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U.S. director Matty Brown’s allegorical drama “The Sand Castle,” which sees Lebanese multi-hyphenate Nadine Labaki reunite on screen with young “Capernaum” siblings Zain and Reman Al Rafeea – who are both Syrian refugees – will be released globally on Jan. 24 by Netflix at a critical time in the Middle East.

With Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks currently underway and uncertainties still looming for Syrian refugees after the fall of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad, the fable-like film, which is told from the perspective of children, “has many interesting parallels with what’s happening not only on Syria but also in Palestine,” says New York-based producer Mandy Ward. Ward is part of the “Sand Castle” production team alongside Houston King and Dubai-based Gianluca Chakra’s Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Mario Jr. Haddad’s Empire Entertainment.

“I think that this film was always told from a place of people who felt like they didn’t belong somewhere,...

Worldwide box office January 10-12 RankFilm (distributor)3-day (world)Cume (world)3-day (int’l)Cume (int’l)Territories 1. Mufasa: The Lion King(Disney) $41.1m $539.7m $27.9m $350.9m 53 2. Sonic The Hedgehog 3(Paramount) $31.3m $384.8m $20.3m $180.3m 63 3. Nosferatu(Universal) $20.5m $135.8m $13.7m $54m 64 4. Den of Thieves 2: Pantera(various) $19.7m $19.8m $4.2m $4.3m 35 5. Moana 2(Disney) $17.6m $989.8m $11.1m $554.9m 53 6. Wicked(Universal) $10.6m $697.6m $5.6m $238.7m 82 7. Octopus With Broken Arms(various) $10.3m $93.8m $10.3m $93.8m 6 8. Big World(various) $6.1m $90m $6.1m $90m 1 9. Babygirl(various) $6m $28.1m $2.9 $6.3m 22 10. Honey Money Phony(various) $5.6m $39.9m $5.6m $39.7m 4

Credit: Comscore. All figures are estimates.

Beirut’s beloved Metropolis Cinema – championed by Lebanese filmmakers as an indie cinema beacon amid bombings, despair and dysfunction – came back to life on Saturday with the inauguration of a new venue in a highly symbolic opening graced by messages of support from Nadine Labaki and Cate Blanchett.

The inauguration came amid Israel’s ceasefire with Hezbollah following months air strikes and artillery attacks. The new Metropolis Cinema location is located in Beirut’s Mar Mikhael district right across from where the tragic Beirut port blast occurred on Aug. 4, 2020 — one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded — in which more than 200 people died.

After the previous venue was shuttered four years ago, the new state-of-the-art Metropolis complex –featuring two indoor screens, an outdoor cinema, and a garden area with a café – opened Saturday with a gala cine-concert featuring a montage of of vintage shorts from Arab archives accompanied by live...

Actress/pop singer Sabrina Carpenter poses for the new Versace “Medusa Biggie” eyewear campaign, photographed by Rosie Marks:

Carpenter made her acting debut with an appearance in the TV crime series "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit". followed by a recurring role on the series "The Goodwin Games”.

She then starred in the Disney Channel comedy series "Girl Meets World" (2014–2017). In 2016, Carpenter appeared in the TV movie, "Adventures in Babysitting".

Carpenter also co-starred in the features "Horns" (2013), "The Hate U Give" (2018), "The Short History of the Long Road" (2019), "Clouds" (2020), and "Emergency" (2022).

She also starred in the Netflix features "Tall Girl" (2019), its sequel "Tall Girl 2" and "Work It" (2020).

In 2014, her debut music single "Can't Blame a Girl for Trying" and EP of the same name were released.

She released her debut album, "Eyes Wide Open" in 2015, plus three additional studio albums, "Evolution" (2016), "Singular: Act I" (2018) and "Singular: Act...

Why Was Drake Named In XXXTentacion’s 2018 Murder? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Rapper XXXTentacion tragically lost his life at the tender age of 20 on June 18, 2018. He was fatally shot outside a motorcycle dealership in Deerfield Beach, Florida.

Now, more than six years after his passing, Dedrick Williams, one of the three men convicted for his killing, filed an appeal, claiming the late artist’s beef with Drake could suggest an alternative suspect.

Reason Behind Drake Being Named In XXXTentacion Murder Case

Williams’ defense attorney, Mauricio Padilla, discussed the appeal in an interview with Law&Crime Network on November 30.

Trending Wicked: Was Ariana Grande Paid 15 Times More Than Cynthia Erivo?

Joe Rogan Speaks on Conspiracy Theory Surrounding Jamie Foxx’s Unexplained Illness Linked to Sean Diddy Combs

During the discussion, Padilla pointed out an Instagram post by XXXTentacion shortly before his death. In the post, the rapper allegedly stated that if he were killed,...

Donald Trump will become the 47th president of the United States after the November 2024 election. Before Trump entered the political sphere, he had ties to the celebrity world. And he once attended Sean “Diddy” Combs’ parties. So, could Trump’s upcoming presidency impact Combs’ time in prison following his September 2024 arrest? Here’s what a prison consultant explained.

