‘The Water Man’: David Oyelowo Plunges You Into A Sweet, Spielbergian Adventure [TIFF Review]

David Oyelowo took to Instagram on Friday to share some sad news: his father — known to his Instagram followers as Papa O — has passed away.

Clayton Davis The year just keeps getting stranger and even more unpredictable. This week, we saw the exits of several major awards contenders from this extended eligibility year — most notably “West Side Story” from Steven Spielberg.

The behind-the-scenes struggle of bringing “Indiana Jones 5” to life is already pretty extraordinary. Sure, the franchise seemed dead after the failure that was ‘Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.’ But when it was announced that Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg were returning for one final film in the series, people couldn’t help but feel excited.

coronavirus pandemic keeps pummeling the already-hobbled film industry as Disney has postponed numerous big box-office premieres to 2021.Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” reboot has been pushed back a full year by Disney — to Dec. 10, 2021, from Dec.

Two more major movies are being delayed amid the very slow box office as the COVID-19 pandemic is still going on.

Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” has been bumped a year from Dec. 18 of this year until Dec.

Disney has postponed the release of fall blockbusters such as Marvel’s “Black Widow,” Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” and Kenneth Branagh’s “Death on the Nile” by several months.

Watch Video: David Oyelowo Chose 'The Water Man' as His Directorial Debut Because of His Love for 'The Goonies'Armed with a map and some intel from mortician Jim (Alfred Molina, having a very good time here), Gunner hires Jo (Amiah Miller, “War for the Planet of the Apes”) to be his guide into the woods.

Dave McNary Film ReporterDavid Oyelowo and director Nate Parker are collaborating again on the drama “Solitary.”The film also stars Olivia Washington, Barry Pepper and Jimmie Fails. Oyelowo will play a wrongfully imprisoned man who’s been released after seven years of solitary confinement.

12-year-old Lonnie Chavis, who has spent the last four years playing the young version of Sterling K. Brown’s Randall Pearson on This Is Us, makes his big screen debut in fantasy adventure The Water Man.

Dave McNary Film ReporterThe Urbanworld Film Festival will open its 24th edition with David Oyelowo’s directorial debut “The Water Man” on Sept. 23.Oyelowo stars in the fantasy-adventure film that follows a boy who sets out on a quest to save his ill mother by searching for a mythic figure said to have magical healing powers.

David Oyelowo will soon be seen starring in “Sweet Thunder”, an upcoming big-screen biopic about legendary boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, and he was promoting the film Wednesday at TIFF.

Amanda N'Duka pmc-editorial-managerEmmy- and Golden Globe-nominated actor David Oyelowo marks his feature directorial debut with The Water Man, a sci-fi adventure tale about a boy in search of a legendary creature with the ability to cheat death, which just had its premiere at TIFF.“I would describe it as life-affirming,” Oyelowo told Deadline of his first go-around in the director’s seat. “As an actor, you are part of telling a story.

Facing his mother's worsening leukemia, a boy turns his curious mind from detective stories to supernatural lore in David Oyelowo's The Water Man, a family adventure set against a lush Pacific Northwest backdrop. Doing double-duty behind and in front of the camera (playing the boy's father) Oyelowo is sure-footed in his feature directing debut, delivering a smart and wholesome picture with about as little sentimentality as such a tale can have.

Peter Debruge Chief Film CriticAn engaging for-kids ghost story whose fantasy elements are thoughtfully grounded by real-world concerns, “The Water Man” ends with a blazing wildfire which is far scarier than the supernatural elements that precede it — especially now, as so much of the Pacific Northwest burns.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorGiven the controversies and allegations that surrounded Nate Parker, it came as a surprise to many when it was announced that the filmmaker would be directing David Oyelowo’s new film “Sweet Thunder,” a biopic about boxing great Sugar Ray Robinson.“I have a pretty good discernment when it comes to good people,” Oyelowo said during a conversation at Variety’s Virtual TIFF Studio presented by Canada Goose while promoting his directorial

“I was only going to be starring and producing it initially, but we actually lost our original director and it was Emma Needell, who wrote the film and worked with us on developing the film for four years who said ‘I think you should be the one to make this,'” Oyelowo told TheWrap’s Steve Pond. “The Water Man” stars Lonnie Chavis as a boy whose mother (Rosario Dawson) has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Near the beginning of the film is a scene where Joe Bell (Mark Wahlberg) stands in front of an assembled group of high schoolers to speak about bullying. The gruff father shares two points: Understanding begins at home and everything will be fine if you are true to yourself.