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Variety & Audible’s Cocktails and Conversations panel at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival brought together journalist Ronan Farrow, Audible’s chief content officer Rachel Ghiazza and actors Juliette Lewis, André Holland and Mamoudou Athie to discuss storytelling for modern audiences. The panel discussion was moderated by Variety Executive Editor Brent Lang.

Farrow, who signed a deal with Audible last year and is the host of its upcoming investigative crime series “Not a Very Good Murderer,” championed long-form storytelling and urged creators not to be deterred by just how long it can take to get the story right.

“It’s an imperiled thing to put resources into stories that can take years and years to tell,” Farrow told his fellow panelists. “But sometimes complicated projects do demand that kind of time and that scale of resources, and it’s not a common thing to find people who believe in and understand both...

Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars are stopping by IMDb’s portrait studio at Acura House of Energy during the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, and we’ve got all the photos!

On Friday and Saturday (January 24 and 25), the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Dave Franco, Olivia Colman, Lili Reinhart, Jesse Williams and Callum Turner stopped by to post for celebrity photographer Mat Hayward with their castmates.

Keep reading to find out more…

Benedict was joined by Grief is a Thing With Feathers director Dylan Southern. Callum attended with Atropia costar Alia Shawkat and director Hailey Gates.

Dave was there with Bubble & Squeak costars Himesh Patel and Sarah Goldberg and director Evan Twohy.

Olivia was with Jimpa costars Eamon Farren, John Lithgow, Daniel Henshall and Aud Mason-Hyde and director Sophie Hyde.

Lili was joined by with Hal & Harper creator Cooper Raiff and costars Alyah Chanelle Scott, Addison Timlin, Havana Rose Liu and Christopher Meyer.

Filmmaker Amanda Kramer melded a number of different art forms in her new feature “By Design,” but her tallest order was turning Juliette Lewis into a chair.

“I think of it as it’s a body swap movie,” Kramer told executive editor Adam Chitwood at TheWrap’s Sundance Studio presented by World of Hyatt, explaining her approach to the film that follows a woman played by Lewis who turns into a chair. “I think of it as the kind of body horror film that is about the terror and wear of desperation rather than the blood and gore of violence. I mean, desperation, I think, is pretty horrifying.”

Fashioned as an epic fable featuring diminutive characters, “By Design” recounts the story of Camille (Juliette Lewis), a woman sustained by friendships with women who use her to talk about themselves. When Camille falls in love with a chair she can’t afford,...

While the Sundance Film Festival mulls a big move for 2027, the 2025 program is under way. The event’s 41st edition kicked off January 23 in Utah, and you can look below for all of Deadline’s reviews from the fest so far.

Sundance founder Robert Redford promised that audiences “can expect a 2025 program that showcases varied and vibrant filmmaking globally.” Running through February 2, the lineup includes more than 85 features and six episodic projects set to screen in Park City, Salt Lake City and online.

Below is a compilation of our reviews from the fest, which last year awarded its U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury prize to Alessandra Lacorazza’s In the Summers. Click on the movie’s title to read our full take.

Bubble & Squeak ‘Bubble & Squeak’

Section: US Dramatic Competition

Director/screenwriter: Evan Twohy

Cast: Himesh Patel, Sarah Goldberg, Steven Yeun, Dave Franco, Matt Berry

Deadline’s takeaway: It...

If you want to know the true meaning of love, find someone that looks at you the way Mamoudou Athie looks at a chair in Amanda Kramer’s surreal, stylish and militantly absurd comedy-drama By Design. Both specific in its intent and mischievously opaque in its execution, this willfully strange art project can switch from flip to serious in the blink of an eye, using a terrific cast to weave a trance-like state of oddness that somehow sustains to the finishing line. In Sundance terms, it fills a slot left open by Miranda July, America’s poet laureate of urban dysfunction, presumed missing in action since 2020’s Kajillionaire.

Like July, Kramer is concerned not so much with human beings as the space between them, opening on three women—Camille (Juliette Lewis), Lisa (Samantha Mathis) and Irene (Robin Tunney)—as they meet for their weekly lunch. Like an adult version of the Heathers of Heathers,...

Twilight star Robert Pattinson has a response for anyone who still wants to tell him that the franchise “ruined the vampire genre.”