A prison consultant explained whether Donald Trump’s upcoming presidency will impact Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

Federal agents arrested Sean “Diddy” Combs in September 2024. The hip-hop mogul pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He currently resides at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, while he awaits his trial in May 2025.

Donald Trump has a connection to Combs. Combs invited Trump to his parties in the late ’90s. So, could Trump’s next term as president impact Combs’ time behind bars?

According to Sam Mangel,...

A new stage adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is in development, with Pulitzer Prize winner Martyna Majok attached as the playwright.

Glass Half Full Productions (Potus, Betrayal) and Aaron Glick (Kimberly Akimbo, What the Constitution Means to Me) are producing the adaptation, which is in early stages of development and aiming for Broadway. Majok comes to the project after winning the 2018 Pulitzer prize for drama for her Broadway play, Cost of Living.

In addition to writing Sanctuary City, Queens, and Ironbound, Majok wrote the libretto for the new musical Gatsby: An American Myth, with music by Florence Welch and Thomas Bartlett, which premiered last summer at the American Repertory Theater.

“The relevancy of mind domination and the end of the world in our current age needs no words; what struck me most in Fahrenheit 451 was its lens on our loneliness. How our yearning for connection and...

A Work Of Art: "Ice Nine Kills have today unleashed new single, “A Work of Art”, the official track for the highly anticipated slasher sequel, Terrifier 3, which hits theaters nationwide today. Along with the single, the band has dropped a brand new, blood-soaked,14-minute extended-cut of the accompanying music video, the original version of which debuted in over 300 theaters nationwide during exclusive, one-night-only, back to back screenings of Terrifier 2 and Terrifier 3 last night at select AMC and Marcus theaters. Fans can stream the track Here and watch the full 14-minute extended cut video Here, featuring an extra 7 minutes of never-seen before footage.

The music video, a cinematic spectacle in its own right, is directed by longtime collaborator Jensen Noen, and stars stars David Howard Thornton (Terrifier’s infamous Art the Clown), Catherine Corcoran (Terrifier), Leah Voysey (Terrifier 2), Sirius Xm’s Jose Mangin and Vincent Rockwell, Richard Christy (Drummer for Death,...

Writer-director Cord Jefferson won Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2024 Oscars for turning Percival Everett‘s novel “Erasure” into the critically acclaimed film “American Fiction.” That marked the fourth time in a decade that a film based on a novel won this award. The others: “Women Talking” (Sarah Polley), “Jojo Rabbit” (Taika Waititi), and “Call Me By Your Name” (James Ivory). This is the most common form of adaptation to win. Indeed this award, which dates back to the first Oscars in 1928, has gone to the adapters of 48 novels over the year. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2025 Oscar predictions for Best Adapted Screenplay.)

Peter Straughan reaped an Oscar bid in 2012 for his adaptation of John le Carre‘s spy tale “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.” His screen version of Robert Harris‘ taut thriller about Vatican intrigue should bring him back to the Oscars.

“Sing Sing” was written by director Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley.

Even though we have all known that Spider-Man 4 has been happening for years now, its existence was finally confirmed recently when it was announced that Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton would direct the film. He takes over the reins from Jon Watts, who brought the first three Spider-Man movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to life, as Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures are reportedly eager to launch a new trilogy.

There has been a lot of talk about the film, which will feature the returns of Tom Holland and Zendaya as Peter Parker and Mj Watson, as reports have claimed that it will be another multiversal movie. If that's the case, it would be taking its cues from predecessor Spider-Man: No Way Home, which played an important role in the McU's Multiverse Saga (and brought back Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's...

David Gordon Greens 2018 reboot of the Halloween franchise which kickstarted Michael Myers most polarizing run in the series is now available to stream on Netflix. 2018s Halloween takes place 40 years after John Carpenters groundbreaking 1978 original and ignores every other sequel that came in between. It catches up with a post-traumatic Laurie Strode, whos now a mother and grandmother and has been nervously awaiting Michaels return for four decades. While being transferred to a maximum-security prison, Michael escapes and heads back to Haddonfield for another gruesome killing spree on Halloween night.

When it arrived in theaters in 2018, the Halloween reboot was praised as the best Halloween movie since Carpenters original. Jamie Lee Curtis performance was widely acclaimed and Greens direction of the tone and atmosphere was similarly lauded. Plus, it became a massive box-office success. But looking back on it now, 2018s Halloween is best remembered as the beginning of the...

Ellen DeGeneres is bidding farewell to comedy — but not before one final moment on stage. DeGeneres’s very last act, the stand-up special Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approvalwhich premiered globally on Netflix on Sept. 24, closes another chapter in her long career of making us laugh. The curtain is closing, it’s time to clear the room — or in Ellen’s case, dance down the stairs. “Some of you may be thinking, why is she doing this? Does she owe back taxes?” she quips in the first five minutes.

But before this comedy legend heads out, she has summoned her inimitable stand-up talent — which had taken a back seat in recent years — to laugh at, well, all of it: being “kicked out of show business,” what kind of boss she is, and what it’s like to own chickens,...

