News

Netflix has officially boarded “The Sand Castle” that sees Lebanese multi-hyphenate Nadine Labaki reunite on screen with “Capernaum” siblings Zain and Reman Al Rafeea.

The streaming giant has set a Jan. 24, 2025, global drop date for the hotly anticipated thriller.

U.S. director Matty Brown — whose shorts have won accolades — makes his feature film debut with “The Sand Castle” which is the tale of an Arabic family of four stuck on a seemingly idyllic island. There, the family begins to uncover dark secrets that they struggle to keep from their youngest, Jana.

“As events spiral out of control and the line between reality and fiction blurs, the family is forced to confront harsh truths and difficult choices, testing their resilience and their hopes of making it back home,” says the provided synopsis.

The film’s ensemble cast also features Palestinian actor Ziad Bakri (“Meet the Barbarians”).

Brown co-wrote “Sand Castle” with...

All October long, Cracked is catching up with some of the greatest writers in Simpsons history to discuss the most beloved segments from the “Treehouse of Horror” series. From the cursed monkey’s paw to Krusto the Clown, we’re digging into the making of some real fan-favorites.

When it comes to The Simpsons, longtime showrunner Al Jean has seen just about everything. Which means that when he’s picking show favorites, the competition is fierce. Maybe never more so than among “Treehouse of Horror” episodes, as he was half of the creative team behind the second one (with his stalwart writing partner Mike Reiss), and he’s played a role in pretty much every installment since.

When I ask him and Reiss for a favorite, though, the answer comes pretty easy: Season 26’s “Treehouse of Horror Xxv.”

Per usual, it contained three segments, all written by Stephanie Gillis. The first was “School Is Hell,...

Grupo Globo, the biggest production force in Latin America, has sold the format of the major hit drama series “The Others” for Greece and German-speaking territories and the format for the anthology series “Justice” for Greece, Variety can exclusively announce.

In Greece, “Justice: Life is Not Fair” will be produced by Primavisione and broadcast by Alpha. In “the case of The Others”, the agreement provides for production and exhibition by Alpha.

For German-speaking territories, ndF (neue deutsche Filmgesellschaft) takes over production on “The Others” and may add a partner for exhibition.

Created by Manuela Dias (“A Mother’s Love”), “Justice: Life is Not Fair” was nominated for the International Emmy for Best Actress with Adriana Esteves and for Best Drama Series. “The Others”, by Lucas Paraizo (“Under Pressure”), follows two neighboring couples who clash after their teenage sons’ fight with absurd and escalating consequences.

Angela Colla, head of international business and coproductions,...

What’s the difference between a psychological horror and a psychological thriller?

Well, it could be as simple as comparing the style of Stanley Kubrick to that of David Fincher. One is in love with emotional turmoil, and the other paints vivid images of realistic terror.

Psychological horror is not about catch and release — the formula of most horror thrillers. Most horror films you can think of fall into the cozy genres of suspense thriller (Silence of the Lambs), psychological thriller (Jacob’s Ladder), or slasher (The Strangers).

(Warner Bros. (Max screenshot))

You’re outrunning Art the Clown, Michael Myers, or Freddy Krueger when you watch a thriller.When you watch a psychological thriller, you’re figuring out a mystery in real time with the protagonist.

You’re figuring out the horrible truth of your fate, like Grace in The Others, or uncovering a diabolical plot, like in Chris in Get Out.

Gabriel Macht only needed his role as Harvey Specter to establish a name for himself in the industry. He played the role for nine seasons of the USA network show Suits starting in 2011. Macht recalled that when he took on the role, it was the first time since 2000 that he played a series role. He tried to bring too much character development for Harvey in Season 1 itself before realizing his mistake.

Gabriel Macht as Harvey Specter in Suits | Credits: USA Network

Macht and his Suits show gained recent attention when it began streaming on Netflix. It may have even resulted in the greenlighting of the spinoff show, Suits: L.A., starring Arrow actor Stephen Amell. The revival of the show even brought a cult following to Macht’s other role as the masked superhero in The Spirit.

Gabriel Macht’s Mistake May Have Ruined Suits In A Big Way In Season...

In a groundbreaking move, European powerhouse Beta Film and Grupo Globo, the biggest production force in Latin America, have inked a multi-year partnership, kicked off by development on ‘Discipline,’ from Konrad Dantas and Felipe Braga, the creative team behind “Sintonia,” Netflix’s biggest hit in Brazil.

