News

James Gunn doesn’t need any introduction when it comes to superhero movie fans around the world. Although he had been a lifelong fan of comic books, his first venture into turning one into a movie wasn’t quite smooth. In fact, his first movie in the genre faced such difficulty that it took years to materialize.

DC Studios head James Gunn | Credits: Erik Drost, licensed under Cc-by 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

While he had plans to weave a narrative tale of a wannabe vigilante donning a costume, luck wasn’t by his side at the time. He also revealed that he almost cast John C. Reilly as his first superhero, until luck got in his way.

Gunn reflected on the matter once in an interview back before he tapped into his Marvel and DC fame. Although the movie did get made eventually, even years later, it seems to have left...

Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, the wife-and-husband producers who have 13 Oscar nominations and an Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award between them, will be honored at the Oscar Wilde Awards next month.

The 19th annual event is scheduled for Feb. 27, three days before the Academy Awards, at the historic Ebell theater in Los Angeles. Actors John C. Reilly and Éanna Hardwicke will be saluted as well.

Also new to the lineup is Will Ferrell, who will introduce Reilly and hand him his trophy. The pair, of course, have co-starred in such films as Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), Step Brothers (2008) and Holmes & Watson (2018).

Created by the US-Ireland Alliance, the Oscar Wilde Awards celebrate the work of those from Ireland — and some who are not — who contribute to film, television and music. (Kennedy, with eight Oscar noms, and Marshall, with five, are Californians born in Berkeley and Glendale, respectively.

Hayao Miyazaki, the iconic filmmaker behind Studio Ghibli, has long been recognized for his meticulous storytelling and profound philosophical themes. From My Neighbor Totoro to Spirited Away, his films have made an everlasting impression on the world of animation.

Ponyo by Hayao Miyazaki. | Credit: Studio Ghibli

However, behind the scenes of his filmmaking career, there exists a lesser-known story about how one of his personal ambitions was sacrificed for the sake of a project that would later divide audiences. For instance, Miyazaki wanted to revisit Ponyo, however, the Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki convinced him to pivot to The Wind Rises instead.

Steering Hayao Miyazaki toward The Wind Rises

During an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences event of 2014, honoring Oscar-nominated animated films, Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki revealed the shocking fact saying Miyazaki had initially planned to make a sequel to Ponyo, one of his most emotionally complex films.

Hayley Williams, Finneas and St. Vincent and more stars are set to perform at an upcoming wildfire relief benefit concert,

G*ve A F*ck L.A., a benefit concert and auction for L.A. fire relief, is slated for Hollywood Palladium on Feb. 5. Hosted by John C. Reilly, the full list of artists and comedians includes Christopher Owens, Courtney Barnett, Finneas, Fred Armisen, Hayley Williams, Jenny Lewis, Juliette Lewis, Kevin Morby, Lucy Dacus, Muna, Perfume Genius, Phantom Planet, Reggie Watts, Rostam & Sasami, Scout Willis, St. Vincent, Symone, The Linda Lindas, along with special guests. Fat Tony and Harmony Tividad will open the show with DJ sets.

The show will be donating 100 percent net ticket proceeds to L.A. local organizations supporting those impacted by the fires, including Altadena Girls, Friends in Deed, One Voice and Pasadena Humane Society. All venue and ticketing service fees will be waived for the event,...

The music community is truly coming together for those affected by the Los Angeles fires. On Monday, Give a Fuck LA announced a star-studded lineup for “Benefit and Auction for LA Wildfire Relief” on Feb. 5, featuring performances by Hayley Williams, Lucy Dacus, Muna, and Finneas.

The Hollywood Palladium show is also set to feature appearances from Jenny Lewis, Christopher Owens, Fred Armisen, Courtney Barnett, St. Vincent, Kevin Morby, Reggie Watts, and Scout Willis. Symone, the Linda Lindas, and Rostam and Sasami are also featured on the lineup for the show,...

Claire van Kampen, a composer of music for plays and television dramas, as well as a director, writer and frequent collaborator of her Oscar-winning husband Mark Rylance, died Saturday morning at age 71, her family has announced.

Formally know as Lady Rylance, van Kampen died in the ancient town of Kassel, Germany, surrounded by her family, said a statement issued by Mark Rylance and van Kampen’s daughter Juliet Rylance.

The statement noted that van Kampen died on Mark Rylance’s 65th birthday.

Van Kampen was an accomplished musicologist, and her compositions graced many theatrical productions in London and on Broadway. Her first credited Broadway score was for Sam Shepard’s True West in 2000, which starred Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, Robert LuPone and Celia Weston.