Ayyyyyyy, look who reunited at this year’s Emmys!

Happy Days alumni Henry Winkler and Ron Howard took the stage during the awards ceremony Sunday, giving fans of the ABC sitcom a glimpse of the former Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli and Richie Cunningham together again.

More from TVLineEmmys: <em>Shōgun</em>, <em>The Bear</em> and <em>Baby Reindeer</em> Win Big — <em>Hacks</em> Named Best ComedyEmmys 2024: The 11 Best, Worst and Weirdest MomentsEmmys Ratings Hit a 3-Year High, Up 54% From January Telecast

In celebration of Happy Days‘ 50th anniversary, Winkler and Howard greeted each other on a recreation of one of the show’s best-recognized sets: Arnold’s Drive-In,...

AMC Networks today announced that Nicholas Denton has been cast as the lead of the third series in its expanding Anne Rice Immortal Universe, a drama focused on a secretive society called The Talamasca.

Anne Rice’s The Talamasca (working title) is slated for a 2025 premiere on AMC and AMC+, with production beginning next month in Manchester, England. The six-episode season will focus on the men and women responsible for tracking and containing the witches, vampires, and other creatures scattered around the globe.

Nicholas Denton in Starz’s Dangerous Liaisons

Nicholas Denton will star as Guy Anatole. He is brilliant, handsome and sharp on the surface, but he’s always known his mind works a little differently. On the cusp of graduating from law school, he is approached by a representative of the Talamasca, a secretive agency that monitors and protects us from the supernatural world.

When Guy learns that...

“I have to tell you, it has been an experience,” says Maya Rudolph upon being asked about the mounting calls from the public, since Joe Biden’s July 21 announcement that he will not be seeking reelection, for her to reprise her Saturday Night Live impersonation of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, who she previously portrayed on the show in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Speaking exclusively to The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast in front of an audience at the San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood, Rudolph, who is currently nominated for four Emmys — best comedy guest actress and best original music/lyrics for NBC’s SNL, best comedy actress for Apple TV+’s Loot and best character voiceover for Netflix’s Big Mouth — continued: “My phone has not stopped. It’s like if I had 50 grandmas and they were sending me articles like, ‘This is the thing I saw you were in!

Since 2015, Prime Video has won 55 Primetime Emmys across 37 distinct categories. This includes four 2024 triumphs credited to “Fallout,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” and the former’s interactive add-on, “Vault 33.” Scroll through our photo gallery showcasing all 15 Emmy-winning Prime Video original programs.

With 22 victories over five seasons, 2018 Best Comedy Series honoree “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (which concluded in 2023) stands as Prime Video’s biggest winner by far. In second and third place are 2010s comedies “Transparent” and “Fleabag,” the latter of which achieved its genre’s top honor in 2019.

This gallery is presented in descending chronological order and notes each show’s unsuccessful nominations, if any.

Actress/singer Sabrina Carpenter poses for the new Summer 2024 issue of “Rolling Stone” magazine, photographed by Thea Traff:

Carpenter made her acting debut with an appearance in the television crime show "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit". followed by a recurring role on the series "The Goodwin Games".

She then starred in the Disney Channel comedy series "Girl Meets World" (2014–2017).

In 2016, Carpenter appeared in the TV movie, "Adventures in Babysitting".

Carpenter also co-starred in the features "Horns" (2013), "The Hate U Give" (2018), "The Short History of the Long Road" (2019), "Clouds" (2020), and "Emergency" (2022).

She also starred in the Netflix features "Tall Girl" (2019), its sequel "Tall Girl 2" and "Work It" (2020).

In 2014, her debut music single "Can't Blame a Girl for Trying" and EP of the same name were released. She released a debut album, "Eyes Wide Open" in 2015, plus three additional studio albums, "Evolution" (2016), "Singular: Act I" (2018) and "Singular: Act II...

Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out 2 grossed $29.1M stateside yesterday, repping a Tuesday record for an animated movie. That beats the first Tuesday gross of 2018’s Incredibles 2 at $27M.

The haul flies the Kelsey Mann-directed movie past the double century point at the domestic B.O. in its fifth day with $205.7M, making it the second-highest-grossing movie of 2024 Ytd behind Dune: Part Two‘s $282.1M. Worldwide was $46M yesterday taking the global cume for Inside Out 2 to $380M.

Stateside, Inside Out 2‘s box office reps the sixth-highest-grossing non-opening Tuesday of all time behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home, 2019’s The Lion King (2019) and The Force Awakens‘ second Tuesday. Overall, it’s the eighth-highest-grossing Tuesday overall.

As we told you yesterday, the second weekend of Inside Out 2 will make just under $70M. Rival distribution sources believe the Pixar movie...

2018’s God of War is often cited as one of the best God of War games of all time. Thanks to the dynamic between Kratos and Atreus, the game’s story became much more engaging and memorable. Initially, Santa Monica Studio planned to take the story in a completely different direction by removing Kratos, a decision that might have killed the franchise.