In an interview with GQ Spain, the soon-to-be Mickey-17 star shared how he deals with this opinion almost two decades after the first film arrived.

“I love that people keep telling me, ‘Man, ‘Twilight’ ruined the vampire genre,’” Pattinson said in the interview, translated by Variety. “Are you still stuck on that shit? How can you be sad about something that happened almost 20 years ago? It’s crazy.”

Pattinson’s career took off after he portrayed Edward Cullen in the five films based on Stephanie Meyer’s books, starring alongside Kristen Stewart’s love interest and main character Bella Swan. The first film of the franchise arrived in 2008.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Pattinson revealed that he had to explain to an airport employee,...

Amanda Kramer made quite a splash with her last narrative film, Please Baby Please, and her latest movie, By Design, is an even more ambitious swing that landed it a spot in the Next competition at the Sundance Film Festival. By Design will hook viewers with its wacky concept, only to put them off with its dry tone, but its thematic richness will lend itself to intriguing analysis.

By Design Review

By Design tells the story of a woman who envies a chair so much that she endeavors to swap bodies with it. Although it may be billed as a “twist on the body swap genre,” don’t come into By Design expecting something akin to a quirkier version of Freaky Friday. It’s actually something much more intellectual and weird than you’d imagine it to be, even if you are a fan of Kramer’s past work.

For...

In the simple yet sly opening shot of “By Design,” the latest film from writer-director Amanda Kramer, we begin not with a person, but a chair. Punctuated by inane chatter of the more human variety as we gradually fade into the scene, we see a wide assembly of distinct pieces of furniture meticulously arranged. It’s as if we’re glimpsing a painting or cartoon in a magazine, each piece holding their own spotlight. However, the one in the center is not just any chair. It’s a beautiful one, shot with increasing reverence so we can see every detail of its curved construction.

“My goodness, that chair is gorgeous,” we hear via playful, often poetic, narration by Melanie Griffith before we cut to a sad little meal being shared by Camille, played by a fantastic and committed Juliette Lewis, plus her two friends. The voiceover shifts into being biting...

“Who appreciates Camille as much as they do a chair? She’s never been able to just sit there silently and still be loved?”

Those words, spoken by an invisible narrator (Melanie Griffith) at the beginning of “By Design” synthesize the premise of Amanda Kramer’s latest work, a gore-free piece of body horror that seeks to explore female objectification in the most literal possible terms. Using abstract dance and painful silences to illustrate the contrasting experiences of a woman and an inanimate chair who switch bodies, the film unfolds like a thoughtful nightmare told through the distinct gaze that made Kramer’s films like “Please Baby Please” and “Ladyworld” unforgettable. The film often feels as impossible to definitively grasp as the coveted furniture that it follows — but whether that’s a feature or a bug lies in the eye of the beholder.

When we meet Camille (Juliette Lewis), she...

The Sundance Film Festival 2025, beloved by independent film enthusiasts, opens the film festival circuit with thought-provoking panels, and red-carpet premieres. Despite the cancellation of other awards season events, the film festival has decided to proceed as planned in the wake of the devastating fires that have ravaged Los Angeles, causing the destruction of 15,798 structures and resulting in 28 fatalities. The extent to which the recent fires will impact the festival, renowned for its vibrant social scene and bustling calendar of events, remains to be seen.

This year’s lineup boasts diversity across various categories, featuring 57 short films and 87 feature films representing 33 countries and territories. The 2025 program is composed of 36 of 87 (41%) feature film directors who are first-time feature filmmakers. Sundance Institute supported ten of the feature films and projects selected in development through direct granting or residency labs.

Related: Sundance Film Festival 2025: All Of Deadline’s Movie Reviews

Among the buzzworthy titles premiering are Atropia,...

On the eve of Sundance Film Festival (January 23-Februrary 2) many filmmakers and executives had already descended upon Park City for the 2025 edition. As attendees sample the blend of work from established talents and the promise of discoveries, amid the customary mingling and business side of things there will be real stories of heartbreak.

Scroll down for list of acquisition titles

The devastating LA County wildfires are likely to have impacted many from the Los Angeles region who make the journey to the Utah mountains. The writer-director team of Meera Menon and husband Paul Gleason behind Midnight zombie selection Didn’t Die...