Five other shows, including Boeing-Boeing, La Bête, Richard III, Twelfth Night and Farinelli and the King all starred her husband.

Van Kampen wrote...

A fan poster teasing Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly’s Talladega Nights 2 is boosting anticipation for what a possible sequel could deliver.

2006's Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby became one of the year's biggest comedies, ranking as one of the 15 highest-grossing films in the world.

Star Will Ferrell led the way, telling the story of a wild and raunchy NASCAR driver who lived by one motto: "If you ain't first, you're last."

Read full article on The Direct.

Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn following his 2024 arrest. Homeland Security raided two of his properties, one in Miami and the other in Los Angeles, in March 2024. Now, the LA fires could threaten Combs’ LA mansion. Here’s what to know.

Have the LA fires affected Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ mansion?

Sean “Diddy” Combs purchased his mansion in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of LA for $40 million in 2014. The 17,000-square-foot home features nine bedrooms, eleven bathrooms, a 35-seat movie theater, a wine room, a fitness studio, and a lagoon pool. Combs has an additional 3,000-square-foot structure he used as a guest home and a separate spa house containing a steam room, massage room, and beauty salon.

So, is Combs’ mansion in danger as the Southern California wildfires rip through LA neighborhoods? As of the time of publication, Combs’ house remains standing. While Combs...

Exclusive: New Europe Film Sales has boarded Icelandic director Hlynur Pálmason’s upcoming feature The Love That Remains, his latest work after Oscar-shortlisted work Godland.

The sales acquisition sees the Warsaw-based company team once again with Icelandic production company Still Vivid and Denmark’s Snowglobe.

The new feature that was shot in Eastern Iceland under-the-radar and is due to be completed in 2025. According to the official description, the drama “tenderly captures a year in the life of a family as the parents navigate their separation. Through both playful and heartfelt moments, the film portrays the bittersweet essence of faded love and shared memories amidst the changing seasons.

New Europe will commence sales on the movie at the Berlinale’s European Film Market in February. Prior to that, the team behind the film will present first clips to attendees of Göteborg Nordic Film Market at the end of this month.

The...

When Max Baumgarten and Penelope Gazin first learned the catastrophic Eaton fire had gutted their 1940s adobe brick home on the edge of the San Gabriel mountains in Altadena, California, they couldn’t fully absorb it. A neighbor sent them a video of their ravaged cul-de-sac, but they watched it in a numb, fugue-like state.

“It was such an abstract thing,” Gazin tells Rolling Stone. “It was like my brain flatlined.” Baumgarten had to see the destruction himself. The actor, comedian, and musician, 39, jumped in a truck with his uncle...

Thousands of Los Angeles families lost their homes, valuable possessions and priceless mementos this week. Also gone in the devastating wildfires are pieces of Hollywood history, with a number of historic houses used in iconic movies and TV series threatened or destroyed. That includes the Altadena mansion seen on Max’s award-winning comedy series Hacks.

According to an eyewitness, the 1915 Spanish Colonial Revival mansion has burnt down in the Eaton fire, with only its facade still standing.

There is major concern for the nearby Crank house where Matilda, Scream 2, and Catch Me If You Can were filmed, the house Step Brothers was shot as well as the famed Rubio Street, which includes one of the most heavily used mansions in movies and TV series such as Risky Business and This Is Us.

Warning: This article discusses sensitive topics, including child abuse and sexual assault.

The Oscars have hosted a lavish ceremony celebrating the best of the best in cinema every year, but some people were banned and asked not to return. The first Academy Awards happened in 1929, and since then, hundreds of performers, directors, producers, art directors, and even musicians have been honored for their work in the film industry. The year's most anticipated event has boosted the popularity of many notable titles worldwide and made them some of the best movies of all time.

Throughout the year, audiences started to form theories about which movies would be big winners at the Academy Awards, and predictions for the 2025 Oscars began within weeks after the 2024 event ended. However, it has only been in recent years that the Academy has banned public figures from attending their events and casting their votes. The Academy of...

It's unclear if Marvel will ever bring Thanos back, but I need to see one previously mentioned scene before the MCU is done with the character. Thanos was the central villain of the Infinity Saga, and he delivered in every way. Since he debuted in The Avengers post-credit scene, Thanos' presence built slowly before confronting the Avengers in Avengers: Infinity War. While his motives were more understandable than many villains, his methods were despicable, and he left a reign of terror over the planets he and his armies encountered.