“Discipline” marks Beta Film’s first series outside Europe, but head Jan Mojto has always been alert to new creative hubs, entering Central and Eastern Europe years before most competitors, a move now reaping rewards.

Created by writer-director-producer Dantas, founder of KondZilla, owner of the biggest YouTube channel in Latin America, and Braga, “Discipline” will be produced by KondZilla, which has also won an International Emmy, a Latin Grammy and three Cannes Lions, and Lb Entertainment, co-headed by Braga, for Globo, Beta Film and Janeiro Studios, the newly established production boutique led by former Beta Cco Koby Gal Raday.

Globo has exclusive rights in...

Australian actress Nicole Kidman began her professional career in 1983 with an appearance in the holiday film "Bush Christmas," and followed it immediately with Brian Trenchard-Smith's very watchable teens-rule actioner "BMX Bandits." She was 16 at the time. Kidman was a striking screen presence, however, and she immediately began a busy career that hasn't slowed since. For six years, Kidman was all over Aussie TV and cinema, with the actress finally breaking into Hollywood in 1989 with her role in the taut thriller "Dead Calm." In 1990, she was cast opposite Tom Cruise in Tony Scott's "Days of Thunder," and her superstar status was cemented. She also began dating Cruise that year, and they married in 1990, staying one of Hollywood's most visible power couples for a decade. 

Kidman was drawn to a great variety of projects, appearing in costume dramas, comedies, FX-based blockbusters, Oscar bait nonsense, and bonkers experiments like "Dogville," "Fur,...

Like witches, vampires, and zombies, ghosts can be scary as hell. But there is something about the stories of lingering dead spirits that can be both awe-inspiring and spooky at once. The often invisible presence of ghosts allows filmmakers to explore the unsettling aspects of character psychology through the use of sound and space. Some of the best ghost stories aren’t scary at all; instead, they liberate directors from the restrictions of space and time to mine spiritual and existential depths. It’s a genre that has attracted some of the medium’s greatest artists to create some of their finest work.

One of the great aspects of ghost stories are their ambiguity, how their presence reflects more on the humans who see them then the spectral beings themselves. Maybe the great, definitive ghost story in the literary world is Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw,” his 1898 novella...

This essay by Kate Siegel on her favorite horror movie is one of several contributed as part of Variety’s 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time package.

Reality is subjective. If what I see as blue can be your red, what else is just perception? To keep a grip on sanity, we ignore that thought knocking at the back of our brains. That spinning, mind-melting feeling that makes us question the very earth under our feet and leaves us changed forever.

This is the bleeding heart at the center of “The Others” — a haunting, dread-filled waltz of a movie directed by Alejandro Amenábar and starring Nicole Kidman as Grace, a woman who lives with her two photosensitive children on her darkened old family estate. We’re wrapped up in their family as they begin to believe their house is haunted, and then… I won’t spoil one of my favorite cinematic twists of all time.

Madrid’s 4th Iberseries & Platino Industria’s conferences were packed, foot traffic at Madrid’s Matadero, a former slaughterhouse, was heavy. Delegates came as the industry has been facing a well documented perfect storm of rising costs and an invested pull back from streamers and broadcasters, hit respectively by cost-contention and plunging ad sales.

Yet the mood at Iberseries, which wrapped Friday, was “hopeful,” said Fremantle’s Manuel Martí. Takeaways from this year’s edition, which ran Oct. 1-4:

Spain Stands Strong

“The big slow-down hasn’t yet got to Spain,” Banijay Iberia CEO Pilar Blasco commented on an Iberseries & Platino panel. Spain’s shoot incentives are among Europe’s biggest – €10 million-€18 million ($10.9 million-$19.7 million) per TV episode. Spain had more and bigger first-half non-English Netflix hits than any other country in the world. In contrast, through September, first-run scripted series production is down in every major market in Latin America,...

Debuting feature film directors Karrie Crouse and Will Joines describe their cinematic inspirations for Hold Your Breath as a bit of Kubrick’s The Shining and The Others with the visual panache of Malick’s Days of Heaven. After seeing the Searchlight film, which had its world premiere as one of the Toronto Film Festival’s Special Presentations last month and will begin streaming Friday on Hulu, I thought more of another movie, now 40 years old. Places in the Heart won Sally Field a second Oscar (“You really like me!”) as a widow in Depression-era North Texas trying to survive the elements threatening her farm and her two young children.

