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Jesse Armstrong, the creator of Succession, is one of the hottest tickets in Hollywood after the booming success of his enthralling HBO drama. Any network or studio would be lucky to have him, and HBO knows this. In the interest of keeping one of their best and brightest talents close, Armstrong’s next project, a star-studded feature film about billionaires caught in an international crisis, is on the fast track to audiences who crave nail-biting drama and unforgettable characters. Today, we’ve learned that Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youseff, and Cory Michael Smith will lead the cast of Armstrong’s Succession follow-up, making the project all the more enticing.

According to the movie’s logline, Jesse Armstrong’s upcoming feature revolves around “a group of billionaire friends who get together against the backdrop of a rolling international crisis.”

While the film has yet to reveal its title, an image...

It is a testament to the depth and breadth of the career of Gene Hackman that, upon the announcement of his passing at the age of 95, people have come together on social media to praise him, but without a uniform winner among his large filmography. Comic-book fans can continue to marvel at how he set the standard for villainous characters with his take on Lex Luthor in "Superman: The Movie." Fans of modern action movies are no doubt fondly remembering his work in the tense and sweaty thriller "Crimson Tide," among other examples. And the number of dramas he made, introspective or otherwise, are nearly innumerable. You can find so many examples of brilliance in Gene Hackman's list of credits, across so many genres. One of the most common threads throughout his career was his deft ability to create effectively memorable confrontations with his fellow performers, taking what's written on...

Bill Murray remembered Gene Hackman’s brilliant acting, and occasionally irascible temperament on the set of The Royal Tenenbaums, following the news of Hackman’s death.

Murray happened to give two interviews yesterday where he spoke about Hackman, one to The Associated Press, the other on The Drew Barrymore Show. In both instances, Murray was equally frank about Hackman’s talents as he was about the hard time he gave director Wes Anderson during the shoot.

“He was a tough nut,” Murray told The AP, “but he was really good.

Focus Features has worked with filmmaker Wes Anderson on Asteroid City and Moonrise Kingdom, a collaboration turned out very well for them. As Variety notes, Asteroid City (pictured above) “earned an impressive (for an arthouse film) $53.8 million at the box office,” while Moonrise Kingdom “grossed $68.3 million and was nominated for an Oscar for its screenplay.” So, it’s a good move that Focus and Anderson are getting back in business with each other, as Focus has just acquired the worldwide distribution rights to Anderson’s latest film, The Phoenician Scheme.

Anderson directed The Phoenician Scheme from a screenplay he wrote with Roman Coppola, who previously worked on the scripts for Anderson’s films The Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom, Isle of Dogs, The French Dispatch, and Asteroid City. Filming took place in Germany from March to June of 2024.

Described as an espionage comedy drama thriller, The Phoenician Scheme tells the story...

Did you know that there's a movie out there starring Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis, Amy Poehler, the late Edward Hermann, "The Office's" Jenna Fischer, Peter Bogdanovich, and even Melissa Rauch from "The Big Bang Theory?" What if I told you the movie is written and directed by Matthew Weiner, a veteran of "The Sopranos" who went on to create "Mad Men?" Are you wondering why you haven't seen it before?! It's probably because that movie, 2014's "Are You Here," was a huge flop — but I'll get back to that in just a moment. First, what is "Are You Here" — which is currently proving pretty popular on Amazon Prime Video — about?

When we first meet Wilson's local weatherman Steve Dallas, he's a womanizer who barely does his job — often outsourcing the actual weather predictions to his assistant Delia Shepherd (Lauren Lapkus) before taking credit for them on air — and blows his money on expensive dates,...

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Wes Anderon has earned his reputation as a singular filmmaker. His style is unmistakable, dating back to his breakthrough indie hit "Rushmore" up through his Oscar-winning smash "The Grand Budapest Hotel." There is no denying a Wes Anderson film when you see one. The filmmaker has worked consistently for going on 30 years now, which is no easy feat. There have been some speed bumps along the way, that much is certain, but Anderson always manages to recover.

One such speed bump came in 2009 with the release of Anderson's stop-motion animated feature "Fantastic Mr. Fox." Though it was embraced critically, the film was not a winner at the box office, to put it somewhat mildly. Against a reported $40 million budget, the film made just over $46 million worldwide in its original run. Yet, that film's relative failure ended up paving the way...

Ken Jennings was on hilarious form during an appearance on the Tuesday, January 21, episode of Good Morning America. The Jeopardy! host wisecracked his way through a candid conversation with the GMA team, and chimed in on the widespread debate about who should be on the Mount Rushmore of Jeopardy! contestants. However, while naming the four people on his list, he actually left out all of the players who have been brought up in the conversation. Instead, Jennings said his G.O.A.T. list is about the people who remind him of watching the show when he was younger. “I think, for me, there’s too many great contestants to fit on a mountain,” Jennings said. While the GMA hosts insisted that Jennings himself was an obvious choice for the Mount Rushmore list, he added, “My Mount Rushmore would be Alex Trebek — the reasons I liked the show as a kid. The announcer,...

