News

Will Smith is one of the few public figures who rooted himself as a pop culture giant out of obscurity and a career in rap music. Renowned as a globally celebrated actor, Smith became a page-turner for Hollywood with big draws such as Bad Boys, Independence Day, and the Men in Black franchise.

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black [Credit: Sony/Columbia Pictures]

By the end of the 1990s, the Fresh Prince became one of the biggest stars of Hollywood, especially after his titular role in Ali (2002) shot him to an Academy Award nominee status. Soon, Will Smith began to exude a demigod-like presence with his blockbuster career and his unfailing cinematic masterpieces alongside a family that was first-generation Hollywood royalty… until slaps and entanglements unraveled the illusion like spaghetti.

Will Smith and His Non-Existent Presidential Portfolio

Politics and Hollywood have been co-dependent industries for as long as the latter has existed.

The Zurich Film Festival (Zff) has unveiled the seven titles in its Gala Premieres section showcasing auteur features with broad audience appeal and awards season potential.

The selection features Oscar-winning director Martin McDonagh’s Ireland-set comedy-drama The Banshees Of Inisherin, starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan.

The feature makes its world premiere in competition at Venice this year, followed by its North American premiere in Toronto.

Further Venice 2022 Golden Lion contenders in the mix include Argentine director Santiago Mitre’s Argentina, 1985, about a group of lawyers who take on the country’s military dictatorship.

The selection also features the European premiere of Netflix’s German adaptation of All Quiet On The Western Front by Edward Berger, which world premieres in Toronto.

The gala line-up will also showcase Cannes 2022 competition titles, Palme d’Or winner Triangle Of Sadness and Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s South Korea-set drama Broker,...

Click here to read the full article.

Irish drama The Banshees of Inisherin, from Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri director Martin McDonagh; Edward Berger’s German-language adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front; and Cannes winners Triangle of Sadness and Broker are among the titles getting the gala treatment at this year’s Zurich International Film Festival, which runs Sept. 22 – Oct 2.

Zurich has unveiled the first seven of the gala premieres for the 2022 fest. Most will be heading to Zurich after their world premieres elsewhere. Banshees of Inisherin will first bow in competition in Venice, while All Quiet on the Western Front, a Netflix film, kicks off its festival run in Toronto. Another Venice title, Argentina, 1985 — from director Santiago Mitre and featuring The Secrets in Their Eyes star Ricardo Darín — will also hit the Zurich red carpet (which is actually green) this year.

Among the Zurich 2022 galas are two...

Making it to the Toronto International Film Festival is a huge deal for filmmakers at any stage of their careers. The annual Canadian festival features everything from smaller movies by up-and-coming filmmakers to potential blockbusters from some of the biggest names in the business.

The selections for the 2022 festival, which runs Sept. 8 through Sept. 18, reflect some of the best and most creative minds in filmmaking today. TIFF 2022 has divided its presentations up into a few different categories. The marquee categories are the Gala Presentations and the Special Presentations, which are where some of the festival's most-anticipated movies will make their debuts.

Among the 2022 Gala lineup are "The Woman King," starring Viola Davis and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, and Tyler Perry's latest film, "A Jazzman's Blues." The Special Presentations, meanwhile, include buzzy films such as "My Policeman," starring Harry Styles and Emma Corrin; the "Knives Out" sequel "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery...

After teasing a number of titles in one-off announcements, including Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, TIFF has now unveiled their full Gala and Special Presentations lineup. Selections include Hong Sangsoo’s second new feature of 2022, Walk Up, plus Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees Of Inisherin, Sarah Polley’s Women Talking, Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light, the Vicky Krieps-led Corsage, Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave, the Jennifer Lawrence-led Causeway, Joanna Hogg’s The Eternal Daugther, Mark Mylod’s The Menu, Henry Selick’s Wendell & Wild, Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, and more.

See the lineup below.

Gala Presentations 2022

*Previously announced

Alice, Darling Mary Nighy | Canada, USA

World Premiere

Black Ice Hubert Davis | Canada

World Premiere

Butcher’s Crossing Gabe Polsky | USA

World Premiere

The Greatest Beer Run Ever Peter Farrelly | USA

World Premiere

The Hummingbird Francesca Archibugi | Italy, France

World Premiere

Hunt Lee Jung-jae | South Korea

North American...

TIFF has today announced the full selection for the Gala and Special Presentations programs for the 47th Toronto International Film Festival, taking place September 8–18. The news follows several early world premiere announcements this summer, including Sally El Hosaini’s opening night film “The Swimmers.”

Major titles announced today include Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking,” Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale,” and Sam Mendes’ “Empire of Light.” They all screen in the high-profile Special Presentations section that also includes the previously announced world premieres of Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans,” Rian Johnson’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” and Nicholas Stoller’s “Bros,” in addition to several highlights from earlier in the festival calendar.

TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey marks his first year as the sole leader of the festival with a refurbished programming team, some new venues, and robust efforts to maximize industry attendance. “It’s going to feel like the festival you know,...

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The 2022 Toronto Film Festival has added world premieres for Tyler Perry’s new Netflix film, A Jazzman’s Blues; Peter Farrelly’s Vietnam War movie The Greatest Beer Run Ever, which stars Russell Crowe and Zac Efron; and the Catherine Hardwicke dramatic thriller Prisoner’s Daughter, starring Kate Beckinsale and Brian Cox.

As TIFF unveiled 18 Gala program titles to screen in Roy Thomson Hall, the festival booked red carpet launches for Hubert Davis’s Black Ice, a documentary about Black hockey players executive produced by Drake; Alice, Darling, director Mary Nighy’s psychological thriller led by Anna Kendrick; Gabe Polsky’s frontier epic Butcher’s Crossing, which stars Nicolas Cage; and Francesca Archibugi’s The Hummingbird, toplined by Nanni Moretti, Berenice Bejo and Pierfrancesco Favino.

Toronto is returning for a 47th edition to run Sept. 8 to 18 that will be in-person, with Hollywood stars on red carpets...

Eighteen galas, 45 special presentations unveiled for 47th edition of Toronto festival.

Stephen Frears’ drama The Lost King starring Sally Hawkins and Steve Coogan, Shekhar Kapur’s comedy What’s Love Got to Do With It? with Lily James and Emma Thompson and Apple’s Jennifer Lawrence drama Causeway from Lila Neugebauer are among this year’s gala and special presentations for the Toronto International Film Festival.

Further previously unannounced world premiere selections include Richard Eyre’s hospital drama Allelujah (pictured) from Pathé with Jennifer Saunders and Judi Dench, Oscar-winner Jessica Chastain in Tobias Lindholm’s Netflix true-life crime drama The Good Nurse,...

The failures of the French state to recognise the contributions of its former combatants from the colonies during the First World War form the basis of Mathieu Vapepied’s searing take on not only the inhumanity of conflict but also the bond between a father and son.

The last Sengalese Tirailleur or infantryman only died in 1998 in his village in Senegal. He was to have been recognised belatedly for his bravery with the award of his Legion d’Honneur but had no wish to attend any ceremony.

Vadepied enlisted the help of Omar Sy, whom he had met on The Intouchables when he was art director. Sy’s brooding physical presence sits at the beating heart of a film which in its depiction of life in the trenches has all the power of some of the great war films of cinema including Lewis Milestone’s All Quiet On The Western Front.

Company exploring ad-supported lower-cost tiers.

In a rare turn of events Netflix has lost subscribers for the first time in more than a decade, shedding 200,000 global members in the first quarter of 2022.

Current global membership of 221.64m after 6.7 year-on-year growth still means Netflix is the streaming market leader, however the loss of subscribers was far off its forecasts of a 2.51m gain. The company forecast a loss of two million global paid subscribers in the second quarter.

Stock plunged more than 20 in after-hours trading, instigating a flurry of streaming stock drops. Since December 31 last year Netflix stock has tumbled 43 since...

A month ago, “The Power of the Dog” looked like it was powered to have a big Oscar night after nabbing a leading 12 nominations. At the time, many were forecasting at least four trophies — and above-the-line ones at that — for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Jane Campion, and Best Supporting Actor for Kodi Smit-McPhee. Some thought it could also pull off a below-the-line win or two, like in Best Original Score for Jonny Greenwood or Best Cinematography for Ari Wegner, who’d be the first female winner in the category. Now, “The Power of the Dog” looks strong in just one category, Best Director, as “Coda” has pocketed some big wins the past few weeks, including at Saturday’s Producers Guild of America Awards. But could a 12-time nominee really walk away with so few wins?

It’s actually not that uncommon for a 12-time nominee...

A weekend trio of big wins for Netflix at the DGA, BAFTA and Critics Choice awards has given Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog” the gas required to make it over the finish line. That’s if it can keep its closest competitors — “Belfast” from Kenneth Branagh and “Coda” from Siân Heder — at bay.

The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures, which is the top prize from the PGA Awards, has been one of the most vital and telling precursors from all major guilds. In 2009, both the PGA and the Oscars switched the voting for their highest honor to a preferential ballot system. In terms of films perceived to be divisive with audiences, PGA has become the litmus test for whether or not those contenders have the goods to win.

Read more: Variety’s Awards Circuit Predictions Hub

Since 2009, only three movies have...

