Karyn Kusama Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

While the movie industry seemingly buckles, Disney’s seemingly cutting back on any physical media anymore, and Best Buy is apparently ending its run of selling DVDs and Blu-Rays, companies like the Criterion Collection are staying the course. As usual, the boutique, cinephile-friendly company always aims to release and rediscover classic movies in the annals of film history, and they’re doing much the same with their May 2024 announcements.

In perhaps one of the best feel-good stories in Hollywood this year, a coalition of 35 filmmakers have invested in a coalition to save Los Angeles’ fabled Westwood Village Theater. Organized by Jason Reitman, the group will book first-run features and repertory programming from the theater’s directors/caretakers.

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor UPDATED: Jason Reitman has gathered more than two dozen filmmakers to help acquire Westwood’s historic Village Theater, which will program first-run and repertory programming. The group includes JJ Abrams, Judd Apatow, Damien Chazelle, Chris Columbus, Ryan Coogler, Bradley Cooper, Alfonso Cuarón, Jonathan Dayton, Guillermo del Toro, Valerie Faris, Hannah Fidell, Alejandro González Iñárritu, James Gunn, Sian Heder, Rian Johnson, Gil Kenan, Karyn Kusama, Justin Lin, Phil Lord, David Lowery, Christopher McQuarrie, Chris Miller, Christopher Nolan, Alexander Payne, Todd Phillips, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Jay Roach, Seth Rogen, Emma Seligman, Brad Silberling, Steven Spielberg, Emma Thomas, Denis Villeneuve, Lulu Wang, and Chloé Zhao.

EXCLUSIVE: UTA has signed Tatiana Maslany, the Emmy-winning actress known for her work on shows like Orphan Black and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, for representation in all areas.

“Lisa Frankenstein” didn’t come to life at the North American box office in its first weekend in theaters.The horror comedy written by Diablo Cody and starring Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse earned $3.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.It debuted in second place on a very slow Super Bowl weekend, behind the spy thriller “Argylle.”Matthew Vaugn’s “Argylle” got first place with only $6.5 million, which brings its running domestic total to $28.8 million in two weekends. The $200 million production is Apple’s first major theatrical flop.Universal Pictures oversaw the North American release for the streamer, where it is playing in 3,605 locations.

Does a movie that kinda bombed at the time get a second chance 15 years after the fact when it’s become a modern-day cult classic? Screenwriter Diablo Cody is hoping so. In a recent interview with Bloody Disgusting, discussing her upcoming film, “Lisa Frankenstein”— directed by Zelda Williams and releasing in theaters on February 9—the Academy Award-winning screenwriter (“Juno”) reflected back on the picture and said she would love to do a sequel to “Jennifer’s Body,” the 2009 horror comedy from director Karyn Kusama starring Megan Fox.

Angelique Jackson Film Independent has made notable additions to its ranks with Dan Stern elected to the board of directors, while Chaz Ebert, Kasi Lemmons and Lulu Wang join the nonprofit arts organization’s advisory board. The new appointees are the first under Film Independent board chair Brenda Robinson’s tenure after her January 2022 election.

Wes Anderson has helped launch a new digital film club, alongside guest curators Ethan Hawke and Maggie Gyllenhaal.Indian Paintbrush, Anderson’s longtime producing partners, have revealed Galerie – a digital hub which gives subscribers access to original videos, in-depth essays and live events fronted by leading filmmakers.As noted on the website, Galerie will see a rotating selection of curators “be your guide as you expand and deepen your journey through film alongside a vibrant community where everyone is invited to exchange ideas and expand their knowledge”.“Great cinema is all around us, but in this ever-changing landscape it can be difficult to find when navigating algorithms,” the website’s description reads. “We envisioned Galerie as an oasis inhabited by people who value substance over abundance, where curiosity can thrive and meaningful conversation is given the space to grow.”Other confirmed contributors include Taylor Russell, Mike Mills, Ed Lachman, Karyn Kusama, Ari Wegner and Duke Johnson.

EXCLUSIVE: Black Bear’s management arm has signed the Swedish actor and model Simon Lööf for representation.

Can love last between a girl and a corpse? The new film “Lisa Frankenstein” presents a black comedy with a heart for horror. Producer and screenwriter Diablo Cody once again brings the genres together; her 2009 film “Jennifer’s Body,” directed by Karyn Kusama, has achieved cult status as fans rediscover it.