Kurosawa Akira understood the American western beyond the mythos of the lone warrior. The western is one of the most political of genres, concerned with how resources are dispersed. The struggle in American westerns between various enforcers embodies the tug of war between the working-class and robber barons, and Kurosawa saw in these stories parallels to Japan’s fraught cultural shifts. In the case of 1961’s Yojimbo, and to a lesser extent its sequel, 1962’s Sanjuro, he uses the western template to riff on Japan’s postwar leap into capitalism.

The very first conversation in Yojimbo is between a ronin who calls himself Sanjuro (Mifune Toshiro) and a man who regrets the new generation’s obsession with money. Kurosawa stages this encounter as a comic scene, but the man’s alienation stings, especially as Kurosawa lingers on the rhythmic sound of his wife working her loom for the silk she weaves as a side hustle.

Legendary actor Bill Murray has collaborated with countless actors over his storied career, but his favorite co-star is an unexpected choice. From Ghostbusters (1984) to Lost In Translation (2003), Murray has worked alongside industry icons, cementing his place as one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors. However, his selection as a standout partner veers away from the usual suspects and leans into something far more unique.

Murray has maintained an impressively long career, always managing to stay relevant in whatever decade he is working. The '90s saw Murray appearing in all-time classics like Groundhog Day, Rushmore, What About Bob?, and Ed Wood. It also featured some movies that have not held up as well, like Space Jam. However, Murray's favorite co-star came from a poorly received comedy.

Murray’s Favorite Co-Star Was An Elephant From Larger Than Life Murray & Tai Formed An Endearing Bond

The co-star in question comes from the...

Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense), Luke Fetherston (Doctor Who), Callum Kerr (Hollyoaks) and Nuno Lopes (White Lines) have joined the Season 3 cast of Prime Video‘s fantasy epic series The Wheel of Time, starring Rosamund Pike, Madeleine Madden and Josha Stradowski.

Williams, Fetherston, Kerr and Lopes will portray the royal family of the kingdom of Andor. Andor is the largest, most populous, and most influential country within the heart of the Westlands, the fictional land depicted in Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy book series on which the television series is based.

Williams portrays Morgase Trakand, the Queen of Andor. Morgase did not inherit her throne. Rather, when the succession was left without an heir, she waged a brutal war against a half-dozen noble rivals, and thanks to her political savvy and utter ruthlessness, she won. She has sworn ever since to shield her daughter and heir, Elayne, from ever having to endure what she did…...

Since their early 20s, Emily Watson and Olivia Williams’ careers have run on parallel tracks. Born one year apart, they first got to know each other by pondering their futures together on a patch of grass outside The Black Swan pub in Stratford-upon-Avon. “We met at the Royal Shakespeare Company, in the early ’90s, where we were in different plays in different seasons,” says Williams. The two never ended up on stage together. “Partly because there aren’t that many scripts around for two leading ladies of the same age,” adds Watson.

Their paths would soon cross again, as Williams made her foray into Hollywood, with Kevin Costner’s The Postman and Wes Anderson’s Rushmore, around the same time as Watson was leveraging her breakout success in Lars von Trier’s Breaking the Waves. “I was staying at the Four Seasons and we had a cosmopolitan, as was the fashion then,...

He’s famed for grumpy roles and outspoken views, but don’t be fooled – the Succession star is a pussycat at heart. He talks about growing up in poverty, falling in love with his wife – and out of love with Labour

As I leave the office, my editor wishes me luck. “Hope he’s not too grumpy!” she says. A moment later, the deputy editor asks where I’m off to. To see Brian Cox, the actor, I say. “Oh!” she says, with a rather-you-than-me look. “Hope he’s not too grumpy!”

Cox has played grumpy for going on 60 years. All sorts of grumpiness – idiot grumpy (independent candidate Bob Servant in the TV comedy of the same name), world-weary grumpy (school principal Dr Nelson Guggenheim in Wes Anderson’s film Rushmore), psychopathic grumpy (the first movie incarnation of Hannibal Lecter in Manhunter), egomaniacal grumpy (Robert McKee in Spike Jonze’s Adaptation) and,...

Nobody has been in more Wes Anderson movies than Bill Murray, having only been left out of three of his films. While Covid knocked him out of Asteroid City and he might have felt shoehorned into Henry Sugar, the reason he wasn’t in Anderson’s debut, Bottle Rocket, came down to a bias against a first-time director.