Netflix has the right to flex after this weekend’s trio of big wins from the Directors Guild of America (DGA), BAFTA and Critics Choice Awards, where it won the top prizes with Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog.” With its mighty 12 nomination haul, and the criticism from Oscar-nominee Sam Elliott over the movie’s homosexual themes, arguably helping it along, the film could be headed for B-e-s-t-p-i-c-t-u-r-e (so to speak). However, with two 50/50 screenplay categories up for grabs — “Belfast” and “Licorice Pizza” battling for original, and “Coda” and “The Power of the Dog” angling for adapted — the answer to which film wins the Academy’s top prize is within those races.

Walking into a ceremony with the most nominations is not always a given for Oscar success, shown by our last three tally leaders: “Mank” (2020), “Joker” (2019), “The Favourite” and “Roma” (2018). Campion’s methodical drama has brought Netflix...

A total of 19 features and series were showcased.

Netflix has unveiled 19 upcoming films and series from Germany, Austria and Switzerland as it works to strengthen its slate of German-language productions.

The projects are part of the streaming giant’s push into local content, doubling investment to €500m between 2021 and 2023. Five films, nine series and five non-fiction titles were showcased at the streamer’s Content Remote Show this morning, offering a preview of the year ahead.

The films include the previously announced All Quiet On The Western Front, directed by Edward Berger and starring Daniel Bruhl, and Buba, a spin-off from...

Netflix has doubled its budget to €500 million ($571 million) for German-language productions between 2021 and 2023 and has revealed a raft of new projects.

On Tuesday, the Netflix German-language team presented a selection of 19 productions, including previously announced projects, at the Content Remote Show. The shows are from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

New series include eight-parter “Achtsam Morden” (working title), based on the book of the same name by Karsten Dusse, which topped the Spiegel bestseller list for over nine months and is now being filmed for Netflix by Constantin Film, Jan Ehlert and Nina Viktoria Philipp. Writers Miriam Rechel and Chris Geletneky tell the story of top lawyer Björn Diemel, who to save his marriage, finds a new work-life balance with the help of a mindfulness seminar and accidentally becomes a murderer in the process.

Another book adaptation, also produced by Constantin Television, is thriller series “Liebes Kind” (working title). Based on the novel by Romy Hausmann,...

Maybe you’ve been patiently waiting two years for director Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” sequel. It could be the team-up of Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas in “The Gray Man” that strikes your fancy. Perhaps “The Bubble,” Maria Bakalova’s first film since “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” has you grabbing for popcorn. Whatever your taste, Netflix will be unveiling a smorgasbord of entertainment options in 2022.

The streaming service has announced plans to debut no less than 68 movies in the new year, making good on its promise to launch at least one film per week over the next 12 months.

Netflix’s genre-spanning slate includes musicals, action spectacles, romantic comedies and spooky thrillers, with projects on schedule from Ryan Reynolds, Halle Berry, Judd Apatow, Jamie Foxx, Greta Gerwig, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Lopez, Jordan Peele, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and other A-listers.

In a new sizzle reel released Thursday, Netflix showcased first...

Upwards of 85 new films will launch (or have already arrived) on Netflix this year. A few movies made their grand debuts in January, and quite a few more are set to launch at the beginning of this month, but the streaming service is touting its 2022 slate with new movies every week and a robust lineup of actors and filmmakers.

Standout tiles include Shawn Levy’s time-traveling tale, “The Adam Project,” with a cast led by Ryan Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner and Zoe Saldaña, as well as a new adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Persuasion,” starring Dakota Johnson and Henry Golding. Regina King will embody trailblazing politician Shirley Chisholm in a biopic titled “Shirley.” Stop-motion and horror maestros Henry Selick and Jordan Peele are teaming up for the animated pic “Wendell & Wild.” “The Gray Man” stars both Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans in a CIA/spy/global manhunt film alongside Ana de Armas.

“These Facists will never drive Norwegians out of Norway!”

Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan in Edge Of Darkness (1943) will be available on Blu-ray February 22nd from Warner Archive. It can be purchased at the Warner Archive Amazon Store Here

In 1930, director Lewis Milestone won an Academy Award®* for his eloquent anti-war masterpiece, All Quiet on the Western Front. But with Edge of Darkness, made in 1943 during the dark days of the German blitzkrieg, Milestone displays no such pacifist sentiments. Indeed, this remarkable drama, set in a small Norwegian village, pays tribute to the heroic spirit of common people taking up arms against the Nazi invaders. Errol Flynn delivers a fine, understated performance as a common fisherman who leads the town’s resistance efforts, while Ann Sheridan’s strong character reflects the strength of all womankind. And featured in the superb ensemble cast are Walter Huston, Ruth Gordon, and Judith Anderson.

AGC Studios has hired Rocket Science executive Diane Ferrandez as senior VP of worldwide sales and distribution as part of a trio of new hires.

Ferrandez, who has been at Rocket Science since 2018, most recently held a senior role at the London-based sales and financing outfit. In addition to doing deals with studios, independent distributors, platforms and broadcasters, she played a key role in building out the company’s slate. Ferrandez worked on such titles as “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “May December,” “Crimes of The Future,” “Better Man,” “Mothering Sunday,” “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Schumacher.”

