from loved ones, excommunication from society…under any threat whatsoever,” Lilly wrote on Instagram at the time. “This is not the way. This is not safe. This is not healthy. This is not love. I understand the world is in fear, but I don’t believe that answering fear with force will fix our problems. I was pro choice before COVID and I am still pro choice today.”

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor It’s old school versus new school for best director at the DGA Awards. Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical “The Fabelmans” is the culmination of more than 50 years of moviemaking. Then there’s the visionary whimsy of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the duo behind the sci-fi comedy “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The veteran and the newcomers are the front-runners to win the top prize at the DGA ceremony, which take place on Feb. 18. Which picture will prevail among the guild’s 19,000 members? One camp esteems a long and storied career; the other points to a cinematic future that will look different but be just as enjoyable.

A Scottish journalist will give viewers an insight of life in Ukraine one year on since war devastated the country as part of a new BBC Scotland documentary.

Kind-hearted staff at a Perth pub are welcoming in people struggling to keep warm.

The U.S. Senate confirmed on Tuesday the nomination of Judge Gina Méndez Miró to the federal court of the District of Puerto Rico, making her the first LGBTQ person to serve in the position on the island.

“The Moodys,” “Wedding Crashers”) and follows the personal and professional lives of group of Animal Control workers in Seattle who deal with all kinds of critters and creepy-crawlies.There’s Frank (McHale), a snarky ex-cop fired for exposing corruption who considers himself a “lone wolf” and is bummed to be paired with his rookie partner Fred (Michael Rowland), a cheerful former snowboarder who isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer and is determined to bond with Frank. Then there’s quirky Australian Victoria (Grace Palmer); Amit (Ravi Patel), who takes phone calls during work where he sings to his son; their nervous and awkward boss Emily (Vella Lovell, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”), who Frank likes because he says she’s easy to manipulate; office manager Dolores (Kelli Ogmundson); and their in-house vet, Dr.

The German-based distribution and production company Port au Prince Film And Kultur Produktion has hired Roshanak “Rosh” Khodabakhsh as a producer and executive board member.

Julio Iglesias jr. is sharing insight into his life under the covers. The son of the legendary singer recently revealed that he turns on his dad’s music to “get in the mood.”The admission came ahead of his album release “Under the Covers.” He appeared on Tamron Hall’s talk show to promote the album, and he shared intimate details about his love life.In Valentine’s day spirit, Hall asked him if he listens to his own music to get in the mood.