But that wasn’t because of Bill Murray, who, while notoriously hard to contact, was actively being sought out by Wes Anderson. But according to Murray, “My agents never gave me the script because he was a nobody.” And now we can see why he prefers to cut out all middle men.

The drive to get Bill Murray to appear as Abe Henry — the role that eventually went to James Caan (who had trouble adapting to Anderson’s style) — wouldn’t just be coming from Wes Anderson but pretty much everybody else...

Teenage dramas have existed for as long as teens have been drumming up drama in schools and colleges. In the ’60s, there were Because They’re Young and Where the Boys Are. The ‘70s had American Graffiti, Grease, and Saturday Night Fever. The genre exploded in the ‘80s with movies like Dead Poets Society, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. And the ‘90s gave us The Basketball Diaries, Rushmore, 10 Things I Hate About You, and American Pie. But I think the movie that paved the way for stuff like Gossip Girl, Young Royals, 13 Reasons Why, Elite, Class, Euphoria, Maxton Hall, Hierarchy, and Untamed Royals was the cult classic, Cruel Intentions. It had adult actors playing high schoolers. It was filled to the brim with the risque stuff. And there was a lot of backstabbing and drugs involved. Since this particular subgenre of teen dramas is all the rage now,...

“Dune: Prophecy” is prepping to expand the franchise by 10,000 whole years.

The new series, set in the distant past, serves as a prequel to the mainline films starring Timothy Chalamet. It follows the true rise of the Bene Gesserit and House Corrino leading the Imperium only years removed from the Butlerian Jihad against the “thinking machines.” With a new “Dune” series comes a slew of new characters to remember.

Here’s a complete list of the biggest names to remember while watching the upcoming HBO sci-fi prequel.

Emily Watson in “Dune: Prophecy” (Credit: HBO) Emily Watson as Valya Harkonnen

Emily Watson plays Valya Harkonnen – current leader of the Bene Gesserit.

Watson also starred in “Gosford Park,” “Punch-Drunk Love,” “Red Dragon,” and “Breaking the Waves.” More recently she appeared in HBO’s acclaimed series “Chernobyl” and “Kingsman: The Golden Circle.”

Olivia Williams in “Dune: Prophecy” (Credit: HBO) Olivia Williams as Tula...

It could be any day, any night, any city, and Bill Murray could be there. Maybe this sad clown folk hero is hitting karaoke night or doing a frat’s dishes or crashing a kickball game or bartending at some random joint or giving a speech at a bachelor party or popping in for a wedding photo shoot. Bill Murray is that “fun” uncle, the loose one with no clear direction yet always grounded in…well, whatever he wants. Maybe he’ll show up, maybe he won’t. Maybe he’ll have a job this year, maybe he won’t bother. Maybe he’ll sock a male co-worker on the nose, maybe he’ll direct misconduct at a woman. Bill Murray is one unpredictable dude, his actions described as erupting “a trail of hysteria,” the man himself as “The Murricane.” Oh, and he’s made some of the greatest comedies,...

“It’s so nice to talk to The Hollywood Reporter,” Olivia Williams says, as we start our interview, “because I really had that Hollywood experience. I went from living in a damp basement flat in Camden Town to, in a matter of days, flying in a private jet to go on set of a huge Hollywood movie.”

Over the course of a single year, from 1997 to 1998, Williams (before then a jobbing British theater actress, doing commercials for Dove shower cream — “they asked me to audition in a bikini…I felt like giving up”) starred in three studio films: Kevin Costner’s The Postman, Wes Anderson’s Rushmore and M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense. The Postman was a legendary flop. Rushmore an indie breakout. The Sixth Sense a gargantuan, global hit. Williams, it appeared, had arrived.

“I went from galloping horses with Kevin Costner — doing my own stunts, thank...

“Monster” Season 3 has added Laurie Metcalf, Tom Hollander, and Olivia Williams to its cast, Variety has learned exclusively.

The trio join previously announced cast member Charlie Hunnam, who will star as Ed Gein in the next season of the Netflix anthology series. According to sources, Metcalf will play Gein’s mother, Augusta, while Hollander will play Alfred Hitchcock and Williams will play Alma Reville, Hitchcock’s wife.

Given that Gein served as one of the inspirations for Norman Bates and Hitchcock’s film “Psycho,” it would appear Season 3 of the hit Netflix anthology will delve into how Gein’s crimes influenced the film and the novel upon which the film was based.

Gein became infamous in the 1950s when authorities discovered that he not only had killed multiple people, but had dug up graves from a cemetery near his home and fashioned all manner of household items and clothing from human remains.