Exclusive: Veteran writer-producers John Hoberg and Kat Likkel (Elemental) have signed to write Alloy Entertainment’s animated feature Christmas Forever, based on Penguin/Random House children’s book of the same name by Elysa Koplovitz Dutton.

A first-time author, Koplovitz Dutton is the executive vice president of film at Alloy Entertainment. She’ll produce alongside Alloy’s president and chief creative officer, Leslie Morgenstein, in the company’s first foray into animation.

Christmas Forever takes place on Christmas Eve, watching as a group of ornaments, tired of being stuck in storage all year, devise an escape plan to the North Pole where it will be Christmas forever.

Writing partners Hoberg and Likkel were two of the three scribes on Disney/Pixar’s Elemental, starring Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie, which last year earned nearly $500 million at the worldwide box office, and collected a slew of honors including Oscar, BAFTA 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,...

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...

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,...

Miles Levin’s drama “Under the Lights” received the coveted Polish Film Institute Award at the American Film Festival’s industry event U.S. in Progress, as well as $50,000 cash prize for post-production in Poland.

“It has been an incredibly rewarding and inspiring project to work on. Miles is a force of nature with a clear vision and relentless drive to bring this story to life,” said Natalie Metzger, VP of production and development at Vanishing Angle.

“I’m so honored to have produced it and for it to be part of U.S. in Progress. There’s nothing like this program in America, so we are very grateful it exists. It’s much needed for American indie filmmakers.”

Levin added: “This film has been a 10-year journey and to have the support of U.S. in Progress to help it shine has been very meaningful.”

Miles Levin and Natalie Metzger

In the film,...

Dane DeHaan is very relieved to finally be talking about Wardriver — the script first landed in his inbox a decade ago.

Directed by Rebecca Thomas (Stranger Things) and written by Daniel Casey (F9: The Fast Saga, 10 Cloverfield Lane), Wardriver spotlights the art and culture of wardriving: a microcosm of the hacking industry that involves searching for networks from a moving vehicle. His modern day Robin Hood-esque character, Cole, exploits this highly specialized skill of his to commit high-tech robberies from his laptop.

When criminal Oscar (played Mamoudou Athie) uncovers Cole’s abilities, he forces him to hack the account of the Sarah (Sasha Calle, best known for The Flash), draining nearly a million dollars. Cole discovers that a powerful, mob-connected lawyer (Jeffrey Donovan) has been using Sarah to hide his money. Falling in love with Sarah, DeHaan’s character initiates a plan to replace the stolen money and protect Sarah,...

The Jurassic World Dominion cast brought together the two ensembles of characters from the current trilogy as well as the original. Directed by Colin Trevorrow from a screenplay he co-wrote with Emily Carmichael, Jurassic World Dominion marks the final film in the trilogy and the sixth installment in the Jurassic Park franchise. It wraps up a story that first began in Steven Spielbergs 1993 film and brings back plenty of familiar faces from the original for the Jurassic World 3 cast.

Set four years after Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Jurassic World Dominion explores a world that is shared by humans and dinosaurs alike. Dinosaur black markets have cropped up, poachers hunt the prehistoric creatures, and locusts are destroying harvests around the globe. Meanwhile, the villainous Jurassic Park rival Biosyn returns for more corporate wrongdoing. For the final adventure, Jurassic World Dominion brought back a few characters from Jurassic Park joining the...

Producers and distributors heading to Las Vegas for this year’s American Film Market, which runs Nov. 5-10, are betting big that indie action is primed for a comeback.

The AFM was built on action movies — the leading independent film bazaar launched in 1981 at the start of a decade defined by the cinematic stylings of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Segal, Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme. But in recent markets, with the headline-grabbing success of breakouts like Neon’s Longlegs and Cineverse’s Terrifier 3, action has taken a backseat to horror.

There will be scares-a-plenty at AFM 2024, but many of the market’s buzziest projects sit squarely in the action space. Even a few that don’t star Liam Neeson, Gerard Butler, Jason Statham or Nic Cage. How buyers respond to this new generation of would-be action stars — Daisy Ridley, Amber Midthunder, Alan Ritchson — will determine who...