Ferrandez began her career working for Paris-based sales company Wide Management, where she was head of international sales. Prior to that, she had worked at production and distribution companies including Cohen Media, Playtime and Snd.

Elsewhere, AGC Studios has also brought on board Sara Ghorra as manager of worldwide sales and distribution,...

Writer/director Guillermo del Toro discusses a few of his favorite movies with Josh and Joe.

Show Notes:

Movies Referenced In This Episode

Nightmare Alley (2021)

Nightmare Alley (1947) – Stuart Gordon’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review

Drive My Car (2021)

Wicked Woman (1953) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)

Modern Times (1936)

City Lights (1931)

The Great Dictator (1940)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Dennis Cozzalio’s review, Dennis Cozzalio’s Muriel Awards capsule review

Vertigo (1958) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary, Brian Trenchard-Smith’s review

The Man Who Would Be King (1975) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)

The Young And The Damned (1950)

Gone With The Wind (1939)

The Golem (1920) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans (1927)

Alucarda (1977)

Greed (1924) – Dennis Cozzalio’s Muriel Awards capsule review

Taxi Driver (1976) – Rod Lurie’s trailer commentary

District 9 (2009) – John Sayles...

Lewis Milestone directed this poetic, optimistic ode to the American infantryman, a ‘lone patrol’ saga that emphasizes its soldiers’ hopes and fears. The lineup of fresh, eager acting talent is remarkable: Dana Andrews, Richard Conte, George Tyne, John Ireland, Lloyd Bridges, Sterling Holloway, Norman Lloyd, Herbert Rudley, Richard Benedict, Huntz Hall, James Cardwell, Steve Brodie. Voiceovers and ‘ballads’ give a six-mile beachhead incursion the tone of a spiritual rumination. A beautiful full film restoration brings the image back to prime quality. The controversial filmmakers and the unusual production circumstances are covered in Alan K. Rode’s commentary.

A Walk in the Sun

Blu-ray + DVD

Kit Parker Films / Mvd Visual

1945 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 117 min. / Street Date January 18, 2022 / The Definitive Restoration / Available from Amazon / 29.95

Starring: Dana Andrews, Richard Conte, George Tyne, John Ireland, Lloyd Bridges, Sterling Holloway, Norman Lloyd, Herbert Rudley, Richard Benedict, Huntz Hall, James Cardwell, Steve Brodie, Matt Willis,...

When Nobuhiko Obayashi sadly passed away in April 2020, most social media was filled with many posts showing pictures of the director and perhaps the feature most people remember, his 1977 film “Hausu”. While there is no denying about the quality of said film, given the vast career of Obayashi which spans over five decades, these pictures also indicate that so many viewers still need to discover for themselves the multitude of themes and the experimental visual style of the majority of his body of work, in which his debut feature makes up only a small portion. One way to start this journey into Obayashi’s work may be the upcoming release of his penultimate work, “Hanagatami” by Third Window, a touching and very poetic film about growing up during war times.

“Hanagatami” is screening at the Hong Kong Arts Centre, as part of the Obayashi Nobuhiko Film Show Case

In 1941, Toshihiko (Shunsuke Kubozuka), a sixteen-year-old teenager,...

The former head of the ACLU discusses some of the movies – and sports legends – that made him.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Mighty Ira (2020)

The Jackie Robinson Story (1950)

42 (2013)

Shane (1953)

Panic In The Streets (1950)

Last Year At Marienbad (1962)

The Seventh Seal (1957)

La Strada (1954)

Wild Strawberries (1957) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary

The Virgin Spring (1960) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

The Last House On The Left (1972) – Darren Bousman’s trailer commentary

A Walk In The Sun (1945) – Glenn Erickson’s review

Paths Of Glory (1957) – George Hickenlooper’s trailer commentary, John Landis’s trailer commentary

All Quiet On The Western Front (1930) – Ed Neumeier’s trailer commentary

Lonely Are The Brave (1962)

Casablanca (1942) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

On The Waterfront (1954) – John Badham’s trailer commentary

12 Angry Men (1957)

Inherit The Wind (1960)

Judgment At Nuremberg (1961)

Witness For The Prosecution (1957)

Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

The Verdict (1982)

Twelve Angry Men teleplay (1954)

The Front (1976)

Judgment At Nuremberg teleplay...

Lars Wiebe, Neflix’s newly installed manager of international original film for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, has set out the kind of projects that he is looking for.

Speaking at the Zurich Summit, Wiebe said the streamer leans into “interesting, new and fresh ideas – films that might not have been possible in the old traditional world.”