Thanos wreaked havoc on the universe for many years, with his quest to acquire all six Infinity stones decimating several planets, and eventually leading to his temporary victory. However, the Avengers inevitably won, bringing back everyone he snapped out of existence. Still, many planets remained destroyed after battling Thanos, including Xandar, the home of the Nova Corps featured in Guardians of the Galaxy.

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

This January, Prime Video is bringing you a lot of entertainment from the Will Ferrell comedy film You’re Cordially Invited to the beloved romantic action comedy film The Fall Guy. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Prime Video this month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the 10 best films that are coming to Prime Video in January 2025 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Boogie Nights (January 1) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94% Credit – New Line Cinema

Boogie Nights is a drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The 1997 film is set in Los Angeles’s San Fernando Valley, and it follows Eddie Adams, a high school dropout working as a dishwasher as he becomes one of the biggest adult film stars,...

Adam Scott is best known for playing sweet, nerdy Ben Wyatt in Parks & Recreation, but many of Adam Scott's best roles are characters who were jerks. Scott's role as Derek Huff in Step Brothers shows how perfectly Scott can play a character who is both successful and sleazy. Currently, Scott is in Apple TV+ series Loot, where he plays tech mogul John Novak. It's been a hit, with two seasons streaming and Loot's upcoming season 3 on the way.

Scott's character kicks off the events of Loot. A billionaire many times over, John is married to Loot's main character Molly Wells (Maya Rudolph), who catches John cheating on her at her birthday party. John thinks he can talk or bribe his way out of the scandal, but Molly leaves him and takes half of everything. Molly uses her billions to focus on her charity foundation, but Molly's rejection of...

Nearly 20 years later, James Mangold is still finding inspiration in the musical biopic genre, despite previous jabs at his work.

The 2x Oscar nominee, who co-wrote and directed the 2005 Johnny Cash pic Walk the Line, has not been scared off from paying cinematic tribute to other legendary musicians after the parody Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007).

“I found Walk Hard hilarious. But I also never understood why satire would negate making the real thing anymore,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “I wasn’t frightened off any more than Robert Eggers should be frightened of making a monster movie in the face of Young Frankenstein or if another filmmaker might be frightened of making a Western in the face of Blazing Saddles. It’s unfair to say that if someone makes a satire of a genre, it somehow has put a tombstone in the genre for all time. That seems a little ludicrous to me.

Walk Hard looms large over the "musician biopic" genre. Though not a major box office success, the cult classic has only become more appreciated over time as a pitch-perfect parody of the genre's various tropes and clichés. Star John C. Reilly has even said that "we tried to kill the musical biopic with this movie.

Elijah Wood starred in Shane Acker's animated feature 9 in 2009, which was largely made possible by Tim Burton. Following Wood's lead performance as Frodo Baggins in the groundbreaking The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the renowned actor appeared in several films such as Sin City, Paris, Je T'aime, and Happy Feet. Wood went on to star in the celebrated FX comedy series Wilfred and recently appeared in the second season of the Emmy-nominated series Yellowjackets.

Burton has created several notable animated movies over his career. He was a screenwriter on animated classics such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach and directed Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie. Burton recently directed the massively popular Netflix series Wednesday, which returns for its second season in 2025, and the highly anticipated Beetlejuice sequel, which is now streaming on HBO/Max. If it weren't for Burton's efforts with 9, the film may have never been made.

Following part one of our 2025 movie preview, we’re counting down our 50 most-anticipated films of the year.

50. 28 Years Later (Danny Boyle; June 20)

It’s a shame the 28 Later (?) franchise lost its shaky, grainy video-camera aesthetic that defined the mood and feel of the first entry, 28 Days Later. But it’s a godsend that they’ve brought back Alex Garland and Danny Boyle, the original writer-director combo who grabbed our attention with the otherwise beleaguered premise that is a zombie apocalypse. With the promise of their collaboration––which has also led to The Beach and Sunshine––and a feral Ralph Fiennes, there should be a lot to look forward to in discovering how things have developed in this fictional world over the nearly three decades since its outbreak. – Luke H.

49. Heads or Tails? (Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis)

A welcome, last-minute surprise to the 2025 slate is the...

John C. Reilly will soon appear on the big screen as Buffalo Bill in “Heads or Tails?” a surreal Western by Italian directorial duo Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis (“The Tale of King Crab”). The film is inspired by a true event that took place during Buffalo Bill’s stay in Italy.

