theplaylist.net - 16 406 Showbiz News and Updates

There are not many franchises that have a steeper drop off in quality than “Speed.” The first film is a fun, somewhat silly romp that boosted the star power of both Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. The second film, “Speed 2: Cruise Control,” is, well, not good.

George Miller might have done it again. Nearly a decade after the Oscar-winning “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the director has returned to his post-apocalyptic world for “Furiosa,” and according to the early social media reactions, Miller delivers another incredible film.

Harmony Korine is definitely a filmmaker who marches to the beat of his own drum. His films are often wild and subversive, toying with audience’s expectations of what the medium is capable of.

When James Gunn announced the ambitious DC Studios film slate that he and co-CEO Peter Safran were working on, people were largely not shocked to find out it was more of a full reboot. A new Superman, a new Batman, etc… For fans and people who keep up with superhero film universes, this made sense.

Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland is one of the greats. A three-time Academy Award nominee—1990’s “Europa Europa,” 1993’s “Angry Harvest” and the Holocaust drama “In Darkness”— Holland is also known for her celebrated prestige TV work, particularly on the David Simon series’ “The Wire,” and “Treme” and shows like “The Killing,” and “House Of Cards.” But her best-known feature work has always leaned towards social justice and socially-conscious dramas, which brings us to her latest, “Green Border,” an bracing portrait of Europe’s refugee crisis that has been hailed as a “humanitarian masterpiece.” READ MORE: ‘Green Border’ Review: Agnieszka Holland Won’t Let You Turn A Blind Eye To Suffering In Devastating Refugee Drama [TIFF] Our review of the film described “Green Border” as “devastating” and “nightmarish.” “Holland has made a righteous, masterful work, arguably her best since ‘Europa Europa,’ but it’s not for the faint of heart or those inclined to turn a blind eye to suffering,” our review wrote.

Fans of the “Dune” novel series were not shocked by much in Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation. However, even if you read the original book, you were probably shocked to see the inclusion of Anya Taylor-Joy in the film.

At this point, after five films in the “Despicable Me” universe, we know what to expect from these movies. Basically, it’s Minions and more Minions.

Well, it wouldn’t be a family road trip without a few breakdowns, right? That’s the central premise of “Treasure,” a new ‘90s-set father/daughter road trip dramedy that stars the inspired pair of Stephen Fry (“Gosford Park,” “V For Vendetta”) and Lena Dunham, the star, writer and creator of “Girls” among many other shows and films.

Up until now, many just assumed that “Deadpool 3,” aka “Deadpool & Wolverine,” was always going to be a team-up story with the two massively popular heroes. Well, apparently that wasn’t the case.

Michelle Yeoh has never been afraid of working on a TV show. Just in the last couple of years, she’s starred in series such as “American Born Chinese,” “The Brothers Sun,” and “Ark: The Animated Series.” And for her next big project, the award-winning actor is set to lead the cast of the upcoming “Blade Runner 2099.” READ MORE: ‘Blade Runner 2099’: ‘Shogun’s’ Jonathan Van Tulleken New Limited Series Director According to Deadline, Michelle Yeoh has signed on for a secretive role in the forthcoming Prime Video series, “Blade Runner 2099.” The series, as the title suggests, is the latest sequel in the “Blade Runner” franchise, taking place 50 years after the most recent film, “Blade Runner 2049.” Not many details are known about the show right now, other than filming is currently underway in Europe and at least two episodes are directed by “Shogun” helmer Jonathan van Tulleken.

One of the most unexpected new franchises is, without a doubt, the “X” film series from writer-director Ti West. Beginning with “X” and continuing with “Pearl” less than a year later, the filmmaker wowed audiences with his fresh take on the horror genre.

It’s not really news to say that Disney CEO Bob Iger is going to be a bit more hands-on with Marvel Studios in the future. The executive has made several comments in the past about reducing the number of projects the studio releases, as well as making sure the films and TV series that are released are of the best quality.

Nicolas Cage has a knack for picking interesting films lately. Even if the final product isn’t so great, there’s no denying Cage likes to perform in films that are unique.

There are plenty of films and TV shows telling stories about the power of art to save people’s lives. But you don’t often see one of these stories shine the light on a middle-aged construction worker.

Kristen Stewart is nothing if not a person with strong convictions. This is a woman who could have easily taken her fame and fortune from “Twilight” and become the biggest actor on the planet.

There have to be fans of Vin Diesel’s ‘Riddick’ franchise out there, right? Surely they’re a growing fandom considering today’s news that the fourth (yes, there have been three already) ‘Riddick’ film has confirmed production will begin in August. READ MORE: Vin Diesel Confirms Next ‘Fast & Furious’ Is Final Film In The Saga According to Deadline, “Riddick: Furya” is set to begin production in August, ensuring we will get a fourth film in the franchise.

He’s going to wear the underwear on the outside, after all, huh? One of the biggest questions about the new “Superman” film from director James Gunn has finally been answered as the filmmaker has released the first official look at David Corenswet as the Man of Steel. Obviously, this image is going to be dissected by the fandom immediately, but for those who are just curious what Corenswet will look like as Superman, the image gives us a good idea.

When it debuted last year, “Gen V” seemingly continued the strong success of “The Boys” franchise on Prime Video. The series quickly was given a Season 2 pickup and everything seemed to be coming up roses for the cast and crew.

Oscar season is a marathon whether you win or lose. Ryuske Hamaguchi was lucky enough to be on the winning end when “Drive My Car” won the International Film Oscar two years ago.