The streamer has had big international success recently with the release of German vampire and plane hijacking movie “Blood Red Sky.” Coming up is the first ever German language adaptation of “All Quiet on the Western Front.”

In post for the past two and a half months, Wiebe said that he was looking for a range of projects, and stressed that Netflix had the ability to greenlight films that might previously have struggled to put together funding.

Citing “Blood Red Sky,” he said: “Where else would you find a vampire action film on a plane made out of Germany,...

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings was in Berlin this morning to open the streamer’s new Dach Headquarters.

Greeting a room of executives and content creators – including Jantje Friese, Anna Winger (Unorthodox), who just signed an overall deal with Netflix, Matthias Schweighöfer (Army of Thieves), Christian Schwochow (Munich – The Edge of War) and Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) – the Netflix chief talked up the performance of German content on the service to date.

“The success around the world of German content is really incredible,” he commented without drawing on specific examples. A Vt played before his speech features titles such as Dark, How To Sell Drugs Online (Fast), and historical epic Barbarians.

“Producing content that Germans thrive on and spread around the world is such an opportunity,” Hasting continued, adding that the international proliferation of local language content continued to be “the really...

Netflix is in the works on an adaptation of former Vanity Fair journalist William Langewiesche’s acclaimed non-fiction book “The Atomic Bazaar,” which centers on the world of nuclear trafficking.

Published in 2007, “The Atomic Bazaar: Dispatches from the Underground World of Nuclear Trafficking” looks at the global trade in nuclear weapons production and state-sponsored nuclear activities. Langewiesche — who was Vanity Fair’s international correspondent and is now an editor-at-large with New York Times Magazine — spoke to the technicians, smugglers, spies and scientists involved in the illicit nuclear weapons business.

The scripted project, which is in development as a series at the streaming giant, marks the latest premium TV project from “Gangs of London” producers Pulse Films. The project is set up with “71” writer Gregory Burke attached to pen the script. He will executive produce alongside director Edward Berger, who is also helming the Netflix adaptation of “All Quiet on the Western Front” out of Germany.

Riots erupted in Germany when this anti-war classic debuted in cinemas. Lewis Milestone (who took home a directing Oscar along with the Best Picture award) imported tons of WW I German and French military equipment in his quest for authenticity. Dp Karl Freund suggested the indelible concluding butterfly sequence, and the dead hand we see supporting the butterfly is Milestone’s. Star Lew Ayres, a genuine pacifist whose career suffered a decade later, served selflessly in WW II in noncombat positions. Banned in France until 1962.

The post All Quiet on the Western Front appeared first on Trailers From Hell.

Filming is underway in Czech Republic, near Prague, on Netflix’s WWI feature All Quiet On The Western Front.

Edward Berger (Patrick Melrose) is directing the German-language version of the classic anti-war story. Producing is Malte Grunert of Amusement Park Film from a screenplay by Ian Stokell, Lesley Paterson and Berger. DoP is James Friend.

Cast is made up of Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Moritz Klaus, Aaron Hilmer, Edin Hasanovic, Daniel Brühl, Adrian Grünewald, Devid Striesow, Andreas Döhler, Sebastian Hülk, Alexander Schuster, Luc Feit, Michael Wittenborn, Michael Stange, André Marcon, Tobias Langhoff, Anton von Lucke u.v.a.

We first revealed the project last year. Netflix has today unveiled a first look at the production, which has been shooting since March.

One of the best-selling German novels of all time, Erich Maria Remarque’s poignant story follows three youngsters who voluntarily enlist in the German army. Full of excitement and patriotic fervor,...

Filming volume is about to reach back to record-breaking 2019 levels in the Czech Republic, according to the Czech Film Commission.

That year saw €347M / $420M in foreign investment flowing into the country.

The claim comes despite ongoing Covid-19 concerns in the Czech Republic, which was among the hardest hit Central and Eastern European countries earlier this year. However, infection number have been steadily decreasing in recent weeks.

Among the projects that are shooting or in prep in the Czech Republic are the serial adaptation of E. M. Remarque’s novel All Quiet on the Western Front (Netflix) starring Daniel Brühl and directed by Edward Berger; Operation Totems, a Cold War-era story of love between two spies that takes place in East Berlin, Moscow and Paris; the new adaptation of the novel Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos (Lionsgate); the apocalyptic series Extinction (Sky); and the Netflix feature films Spaceman of Bohemia,...

Netflix has ordered “The 39 Steps,” a limited series based on the 1915 John Buchan novel that will star Benedict Cumberbatch, with Edward Berger at the helm and Mark L. Smith writing.

The series will reunite Cumberbatch and Berger, who last worked together on Showtime’s 2018 mini-series “Patrick Melrose.” The at least six-hour series will be produced by Anonymous Content, Chapter One Pictures and SunnyMarch, the U.K.-based film and TV production company founded by Cumberbatch, Adam Ackland and Adam Selves.