Along with the Oscar-nominated U.S. actor – who co-starred with Joaquin Phoenix in Jacques Audiard’s Western “The Sisters Brothers” – the top notch “Heads or Tails?” cast also comprises rising French star Nadia Tereszkiewicz and Italy’s Alessandro Borghi, in lead roles, and Argentina’s Peter Lanzani.

Italian cowboys known as “butteri” –– and hailing from the central Italian plains of northern Lazio up through the coastal Italian region of Maremma into southern Tuscany — have a long-standing connection to Buffalo Bill and the history of America’s Wild West.

Buffalo Bill, born William F. Cody, was a...

Kathryn Hahn completely improvised one of her most famous lines from “Step Brothers.”

While talking to Jesse Tyler Ferguson on his “Dinner’s on Me” podcast, Hahn explained that the scene where her character tells John C. Reilly’s Dale she plans to pleasure herself to the thought of him punching her husband – played by Adam Scott – was apparently not in the script. In the scene, Hahn’s character sneaks up on Dale and lets him know she wishes she could roll him into a ball and “shove you up my vagina.”

The actress told Ferguson that director Adam McKay allowed a lot of improvising on set and that that iconic moment was one that made it into the final product.

“That whole scene, when I tell him I’m going to shove him in my vagina,” Hahn recalled. “Kids, I hope you’re listening. That was all not really in the script.

The versatile John C. Reilly has been announced as the first honoree at the 19th annual Oscar Wilde Awards.

The event, organized by the US-Ireland Alliance, is set for Feb. 27 — in its traditional evening spot three days before the Oscars — at the historic Ebell theater in Los Angeles, its original home.

The casual bash celebrates the work of those from Ireland — and some who are not — who contribute to film, television and music. It also fosters artistic collaborations, from giving young actors and singers a profile in the U.S. to encouraging the shooting of films in Ireland.

The Chicago-born Reilly, 59, speaks often of his family’s strong ties to Ireland. A frequent visitor to the country, he served as the International Guest of Honor at Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities in 2022.

“It might just seem like a goof to just appear at a parade, but to me,...

The comedy genre underwent a lot of change in the 2010s, and the roles of villains started to shift too. As opposed to the optimistic, broad comedies that dominated the 2000s, many of the best comedy movies of the 2010s are rather dark and cynical. This change meant that a lot of comedies went without villains in the 2010s, choosing to explore anti-heroes, villain protagonists, or stories without clear man vs. man conflict.

Despite the changes in the comedy genre, there are still some great villains from the 2010s who stand out. In some cases, these villains aren't supposed to be funny, but they create tension and conflict which brings the best out of the hero. The days of Dr. Evil, White Goodman and Jacobim Mugatu faded before the 2010s, but the decade still produced a few hilarious movie villains.

Loner Leader The Lobster (2015)

The Lobster is as strange and...

On November 15, 2024, Disney released a new animated original short film, An Almost Christmas Story, and it is the perfect thing to watch before a favorite Christmas movie. An Almost Christmas Story is one of several new exciting Christmas movies released in 2024, and it certainly does not disappoint. Written by David Lowery and directed by David Lowery and Jack Thorne, An Almost Christmas Story is about a small owl named Moon who embarks on a journey through New York City with a broken wing to find his father.

An Almost Christmas Story features a small cast of voice actors, including Jim Gaffigan, Mamoudou Athie, Natasha Lyonne, and John C. Reilly. The short animated film received an impressive 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and it features four songs, including two original songs, all performed by John C. Reilly. Though it might be too soon to say whether it will become a Christmas movie classic,...

In 2007, Jake Kasdan's hilarious "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" arrived to take the piss out of musician biopics. Focusing on the fictional Dewey Cox (played memorably by John C. Reilly), "Walk Hard" was a parody of the musician biopic in general, but specifically lambasted the then-recent films "Ray," Taylor Hackford's flick about Ray Charles, and "Walk the Line," James Mangold's look at the life of Johnny Cash. It was a brilliant, biting send-up of everything wrong with those films: the lazy shortcuts they take in condensing a famous person's entire life, the by-the-numbers approach to an artist's rise and fall and inevitable redemption, the seemingly endless parade of familiar supporting characters who pop up and have their full, famous names uttered out loud so we know who they are. The satire and parody of "Walk Hard" is so sharp, so cutting, that one can't help but...