Earlier this year, Denis Villeneuve released the masterpiece Dune: Part Two and blew us all away with his stunning vision of the desert planet Arrakis, the sandworms that live there, and the rise of unwilling space messiah Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet). But that's not the only Dune thing that'll be coming to our screens this year. Believe it or not, we're but a few short months away from the release of Dune: Prophecy, a brand new spinoff series coming to Max.

Dune: Prophecy is set 10,000 years before the Dune story covered in Denis Villeneuve's movies, which adapt the seminal 1965 novel by Frank Herbert. This new series is all about the founding of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood of space witches, who manipulate the levers of power in the galaxy from the shadows. By Paul's time, they're one of the most powerful factions around. But in Dune: Prophecy, they're just beginning to find their footing.

Bill Murray first came to national attention when he joined “Saturday Night Live” in its second season to replace the departed Chevy Chase. Like many of his SNL colleagues of the era Murray was able to parlay his television success into a film career. He first made his film mark in comedies but in later years would take on increasingly dramatic films as well, earning an Oscar nomination as Best Actor for “Lost in Translation” (2003). Murray would return to TV in 2015 for the HBO limited series “Olive Kitteridge,” for which he won an Emmy as Best Supporting Actor playing a suicidal man who becomes involved with the title character (Frances McDormand).

Murray’s career got off to a somewhat shaky start when he was cast in the first season of “Saturday Night Live” but unfortunately for Murray it was the wrong “SNL.” Instead of the classic program for NBC (for...

The Ents have returned in Prime Video's The Rings of Power season 2, and they're voiced by some beloved, recognizable actors. Audiences know the Ents of Middle-earth from The Two Towers, one of the best Lord of the Rings movies, due to the Ent uprising swaying the conflict with Saruman. Presenting an analogy about nature rising up to defend itself against reckless industrialism, the Ents are some of the easiest characters in J.R.R. Tolkien's world to root for, and this continues in the prequel show.

The Rings of Power shows the world of Lord of the Rings during its Second Age, thousands of years before the events of the main trilogy. Season 1 saw the creation of Mordor, with the orcs beginning to settle their own territory under the leadership of Adar, laying waste to forests in their proximity. Because of this, the Ents in the region are forced into action,...

Are You Ready For It? This week on the Pilot TV Podcast, James Dyer returns from his holidays after a Fortnight away to wax lyrical about Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and talk all things TV with co-Pilots Kay Ribeiro and Boyd Hilton — and there's A Lot to talk about! It's a double interview ep this week as we sent our very own Boyd to talk to The Man himself, Gary Oldman — aka Jackson Lamb — about Season 4 of Apple TV's Slough House spy craft series Slow Horses [22:45 — 32:05 approx]. Then, Kay talks (im)perfect lives, Nicole Kidman, being Enchanted by Liev Schreiber's dance moves, and the importance of sleep with Eve Hewson, who stars in Netflix's buzzy new mystery series The Perfect Couple [42:20 — 1:00:00 approx].

Either side of those interviews, the pod squad catch up on what they've been watching this week, tackle a Delicate Mount Rushmore listener question on sad...

Jason Schwartzman’s been a totemic figure so long it can be hard to separate player from part. Beginning as idol of teenage rebellion Max Fischer in Wes Anderson’s “Rushmore,” the actor’s spent a quarter-century inhabiting numerous types — stuffy writers, disgruntled husbands, mourning widows, drug addicts, a bumping Pi on HBO’s perpetually ill-appreciated “Bored to Death” — that have doubled as progressions of professional versatility and real-life aging.

Like Jean-Pierre Léaud before him, Schwartzman is seemingly now cast for the weight his name and visage can carry. This sequence continues with “Between the Temples,” which finds him playing Benjamin, a cantor whose mourning for his deceased wife finds focus in sessions with Carla (Carol Kane), a fellow widow who decides now’s high time to receive the Bat Mitzvah she missed 60-or-so years prior. A brilliantly shaped scriptment from Nathan Silver and C. Mason Wells makes ideal scene...

Nathan Silver’s Between the Temples takes a stock story––a lonely middle-aged man finds unexpected love––and places it in an unfamiliar context. For one thing, it’s set in the upstate New York town Rhinebeck, depicted as a place where social life revolves around a bar and golf course. Cantor Ben Gottlieb (Jason Schwartzman) can barely bring himself do his job, suffering a crisis of faith following his wife’s death. He’s lost his voice, literally and figuratively. Driven to suicidal ideation, he lays down in the street at night and hopes to get run over by a truck. He visits a priest for a discussion about his shaky faith. Although he’s on friendly terms with his boss, the temple’s rabbi (Robert Smigel), and his two lesbian mothers, he drinks to cover up his sorrow.

Carla (Carol Kane) comes into his life when she decides,...