You’ve still got time to squeeze in some scary shows before Halloween: We recommend these limited series, including AMC’s “The Terror,” and the original “Salem’s Lot” from 1979, that can easily be binged in a weekend or just a day.

The series on our list are all under 10 episodes and available to stream right now, so grab your big bucket of popcorn, get cozy on the couch and spend some time with these vampires, ghosts, witches and some really haunted real estate.

“The Terror” (AMC) The Terror

Based on the real-life doomed arctic expedition of Captain Sir John Franklin (played here by Ciarán Hinds): We see the men aboard two ships, one of which is unwisely named the Hms Terror, struggle as they slowly try to carve a path through the ice. But there’s something (or things) much more sinister plaguing the journey. Jared Harris and Tobias Menzies costar.

Throughout the week, there has been a trickle of news about The Running Man, a Stephen King adaptation from director Edgar Wright. Yesterday, Deadline reported that Josh Brolin had been cast in the project in an unnamed villain role opposite the previously cast Glen Powell and Katy O'Brien. Then, today...

Disney dropped the official trailer for “An Almost Christmas Story,” the animated Yuletide short from director David Lowery (“Mother Mary”) and producer Alfonso Cuarón (“Disclaimer”), premiering November 15 on Disney+. The short is inspired by the true events of a tiny owl rescued from New York City’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020.

The trailer reveals Moon, a curious young owl who unexpectedly finds himself stuck in a tree destined for Rockefeller Plaza. Moon befriends a lost girl named Luna in his attempts to escape the bustling city (including flying chases and dashing through the subway). Together, they embody the spirit of the holiday season and form an unlikely bond as they journey back home to their parents. (A screening and Q&a with Lowery and Cuarón will take place October 20 at the seventh annual Animation Is Film Festival at the Tcl Chinese Theatres in Hollywood).

“An Almost Christmas Story,” which is animated in a lovely,...

Some casting news spread over the past 24 hours, Alana Haim is continuing her progression in cinema and working with choice auteurs climbing aboard the latest by Kelly Reichardt (The Mastermind) and Kristoffer Borgli (The Drama). It’s not that far-fetched to think that she’ll shore up in three major titles in 2025 – namely the new Paul Thomas Anderson film. She joined Josh O’Connor for the set in the 70s portrait by Reichardt, and for Borgli project, she joins Zendaya, Robert Pattinson and the just announced Mamoudou Athie. This third feature for the filmmaker is said to be a romance — a couple, played by Zendaya and Pattinson, who in the days leading up to their wedding, end up in a crisis when unexpected revelations derail what one of them thought they knew of the other.…...

Exclusive: Mamoudou Athie is in final talks to join the ensemble of A24 and Kristoffer Borgli’s The Drama, with Zendaya and Robert Pattinson on board to star. Borgli will direct from a script he wrote. Alana Haim is also in talks to join the cast.

Project details are under wraps, but rumors suggest it’s about a romance that takes an unexpected turn before a couple’s big day.

Ari Aster, Lars Knudsen and Tyler Campellone will produce under their Square Peg banner.

This marks another film collaboration between Square Peg and A24 that previously resulted in Hereditary, Midsommar, Dream Scenario as well as upcoming films Death of a Unicorn starring Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega and Eddington starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal and Emma Stone.

Athie is coming off Yorgos Lanthimos’ most recent drama Kinds of Kindness, which premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and starred Stone,...

A new animated short from Alfonso Cuarón is coming to Disney+ in time for the holidays. The short, An Almost Christmas Story, was inspired by a real life owl. The short is already a star-studded event, with both the cast and crew.

Viewers Can Visit Rockefeller Center Right At Home

In essence, the story will let viewers visit Rockefeller Center for Christmas, no matter where they are. The story revolves around an owl known as “Moon,” who gets attacked by a bird while flying to a city. Injuring his arm, Moon is told by his father to wait in a tree until his return.

However, the tree ends up being the main attraction of Rockerfeller Center. While in New York City, Moon soon befriends a lost girl named Luna. Together, the two join up and find their lost parents. As Moon puts it, they want to get home “for Christmas,...