2018’s God of War (via Santa Monica Studio)

Cory Barlog, the creative director at Santa Monica Studio, once explained how there were discussions at the studio about Kratos’ iteration in the game. As per Barlog, many suggested that by keeping Kartos, they would be making just “another God of War.” This period was quite stressful for Barlog as he wasn’t able to hand out much information to convince everyone what he was working on.

Santa Monica Studio almost removed Kratos from the God of War franchise...

Boston Ma, USA—Wgbh Boston — in partnership with public media leader Prx and podcast producer Gen-z Media — announced the launch date of the Molly Of Denali podcast, a new action-packed adventure for kids rooted in Native storytelling. The podcast will debut on Thursday, May 30 ahead of the premiere of the PBS Kids series Molly Of Denali on July 15. An audio trailer for the podcast is available now.

At the center of the Molly Of Denali podcast is Alaska Native Molly Mabray, whose 10th birthday is quickly approaching. Molly lives in rural Qyah, a fictional Alaskan town where she helps her mom, Lyla (a bush pilot) and her dad, Walter (a wilderness guide), run the Denali Trading Post. In the podcast, listeners will hear the rollicking story of how Suki charged into Molly’s life and became a part of her family, which all started when Molly’s birthday cake went missing.

Actress/singer Sabrina Carpenter aka 'Harper Kreyman' in the feature "Tall Girl", poses for "Marie Claire" (Mexico) magazine:

Carpenter made her acting debut with an appearance in the television crime show "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit". followed by a recurring role on the series "The Goodwin Games".

She then starred in the Disney Channel comedy series "Girl Meets World" (2014–2017).

In 2016, Carpenter appeared in the TV movie, "Adventures in Babysitting".

Carpenter also co-starred in the features "Horns" (2013), "The Hate U Give" (2018), "The Short History of the Long Road" (2019), "Clouds" (2020), and "Emergency" (2022).

She also starred in the Netflix features "Tall Girl" (2019), its sequel "Tall Girl 2" and "Work It" (2020).

In 2014, her debut music single "Can't Blame a Girl for Trying" and EP of the same name were released.

She released a debut album, "Eyes Wide Open" in 2015, plus three additional studio albums, "Evolution" (2016), "Singular: Act I" (2018) and "Singular: Act II...

Reality star Kim Kardashian joined Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House on Thursday for a roundtable discussion focused on the pardons issued by President Joe Biden. This marks another step in Kardashian’s involvement in national criminal justice policy.

The conversation took place a day after Biden granted pardons to 11 individuals and commuted the sentences of five others who had been convicted of non-violent drug offenses.

Among the participants in the forum were Jason Hernandez, Bobby Darrell Lowery, Jesse Mosley and Beverly Holcy—individuals who had received pardons the previous day. They shared their experiences within the justice system and highlighted the positive endeavors they pursued in their communities after their release, such as starting businesses or non-profit organizations.

At the event, Harris stated, “I’m a big believer in the power of redemption. Is it not the sign of a civil society that we allow people a...

Actress/singer Sabrina Carpenter aka 'Harper Kreyman' in the feature "Tall Girl", poses for the Skims Intimates Spring 2024 campaign:

Carpenter made her acting debut with an appearance in the television crime show "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit". followed by a recurring role on the series "The Goodwin Games".

She then starred in the Disney Channel comedy series "Girl Meets World" (2014–2017).

In 2016, Carpenter appeared in the TV movie, "Adventures in Babysitting".

Carpenter also co-starred in the features "Horns" (2013), "The Hate U Give" (2018), "The Short History of the Long Road" (2019), "Clouds" (2020), and "Emergency" (2022).

She also starred in the Netflix features "Tall Girl" (2019), its sequel "Tall Girl 2" and "Work It" (2020).

In 2014, her debut music single "Can't Blame a Girl for Trying" and EP of the same name were released.

She released a debut album, "Eyes Wide Open" in 2015, plus three additional studio albums, "Evolution" (2016), "Singular: Act I" (2018) and "Singular: Act...

Josh O’Connor plays a troubled archaeologist obsessed with his dead girlfriend in “La Chimera,” the adventurous and ruggedly beautiful new Italian film from Alice Rohrwacher finally out this Friday from Neon.

In the haunted and haunting 2023 Cannes premiere, O’Connor’s mopey, recently-freed-from-jail Arthur joins with a band of tombaroli, or gravediggers, to excavate ancient treasures that may include an Etruscan statue that Arthur feels homages his former partner. The statue is too beautiful for human eyes, as Arthur says. O’Connor, the daffy and floppy-eared British actor beloved for his roles in films like the new queer classic “God’s Own Country” and already for Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming “Challengers,” went Method to play the part of an outsider adrift in the Italian countryside. Not only did he learn Italian — the actor speaks near-fluently in scenes that ask he do so — but O’Connor also spent his nights between shooting...