James Gunn's decision to cut a major Marvel character from Guardians of the Galaxy was a wise move, in my view. To be perfectly honest, James Gunn made several stellar decisions with his MCU debut, with Guardians of the Galaxy ranking among the best MCU movies in the eyes of fans and critics alike. This is a trend that continued with its spin-offs and sequels, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 softening the blow of an otherwise particularly disappointing 2023 for Marvel Studios.

The stellar cast in every Guardians of the Galaxy production is largely to thank for the franchise's success. The titular gang is composed of some of the McU's most beloved characters, with Chris Pratt's Peter Quill perfectly embodying the role of a plucky and resourceful (half) human thrust into the perilous cosmos against his will. Fans of Marvel Comics may notice, however, that their appearances...

Boogie Nights takes place in the world of adult entertainment. Paul Thomas Anderson's 1997 classic stars Mark Wahlberg as Dirk Diggler, a California native who became a well-known adult film actor in the San Fernando Valley during the '70s. Recognizable actors portray most characters, but several real-life adult film stars make cameos in small roles. Before Boogie Nights, Mark Wahlberg had already established an impressive resume in the entertainment industry, but this movie made him a star.

Boogie Nights transformed Wahlberg into a mainstream movie star, thanks in large part to his tragicomic lead performance and a climactic scene that literally exposes the film's lead character, Dirk Diggler. However, what many P.T. Anderson fans remember is that this film is full of character actors who would go on to appear in several of the director's movies over the next two decades, some in lead roles and others always working as brilliant supporting actors.

Comedy heavyweight Will Ferrell has reflected on the enduring legacy of one of his most iconic and beloved movies more than a decade after its release. First rising to prominence as a cast member of the comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live, Ferrell branched out into comedy movies, securing parts in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and its sequel Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, as well as leading roles in movies like A Night at the Roxbury. He achieved global fame in 2003 when he co-starred in 'Frat Pack' comedy Old School, which grossed $87 million worldwide.

The success of the movie saw Ferrell become a comedy leading man, starring in a slew of successful comedy movies across the mid to late 2000s, including Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Wedding Crashers, Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby, the Starsky & Hutch remake, and Step Brothers with John C. Reilly.

Box Office: Moana 2 $ Wicked Are On Their Way To Set New Thanksgiving Holiday Record (Photo Credit – Instagram)

This November, rather than this Thanksgiving, will be remembered for a long time by the film industry and the exhibitors. The trio of Moana 2, Wicked, and Gladiator II will smash the box office and take the total reportedly above $300 million to $400 million. The Moana sequel is the main force driving the collection past 2018’s record-breaking Thanksgiving weekend. It was mainly because of Ralph Breaks the Internet in 2018. Scroll below for the deets.

Ralph Breaks the Internet was released in 2018 and was directed by Rich Moore and Phil Johnston. It was the sequel to 2012’s Wreck It Ralph. It collected an estimated $18.5 million on its release day, which was the biggest opening day ever for a Thanksgiving release. John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, and Ed O’Neill reprised their character roles from the first film.

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

This December, Paramount+ is bringing you a ton of entertainment with the highly anticipated new series in the Dexter universe alongside a ton of great shows and movies. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Paramount+ this month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the 13 best films coming to Paramount+ in December 2024 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Boogie Nights (December 1) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94% Credit – New Line Cinema

Boogie Nights is a period coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The 1997 film is set in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, and it follows Eddie Adams, a young nightclub dishwasher who became a big name in the adult film industry in the 1970s. Boogie Nights stars Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore,...

John C. Reilly, the Oscar-nominated actor whose film credits seem to include at least one movie on any person’s list of all-time favorites, is in a good mood when we connect by phone two days before Thanksgiving, and says he’s about to buy his turkey.

“I’m the rotisserie king of Thanksgiving,” he explains. “If you rotisserie a turkey, it goes well every time. It sort of self-bastes — it’s a very good cooking method for big turkeys.”

It’s not hard, after a few minutes of talking about the holiday spirit,...

It’s a good year for the musically inclined. This awards season is full of actors who sing. And that doesn’t just mean the performers who were already known for their vocal chops like musical theater star Cynthia Erivo and pop singer Ariana Grande in “Wicked.” There are a number of singing actors for whom music isn’t their primary claim to fame, like Timothée Chalamet in “A Complete Unknown,” Zoe Saldaña in “Emilia Pérez,” Angelina Jolie in “Maria,” Kingsley Ben-Adir in “Bob Marley: One Love,” and even Saoirse Ronan in “Blitz.” Will those stars get a bump for showing their vocal range in addition to their dramatic range?