Occasionally, an incredible sci-fi film comes along, and it is always surprising when a film of such caliber never receives a sequel. Sometimes, it feels as though there are still stories left to tell. In instances like these, a concept introduced by the science fiction world presented in the film is so fun or groundbreaking that a sequel seems like an obvious next step. Yet some of the best science fiction films of all time never received sequels.

Other sci-fi movies have gone on to become big-budget franchises, spawning film after film in order to satisfy fans, or disappoint them when they fizzle out at the end. However, while some movie franchises got too big for their own good, other singular sci-fi films deserve to have sequels made, if only to further explore the interesting concepts they originally brought to life.

Underwater (2020) This Deep-Sea Horror Is A Chilling Monster Movie...

It wouldn’t be the Christmas season without an Alfonso Cuarón-backed holiday short film directed by a prominent director arriving on Disney+. Following Alice Rohrwacher’s Oscar-nominated short Le pupille a few years ago, David Lowery has now helmed An Almost Christmas Story, a 21-minute short he co-wrote with Cuarón and Jack Thorne. Ahead of streaming on Disney+ beginning November 16, the first trailer has arrived for the animated film featuring the voices of John C. Reilly, Alex Ross Perry, Natasha Lyonne, Mamoudou Athie, Jim Gaffigan, and more.

Here’s the synopsis: “Moon, 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.

"We're lost and we just wanna get home!" Disney has revealed the official trailer for a lovely animated short called An Almost Christmas Story, produced by maestro filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron, and directed by acclaimed filmmaker David Lowery for Disney+. The 21-minute film has been playing at film festivals this year, and will be streaming on Disney+ in November this fall. Just in time for it to grab an Oscar nom next year. An Almost Christmas Story is inspired by the true events of a tiny owl rescued from NYC's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020. It's about Moon, a curious young owl who unexpectedly finds himself stuck in a 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. The voices include Cary Christopher as Moon,...

Disney Branded Television has announced that An Almost Christmas Story, directed by David Lowery and produced by five-time Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuarón, will premiere on November 15 on Disney+.

An Almost Christmas Story is the third and final installment in Cuarón’s holiday shorts collection for Disney+. His first short, Le Pupille, earned an Oscar nomination in 2022, and last year’s The Shepherd was shortlisted, both in the Live Action Short Film category.

An Almost Christmas Story is inspired by the true events of a tiny owl rescued from New York City’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020. The trailer reveals Moon, 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...

Though a controversial performer, Tj Millers best movies and TV shows showcase his impressive career over the years. The American performer has worked as a writer and stand-up comedian, but most people likely recognize him from his various on-screen roles, appearing in many high-profile projects in which his talents allow him to often steal scenes from big stars, such as Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Aniston, and Paul Rudd. While he has stayed busy over the years, there are a number of movies and shows from Miller's career that stand out.

Miller has been hilarious on a number of projects, fitting into the comedic vibes of movies and shows with his fast wit and improvisational skills. However, he has also taken on supporting roles in more serious projects, ranging from sci-fi horror movies to action adventures to blockbusters from legendary directors. No matter the size of the role, Miller is always...

For a young actor, Cary Christopher — who plays Thomas Dimera on Days of Our Lives — has a versatile range. With several upcoming projects, including the Spider-Noir TV series with Nicholas Cage, his resume is building fast. One of his undertakings was finally released, and Christopher excitedly shared news of its premiere.

He Plays an Owl

Christopher appears in the new film An Almost Christmas Story, the third in a series of holiday shorts produced by Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón. The short is also produced, written, and directed by David Lowery, who made 2021’s The Green Knight. It’s based on the true story of an owl that was found in the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020 in New York City and named Rocky after the center.

According to Deadline, the plot is about a young owl named Moon (Christopher) who “Unexpectedly finds himself stuck in a Christmas tree destined for Rockefeller Plaza.

U.K.-French film company Alief has boarded supernatural drama “Horizonte” by Colombia’s César Augusto Acevedo, winner of the 2015 Cannes Camera d’ Or for his debut feature “Land and Shade” (“La tierra y la sombra”). “Horizonte” is Acevedo’s sophomore feature, which had its world premiere at the 49th Toronto Film Festival in early September.