Manjummel Boys Crosses 2018 At The Worldwide Box Office ( Photo Credit – Instagram; IMDb )

The task has been finally accomplished! Yes, Manjummel Boys, after spending three weeks and two days in theatres, has managed to cross the lifetime collection of Tovino Thomas’ 2018 and become the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time at the worldwide box office. Now, the film is aiming to touch a new milestone. Keep reading to know more!

Directed by Chidambaram, the survival thriller was released on 22nd February, and it received highly positive reviews upon its arrival. Considering the positivity all around, the film was supposed to be good at ticket windows, but no one expected it to be a record-smashing all-time blockbuster. Both in India and in overseas, it’s a mega success.

Manjummel Boys at the worldwide box office

On day 23rd, Manjummel Boys made a rocking entry into the 100 crore (net) club at the...

ABC is piloting a new comedy starring and exec produced by Ty Burrell.

Deadline revealed that the multicamera project Forgive & Forget was in the works a year ago and the project, which comes from Punky Brewster duo Eugene Garcia-Cross and Robin Shorr, is now moving forward.

It is the latest pilot order for the Disney-owned network; Deadline revealed that Tim Allen was returning to ABC for a family comedy from Duncanville co-creators Mike Scully and Julie Thacker Sully. That marked the first pilot order of the season for ABC, which has instead been focusing on year-round development.

The show, which comes from 20th Television, follows perennial life of the party Hank (Burrell). After an unexpected diagnosis, Hank reconnects with his responsible adult son Ben in hopes of making new memories together.

Garcia-Cross will write with Shorr as showrunner. They will exec produce alongside Burrell via his Desert Whale Productions banner.

Kaouther Ben Hania will make history for her native Tunisia on Sunday with its first Academy Award if her hotly tipped nominated work Four Daughters triumphs in the Best Documentary category on Sunday.

The director belongs to a generation of Tunisian filmmakers who emerged in the wake of their country’s so-called Jasmine Revolution, which ousted dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in early 2011.

Habib Attia, who is one of the original producers on Four Daughters, has been an integral part of this movement too.

The Tunis-based producer has cinema in his blood as the son of late producer Ahmed Bahaeddine Attia, whose credits included Moufida Tlatli’s 1994 breakout The Silences of the Palace, starring Tunisian-Egyptian star Hend Sabry in her first major big screen role.

On finishing his high school studies, Attia headed to his mother’s native Italy to study engineering in Milan, rather than immediately following in his father’s footsteps.

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys

2024 Oscars Predictions:

Best International Feature Wim Wenders’ ‘Perfect Days’

Weekly Commentary: The United Kingdom is poised to win its first Academy Award with Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” and what a deserved win it will be.

But while I have the floor: it’s time for the...

Ivan Decker’s new comedy special, Popcorn, is out exclusively on 800 Pound Gorilla Media.

Popcorn is a culmination and celebration of everything that has happened in Decker’s life since his last special on Netflix — including stealing a baby from Whole Foods and attempting to raise it as his own.

Known for his unique observational edge, Decker shares his very personal experiences about being married and a first-time father while trying to balance touring around the world. His material is relatable, especially his passion for popcorn and how to make it “last in your mouth to postpone it’s delicious good feeling for later on.”

He says popcorn gives you a “rush of serotonin and dopamine that is better than any drugs;” hence, the ultimate inspiration for title of his special.

Taped in Victoria, B.C., the special was executive produced by Ian Arougheti and Justin SIlvera and was directed by Peter Carlone.

What exactly is a legacy sequel? According to the internet, it is “a work that follows the continuity of the original work(s), but takes place further along the timeline, often focusing on new characters with the original ones still present in the plot.” And boy have they gotten popular. From The Exorcist: Believer to Halloween 2018 to even Netflix’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre, they’ve been churning out steadily. Hell, we got a freaking Mutilator 2 out of it (and who would have ever expected that?). And it’s hard not to wonder why we’re getting so many.

Originality can be a hard thing for financiers to gamble on. This is why we find ourselves amid trend after trend that takes over movie theaters until the general public is sick of it. As soon as something hits, they go after it like rabid dogs till there’s nothing...

The Malayalam film ‘2018: Everyone Is A Hero’, which was selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars in the Best International Feature Film category, has failed to make it to the final shortlist of the 96th Academy Awards. The film, directed by Jude Anthany Joseph and featuring an ensemble cast of Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Indrans, Asif Ali, Tanvi Ram, and Aparna Balamurali, among others, was a survival drama set against the backdrop of the devastating 2018 floods in Kerala. The film was a tribute to the heroes who saved lives during the calamity and also highlighted the global issue of climate change and its impact on the environment and humanity.

The film was chosen by the Film Federation of India (Ffi) as the country’s official entry to the Oscars from among 26 entries, including films like ‘The Disciple’, ‘Sherni’, ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’, and ‘Pinki Elli?’. The Ffi selection committee,...

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 21 (Ians) If Covid took a heavy toll on Malayalam film industry in 2022, 2023 appears to be worse with just four films released in theatres that turned hit, while another 12 films managed to break even, thanks to the Ott release.