I also thought a bit about the great Todd Haynes 1995 drama Safe, with Julianne Moore hiding behind a gas mask to avoid the dangers in our environment. This film falls short of those but is memorable enough to make an impression all its own.

The rise of spirtualism, mediums, and séances in the 1800s is an endlessly fascinating topic, especially when you consider that, for all of the people that were committing fraud, what if some of them were really contacting the dead? Having read the first issue of Séance in the Asylum, I am very excited to read more, and I was just as thrilled to catch up with Clay McLeod Chapman to talk all about the new series.

The mid-late 1800s are such a fascinating time when it comes to mysticism and the occult. What inspired the idea behind Séance in the Asylum?

I had two guiding lights for Séance in the Asylum. First, I’ve always been a fan of the Fox Sisters. I’m dying to write something for them, about them, some day. I had a feature in development for years and it just fizzled… but I’ve been...

“Lost” premiered on ABC on Sept. 22, 2004, but one of its key players didn’t appear until Season 2: Villain-you-love-to-hate Benjamin Linus, played with spooky intensity by Michael Emerson.

Among the biggest questions on the show, along with what was the black smoke and what was in the hatch, was whether the castaways of Flight 815 could trust a stranger they found in the jungle who claimed to be a stranded balloonist named Henry Gale. Spoiler: No. His real name was Benjamin Linus and they could never trust that slippery weasel.

On the show’s 20th anniversary, TheWrap spoke with Emerson about the “magic” of the show’s night-time shoots, his favorite scene partner and how his role — which was originally just a three-episode guest shot — became a pivotal part of the series.

The actor, whose went on to play an even more diabolical villain on “Evil,” said that the early ’00s hit can never be recreated,...

“Hold Your Breath“ is directors Karrie Crouse and Will Joines’ debut feature, developed as part of the Sundance Institute’s Writer’s Lab program and likely a passion project. Unfortunately, due to an extremely familiar and well-worn cabin fever premise, it offers a highly repetitive and derivative experience – and cannot escape the shadow of its numerous predecessors that have covered similar ground. It does for dust what Alejandro Amenábar’s “The Others” did for light, but lacks its formal command, tactile texture,s, and enveloping atmosphere.

Continue reading ‘Hold Your Breath’ Review: A Fantastic Sarah Paulson Can’t Save Formulaic Horror Drama [TIFF] at The Playlist.

On Tuesday September 3 2024, Investigation Discovery broadcasts Born Evil: The Serial Killer and the Savior!

The Others Season 1 Episode 4 Episode Summary

A new episode of “Born Evil: The Serial Killer and the Savior” titled “The Others” is set to air soon on Investigation Discovery. In this gripping installment, viewers will see Jack continue his complex relationship with Hadden, a man with a dark past. Jack takes on the role of a guiding figure, almost like a modern-day Jesus, as he tries to understand Hadden’s life and the horrors he has experienced.

Hadden begins to open up, sharing more about his brutal history through his words, writings, and even his cryptic artwork. This episode promises to delve deep into the mind of a serial killer and explore the chilling details of his life. Jack’s efforts to connect with Hadden may reveal shocking truths that have been hidden for decades.

In a pivotal moment,...

Like a sheep in wolf’s clothing, Halina Reijn’s surprisingly genteel “Babygirl” might bare the occasional fang, but it doesn’t have much bite. For all the superficial similarities to “50 Shades of Grey” — here too setting a lightly sadomasochistic relationship within a world of affluence, all while tacking on a much dreaded age-gap imbalance to send social media’s most ardent moralists into a tizzy — this dom-com plays more like an outré spin on “Working Girl,” updating Reagan-era wishcasting for the social set that has decided Kamala Is Brat.

Premiering at this year’s Venice Film Festival and set for release this December, “Babygirl” could easily emerge as a holiday season guilty pleasure, a sexy-but-never-dangerous star romp that streamlines kink for maximum commercial play. Teasing out fantasies of power exchange in the safest possible space, audiences can have their cake and eat it too — even if the...

Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan is returning to the trenches with Zoe Saldaña for Lioness Season 2, premiering Sunday, October 27. The espionage thriller is filming in Texas, with MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios leading the charge. Zoe Saldaña leads the drama as Joe McNamara, the hard-lined chief of the CIA’s Lioness program. With her female undercover operatives willing to embrace any mission, the group assassinates the world’s most dangerous terrorists. Today, Paramount is thrilled to share the premiere date for Lioness Season 2 alongside a gallery of first-look photos from upcoming episodes.