Some stars over the last 20 or so years were recognized for expanding their repertoires. Nicole Kidman earned an Oscar nom for the 2001 musical “Moulin Rouge!” — though her co-star Ewan McGregor was snubbed despite also doing his own singing. “Chicago” (2002) earned...

The long-awaited Wicked adaptation is finally here - half of it, anyway - and it is poised to light up the box office and break into the awards race in a major way. Early signs point to massive success for the John M. Chu directed pic, which stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda. Wicked's box office could very well hit the billion dollar mark by the end of its run and the film is also earning raves from critics and audiences.

Box office magic and positive critical reception is just what Wicked needs to make an impact and Universal Pictures is launching a robust campaign that will see the film compete in a slew of below-the-line categories, the place where it could find the most success. However, with Grande being campaigned in the Supporting Actress category despite the fact that she's arguably a co-lead, Wicked...

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

MonsterVerse is one of the most interesting cinematic universes out of all of them. The Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures-owned franchise has earned over $2.5 billion worldwide and also consists of TV shows on different streaming services but the way it all came together is a bit iffy because of the rights issues and the general laziness that we see in the some of the MonsterVerse films, but still Godzilla vs. Kong is still one of the most iconic movies for me. So, we thought of compiling every project that exists in the MonsterVerse and ranking them according to their Rotten Tomatoes score, here it is.

7. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (Max & Rent on Prime Video) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 42% Credit – Warner Bros.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a monster sci-fi action adventure film directed by Michael Dougherty...

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film reviews for three current holiday films … “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” (in theaters) “An Almost Christmas Story” (streaming on Disney+ since November 15th) and “Christmas on the Ranch.” (currently streaming on Hulu).

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” is an adaptation of the popular 1972 novel and features Judy Greer and Pete Holmes. “An Almost Christmas Story” is Walt Disney Studios holiday fare, directed by David Lowery. And “Christmas on the Ranch” is one of the newest locations for the popular holiday romance genre.

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” is currently in theaters. Featuring Judy Greer, Pete Holmes, Lauren Graham, Molly Belle Wright and Beatrice Schneider. Screenplay adapted by Platt Clark, Darin McDaniel and Ryan Swanson. Directed by Dallas Jenkins. Rated “PG”

“An Almost Christmas Story” is streaming on Disney+ since Featuring the voices of Jim Gaffigan, Cary Christopher, Estella Madrigal and John C. Reilly.

UK sales, finance and production company Protagonist Pictures has made a suite of promotions and hires across its sales and marketing teams.

Joseph Hewitt has been tapped from fellow UK sales agent HanWay Films as senior marketing and distribution manager. At HanWay, Hewitt worked on films including Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter, Matteo Garrone’s Pinocchio, Ron Howard’s Pavarotti and Viggo Mortensen’s The Dead Don’t Hurt.

Alexandra Da Silva has been promoted from sales executive to sales manager, looking after new title sales in Eastern Europe, Asia and select European territories. She reports to acting senior vice...

Netflix is well known for its original content, and many of those titles are geared toward families. In November 2024, the streamer has a massive list of new releases, including several family favorites, including a new fantasy Spellbound, The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish, Pokémon Horizons: The Series part 4, and more.

Check out some of the best family movies to watch on Netflix this month as the holiday season nears, beginning below with the new animated fantasy film Spellbound.

Spellbound

Spellbound is a new Netflix original family adventure fantasy film with the voice talents of Rachel Zegler, John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis, Tituss Burgess, Nathan Lane, Javier Bardem, and Nicole Kidman.

The movie comes from the creators of Toy Story, the co-director of Shrek, Vicky Jenson, and The Little Mermaid Egot-winning composer Alan Menken. Set in the magic world of Lumbria, where a magical spell has been cast over a kingdom, Princess...

The third and final short in Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón’s holiday short collection comes to Disney+ this week

When a curious young owl finds himself stuck in a Christmas tree bound for New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza and a lost young girl loses her way in the big city, the unlikely duo come together to find their way home to their parents, forming an unusual bond. Disney+’s “An Almost Christmas Story,” the third and final installment in Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón’s holiday shorts collection, will premiere on the streamer on Friday, Nov. 15. Don’t miss the magic: watch with a subscription to Disney+!

How to Watch “An Almost Christmas Story” When: Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 Where: Disney+ Stream: Watch with a subscription to Disney+. Sign Up Now $9.99+ / month disneyplus.com

Get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for just $16.99 a month ($14 savings).

About “An Almost Christmas Story”

Directed by David Lowery...