Stars: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, Kim Walker, Peter Dawson | Written by Daniel Waters | Directed by Michael Lehmann

Heather Chandler (Kim Walker) is the leader of the “Heathers”, a clique of mean girls running their Ohio high school. There are two other Heathers in the group, and then there’s the runt of the litter: Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder). Veronica is a bitch, but her engagement with the girls’ cycle of bullying and mockery is reluctant. Smooth, smarmy Jason Dean (Christian Slater) spots this self-doubt and lures Veronica into his carefree, rebellious world. Veronica and Jason spark up an immediately passionate yet toxic romance. Veronica has often thought about killing Miss Chandler, not to mention other bullies at the school, but now she’s met someone who’s really willing to do it.

From the opening scene, where we meet Veronica (who’s also the narrator) buried...

Movies should not be judged based on preconceived notions, as some great films are wrongly discarded as flops. Financial success doesn't equate to quality - some box office bombs have earned passionate cult followings. Many movies have a huge gulf between their critical reputation and their fan base.

Some movies don't always get the respect they deserve, but rewatching them reveals that their bad reputations may be unearned. There are plenty of great movies that were discarded too soon, either by fans who were expecting something different or critics who didn't resonate with a movie's general appeal. Often, these movies see their reputations being rehabilitated a few years later.

People tend to view movies within broader contexts, either based on the careers of the directors and actors involved, or based on how a movie fits into a franchise. However, it's often better to approach a movie with as few preconceived notions as possible.

He’s been in (almost) every Wes Anderson movie, is related to Francis Ford and Sofia Coppola and drummed for the Beastie Boys. Now’s your chance to ask him – what’s it like being Jason Schwartzman?

You’d probably most associate Jason Schwartzman with Wes Anderson films as he’s been in seven of the blighters: Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The French Dispatch and 2023’s Asteroid City.

You might also be aware that he’s from a famous film family, which includes uncle Francis Ford Coppola, cousins Roman and Sofia and (on the other side) cousin Nicolas Cage.

On this week's Empire Podcast we've another veritable guestapalooza for you, folks! First up, Chris Hewitt chats up a storm with Twisters stars Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Phizzy Pigtails aficionado Anthony Ramos [19:46 - 35:02 approx]. Then, our man Hewitt's back on the meteorological movie beat again for more Twisters talk with the film's director, Lee Isaac Chung [1:39:17 - 1:56:06 approx]. Sandwiched between all the 'nado nattering, our very own news editor extraordinaire Beth Webb has a lovely audience with the marvellous June Squibb, star of Oap revenge joyride Thelma. [1:01:03 - 1:13:59 approx]

Then, back in the podbooth Chris is joined by Helen O'Hara, James Dyer, and returning fourth chairer (and best dressed man of all time) Jeremy Dylan, where the team discuss the ultimate Mount Rushmore question: What is our Mount Rushmore of films with Mount, Rushmore, Rush, or More in the title? Elsewhere, the pod squad cast their eagle eye over the week's movie news, including discussion...

Before Ayo Edebiri broke out in “The Bear” and “Bottoms” or even as a voice on “Big Mouth,” she was a huge Letterboxd influencer, offering a mix of hilarious and thoughtful commentary on a wide range of cinema. She has largely tempered her posting, still contributing a brief review from time to time, but is now returning to the film criticism forum with some recent Criterion Closet picks.

“I be on these sales. I’m on these sales. I’m getting 50 percent off these DVDs just like you are, so I’m very excited to be here,” Edebiri said as she scoured shelf upon shelf of classic cinema.

Edebiri’s first pick was Akira Kurasawa’s pulpy crime drama and the inspiration for Spike Lee and Denzel Washington’s latest collaboration, “High & Low.” Discussing the film, Edebiri said, “I’ve been seeing this popping off Letterboxd, which I think...

The Pursuit of Happyness, Men In Black and others make Smith's personal Mount Rushmore of his own movies. Smith had fun making Aladdin and Bad Boys but doesn't add them to his top four. Despite controversy, Smith's career highlights include an Oscar win and successful film roles.

With Bad Boys: Ride or Die set to hit theaters, Will Smith names the four movies that best define his career. Hes been a sitcom star and a rapper, and hes headed up some of the most iconic Hollywood movies of recent decades, including blockbusters like Independence Day and Men in Black. In 2022, Smith achieved a new artistic height when he won the Best Actor Oscar for King Richard a moment that was marred by The Slap. Still trying to bounce back from that controversy, Smith is back in theaters with the sequel Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

With a Hollywood resume spanning...

Eric is a dramatic crime thriller series on Netflix featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as a grieving father on a mission to find his missing son. Created by Abi Morgan and directed by Lucy Forbes, Eric has received mostly positive reviews with a critic score of 75% on Rotten Tomatoes. The series also stars Gaby Hoffmann, Dan Fogler, and McKinley Belcher III, offering an engaging and suspenseful viewing experience.