“This could easily have been set in Hollywood,” Emerald Fennell said of her new film Saltburn, during a post-screening Q&A at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles on Tuesday night.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor “Sex is back,” said Julie Hintsinger, executive director of the Telluride Film Festival, to a packed house of festival-goers as they took in the newest effort from Yorgos Lanthimos at this year’s 50th anniversary. One of the festivals tributes this year, a pre-screening convo was moderated by director Karyn Kusama, as the two discussed his filmography which included his early works “Kinnetic” and “Alps.” In the audience were Oscar winners like director Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”) and actor Casey Affleck (“Manchester by the Sea”), and they, along with the crowd, devoured it.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Black Bear’s management arm has signed Swedish director Måns Månsson for representation. Månsson most recently directed “Estonia,” an eight-part Scandinavian series about Europe’s deadliest civil maritime disaster, which has been selected to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival’s TIFF Primetime.

EXCLUSIVE: Michelle Rodriguez has inked with WME.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large (Above, Karyn Kusama with Courtney Eaton and Samantha Hanratty of “Yellowjackets” at Variety’s TV Fest in June.) Somehow, Season 2 of Showtime’s hit drama “Yellowjackets” managed to keep its sense of humor, even as the series’ story got darker and, yes, it finally went full cannibal. It’s all about balancing the tone, which is something executive producer Karyn Kusama helped set last season as director of the show’s pilot.

EXCLUSIVE: Black Bear’s management arm has signed Danish-American actor Elliott Crosset Hove for representation.

Automatik, the production company behind “La La Land,” is merging with Range Media Players, TheWrap has confirmed. As part of the merger, Automatik executives Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Fred Berger have been named partners and co-presidents of film and production at Range.

EXCLUSIVE: The prolific film/TV production company Automatik has completed a merger with Range Media Partners, a deal that will further expand Range’s production capabilities and slate ambitions.

We’ll be seeing more of Jimmy Buss in the upcoming season of Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty. McCabe Slye, who guest-starred as the character in the Season 1 finale, has been promoted to series regular for Season 2.

It has been ten years since Tatiana Maslany raised the bar for actors playing multiple characters in one TV show, eventually winning an Emmy for “Orphan Black” in 2016. Maslany’s ability to seamlessly switch between the roster of different clones meant it was easy to forget she was performing most of the lead roles.

The official trailer for Dead Ringers, Prime Video’s upcoming psychological thriller limited series starring Rachel Weisz, has been delayed for a day due to the Nashville school shooting which left three children and three adults dead.

EXCLUSIVE: Emmy-winning writer/director/producer Karyn Kusama has signed with WME.

The 2009 horror comedy “Jennifer’s Body” is set to get a reboot…on-stage with a live table read courtesy of Film Independent and Mubi.Director Karyn Kusama, who initially helmed the film, is set to direct this interpretation which will take place at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts’ Bram Goldsmith Theater on April 11th. No other casting information is known, though considering the caliber of past Film Independent live reads — such as their presentation of Ruben Östlund’s “Triangle of Sadness” back in February — it should include several A-list performers.The feature told the story of Anita “Needy” Lesnicki (Amanda Seyfried) who discovers her more popular best friend Jennifer (Megan Fox) is a succubus feeding on the young boys of their high school.

Julia MacCary editor Showtime has released the trailer for Season 2 of the Emmy-nominated series “Yellowjackets,” which is accompanied by Florence + the Machine’s new cover of No Doubt’s 1995 hit “Just a Girl.” The psychological horror series follows a high school soccer team that survives a plane crash in 1996, only to be left deep in the Canadian woods. Through a mix of flashbacks and present day, the show depicts how the athletes transitioned from an elite team into a savage clan. The second season picks up two months after Shauna disregarded Jackie with bad results. The tensions have grown within the team with winter conditions intensifying, leaving the girls to make impossible decisions to survive.

Katie Reul editor First-look images of “Dead Ringers,” an upcoming limited series from Prime Video, were revealed on Tuesday along with an official April 21 premiere date. All six episodes will be released at once on Prime Video and available for streaming in over 240 countries and territories. The psychological thriller is a fresh take on director David Cronenberg’s 1988 film of the same name. “Dead Ringers” follows the complicated lives of twin gynecologists Elliot and Beverly Mantle, who perform ethically questionable procedures on infertile women. Rachel Weisz, best known for her roles in 2018’s “The Favourite” and 2017’s “Disobedience,” will star as both Mantle siblings. The cast also includes Britne Oldford, Poppy Liu, Michael Chernus, Jennifer Ehle and Emily Meade.