Here’s the official synopsis for Lioness Season 2 courtesy of Paramount+:

As the CIA’s fight against terror moves closer to home, Joe (Saldaña), Kaitlyn (Kidman), and Byron (Kelly) enlist a new Lioness operative to infiltrate a previously unknown threat. With pressure mounting from all sides, Joe is forced to confront the profound personal sacrifices she has...

Celebrated actress Nicole Kidman has expressed interest in exploring intense horror genres in future film projects. In a recent interview with L’Officiel USA magazine, the 57-year-old Oscar winner said she wants to take on more frightening roles. “I’ve not done classic horror yet. Hardcore horror,” Kidman stated. “I’m putting it out there, because I watch hardcore horror.”

Kidman is known for diverse performances in movies across different genres. She has starred in psychological thrillers like The Others and Stoker. However, she has yet to perform in mainstream horror films. The actress said she is a fan of director Ti West, who makes scary movies like X, Pearl, and MaXXXine. Kidman also wants to potentially work with Australian filmmaker James Wan, best known for horror films, on a terrifying project.

While Kidman has starred in big-budget superhero movies like Batman Forever and Aquaman, she said those decisions were not driven by money.

Nicole Kidman is easily one of the most talented and beloved A-list actresses of our time, with countless accolades and a lengthy (and fascinating) filmography under her belt, it's hard to imagine that there's anything Kidman hasn't done yet. Except, apparently, there is at least one genre she hasn't had the chance to dabble in as much just yet.

During a recent profile piece for the magazine L'Officiel USA, Kidman revealed that she's a big horror fan. She specifically said that she enjoys watching "hardcore horror," even citing the Australian horror flick Talk to Me as a recent favorite of hers.

Throughout her decades in the business, Kidman has starred in plenty of dark dramas, many of them psychological, but the closest she's come to the horror genre is with thrillers like the (excellent) gothic ghost story The Others, Park Chan-wook's Stoker, and The Killing of the Sacred Deer by director Yorgos Lanthimos.

In the gripping episode titled “The Others” from Season 1 of “Born Evil: The Serial Killer and the Savior,” viewers delve deeper into the chilling world of Hadden Clark. This episode airs at 9:00 Pm on Investigation Discovery. Jack continues his complex relationship with Hadden, maintaining his role as a figure of support as Hadden begins to reveal more about his dark past. Through haunting words, unsettling writings, and cryptic artwork, Hadden exposes the brutality of his life, painting a disturbing picture of a serial killer’s mind.

As the narrative unfolds, Jack collaborates with the FBI to unravel the twisted history behind Hadden and his family, notorious for their decades of crimes. The investigation brings to light shocking revelations about their actions, giving viewers a deeper understanding of the sinister legacy that haunts Hadden. The combination of psychological intrigue and crime-solving makes this episode a must-watch for true crime enthusiasts,...

Ayvianna Snow, an actor ‘fast becoming the British Queen of Horror’ (Sean Cronin), stars in two highly anticipated new British independent films, Bogieville and Derelict, both set to make their World premiere at this year’s FrightFest 25th Anniversary event in London this month. We catch up with Ayvianna for a chat.

You have two new films premiering at FrightFest this month, can you tell us a bit more about them?

In Bogieville I play a vampire called Mary. Bogieville is an intriguing tale set in a derelict American trailer park. It follows the story of a young couple who find themselves lured in by the sinister caretaker, ‘Crawford’. Unbeknownst to them, Crawford is the guardian of the park’s residents, a pack of blood-thirsty hillbilly vampires. The film is directed by the renowned British filmmaker and actor Sean Cronin, who also stars as the lead vampire.

Derelict is Director...

Warning: contains spoilers for…well, loads of stuff.

Before we start this article, we need to deliver possibly one of the most comprehensive spoiler warnings in the history of the site, as this article will contain spoilers for Doctor Who series 14, The Twilight Zone episodes “Five Characters in Search of an Exit”, “To Serve Man”, “Nothing in the Dark”, “Death Ship”, “Judgement Night”, “The Hitch Hiker”, “Eye of the Beholder”, the Black Mirror episodes “Playtest” and “Hang the DJ”, and the movies, Existenz, Vanilla Sky, The Thirteenth Floor, The Usual Suspects, Planet of the Apes, The Village, Citizen Kane, Memento, The Others, The Sixth Sense, Fight Club and the books La Planète des singes, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Cinderella, and the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan.