“We have been fans of Cesar Augusto since his first film, ‘Land and Shade,’” said Alief’s Miguel Angel Govea who described “Horizonte” as a “solid story of regret and redemption.”

“We were drawn by Acevedo’s lyrical screenplay, mesmerizing visuals and the standout performances by Chile’s grande dame, Paulina Garcia (Sebastian Lelio’s ‘Gloria’) and Colombian leading man Claudio Cataño, who stars in Netflix’s upcoming ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude,’” said Govea who said that Alief first eyed the drama at the 2024 Toulouse Cinélatino Films in Progress 43 where it won the...

Kinds of Kindness arrives on streaming next month, bringing the absurdist black comedy to a much wider audience. Described by director Yorgos Lanthimos as a triptych fable, the film tells three short stories, all utilizing the same cast members in different roles. The Kinds of Kindness ensemble includes Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, and Mamoudou Athie.

The films three sections are entitled The Death of R.M.F., R.M.F. is Flying, and R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich, all of which tell tales with the themes of control and longing. Mamoudou Athie, known for roles in films like Jurassic World Dominion and Uncorked, appears in all three, though his largest role is in the second, in which he plays a man named Neil opposite Jesse Plemons, who plays his best friend and partner in the police force. The movie will be released to home audiences in the second week of October,...

Kinds of Kindness becomes a streaming success after disappointing at the box office. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, who co-wrote the script with his frequent collaborator Efthimis Filippou, the 2024 film follows three separate but loosely interconnected stories involving a man whose boss controls every aspect of his life, a police officer whose wife was missing at sea and has returned a different person, and a woman determined to find someone destined to become a prodigious spiritual leader. The Kinds of Kindness cast includes Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, and Mamoudou Athie all playing multiple roles.

Hunter Schafer also makes a cameo appearance.

Now, after disappointing at the box office, Emma Stone's divisive black comedy has become a streaming success on Hulu. For the week of August 29 to September 4, Kinds of Kindness ranked third on Reelgood's Top 10 Movies and seventh on their overall streaming chart. In terms of movies,...

Studio Ghibli’s film The Boy and The Heron is available to rent and buy on digital from 16th September; on 4K Uhd, Blu-ray, and DVD from 23rd September; and with a limited edition Steelbook available from 7th October. To celebrate we are giving away a 4K Uhd set with some very cute merch including: Stackable Warawa figurines, Roly poly Heron + Warawara and Theatrical Quad to one lucky winner!

The critically-acclaimed film was the first new work from Hayao Miyazaki in ten years, following his 2013 feature, The Wind Rises, and was a decade in the making. The beautiful, hand-drawn, original story was written and directed by Miyazaki. Produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, the film features a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi. The theme song for the film “Spinning Globe” was written and performed by global J-pop superstar Kenshi Yonezu.

The English language dubbed version...

Is it possible that network television is so back? That's the immediate reaction to hearing CBS bought a new workplace comedy pilot starring Tim Meadows. Per Deadline, the sitcom is called Dmv, and Meadows "will play former high school English teacher Gregg, the examiner who likes to get through the driving tests,...

Alfonso Cuarón (“Disclaimer”) wraps up his Disney+ Yuletide trilogy of shorts as producer of the animated “An Almost Christmas Story,” coming to the streamer in the fall. Directed by David Lowery (“Mother Mary”), it concerns a young owl named Moon, stuck in a Christmas tree destined for Rockefeller Plaza, who escapes with the help of Luna, a lost young girl.

The short is actually inspired by the true events of a tiny owl, Rocky (short for Rockefeller), found and rescued from the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020. “An Almost Christmas Story” is produced by Disney Branded Television and Cuarón’s Esperanto Filmoj, in association with Titmouse and Maere Studios, and with animation services by 88 Pictures,

The creative team includes Lowery, Cuarón (producer and story), Gabriela Rodríguez (producer), Jack Thorne (story and screenplay), Nicholas Ashe Bateman (creative designer), and Daniel Hart (composer).

The voice cast includes Cary Christopher as Moon,...

Disney Branded Television has announced An Almost Christmas Story, a new animated short film for Disney+ directed by David Lowery and produced by five-time Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuarón. The short film will premiere this fall.