Often, when you see that a Hollywood studio is hoping to remake a film or TV series, it feels like a cash grab, with no real reason for existing outside of earning a quick buck. But sometimes, there’s a remake that just feels like it could be great and actually build from what has come before.

Lauren Ambrose is revealed as adult Vanessa “Van” Palmer in three first-look images of Yellowjackets Season 2 released by Showtime. Liv Hewson played the character in Season 1 as a teenager.

Season 2 of “Yellowjackets” doesn’t premiere for another three months, but it looks like Showtime expects the buzzy show to pick up where it left off. Showtime has revealed that the network has renewed its breakout survival drama for a third season ahead of the next season’s premiere in March 2023.   READ MORE: Karyn Kusama Is Returning To ‘Yellowjackets’ Season 2 With An Emmy Nod In Hand [Interview] The news should come as no surprise for “Yellowjackets” fans.

Remember “Aeon Flux“? No? Don’t worry, nobody does, and star Charlize Theron and director Karyn Kusama still try to forget it. Critics hated the action flick on its release in 2005, with it currently holding a 9% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

EXCLUSIVE: Shout! Studios has acquired North American rights to Body Parts, a documentary that takes a critical look at the way Hollywood shoots sex scenes.

are plenty of spooky films arriving on various streaming services this month that’ll help you get into the Halloween spirit. The selection of new titles on Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max and Paramount+ this month ranges from traditional horror films to fantasy romps to perfectly pleasant period pieces.

Halloween is upon us, which means we’re all looking for some spooky season movies to help get into the spirit. For this reason Shudder’s upcoming documentary series, Queer For Fear: The History Of Queer Horror, could not arrive at a better time. Queer For Fear is filled with interviews & historical information about the queer underpinnings of the finest horror cinema the world has ever known. Although I was aware of the connections between horror & the LGBTQI community I had never explored those connections deeply.

Katie Reul editor As the countdown to the 2022 midterm elections reaches the six-week mark, Planned Parenthood Votes and Planned Parenthood Action Fund are rallying voters to cast their ballots in favor of abortion rights with the debut of a 60-second commercial spot called “Your Voice.” Directed by Karyn Kusama, known for her work in the horror genre on features like “Jennifer’s Body” and “The Invitation,” the video capitalizes on the fears of modern reality — like absence of bodily autonomy and political brainwashing — in a post-Roe v. Wade society. The spot is Kusama’s first-ever commercial gig. “I never really believed in the mission of, honestly, selling products,” Kusama tells Variety. “But this was more about a fundamental idea. This was about bringing an idea, a state of mind, a snapshot of reality to average viewers — regular viewers — across a very broad spectrum of people and across a broad spectrum of beliefs.”

If you watched the first season of “Yellowjackets” it was obvious that some new actors would enter the fold in season two. Who would play the adult versions of Van and Lottie? And, with production ramping up it’s now surprise that Lauren Ambrose and Simone Kessell are on board to play each role, respectively.

Yellowjackets.A press release from Paramount said that Wood was joining the second season of the show in “a season long guest arc.”The statement added that “Wood will play Walter, a dedicated Citizen Detective who will challenge Misty in ways she won’t see coming.”The series will go into production later this month in Vancouver.Responding to the news on social media, Wood tweeted a picture of the script with his character named at the top. He tweeted: “I am beyond stoked to join y’all!”I am beyond stoked to join y'all! https://t.co/SnhE3YL0JQ— Elijah Wood (@elijahwood) August 19, 2022The series, which aired earlier this year, won acclaim from critics and fans alike.An official synopsis describes it as “equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama, Yellowjackets is the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness.“The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over.”The press release also revealed that Liv Hewson and Courtney Eaton have been upped to series regulars in season two, following their appearances in season one.The show is executive produced by Lyle, Nickerson and fellow showrunner Jonathan Lisco.

Genre television couldn’t be more popular right now, and Showtime‘s post-trauma wilderness mystery series “Yellowjackets” is building a major audience alongside potential Emmys prestige as well. Director Karyn Kusama (“Destroyer“) helmed the show’s pilot and is an executive producer, and the series has landed some interesting new additions to the cast for season two.