The new Netflix limited series Eric has a strong cast led by Benedict Cumberbatch. Created by Abi Morgan and directed by Lucy Forbes, Eric is a dramatic crime thriller centered around a missing boy named Edgar. Vincent, his father, is a puppeteer who befriends an imaginary friend who lives under Edgar's bed as a coping mechanism to deal with his grief. All six episodes of Eric are available exclusively to stream on Netflix following its release date of May 30, 2024.

Eric marks Cumberbatch's second consecutive...

Treyarch and Activision have released two teasers ahead of the official reveal of the next entry in the Call of Duty franchise, less than a month away. In the teasers for this game, known as Black Ops 6, you can see a group of men sabotaging Mount Rushmore while uttering the phrase “The Truth Lies” a reference to a conspiracy theory that you will likely encounter in the game.

Once the teaser is over, it shows you a website to visit, where you can interact with an old TV to see these videos and uncover the truth.

Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Is Anticipating the Reveal of the First Trailer The teaser is a taste of what’s to come.

Activision and Xbox have announced that the first new trailer and reveal of the next Call of Duty will take place on June 9. Both companies have revealed two new live-action teasers...

When it was released in January of 2001, Richard Kelly's bleak time-travel psychological drama "Donnie Darko" caused a notable stir. The title character, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is a teen struggling with schizophrenia in 1988, a time when Reagan's great Conservative revolution was drawing to a close and adults clung to suburban conformity as it crumbled under them. Donnie is obsessed with time-travel and regularly hallucinates a vicious, strange anthropomorphic rabbit monster named Frank (all while attempting to socialize at school and foster a romance with a classmate played by Jena Malone). Patrick Swayze appears as a cheesy self-self guru, Drew Barrymore plays one of Donnie's teachers, and Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Donnie's sister.

By turns psychedelic and weirdly moving (in a Goth sort of way), "Donnie Darko" quickly became a cult hit and rotated directly into the local midnight movie circuit, attracting a wide swath of misfits and night people.

Ed Harris is lining up his third directorial outing and will adapt Kim Zupan’s neo-noir novel crime thriller The Ploughmen to star Owen Teague, Nick Nolte, and Bill Murray.

Concourse Media will introduce the project to international buyers in Cannes this week.

Production is scheduled to begin in Montana in autumn, with Amy Madigan and Lily Harris also on the cast.

Harris, Ginger Sledge, Claude Dal Farra and Brian Keady of Bcdf Pictures, and Robert Knott are producing, while Matthew Shreder and Grant Mohrman serve as executive producers.

In the vein of Hell Or High Water and Wind River,...

May has only just arrived, and it’s already heating up at Hulu! Dozens of new titles have moved in for the new month, with some of streamer’s biggest hits landing on the platform during its first weekend, including Season 3 of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s “Welcome to Wrexham” and Season 5 of “The Kardashians,” but Hulu will be adding major titles all month long, from the premiere of the coming-of-age comedy film “Prom Dates” to the streaming debut of last year’s psychological thriller “Eileen.”

Ready to watch? Check out The Streamable’s top picks for this month at Hulu and find out everything coming to the streamer in May!

30-Day Free Trial $7.99+ / month hulu.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Hulu in May 2024? “The Contestant” Premiere | Thursday, May 2

The new documentary turns the lens on “our culture of oversharing” and tells the true...

Hulu’s list of new releases for May 2024 is missing a certain amount of original series firepower. In the place of a blockbuster like The Handmaid’s Tale or Shōgun, however, is some content diversity.

The first of the month sees the premiere of four-episode British series Shardlake. This mystery drama takes place during the reign of Henry VIII and features none other than Thomas Cromwell (Sean Bean) investigating a murder. Other series of note this month include the Korean drama Uncle Samsik on May 15.

Movies are bit more interesting on Hulu in May. Teen comedy Prom Dates premieres on May 3. That will be followed by the 2023 Adam Drive film Ferrari on May 24. Before all that though is the real heavy hitter. You can watch Austin Butler’s acclaimed performance as The King in Elvis as early as May 1. But get to it quick before the Baz Luhrmann film departs on...

Dream expert Dr. Rahul Jandial breaks down the famous math scene in Rushmore. According to Jandial, people rarely report doing math in their dreams. Scientific breakthroughs that occur in dream states are based on visual solutions rather than raw math like what is shown in the Rushmore scene.

A dream expert and neurosurgeon analyzes the famous math dream in Wes Anderson’s Rushmore. Co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson, this comedy film, which was released in 1998, follows Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), a 15-year-old student who has a hard time keeping up with his studies. One of Rushmore's most well-known scenes finds Max falling asleep during church and having a dream where he successfully solves a difficult math problem, earning the respect of his teacher and peers.