“The 39 Steps” has already been adapted several times, most famously by Alfred Hitchcock in 1935, starring Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll. Buchan’s original spy thriller takes place just before the outset of World War I, centering on Richard Hannay, a man who comes into possession of a key to a global conspiracy and goes on the run.

Cumberbatch was most recently seen in “The Mauritanian,” and remains in the thick of the Marvel Cinematic Universe,...

New Republic Pictures (Nrp) and Dirty Films have signed onto produce Queen Bitch & The High Horse. The film, written by Eric Matthew Brown with Troop Zero‘s Bert and Bertie set to direct, will be produced by Cate Blanchett, Coco Francini and Andrew Upton of Dirty Films alongside Brian Oliver and Bradley Fischer of New Republic. This is the first feature acquired under Dirty Films’ first look deal with New Republic.

Inspired by the largest municipal fraud in American history, Queen Bitch & The High Horse is the cautionary tale of town sweetheart turned corrupt public servant Penny Banks, an ambitious, larger-than-life woman whose passion for civic duty was eclipsed only by her love of horses and ultimately her own hubris. As Penny rises the ranks of city hall, she turns the town into her personal piggy bank, embezzling millions to fund a show horse empire that would take her from...

Netflix is believed to have swooped for world rights to Edward Berger’s long-anticipated adaptation of “All Quiet on the Western Front,” starring Daniel Brühl (pictured).

The project is understood to be among the biggest-budget films to ever come out of Germany, with production set to begin in March. Former Washington Post journalist Ian Stokell and producer and actor Lesley Paterson penned the script, which is based on the classic novel about World War I by former German infantryman Erich Maria Remarque, published in 1929 and taught in curricula around the world for its sobering account of the futility of war.

Remarque’s book was previously adapted by Lewis Milestone shortly after its publication, famously winning the 1930 Academy Award for best picture and best director. A Golden Globe-winning TV movie from Delbert Mann followed in 1979.

Rocket Science handled global sales on the new adaptation, which will add to Netflix’s burgeoning catalogue of German content,...

On November 13th, Elton John will release a career-spanning eight-cd box set titled Elton: Jewel Box. John personally selected the tracks for the collection, which includes rarities, demos, B-sides and fan favorites from throughout his long career. To preview the set, John has dropped the previously unreleased 1969 rarity “Sing Me No Sad Songs.”

“To delve back through every period of my career in such detail for Jewel Box has been an absolute pleasure,” John said in a statement. “Hearing these long lost tracks again, I find it hard to comprehend...

This Perry Mason review contains spoilers.

Perry Mason Episode 2

Perry Mason, episode 2, “Chapter Two,” continues to differentiate itself from the classic TV series while taking notes from the Erle Stanley Gardner books. The novelized Perry Mason wasn’t above making up evidence, and Della Street (Juliet Rylance) was more than just an enabler. She actively misled the cops while the attorney at large pushed legal limits to get his clients off. Matthew Rhys’ Mason continues this ambiguity. He is both reluctant and determined, and it all seems to stem from his military duty.

The episode opens with a particularly nasty battle flashback, World War I trench fighting. The soldier Perry Mason has to move forward, actually push men forward, to almost certain death. In his very first step out of the trench he already has to step over a fallen comrade at arms. He’s going to have to make tougher decisions,...

One of Christopher Nolan’s filmmaking traditions is to gather his cast and crew before production starts and screen movies that serve as inspiration to the project they’re working on together. Before filming “The Dark Knight,” for instance, Nolan rounded up all of his crews’ department heads to watch Michael Mann’s “Heat.” Ahead of “Dunkirk,” Nolan shared films such as “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “The Battle of Algiers” with his cast. In a new interview with Total Film magazine, Nolan reveals he intentionally broke this longstanding tradition with “Tenet” because the goal was to break through any spy movie influence that might exist.

“Interestingly, this is one of the first films I’ve ever made where we didn’t do any screenings,” Nolan said. “And the reason was, I think we all have the spy genre so in our bones and in our fingertips. I...

When Nobuhiko Obayashi sadly passed away in April 2020, most social media was filled with many posts showing pictures of the director and perhaps the feature most people remember, his 1977 film “Hausu”. While there is no denying about the quality of said film, given the vast career of Obayashi which spans over five decades, these pictures also indicate that so many viewers still need to discover for themselves the multitude of themes and the experimental visual style of the majority of his body of work, in which his debut feature makes up only a small portion. One way to start this journey into Obayashi’s work may be the upcoming release of his penultimate work, “Hanagatami” by Third Window, a touching and very poetic film about growing up during war times.

In 1941, Toshihiko (Shunsuke Kubozuka), a sixteen-year-old teenager, returns from Europe to his Japanese home to attend school.

