SAG-AFTRA, which has been walking with the writers since day one of the WGA strike, was quick to congratulate the guild Sunday after reaching a tentative agreement on a deal.
07.09.2023 - 12:39 / variety.com
Lee” to the Michael Keaton-directed thriller “Knox Goes Away”) given the uncertainty about what has been agreed to. Still, buyers seem impressed with what’s available to purchase.
Scott Shooman, the head of AMC Networks Film Group, which includes IFC, thinks that the movies that are being screened for studios seem more commercial, and likes the fact that established stars like Keaton and Anna Kendrick (“Woman of the Hour”) are moving behind the camera. “In my experience, actors often make very good directors and have a much softer landing when entering that space,” he says.
Plus, Shooman is pleased that “there are a lot of different types of movies that should be attractive to a lot of different types of distributors.” Some sales agents opted to leave their stars at home instead of agreeing to an interim agreement with the actors union that would have allowed them to promote the project. But these waivers mean that the likes of Keaton, “Wildcat’s” Maya Hawke and “Close to You’s” Elliot Page would be allowed to attend TIFF on behalf of their films.
Still, as prominent members of actors and writers unions publicly blast media conglomerates and their CEOs (primarily Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav and Disney’s Bob Iger), some are skeptical that the big companies will be eager to bid on buzzy festival titles — especially considering the precedent they would set in agreeing to the guilds’ new terms without an official new contract in place.
This could be a boon for smaller theatrical players like IFC Films, Magnolia, Janus and more. It could also bolster the slates of premium midsized players like A24 and Neon, who are not signatories to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (the group currently in
.SAG-AFTRA, which has been walking with the writers since day one of the WGA strike, was quick to congratulate the guild Sunday after reaching a tentative agreement on a deal.
Avril Lavigne attended New York Fashion Week, and kept a diary of her experiences that she shared with Women’s Wear Daily.
Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor “Poor Things” can win things. That’s a nugget of information we gleaned at the conclusion of Venice, Telluride and Toronto, the three major fall festivals. For starters, Yorgos Lanthimos’ sci-fi dramedy collected the Golden Lion at Venice.
The Prince and Princess of Wales recently left little doubt that they intend to secure their future as a forward-thinking brand with the news that they are looking to hire a Chief Executive Officer (CEO).The successful applicant must "bring a track record of strategic and cultural leadership in complex, fast-paced settings, and the ability to demonstrate core values of discretion, humility, integrity, and diplomacy", as well as have a "low ego".They will head up around 60 people and be answerable to the royal couple themselves. This move is a first for members of the Royal Family, but has only served to cement the couple's plans to modernise the monarchy, with former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond saying it shows the couple are "taking control" of their working lives.
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Leslie Jones told People magazine while promoting her new memoir, “Leslie F*cking Jones,” that her longtime friend Chris Rock went to counseling after Will Smith slapped him at the 2022 Academy Awards. Rock wrote the foreword to Jones’ new book. “That shit was humiliating.
While last week proved to be the first time in many weeks that the public saw the Duke and Duchess of Sussex together at the Invictus Games following weeks of speculation about their marriage, the Prince and Princess of Wales also delighted royal fans with their antics during a joint engagement in Hereford.The visit on Thursday provided ample opportunities for the couple to share in their specialist interests of early years development, mental health and the environment.They visited the British Army garrison Sterling Lines in Hereford and met with SAS families, before travelling onto Madley Primary School’s Forest School and an organisation called We Are Farming Minds, both of which are partners of The Duchy of Cornwall. The royal couple - who recently left little doubt that they intend to secure their future as a forward-thinking, savvy brand by advertising for a CEO - enjoyed interesting activities during the day.
Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic It’s been a challenging time lately for Maren Morris in the country music world, as her views on key issues of the day have been in conflict with those of some of country’s more right-leaning artists or fans. She addresses the toll this has taken on her in a music video that came out Friday morning for a new song, “The Tree,” that makes it clear she’s feeling some estrangement from the genre, or even ready to think about moving on — although, ironically, the style of the song couldn’t be more country.
Will Smith‘s slap at last year’s Oscars.In a recent cover story for Variety, the Oscar-winning actor questioned why his peers stood and applauded Smith’s Best Actor win for Kind Richard, just moments after he walked onto the stage and slapped host Chris Rock for making a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hair.Smith, who is subsequently serving an Oscars ban until 2032, has apologised for his outburst numerous times.“I don’t know Will Smith. I met him once.