Now, speaking with Penguin Books UK, Dr. Rahul Jandial, a neuroscientist and dream doctor, assesses the scene, revealing how realistic it is.

Jandial examines...

What’s the best destination for spring TV? IndieWire doesn’t have a definitive answer, but as we do every month we’ll help you weigh the options with a breakdown of everything coming to your favorite streaming platforms in May.

The month is a prime time to have Disney+, what with the ongoing and buzzy success of “X-Men 97” and upcoming “Marvel Studios’ Assembled” going behind the scenes of the reboot series. May is of course the month of Star Wars, and the House of Mouse will celebrate with “Star Wars: Tales of the Empire” on May 4. Disney is also home to BBC America’s “Doctor Who,” which returns for a highly-anticipated 14th season with Ncuti Gatwa stepping into the Tardis as the new Doctor (he stepped into the role in December 2023 as part of the series’ beloved Christmas special tradition).

Meanwhile, Hulu will continue airing episodes of FX’s...

Olivia Williams has given acclaimed performances in “Rushmore,” “The Sixth Sense” and “An Education.” She recently appeared as Camilla Parker Bowles in the final two seasons of Netflix’s popular drama series “The Crown.” But for many people, the British actor will always be Felicity from the Season 4 finale of “Friends.” Williams once called guest starring on the NBC sitcom “harrowing,” and she recently opened up to The Independent about the reasons why it wasn’t the best experience in a recent interview.

“Gosh. Well, just as an example, I was taken to the studio in a shared car with a wonderful actress whose character, I think, was called ‘Old Woman’,” Williams said, noting this actor was “distinguished” and “very good” but “at one point, a producer – who shall remain nameless – just yelled at her: ‘You’re not funny!’ And she didn’t come back the next day. So that was alarming.

Bill Murray's small role in Little Shop of Horrors caused a stir between director Frank Oz and producer David Geffen. Oz's objection wasn't to Murray's casting but to Geffen signing the actor on without consulting him, which the Little Shop of Horrors director and producer had agreed on. Rick Moranis stars as Seymour Krelborn in this musical horror film, with appearances from Steve Martin and Bill Murray.

Bill Murray has a small role in Little Shop of Horrors, but his casting caused a bit of a stir on set. The dark musical movie is filled with a cast of the era's major comedy stars. From Rick Moranis as the flower shop worker protagonist Seymour Krelborn to John Candy as a DJ, the movie is stuffed with comedic talent. Murray's appearance in the classic musical pairs him with Steve Martin in one of the movie's funniest scenes. Murray doesn't stick around for long,...

Some directors reach star status, drawing fans just as much as actors do. Not all directors guarantee box office success; big franchises often have an advantage with recognizable actors or characters. Directors like Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino can compete with big franchises, turning their names into their own successful brand.

Some of the most successful movie directors can become just as well-known as their biggest stars, with fans anticipating their newest movies as if they were the next installments in popular franchises. Not all directors can achieve this status. It usually requires longevity, a unique style, and original ideas. It can be interesting to take a step back and appraise a director's entire filmography as a cohesive body of work. Those who link their movies together with identifiable flair or recurring motifs can win just as many admirers as huge franchises.

There aren't many directors who can guarantee a...

Clockwise from top left: Lady Bird (A24), True Grit (Paramount Pictures), The Royal Tenenbaums (Touchstone Pictures), The Irishman (Netflix)Graphic: The A.V. Club

If winning an Oscar wasn’t a big deal, why are the year’s biggest snubs and surprises the first topic of discussion following every nomination announcement?...

Chicago – Bill Murray is a son of Chicagoland, born and raised in the area and beginning his career at The Second City. To honor his friend and collaborator Harold Ramis, Murray made an appearance on February 2nd, 2024, on Chicago’s Navy Pier on behalf of Harold Ramis Day and of course his classic film “Groundhog Day.”

Bill Murray Back in his Home Land

Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

William James “Bill” Murray was born in Chicago-adjacent Evanston and grew up in nearby Wilmette. After an attempt at college, he followed his brother Brian Doyle Murray to The Second City and found his performance niche. He moved to New York City when fellow Second City vet John Belushi recruited him for “The National Lampoon Radio Hour.” After missing out on the original cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1975, he did a stint on Howard Cosell’s...

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all rights worldwide to “Between the Temples,” a comedy with Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane that earned strong reviews when it debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Nathan Silver, the film follows a forty-something cantor who is at a personal and professional crossroads. That’s when his grade-school music teacher re-enters his life as an adult bat mitzvah student, prompting the pair to form an unusual connection.

In a positive notice, Variety‘s Guy Lodge wrote, “Buoyed by the unlikely chemistry between its two stars, this alternately raucous and tender ‘Harold and Maude’ riff is the warmest work to date from microbudget auteur Nathan Silver.”