For director Ridley Scott, it was one look at a 19th-century neoclassical work of art that convinced him to make the Oscar-winning picture “Gladiator.” Jean-Léon Gérôme’s painting “Pollice Verso” depicts an armored gladiator in the ring, triumphantly facing onlookers as the crowd reacts with thumbs turned down, signaling their approval for the fighter to deliver a final, fatal blow. Without even knowing what the film’s story would be, Scott signed on to build a Roman Empire saga that would go on to score five Academy Awards.

Raking in over $460 million dollars globally on what Scott told Variety was at the time a massive budget of $103 million, the film triumphed at the box office when it debuted on May 5, 2000. The Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix action drama paved the way for more historical epics like “300,” “Troy” and “Centurion.” Steven Spielberg at Dreamworks, already in a three-picture deal with screenwriter David Franzoni,...

Trends and shifts in the global indie film biz mark the 2020 European Film Market.

Women direct or star in some of the hottest packages being brought to Berlin: Olivia Wilde’s biopic of gymnast Kerri Strug, “Perfect,” from FilmNation; Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut, “The Lost Daughter,” starring Olivia Colman, sold by Endeavor Content; Noomi Rapace-starrer “O2” a Black List survival thriller from Wild Bunch with Alexandre Aja producing; and Gaby Dellal’s shark attack thriller “Something in the Water,” from Studiocanal.

Claire Denis’ “The Stars at Noon,” with Robert Pattinson, was the subject of the Efm’s first high-profile U.S. deal on Tuesday, sold to A24.

Although there will be bigger projects, such as Gerard Butler action-thriller “Remote Control,” from STXInternational; or Solstice Studios’ deep space thriller “Ground Control to Major Tom,” with Seth Gordon directing, in today’s climate, $30 million — the reported budget of FilmNation’s...

Ernest Borgnine would’ve celebrated his 103rd birthday on January 24, 2020. The Oscar-winning actor kept working up until his death in 2012 at the age of 95, racking up over 200 credits across film and television. But how many of those titles are classics? In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 12 of Borgnine’s greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1917, Borgnine turned to acting after a stint in the Navy. Though he was often cast as a supporting player, he is perhaps best remembered for his leading role in “Marty” (1955), a small-scale drama about a middle-aged butcher who finds romance with a spinster school teacher (Betsy Blair). Shot on a modest budget in just 16 days, the film was a box office smash, winning four Oscars including Best Actor for Borgnine, Best Picture, Best Director for Delbert Mann, and Best Screenplay for Paddy Chayefsky (who adapted the script...

The hottest new trend in movies is World War I, baby! World War II? Get the hell outta here! We’re going back to the days of trench warfare, Mustard Gas, and Archduke Franz Ferdinand. After 1917 nabbed plenty of praise and Oscar nominations, it was only a matter of time before a producer said, “Hey, the kids these […]

The post ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ is the Next World War I Movie on the Horizon appeared first on /Film.

Exclusive: Amid a flurry of buzz titles heading into Berlin’s European Film Market, this could be one of the most in-demand – I can reveal that Protagonist Pictures will launch sales on Official Competition, a comedy reuniting Spanish stars Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz.

The Spanish-language movie has Argentinian directing duo Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat at the helm; their credits include the 2016 Venice Competition title The Distinguished Citizen.

Prestige pair Banderas and Cruz are teaming again after appearing together recently in Pedro Almodóvar’s Pain And Glory, which was nominated for two Oscars this month including Best Actor for Banderas.

Cruz is a three-time Oscar nominee and a winner in 2009 for Vicky Cristina Barcelona. She was also on stage at the latest Academy Awards presenting Bong Joon Ho with his statue for Best International Feature Film.

In Official Competition, Cruz will play renowned filmmaker Lola Cuevas, who is recruited...

Rocket Science and Amusement Park have acquired the rights and Amusement Park will produce anti-war drama “All Quiet on the Western Front,” to be directed by BAFTA winner and Emmy nominee Edward Berger. Daniel Bruehl is attached for the ensemble cast and will executive produce. Rocket Science is handling worldwide sales.

Based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, the screenplay is by Ian Stokell and Lesley Paterson. The story follows teenagers Paul Baumer and his friends Albert and Muller, who – egged on by romantic dreams of heroism – voluntarily enlist in the German army. Full of excitement and patriotic fervour, the boys enthusiastically march into a war they believe in. But once on the Western Front, they discover the soul-destroying horror of World War I.

Paul’s preconceptions about the enemy and the rights and wrongs of the conflict crumble. On the countdown to Armistice, Paul must carry on fighting until the end,...

Exclusive: There has never been a German-language film version of landmark German novel All Quiet On The Western Front. That is set to change with an intriguing new version of the WWI story which brings together BAFTA-winning director Edward Berger (Patrick Melrose), Euro producers Malte Grunert (A Most Wanted Man) and Daniel Dreifuss (No), and actor-producer Daniel Bruhl (Rush).