As 2023 comes to a close, there will be around 220 Malayalam films released and with just 16 films bringing in the money for the producers, the Producers Association has estimated the total loss will be around Rs 300 crores.

The four films that turned out to be a hit in the theatres are ‘2018’, ‘Kannur Squad’, ‘Rdx’ and ‘Romancham’.

B. Rakesh, Secretary of the Association said things doesn’t augur well for Malayalam film industry according to the collections.

“Just four Malayalam films turned hit when running in the theatres, while 12 others managed to break even, thanks to Ott release,” said Rakesh.

Rakesh points out several reasons for the poor performance, the high...

2018 Everyone Is a Hero writer-director Jude Anthany Joseph was a victim of the 2018 Kerala floods in southern India, a catastrophic natural disaster that was the worst flood to hit the region in more than a century.

“My house was flooded, and it happened so quickly that in the morning after it happened, I had to run away from my house with my parents,” the Indian filmmaker said. “I had taken them to my sister’s place. My wife and kids were not in the home because they were at a wedding.”

Recalling the complete shock and devastation that happened to him and those around him, the writer-director admits he was fearful for his life.

“For four or five days, it was raining continuously, and I thought it would be the end of my life,” he said. “I thought I wouldn’t be able to meet my family again. Once the flood was over,...

Geo-blocking underpins the functioning of the film and TV industries.

Over 600 film and TV companies and associations from across Europe have signed a joint letter urging the European Parliament to oppose moves to ban geo-blocking by audiovisual services across the EU.

The letter has been signed by a who’s who of the European industry. It includes festivals such as the Berlinale and Karlovy Vary through to associations such as Fiad, Cepi, Europa Distribution and Europa International; sales agents such as Goodfellas, Kinology, Heretic and mk2 Films; producers including Constantin and Les Films du Losange; exhibitors like Vue, Cineworld and...

Jude Anthany Joseph, director of India’s international feature Oscar contender “2018,” has started work on his next film.

The untitled investigative thriller is being written by the filmmaker alongside journalist Josy Joseph. The film is based on the true story of Kerala Shipping Corporation’s cargo ship Mv Kairali that disappeared in 1979 with a crew of 49 and 20,000 tonnes of iron ore on board while sailing from Margao, India to Rostock, Germany, via Djibouti.

“It’s really fascinating to learn the historical importance of this incident and how the investigation never succeeded. As a filmmaker it is a challenging subject to execute,” Joseph told Variety. Production is due to commence in the last quarter of 2024.

Meanwhile, “2018” screened at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (Iffi), Goa and the producers threw a lavish party to celebrate the film’s progress. The survival drama based on the climate change-caused floods that...

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The 2000s were full of remakes of beloved horror franchises. "Nightmare on Elm Street," "Friday the 13th," "Halloween," "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre," and many more were reinvented for a new generation. There were enough of these that the idea of rebooting horror franchises became the main satire target of "Scream 4" — the best of that franchise's sequels. But despite how many of these there were, most failed to leave a lasting impact.

This is why it was so surprising that "Halloween" would find such big success with its second reboot — technically, it's third, if you count "Halloween H20: 20 Years Later." David Gordon Green reinvented the classic horror movie in a legacy sequel that served as a love letter to fans. As /Film critic Chris Evangelista described it back in 2018, the film is "a brutal, scary and sometimes funny...

Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas’ film ‘Adrishya Jalakangal’, also titled ‘Invisible Windows’ is now finally set to make its international premiere at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. Dressed in maximum style, the actor came to the red carpet of the premiere alongside the crew and penned a lengthy note of gratitude, still in awe of the great honour.

Taking to Instagram, Tovino shared pictures of himself and the crew at the red carpet, an captioned his post: “Stepped into a world of cinematic enchantment at the European premiere of ‘Invisible Windows’ at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. @tallinnblacknightsff. An incredible journey crafted by the visionary @drbiju_official.”

He added: “Huge gratitude to the organisers, especially the festival director @tiinalokk , for this incredible opportunity. Her passion for cinema and meticulous curation make events like these extraordinary. Being the first Malayalam film in this A-category festival’s competition section is a milestone we’re proud of!

Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas’ film ‘Adrishya Jalakangal’, also titled ‘Invisible Windows’ is now finally set to make its international premiere at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. Dressed in maximum style, the actor came to the red carpet of the premiere alongside the crew and penned a lengthy note of gratitude, still in awe of the great honour.

Taking to Instagram, Tovino shared pictures of himself and the crew at the red carpet, an captioned his post: “Stepped into a world of cinematic enchantment at the European premiere of ‘Invisible Windows’ at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. @tallinnblacknightsff. An incredible journey crafted by the visionary @drbiju_official.”

He added: “Huge gratitude to the organisers, especially the festival director @tiinalokk , for this incredible opportunity. Her passion for cinema and meticulous curation make events like these extraordinary. Being the first Malayalam film in this A-category festival’s competition section is a milestone we’re proud of!