Colman Domingo shows off his award following the TIFF Tribute Gala during the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival over the weekend.
Kate Mara is joining the cast!
In the realm of road movies, family ties, and the complexities of sisterhood, the Hulu/20th Century Studio offers up Quiz Lady a film that charts a familiar course. Directed by Jessica Yu and penned by Jen D’Angelo, the film boasts an ensemble cast led by the undeniable talent of Sandra Oh and Awkwafina, supported by the comedic prowess of Will Ferrell, Holland Taylor, and Jason Schwartzman.
Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Patricia Arquette, Lulu Wang, Finn Wolfhard, Barry Jenkins, Camila Morrone, Willem Dafoe and Colman Domingo mixed and mingled at Variety and Chanel’s annual female filmmaker dinner during the Toronto Film Festival. At the glamorous event, held on Saturday night at Soho House and hosted by Variety co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh, VIP attendees nibbled on tuna tartare, striploin steak and heirloom tomato salad as they toasted the recipients of Chanel’s Women Writers’ Network. The year-round program is designed to advance the careers of women and non-binary alumni of the TIFF Writers’ Studio.
You’ve seen Women Talking, welcome to Women Swearing: Wicked Little Letters, Thea Sharrock’s fantastically funny feature puts Jessie Buckley and Olivia Colman together in the filthiest pairing since Derek met Clive in the late 1970s. Set in 1920, it’s based on a story that, per the credits, is “more true than you’d think”, which, when you get to the end of it, is quite a claim. Think what a hip, modern and actually funny Carry On spoof of Call the Midwife might look like, scripted by the Coen brothers, shot with a little visual nod to Wes Anderson, and dictated by a screenwriter with Tourette Syndrome.
This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby has reportedly laid down the law with her co-stars as she told them there was “no room for another scandal” on the show. The 42 year old star, who recently returned to the ITV morning staple after an extended Summer break was keen to draw a line under the show’s scandal from earlier this year, when former co-host Phillip Schofield quit after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with a junior colleague.
Flesh-eating sewer monsters, genitals with wings, grave robbing, two confused “identical twins” and 90 minutes of sexual innuendo is what you can expect from comedians Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp’s stage show-turned-movie. Directed by Larry Charles and written by and starring the duo, the film also features Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Megan Thee Stallion and Bowen Yang. As a viewer, I often wondered how the hell this got turned into the movie because it is so outrageous. Thankfully, it succeeds at being fun and funny because anything less would have amounted to torture.
Brent Lang Executive Editor When Patricia Arquette decided to make her feature film directing debut with “Gonzo Girl,” she made a promise to her cast. “I told them that I would always edit everything for the acting — even if the camera work wasn’t the best in that take or some thing didn’t match from a continuity perspective,” she says a week before the movie’s big premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. “I don’t think someone has ever edited my performance directly for the acting, so I wanted to do this greedy, delicious thing for my ensemble.
Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter A raucous, deliriously madcap midnight premiere of “Dicks: The Musical” closed out the first day of the Toronto Film Festival. A24’s first-ever musical, which leans hard into its R-rating and puts an irreverent, queer spin on “The Parent Trap,” played to laughs, cheers, audible gasps and shrieks and, yes, a few groans from the Royal Alexandra Theatre.
As the anniversary of her death approaches, royal expert Hugo Vickers says the late Queen Elizabeth II wanted to prepare a young Prince William for his role as future King and, over time, formed a close relationship with her grandson. "I think the Queen prepared him a lot," he exclusively told OK! .
Brent Lang Executive Editor Before cameras ever start rolling on a RadicalMedia movie, staffers are already busy strategizing about where it should eventually premiere. The company, which boasts “The Fog of War” and “Summer of Soul” among its many credits, routinely consults an exhaustive chart that lays out the deadlines to submit a movie to major festivals like Cannes, Sundance and Toronto.
For the late Queen, one of the greatest pleasures in life was spending quality time with her extended family. From carefree summers at Balmoral to festive get-togethers at Sandringham, she was never happier than when surrounded by her adoring grandchildren and great-grandchildren.