“Between the Temples” will have its international debut at the upcoming Berlin International Film Festival in the Panorama section. Schwartzman’s credits include “Rushmore,” “Asteroid City” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” Kane is the Oscar-nominated star...

Plot: The story of new wave band Devo, who rose to fame from their smash hit “Whip It.”

Review: If all you know about the band Devo is that they were those guys in the weird hats singing “Whip It,” you need to check out this doc from Chris Smith. In addition to making the cult fave American Movie, Smith has made several notable music documentaries over the years, including the recent Netflix documentary about Wham, but he has unique subjects here.

To put it bluntly, the members of Devo are among the most unlikely rock stars of all time. The brainchild of Kent State art students Gerald Casale and Bob Lewis, along with their friend Mark Mothersbaugh, the band began as a performance art satire. In early shows, they would play droning sounds and punish their audience, with Devo short for de-evolution, which was their take on the culture.

Wes Anderson and Bill Murray are teaming up for their tenth film collaboration. Murray has been in Anderson's movies since 1998, when he played Herman Blume in Rushmore. Murray recently appeared in Anderson's 2021 film The French Dispatch, but did not appear in Anderson's 2023 film, Asteroid City.

Wes Anderson and Bill Murray are set to collaborate again for their tenth movie together. Murray has been acting in Anderson’s films ever since he was in Rushmore in 1998. Most recently, the actor played a role in the director’s 2021 film The French Dispatch.

According to Deadline, Murray and Anderson will join forces again for the director’s next feature. The feature will be written by long-time collaborator Roman Coppola and is also set to star Benecio del Toro and Michael Cera. The film is expected to go into production later this year. The plot is as of yet under wraps.

Wes Anderson...

Wes Anderson has recruited his next star-studded cast for a new movie led by Bill Murray, Michael Cera, and Benicio del Toro, reports Deadline.

Anderson co-wrote the film with his frequent collaborator Roman Coppola. Details are officially being kept under wraps, but it’s set to go into production this year.

Last June, Anderson gave insight into the movie during an interview with Le Monde. “My next feature film will be linear, with Benicio Del Toro in every shot,” he said. “I can’t tell you much more than that except that it will be about espionage, a father-daughter relationship, and, let’s say, with a rather dark tone.”

Recent reports have also said the plot revolves around “three key characters,” with other Anderson regulars playing smaller roles.

While the currently untitled movie will mark Cera’s first time working with Anderson, Murray and del Toro have previously worked with the filmmaker.

Exclusive: Bill Murray (The French Dispatch), Michael Cera (Life & Beth) and Benicio Del Toro (The French Dispatch) have been set to star in the newest feature from seven-time Academy Award nominee Wes Anderson, which is set to go into production this year, Deadline has confirmed.

Anderson wrote the film with Roman Coppola, his regular collaborator going back to The Life Aquatic. Details as to the plot are under wraps. Anderson hinted at the project in a September 2023 interview with Deadline, noting that he and Coppola had just finished the script for a Del Toro-led feature before the start of the writers strike. Further cast is also under wraps at this point, but given Anderson’s tendency to pursue huge ensembles, expect many more names to emerge in the coming weeks to months.

Anderson is coming off of Asteroid City, a quirky alien invasion dramedy that follows a writer going about penning a world-famous fictional play.

Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City” is a nesting doll of a film—a television broadcast of a documentary about a play, assembled with the same precision and detail as Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “The French Dispatch” among others. Thematically, the connective tissue between its layers of reality, like many of those earlier films, is the notion and processing of loss. But Anderson, who co-wrote the movie with longtime collaborator Roman Coppola, says one of his longtime leading men inspired him to assemble its pieces in the first place.

“The movie ends up being about grief, but it evolved into that,” Anderson tells Variety. “Roman Coppola and I started this one with the idea that we wanted to build something around a role for Jason Schwartzman.”

He and Schwartzman, one of Coppola’s cousins, have worked together since he cast the then-young actor as precocious,...

Photo credit: Sony Pictures

In “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” our hero Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is transported to a dimension where dozens of other Spider-heroes reside — or at least intersect like threads on a web.

There’s Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac), the leader of this Spider Society. His right hand is Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman (Issa Rae), who shares the same superhero name as Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld). You won’t confuse them though, as each hero has his/her own distinct character design and animation style.

Here’s a complete (and spoiler-free) “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” cast and character guide.

Photo credit: Sony Pictures Animation/Getty

Miles Morales/Spider-Man

Voiced by: Shameik Moore

Now 15-years-old, Miles is dealing with a lot of teenage issues: feeling isolated/lonely due to his secret life, college/career planning, and trying to be the best son he can. He resides on...