An Almost Christmas Story follows Moon, 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 young 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. An Almost Christmas Story is inspired by the true events of a tiny owl, Rocky – short for Rockefeller, found and rescued from the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020.

The voice cast includes Cary Christopher as Moon, newcomer Estella Madrigal as Luna, Jim Gaffigan as Papa Owl, Mamoudou Athie as Pelly,...

Exclusive: An Almost Christmas Story, the third and final installment in Alfonso Cuarón’s holiday shorts collection, is set for premiere this fall on Disney+.

Written and directed by David Lowery and produced by Cuarón, the animated short film is inspired by the true events of a tiny owl, Rocky – short for Rockefeller, found and rescued from the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020.

An Almost Christmas Story follows Moon, 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 young 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.

The voice cast includes Cary Christopher as “Moon,” newcomer Estella Madrigal as “Luna,” Jim Gaffigan as “Papa Owl,” Mamoudou Athie as “Pelly,...

Juliette Lewis and Mamoudou Athie will lead the cast of the body swap film 'By Design'.The pair are on board to play the central roles in the indie flick that has been written and directed by Amanda Kramer.Other cast members in the movie – which has wrapped production in Los Angeles – including Samantha Mathis, Robin Tunney, Clifton Collins Jr., Udo Kier and Betty Buckley.Plot details haven't been disclosed but the picture is described as a twist on the body swap genre.Miranda Bailey and Natalie Whalen are producing for Cold Iron Pictures along with Sarah Winshall, Jacob Agger and Kramer.Juliette began her film career in the late 1980s and feels lucky to have worked together with some of the most talented figures in the industry.The 51-year-old star told Entertainment Tonight: "I really got fortunate early on. And I didn't know this at the time because people...

Exclusive: Juliette Lewis (Yellowjackets) and Mamoudou Athie (Kinds of Kindness) lead the cast of By Design, a new indie feature written and directed by Amanda Kramer (Please Baby Please), which has wrapped production in Los Angeles.

Others in the cast include Samantha Mathis (The Exorcism), Robin Tunney (Dear Edward), Clifton Collins Jr. (Jockey), Udo Kier (Swan Song) and Betty Buckley (Eternity).

While plot details are being kept under wraps, the film has been described as a twist on the body swap genre.

Miranda Bailey and Natalie Whalen from Cold Iron Pictures produced alongside Sarah Winshall of Smudge Films (I Saw the TV Glow), Jacob Agger, and Amanda Kramer. Lauren Mann, Jason Beck, Madison McKinley, James Belfer, Karen Belfer, and Riccardo Maddalosso served as executive producers.

An Oscar nominee currently starring in Showtime’s hit drama Yellowjackets, which is heading into its third season,...

Sasha Calle, Mamoudou Athie and Jeffrey Donovan join Dane DeHaan in crime thriller “Wardriver,” directed by Rebecca Thomas and written by Daniel. The film is produced by Tim and Trevor White’s Star Thrower Entertainment alongside David M. Wulf, Daniel Casey, DeHaan and Highland Film Group, which is repping international at TIFF. CAA Media Finance has domestic.

Production recently wrapped in Utah.

In the film, tech-savvy thief Cole (DeHaan) exploits his highly specialized skills to commit high-tech robberies from his laptop. When criminal Oscar (Athie) uncovers Cole’s abilities, he forces him to hack the account of the beautiful Sarah (Calle), draining nearly a million dollars. But Cole soon discovers that a powerful, mob-connected lawyer (Donovan) has been using Sarah to hide his money. As Cole falls hard for Sarah, he initiates a plan to replace the stolen money, while protecting her. Ignoring warning signs that something greater is at play,...

The most expensive animated movies of all time are all from the 2010s or later, suggesting that inflation is at least part of rising costs. However, some of the iconic animated movies that changed animation forever required a larger budget to account for the new technologies the movie's team pioneered. Still, it would appear that most animators have a ceiling when it comes to their budget, even when their movies are regularly successful.

Pixar accounts for most of the most expensive animated movies, but never spends more than $200 million. The best Pixar movies are proof enough that the studio knows what it is doing, and has reason enough to be confident in spending the extra money or sticking to a budget. However, when working with the material of two of the best Disney movies of all time, executives decided to dish out even more money to make sure the movie was made correctly.