How did Lollapalooza make music history? The new docuseries “Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza” explores the influential festival and its impact on an entire generation. Jane’s Addiction and Porno for Pyros frontman Perry Farrell created a tour that featured up-and-coming bands — many of whom would become synonymous with the decade.

Comic book universes can venture far from their core storylines in a bid to attract more viewers (*cough* Marvel) despite producing content that grows increasingly less relevant.  Creators expect an audience to continually binge on the newest adaptation or sequel to get the slightest morsel of a new character or narrative twist that may or may not ever materialize later on. Thankfully “The Boys” showrunner Eric Kripke is well aware of that when talking about the upcoming season of the hit series.

The unofficial start to Summer Box Office season kicked off with a massive action film, “The Fall Guy,” this past weekend. Unfortunately, the beginning of summer is more of a whimper than a bang, as “The Fall Guy” opened with an estimated $28.5 million over the three-day weekend.

Over the weekend, many celebrated the unofficial “Star Wars” holiday, May the 4th. While Lucasfilm didn’t announce anything monumental, the studio did release a trailer for the next “Star Wars” live-action TV series coming, “The Acolyte.” But that’s not the only “Star Wars” show coming in 2024, apparently.

To say it’s been an incredible year for Leo Woodall is something of an understatement. The 27-year-old actor has already filmed the new Apple TV+ series “Prime Target,” is currently filming James Vanderbilt’s feature drama “Nuremberg” alongside Rami Malek and Russell Crowe, among others, and will follow that up with a pivotal role in the fourth “Bridget Jones” movie.

Without a doubt, “The Zone of Interest” is one of the most decorated films of the last year. In addition to being our #1 movie of 2023, the Holocaust drama would go on to win the Oscar for Best International Film (complete with one of the most controversial acceptance speeches of the past several years).

There have been a million thinkpieces about the current state of Marvel Studios. Is Kevin Feige’s record-breaking studio in trouble? Will Bob Iger force the studio to cut down on the number of projects? Do audiences even care anymore? Well, we don’t have real answers about any of that, other than to say things are definitely not as rosy as they were when “Avengers: Endgame” was destroying the box office in 2019.

“Baby Reindeer” mania has already swept the U.K., and the word-of-mouth export continues to make waves across the U.S., hence our belated review about an incredibly devastating and twisting series that is so much more than you initially expected. There’s a natural tendency in most savvy viewers to predict how events might unfold in any film or televised event. For years, Netflix established itself as a contender in the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction sweepstakes with the murder-for-hire animal park drama (“Tiger King”) or plunges into the darkest realms of internet video (“Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer”).

Adopting the iconography of DC comics, Vera Drew’s subversive and kitschy “The People’s Joker” often feels like a revelation. Transfiguring a genre that, recently, has been oversaturated with rote storytelling and narratives, Drew’s film is something remarkable in the age of constant IP.

Sometimes the fan campaigning really works, though in this case, the fan is actor Giancarlo Esposito, known for his roles in “Breaking Bad,” and “The Mandalorian.” In the last year or more, Esposito has made it no secret that he’s been eager to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, seemingly talking it up every chance he gets and telling audiences. Previously, the actor revealed he had met with Marvel Studios and said he was keen to play a new version of Professor X in the “X-Men” movies.

Keeping up with the subset cult around whispering David Lynch rumors can be a little taxing and trying, but as we know, the filmmaker hasn’t released anything since the transformative “Twin Peaks: The Return” series in 2017. But as it turns out, there appear to be some truths to some of the rumors and speculation circulated over the last five years.

One of cinema’s living legends, at 85 years old, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola (“The Godfather,” “Apocalypse Now”) has finally made “Megalopolis,” an ambitious sci-fi epic he’s been dreaming of making since the 1980s. With the film set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival later this month, in a matter of days, French distributor Le Pacte has released the first look teaser of the movie.

It’s May 4th, and you know what that means. In honor of the annual “Star Wars” fan holiday (“May The Force”), Lucasfilm has revealed the new trailer for “The Acolyte,” and if you were maybe a bit underwhelmed by the secretive nature of the first teaser, well, this trailer rips off the mask, unveils secrets and looks pretty damn great.

Marvel’s upcoming blockbuster “Captain America: Brave New World” isn’t due in theaters until February 2024, but as you may have noticed by now, companies like McDonald’s are already advertising the film, and various pieces of marketing have revealed some early spoilers (beware, spoilers discussed below in this article). The issue, it seems, is that “Captain America: Brave New World” was initially scheduled for release this summer, with a date that once included May 3, 2024, and a subsequent date for July 26, 2024.

As you are likely well aware, the Walt Disney Company bought 20th Century Fox back in 2019, just one year after “Deadpool 2” hit theaters, and in the process, became the owners of all of Fox’s Marvel properties, The Fantastic Four, X-Men, and the Deadpool franchise. But if you’re wondering why it took so long for a third ‘Deadpool’ movie to happen, six years after the second film, well, we finally have answers.

The 2024 blockbuster season kicks off in earnest this weekend with David Leitch‘s “The Fall Guy” now in theaters. But their latest film wasn’t the only thing Leitch and his wife and creative partner Kelly McCormick spoke about while on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast this week.

It’s already been a busy week for the upcoming Cannes film market, with new films from Julia Ducournau, Romain Gavras, and Panos Cosmatos entering the fray. But what about something lighter than those three, which, considering their directors, will all be audacious in their own ways? “Takes One To Know One” may fit the bill there, as Deadline reports that CAA Media Finance and Cornerstone have the upcoming romance ready for sales on the Croisette once the Cannes Film Festival gets underway in eleven days.