Miami – Last week, at his Washington D.C. tour stop, Colombia born singer-songwriter, and global Latin music superstar Maluma, premiered a heartfelt and extremely personal video for his song “Procura” off his newly released album, Don Juan. The video features a huge surprise and is a very special moment for Maluma.

Visualizer for “Procura”

In September, Maluma and Mexican singer-songwriter Carin León, reached #1 on TikTok for their song “Según Quién.” The track has accumulated over 2.4 billion views and 1 million creations on the platform. Earlier this month, Maluma performed the track alongside Carin León on Good Morning America and solo on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. He also treated viewers to a performance of “Coco Loco” on GMA.

Maluma’s sixth studio album Don Juan, was released in August via Sony Music Latin – listen Here. The record features 25 songs including 6 bonus tracks and Maluma’s previously released singles “La Fórmula” with Marc Anthony,...

The upcoming edition of the International Film Festival of India (Iffi), will screen 25 feature films and 20 non-feature films in its flagship component of Indian Panorama. The feature films include some of popular films from Hindi and other cinemas of India like ‘Kantara’, ‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’, ‘The Kerala Story’, India’s submission for the Oscars – ‘2018 – Everyone Is A Hero’ and ‘Viduthalai Part 1’, along with others

The selected films will be showcased at the 54th edition Iffi, which is set to be held from November 20-28, 2023 in Goa.

The aim of the Indian Panorama, organised by the National Film Development Corporation, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, is to select the feature and non-feature films of cinematic, thematic and aesthetic excellence in accordance with the conditions and procedures in the said regulations of Indian Panorama.

The selection of the Indian Panorama is made by eminent personalities from the...

The upcoming edition of the International Film Festival of India (Iffi), will screen 25 feature films and 20 non-feature films in its flagship component of Indian Panorama. The feature films include some of popular films from Hindi and other cinemas of India like ‘Kantara’, ‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’, ‘The Kerala Story’, India’s submission for the Oscars – ‘2018 – Everyone Is A Hero’ and ‘Viduthalai Part 1’, along with others

The selected films will be showcased at the 54th edition Iffi, which is set to be held from November 20-28, 2023 in Goa.

The aim of the Indian Panorama, organised by the National Film Development Corporation, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, is to select the feature and non-feature films of cinematic, thematic and aesthetic excellence in accordance with the conditions and procedures in the said regulations of Indian Panorama.

The selection of the Indian Panorama is made by eminent personalities from the...

Actor Tovino Thomas, whose upcoming psychological-drama film ‘Adriysha Jalakangal’ directed by Dr. Biju, has congratulated the filmmaker for the movie’s selection at the Tallinn Black Nights International Film Festival (Tbniff)2023 in Estonia. Taking to his Instagram, the ‘2018’ alum wrote a congratulatory message and shared a picture of the film’s poster with its nomination mentioned above.

Captioning the post, he wrote: “Extremely pleased to share this – Dr Biju’s Adrishya Jalakangal ( Invisible Windows) will have its world premiere at the 27th Tallinn Black Nights International film festival (Poff), Estonia taking place from November 3 to 17.”

The ‘Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal’ director’s film is in fact the first Malayalam film to be ever chosen for the award.

Expressing his happiness at this, he added: “What makes it special is that the film is also selected in the competition category, making it the first ever Malayalam film to do so, in this...

Actor Tovino Thomas, whose upcoming psychological-drama film ‘Adriysha Jalakangal’ directed by Dr. Biju, has congratulated the filmmaker for the movie’s selection at the Tallinn Black Nights International Film Festival (Tbniff)2023 in Estonia. Taking to his Instagram, the ‘2018’ alum wrote a congratulatory message and shared a picture of the film’s poster with its nomination mentioned above.

Captioning the post, he wrote: “Extremely pleased to share this – Dr Biju’s Adrishya Jalakangal ( Invisible Windows) will have its world premiere at the 27th Tallinn Black Nights International film festival (Poff), Estonia taking place from November 3 to 17.”

The ‘Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal’ director’s film is in fact the first Malayalam film to be ever chosen for the award.

Expressing his happiness at this, he added: “What makes it special is that the film is also selected in the competition category, making it the first ever Malayalam film to do so, in this...

Actor Soubin Shahir is an established name in Malayalam film industry. Having turned 40, actor Tovino Thomas who will be starring with Soubin in the film ‘Nadikar Thilakam’ wished him on his special day.

Taking to his social media handles, the acclaimed ‘2018’ actor shared a poster which showed the two in their film avatars and wrote: “Wishing a very happy birthday to the exceptionally talented Soubin Shahir, our ‘Nadikar Thilakam’ star! May your day be as remarkable as your performances. Here’s to more magic alongside Tovino Thomas and the entire team!”

Having acted in various Malayalam blockbusters such as ‘Solo’, ‘Prenam’, and ‘Joseph’, Soubin will be now seen co-starring with Tovino in their next venture ‘Nadikar Thilakam’, a comedy-drama film directed by Jean Paul Lal.