Rocket Science are also producing and are launching world sales next week at the Efm on the (anti-)war movie, which comes hot on the heels of Oscar-winning WWI story 1917 and local-language smash Parasite. Berger and the producers will be in Berlin to discuss the project.

One of the best-selling German novels of all time, Erich Maria Remarque’s poignant story follows three youngsters who voluntarily enlist in the German army. Full of excitement and patriotic fervour, the boys enthusiastically march into a war they believe in. But once on the Western Front,...

All Quiet on the Western Front, the classic 1929 World War I novel by Erich Maria Remarque that was famously adapted into the 1930 best picture Oscar winner by Lewis Milestone, is set for a fresh cinematic take, this time in its original German language.

Rocket Science and Amusement Park have acquired the rights, with both set to produce the new version, to be directed by BAFTA winner and Emmy nominee Edward Berger (Patrick Melrose, Jack, Deutschland ’83) and with a budget of $20 million. Rocket Science is handling worldwide sales and will introduce the project to buyers at the ...

All Quiet on the Western Front, the classic 1929 World War I novel by Erich Maria Remarque that was famously adapted into the 1930 best picture Oscar winner by Lewis Milestone, is set for a fresh cinematic take, this time in its original German language.

Rocket Science and Amusement Park have acquired the rights, with both set to produce the new version, to be directed by BAFTA winner and Emmy nominee Edward Berger (Patrick Melrose, Jack, Deutschland ’83) and with a budget of $20 million. Rocket Science is handling worldwide sales and will introduce the project to buyers at the ...

George MacKay pulls up a chair in the Reading Room of the Whitby Hotel in New York and sizes up the walls filled with rows upon rows of books. The British actor says "not enough" when asked if he's a big reader, but when he has the time, he's working through the classics. Of course, he's polished off two World War I classics — With a Machine Gun to Cambrai and All Quiet on the Western Front — in preparation for his starring role in Sam Mendes' wartime epic, 1917. He spots neither book on the shelves but explains ...

George MacKay pulls up a chair in the Reading Room of the Whitby Hotel in New York and sizes up the walls filled with rows upon rows of books. The British actor says "not enough" when asked if he's a big reader, but when he has the time, he's working through the classics. Of course, he's polished off two World War I classics — With a Machine Gun to Cambrai and All Quiet on the Western Front — in preparation for his starring role in Sam Mendes' wartime epic, 1917. He spots neither book on the shelves but explains ...

World War II has been a favorite subject of Hollywood since 1940, before the U.S. even entered the fighting. But the industry has been less interested in World War I, aka The Great War or The War to End All Wars (as it was sadly/optimistically dubbed).

In the past 25 years, there have been 16 best-picture Oscar nominees set during WWII. In those same years, there was only one set in World War I: Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse.” This is just one of many reasons why Universal-DreamWorks’ “1917,” a strong Oscar contender this year, seems so remarkable.

Krysty Wilson-Cairns, who co-wrote “1917” with director Sam Mendes, says she’s not surprised filmmakers have gravitated to the later war. “The Second World War was about countries uniting to fight the tyranny of the Nazis; it seemed like the only option to save humanity. But with the First World War, the motivations are obscure.

Sam Mendes really knows how to end a decade on a high note. Twenty years ago, he made his feature film directorial debut with “American Beauty” (1999), which went on to win the Best Picture Oscar, along with Best Director for Mendes — the most recent director to prevail for a debut. Now, he’s back with his World War I epic “1917” and is a massive contender to take home a bookend Best Director statuette, which would give him the longest gap between two wins.

Twenty-one people have scored multiple Best Director Oscars — 18 with two, two with three and one with four — but most have typically won two of them within a period of 10 years. Five have a gap of more than 10 years between two victories. The record is currently held by Billy Wilder, who won his two awards 15 years apart for “The Lost Weekend” (1945) and “The Apartment” (1960).

Two have a gap of 13 years: Fred Zinnemann,...

How do you define heroism? For more than a century, movies have shaped our collective idea of the individuals and actions that qualify, often making the word appear out of reach to ordinary mortals. Now, along comes Sam Mendes’ “1917” to smash those assumptions, revisiting a day in World War I when two ordinary British soldiers — Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman of “Game of Thrones”) and Schofield (George MacKay) — distinguished themselves by undertaking a mission for which neither was the slightest bit prepared.

Heroism reflects courage, of course. But that’s not the same as an absence of fear. There are scenes in “1917” when audiences will see Blake and Schofield panic-stricken, terrified and even in tears. Their errand calls for bravery, and yet, at times the pair can’t help second-guessing their decision to deliver a message that could save the lives of 1,600 fellow British soldiers. To do so, they must cross the battlefield in broad daylight,...