An Almost Christmas Story, a 2024 animated short film directed by David Lowery, is set to be released this Friday on Disney+. This short film marks the third and final holiday production by Alfonso Cuarón for the streaming platform, following his previous works, Le pupille (2022) and The Shepherd (2023).

The narrative follows Moon, a young owl who inadvertently ends up in a Christmas tree intended for Rockefeller Center in New York City. While trying to return home, Moon befriends a lost girl named Luna. Together, they navigate their journey amidst the holiday backdrop. The film draws inspiration from the real-life story of an owl discovered in the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020.

The voice cast includes Mamoudou Athie, Cary Christopher, Jim Gaffigan, and Gianna Joseph. John C. Reilly appears as The Folk Singer and contributes four songs to the film, two of which are original compositions.

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Allen Sunshine (Harley Chamandy)

Directed with a sense of tranquil serenity and grounded maturity one might be accustomed to finding in the work of a seasoned director, Allen Sunshine is, quite remarkably, the debut feature of 25-year-old Harley Chamandy. The Montreal-born, New York-based filmmaker received the 2024 Werner Herzog Film Prize for his feature following its Munich Film Festival premiere earlier this year. Having participated in Herzog’s workshop as a 17-year-old, Chamandy’s shared affinity with the legendary German director for the natural world is quite apparent. Shot on 16mm by Kenny Suleimanagich, who brings a painterly touch in capturing the woodland landscape, Allen Sunshine is an affecting, understated look at picking up a life destroyed, and finding a connection with...

P-p-p-pick up the new trailer for The Penguin Lessons, an upcoming drama starring Steve Coogan. And also a penguin.

Coming to a cinema near you soon(ish) is The Penguin Lessons, directed by Peter Cattaneo and based on the memoir of Tom Michell, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Pope. Steve Coogan stars alongside Jonathan Pryce, Vivian El Jaber, Björn Gustafsson and Alfonsina Carrocio.

The synopsis reads as follows:

The Penguin Lessons is a story about a disillusioned Englishman who went to work in a school in Argentina in 1976. There, he found a divided nation and a class of unteachable students, only for everything to change when he rescues a penguin from an oil-slicked beach.

Steve Coogan and writer Jeff Pope have been a successful filmmaking team over the last few years. It began in 2013 with Philomena, which starred Judi Dench as the titular character, who enlists the help...

Plot: Moon is a curious young owl who unexpectedly finds himself stuck in a Christmas tree destined for Rockefeller Plaza. In his attempts to escape the bustling city, Moon befriends a lost little girl named Luna. Together, they embark on a heartwarming adventure, discovering the magic of the holiday season and forming an unlikely bond as they journey back home to their parents.

Review: Alfonso Cuaron is as adventurous a director as a producer. While his name has been big this year thanks to the masterpiece that is the Apple TV+ series Disclaimer, Cuaron has lent his backing to the third short film in a trilogy for Disney+. Following 2022’s Le Pupille and last year’s The Shepherd, Cuaron enlists director David Lowery to wrap the Christmas-themed collection of shorts with An Almost Christmas Story. Boasting a distinct look and the vocal talents of John C. Reilly, Natasha Lyonne, and Jim Gaffigan,...

On Tuesday November 12 2024, ABC broadcasts Good Morning America!

Episode 361 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of *Good Morning America* on ABC promises to cover a wide range of topics, bringing both informative and entertaining content to viewers. Robin Arzón will report on the growing trend of continuous glucose monitoring, shedding light on how this technology is helping people manage their health and improve their well-being. This segment will provide valuable insights for anyone interested in health and wellness.

The show will also revisit some of the most memorable moments from *Dancing With the Stars*, giving fans a look back at the highlights from the latest season. Whether it’s stunning performances or surprising eliminations, this segment will capture the excitement and drama of the popular dance competition. Additionally, actor John C. Reilly will make an appearance, bringing his charm and humor to the show as he discusses his latest projects. With a mix of health,...

Look, 500 episodes of anything is a lot, even reruns of The Office. So, when Dancing with the Stars hits that milestone, it’s worth at least a round of applause. ABC’s Good Morning America seems to agree, rolling out the commemorative carpet with a special retrospective on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. Expect the usual assortment […]

Good Morning America: John C. Reilly, Dancing With the Stars...

Aunt Lucy has disappeared into the Amazon and Paddington is on the case in his third cinematic outing. Here’s our Paddington In Peru review.