The film has an elaborate storyline which revolves around the life ofa fictional film star named David Padikkal, who will be portrayed by Tovino Thomas.

Actor Soubin Shahir is an established name in Malayalam film industry. Having turned 40, actor Tovino Thomas who will be starring with Soubin in the film ‘Nadikar Thilakam’ wished him on his special day.

Taking to his social media handles, the acclaimed ‘2018’ actor shared a poster which showed the two in their film avatars and wrote: “Wishing a very happy birthday to the exceptionally talented Soubin Shahir, our ‘Nadikar Thilakam’ star! May your day be as remarkable as your performances. Here’s to more magic alongside Tovino Thomas and the entire team!”

Having acted in various Malayalam blockbusters such as ‘Solo’, ‘Prenam’, and ‘Joseph’, Soubin will be now seen co-starring with Tovino in their next venture ‘Nadikar Thilakam’, a comedy-drama film directed by Jean Paul Lal.

The film has an elaborate storyline which revolves around the life ofa fictional film star named David Padikkal, who will be portrayed by Tovino Thomas.

Director-actor Prithviraj Sukuraman is gearing up for his upcoming political-thriller-drama ‘L2: Empuraan’, as he will kickstart the shooting of the film on October 5 with superstar Mohanlal taking the lead role.

A sequel to the director’s film ‘Lucifer’, which also marked his directorial debut, ‘L2: Empuraan’ was officially announced in August 2022. The movie’s shoot was put on hold due to the director suffering from a knee injury leading to a hiatus. Now, Prithviraj Sukumaran is ready to shoot and put his plans on camera.

A relief for fans as Prithviraj Sukumaran took to his social media and gave the update, sharing the news that ‘L2E – Empuraan’ is going on floors from October with its first official schedule, on Saturday.

The actor-filmmaker also welcomed on board the Tamil production company Lyca Productions, marking their debut in the Malayalam cinema with this high budget picture.

Lyca Productions is...

Director-actor Prithviraj Sukuraman is gearing up for his upcoming political-thriller-drama ‘L2: Empuraan’, as he will kickstart the shooting of the film on October 5 with superstar Mohanlal taking the lead role.

A sequel to the director’s film ‘Lucifer’, which also marked his directorial debut, ‘L2: Empuraan’ was officially announced in August 2022. The movie’s shoot was put on hold due to the director suffering from a knee injury leading to a hiatus. Now, Prithviraj Sukumaran is ready to shoot and put his plans on camera.

A relief for fans as Prithviraj Sukumaran took to his social media and gave the update, sharing the news that ‘L2E – Empuraan’ is going on floors from October with its first official schedule, on Saturday.

The actor-filmmaker also welcomed on board the Tamil production company Lyca Productions, marking their debut in the Malayalam cinema with this high budget picture.

Lyca Productions is...

The Malayalam film ‘2018: Everyone Is A Hero’, which stars Tovino Thomas and Kunchacko Boban, has been selected to represent India as the country’s official entry at the 96th Academy Awards, by the Film Federation of India on Wednesday. Hereafter, the film will compete in the Oscars if it is selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the final nomination list.

The film narrates the stories of humanity overcoming the adversity set against the backdrop of the 2018 floods that devastated parts of Kerala. Tovino Thomas essays the role of a young man in the film who leaves the Indian Army with a fake medical certificate and redeems himself during the floods. The film also stars Asif Ali, Lal, Narain, Kunchacko Boban and Aparna Balamurali in prominent roles.

Reacting to the news, actor Tovino Thomas said, “Being chosen as India’s official entry for the Oscars...

The Malayalam film ‘2018: Everyone Is A Hero’, which stars Tovino Thomas and Kunchacko Boban, has been selected to represent India as the country’s official entry at the 96th Academy Awards, by the Film Federation of India on Wednesday. Hereafter, the film will compete in the Oscars if it is selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the final nomination list.

The film narrates the stories of humanity overcoming the adversity set against the backdrop of the 2018 floods that devastated parts of Kerala. Tovino Thomas essays the role of a young man in the film who leaves the Indian Army with a fake medical certificate and redeems himself during the floods. The film also stars Asif Ali, Lal, Narain, Kunchacko Boban and Aparna Balamurali in prominent roles.

Reacting to the news, actor Tovino Thomas said, “Being chosen as India’s official entry for the Oscars...

Aquaman fans are concerned that the upcoming film may follow the comics and result in the death of Arthur's son, which many view as a tragic and unnecessary event. The death of Aquaman's son occurred in the comics when Black Manta kidnapped the child and forced Aquaman to fight his sidekick Aqualad. Despite Aquaman's attempt to save his son, he tragically died. Killing a child is considered one of the darkest moments in DC history, and fans hope that the movie will not replicate this storyline. However, the event remains canonical in the comics and raises concerns about the fate of Arthur Jr. in the film.

Fans everywhere online are fretting about the fate of Aquaman's son in the upcoming film, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. A look back at Black Manta's most infamous murder reveals why viewers think Arthur Curry, Jr. is destined to meet a grisly end.

The...