‘Melvin Van Peebles: The Essential Films’ Showcases The Brilliance Of The Iconic Cinema Trailblazer

EXCLUSIVE: In a very competitive situation with eight bidders, Sony Pictures Television’s TriStar has won the television rights to author Kirstin Chen’s upcoming novel Counterfeit. Chen will executive produce the series adaptation alongside Ben Smith of Captive Entertainment and Kay Cannon and Laverne McKinnon through K&L Productions. The producers have started a search for a writer to pen the project.

Timed to the occasion of China’s National Day holiday, the state spared no expense in making a most lavish and expensive slab of self-congratulatory movie propaganda with The Battle At Lake Changjin. Clocking in at nearly three hours, and spectacularly presented on an enormous IMAX screen, this is a gargantuan account of how Chinese troops outfoxed the Allied brass and pushed American and United Nations forces out of North Korea near the border of China in late 1950.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentSamuel Goldwyn Films has acquired North American rights to “True Things,” Harry Wootliff‘s critically acclaimed sophomore film headlined by “The Affair” star Ruth Wilson and Tom Burke. The psychological drama world premiered at this year’s Venice and went on to play at Toronto and London film festivals.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorVan Jones, CNN political commentator and DC insider, is looking to provide Americans exhausted by bitter partisan fighting a breath of fresh air — and hope for the future — with his new podcast.The former Obama adviser is gearing up to launch “Uncommon Ground With Van Jones,” a weekly interview podcast from Amazon Music.

EXCLUSIVE: Desmond Chiam (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Alexander Hodge (Insecure) and Chris Pang (Crazy Rich Asians) have joined the cast of the untitled comedy that Crazy Rich Asians scribe Adele Lim is helming for Lionsgate, in her feature debut, which is now in production.

EXCLUSIVE: Disney+ has given a straight-to-series order to American Born Chinese, an action-comedy series based on the 2006 graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang. Destin Daniel Cretton, helmer of Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is set to direct and executive produce the Disney Branded Television series produced by 20th Television.

Steven Van Zandt, a.k.a. Little Steven, is one of the founding members of Bruce Springsteen’s legendary E Street Band, which he left in the early 1980s before rejoining in 1999.

Steven Van Zandt's acting debut almost looked very different. The rocker, now 70, is known for playing Silvio Dante in "The Sopranos," which was his first time on screen, save for a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in 1985's "American Flyers." The star appeared in 79 of the show's 86 episodes, but fans nearly saw him playing an entirely different role: Tony Soprano, the lead.

Steven Van Zandt is reflecting on his public fallout with Bruce Springsteen and the impact it had on both of their careers. Having played guitar for Springsteen’s E Street Band since the early 1980s, Van Zandt, now 70, opened up in his memoir, "Unrequited Infatuations," about a fight he had with Springsteen, now 72, during the band’s recording of "Born in the USA." The incident ultimately led to Van Zandt walking away from the band right before its big break.

NEW YORK -- About halfway through Steven Van Zandt's new memoir comes the point of no return.That moment was in 1983, during the recording of Bruce Springsteen’s breakthrough album “Born in the USA.” Van Zandt, the bandanna-wearing guitarist for Springsteen’s E Street Band, had a fight with The Boss. And then he walked away.

Oscar winner Kathy Bates (Misery, American Horror Story) and former WWE star John Cena (F9: The Fast Saga) are joining Brian Cox (Succession) and Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim) in political thriller feature The Independent.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film CriticMelvin Van Peebles, who died Sept. 21 at 89, was not the inventor of Black cinema, but it’s no exaggeration to say that he smashed open the door to Black cinema as we know it.

The reaction to James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” was more divisive than many expected, but it was hard to find anyone who wasn’t entertained by John Cena’s inspired performance as the greatest American hero in his own mind, Peacemaker. A vigilante with a skewed justification of wring and wrong, the 55-year-old Charlton Comics creation now his is own spin-off series on HBO Max.