On September 1, The Brutalist premiered at the Venice International Film Festival. The “wildly ambitious” epic historical drama received a 13-minute standing ovation, with critics calling it a “masterpiece” and the “next Godfather.” The most exciting part of the film for some? Taylor Swift’s ex-boyfriend stars in it. In Joe Alwyn’s most acclaimed role to date, The Brutalist confirms that the 33-year-old is truly a star on the rise.

‘The Brutalist’ actor Joe Alwyn at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival | Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

The Brutalist follows László Tóth (Adrien Brody) for 30 years of his life, including his emigration to the U.S. after World War II and career as an architect, reports the Independent. Although a work of fiction, director Brady Corbet exhaustively researched the post-wwii worlds of Europe and the U.S. and what it would’ve been like for a Hungarian-born Jewish architect like László.

The...

Yorgos Lanthimos isnt a director known for adding post-credits scenes to his works, but Kinds of Kindness has one, and it was necessary. Following the success of Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos moved on with Kinds of Kindness, which was completely different from Poor Things. Kinds of Kindness is an absurdist anthology movie composed of three segments starring the same cast in different roles: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie, Margaret Qualley, and Hong Chau. The segments arent connected, but they have one character in common: Rmf (Yorgos Stefanakos).

First is The Death of Rmf, which follows Robert (Plemons), a man whose boss controls every aspect of his life and tasks him with killing Rmf. Next is Rmf Is Flying, the story of Daniel (Plemons), whose wife, Liz (Stone), is rescued after going missing at sea, but he suspects shes not his real wife. The final segment is Rmf Eats a Sandwich,...

“Kinds of Kindness” is a movie directed by Yorgos Lanthimos starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons and Willem Dafoe. With Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau and Mamoudou Athie.

The ever-ingenious Yorgos Lanthimos returns to the cinematic arena, accompanied by his muses, actress Emma Stone and actor Willem Dafoe, to once again defy the norms, provoke the audience, and present us with a feast for the senses on both aesthetic and narrative fronts.

This film is constructed like a disassembled jigsaw puzzle, leaving it to the audience to piece together the chaotic fragments of characters from a collective psyche that seems to lack self-awareness. “Kinds of Kindness” is not an easy watch and certainly isn’t tailored for everyone. It demands viewers to abandon conventional narrative expectations and embrace the notion that the natural coherence of cinema can be entirely inverted and turned on its head.

Seemingly without rhyme or reason, the film aims to engage the viewer,...

Filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos reunites with his “Poor Things” cast, including Oscar winner Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Willem Dafoe for his latest surreal adventure, “Kinds of Kindness.” Described as an absurdist “triptych fable,” Lanthimos’ ninth feature centers on three distinct but interconnected stories: a man trying to break free from his predetermined path, a cop questioning his wife’s strange demeanor, and a woman on the search for an extraordinary individual. “Kinds of Kindness” premieres on Friday, Aug. 30 and you can watch with a 30-Day Free Trial of Hulu.

How to Watch “Kinds of Kindness” When: Friday, Aug. 30, 2024 Where: Hulu Stream: Watch with a 30-Day Free Trial of Hulu. 30-Day Free Trial $7.99+ / month hulu.com About “Kinds of Kindness”

“Kinds of Kindness” is the latest feature film from director and writer Yorgos Lanthimos, co-written with regular collaborator Efthimis Filippou. Described as “a triptych fable,” the absurdist anthology includes three loosely...

Emma Stone didnt take any breaks after her second Oscar, and her follow-up project, Kinds of Kindness, is now streaming and she plays three different characters in it. Emma Stones acting career began on TV in the early 2000s, and she made her big screen debut in the 2007 comedy Superbad. Stone built a career in comedy with movies like The House Bunny and Zombieland, and her big break arrived in 2010 with the comedy Easy A. Stone continued playing comedic roles after that, and her first drama role arrived in 2011 with The Help.

Since then, Stone has mixed her comedy roles with performances in projects from other genres, such as superheroes with both The Amazing Spider-Man movies, action with Gangster Squad, and musicals with La La Land. The latter gave Stone her first Academy Award for Best Actress, and in 2024, she won her second Oscar in the same category for Poor Things,...