There’s a lot of expectation heading into the third film of a trilogy, which might explain why StudioCanal have already made it very clear that’s not what Paddington In Peru is. With a fourth film (and a TV series) given the green light, the pressure on Dougal Wilson’s first go in the director’s chair to deliver a Toy Story 3 or Return Of The King is reduced somewhat.

In hindsight, that might be a good thing. If watching Paddington 2 offered an emotional bruising from a very polite, if surprisingly violent, apex predator (I’ve yet to find a person alive who can watch the final five minutes of that film with dry eyes) then its follow-up is more like an...

Tom Cruise is reportedly set to get back behind the wheel in a sequel to 1990’s Days Of Thunder. More details within.

Legacy sequels tend to be a mixed bag, though Top Gun: Maverick got the balance between new and nostalgia just right. The script develops Maverick in a way that is respectful to the original film, and the sweeping aerial cinematography makes the flying sequences look magnificent.

While Tom Cruise has been busy with the next instalment of the long running Mission Impossible franchise for some time, he’s now reportedly getting round to developing a legacy sequel to 1990’s Days of Thunder for Paramount. According to Deadline, Cruise is in talks to star, but there are currently no other creatives attached. Scott and Towne have both since passed away.

Days Of Thunder saw director Tony Scott applied the same style he brought to the flying sequences in 1986’s...

With his previous legacy sequel proving to be a runaway critical and commercial hit, Tom Cruise is eyeing a legacy sequel to Days of Thunder. The 1990 sports drama about a hot-shot racecar driver getting to join NASCAR saw Cruise reunite with his Top Gun director Tony Scott and producing duo Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. Similar to their prior movie, to which it was frequently compared, Days of Thunder garnered largely mixed reviews from critics, but was a box office success and has garnered a cult following in the years since.

The Hollywood Reporter has brought word that Cruise is in early development on a Days of Thunder sequel with Paramount. The move comes just over two years after he and the studio finally released Top Gun: Maverick to much fanfare, with the studio currently in talks with both the producer/star and various writers in order to develop the story and script.

Stan And Ollie stars Steve Coogan and John C Reilly are reuniting for thespian comedy The Players.

One of the biggest cinematic comedy treats of 2018 was Stan And Ollie, a love letter to arguably the greatest double act of all time. At its centre were two powerhouse performances from Steve Coogan and John C Reilly, who not only captured the perfect comic timing but also the onscreen chemistry.

The film was written by Coogan’s regular collaborator Jeff Pope. The pair also made Philomena and last year’s Jimmy Savile drama, The Reckoning.

According to Deadline, Coogan and Reilly are reuniting with Pope for The Players, a comedy about actors performing a Shakespeare play in New York.

Peter Cattaneo will direct from Pope’s script. Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope are also co-producing with Protagonist Pictures’ Dave Bishop, George Hamilton, James Pugh and 42’s Josh Varney.

Cattaneo, Coogan, Pope and...

After teaming up for 2018’s Stan & Ollie, a biographical comedy focusing on the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy, John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan are reuniting for The Players, an upcoming comedy about competing Shakespearian actors.

The Full Monty’s Peter Cattaneo directs The Players from a script by Jeff Pope. The Players is an 1800s period comedy revolving around two thespians, Edwin Forrest and William MacCready. According to Deadline‘s exclusive report, The Players “is set in 1847 New York, where Edwin Forrest (Reilly) holds the undisputed title as the country’s top Shakespearian actor. Playing magnificently to a sold out, raucous crowd every night, Edwin is “The Star”. But when critically celebrated English thespian William MacCready (Coogan) arrives from London to perform his sophisticated Hamlet, Edwin’s title is thrown into jeopardy. Each man wants what the other has, and the rivalry between them starts a hilarious and unforgettable battle of egos.

Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly are set to collaborate again in an upcoming comedy that tells the true story of a legendary feud between two American Shakespearean actors in the 1800s. The film, titled “The Players,” will depict the rivalry between actors Edwin Forrest and William MacCready that dominated New York’s mid-19th century theater scene. Coogan will play MacCready, while Reilly portrays Forrest.

The movie takes place in 1847 and focuses on the tense relationship between the two main characters. Forrest, played by Reilly, was America’s top Shakespearean star at the time. However, his dominance was challenged with the arrival of Coogan’s character, the sophisticated English actor MacCready. Director Peter Cattaneo, known for the hit comedy “The Full Monty,” will direct the project. The screenplay was written by Jeff Pope, a frequent Coogan collaborator.

Pope’s script promises to deliver an insightful and witty dramatization of...