Twist endings have always been a bit of a double-edged sword. When they land right, they’re brilliant and clever and beloved,...

Deadpool & Wolverine is now playing in theaters and is on its way to a monster weekend at the box office, thanks to a positive critical reception and an extremely strong word of mouth as more and more fans across the globe laud Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman's long-overdue MCU debut.

**This article contains Major spoilers from Deadpool & Wolverine, so proceed with caution!**

With the film featuring a vast number of cameos and special appearances (some of which were revealed during their Hall H presentation last night), we thought it would be smart to compile of list of every character that appears in the film and what happens to them after crossing paths with the Merc with a Mouth and Logan.

Keep scrolling to find out!

In our review, we said, "Deadpool & Wolverine is the ultimate Marvel movie, a non-stop blockbuster entertainer with a heart of red and gold.

Globoplay, the freemium streaming service of Brazilian media giant Globo, has renewed flagship series “Dissident Archangel” for a fourth season as Latin America’s biggest local streamer is hitting pay dust forging franchises of its own making, led by stylish crime action thrillers which question their own brutality.

“Sessão de Terapia,” Brazil’s equivalent of “In Treatment,” both re-versioning Israeli original “BeTipul,” has also been re-upped for a sixth season.

The renewals come after acclaimed ER drama “Under Pressure,” screened at Toronto, ran to five instalments over 2017-22; “The Others” returns this August and “Rensga Hits!” later this year, with a third season completing production.

Brazil’s First ‘Afroverso’: ‘Anti-Kidnapping Unit,’ ‘Dissident Archangel,’ ‘The Game’

Why Globoplay homegrown franchises are lifting off is another question. The most impactful answer is three series made with AfroReggae Audiovisual, the film-tv offshoot of Grupo Cultural AfroReggae, a Rio-based Ngo created to offer...

10. It Comes at Night (2017)

If it’s not a zombie apocalypse movie, it’s rare to see the “Earth is devastated by a pandemic of a highly contagious disease” as a horror movie premise, but It Comes at Night does it — and does it beautifully. In this movie, it’s the suspense that gets you, as a family barely surviving alone in the lost world is joined by another young couple. Watch It Comes at Night on Max, Apple TV, and Prime Video.

9. The Endless (2017)

It’s hard to look best at one’s past when it’s terrifying, but two adult brothers decide to do it. As kids, they escaped a bizarre UFO death cult, but years later, they receive a tape inviting them back and decide to check in with their old “family.” But soon, they learn that no one of the cultists sent them the tape. Something else is at play…...

10. It Comes at Night (2017)

If it’s not a zombie apocalypse movie, it’s rare to see the “Earth is devastated by a pandemic of a highly contagious disease” as a horror movie premise, but It Comes at Night does it — and does it beautifully. In this movie, it’s the suspense that gets you, as a family barely surviving alone in the lost world is joined by another young couple. Watch It Comes at Night on Max, Apple TV, and Prime Video.

9. The Endless (2017)

It’s hard to look best at one’s past when it’s terrifying, but two adult brothers decide to do it. As kids, they escaped a bizarre UFO death cult, but years later, they receive a tape inviting them back and decide to check in with their old “family.” But soon, they learn that no one of the cultists sent them the tape. Something else is at play…...

This article contains Lost spoilers.

In a world where AI deepfakes can crash markets and fake news can disrupt elections, preserving the truth is more important than ever. Of course, that’s something Lost diehards have understood for a long time. That’s because fans of ABC’s early 2000s sci-fi drama know that misinformation can do something far worse than endanger the fate of the world: it can cause someone to misinterpret the ending of your favorite TV show.

The final episode of Lost first premiered on Sunday, May 23, 2010. From the moment that credits began to roll on “The End,” folks have continually misunderstood what actually happened. The phenomenon began that very night, with none other than the paper of record, The New York Times, publishing an episodic review that misinterpreted a key element of the finale. Over the years, that initial misinterpretation has evolved into an unshakable pop cultural meme: “Lost?...

Bill Cobbs, an actor who worked so steadily over decades that he was immediately recognizable to most TV- and movie viewers, died Tuesday at his home in California. He was 90.

Cobbs’ family announced the death on Facebook. “We are saddened to share the passing of Bill Cobbs. On Tuesday, June 25, Bill passed away peacefully at his home in California,” the post reads. “A beloved partner, big brother, uncle, surrogate parent, godfather and friend, Bill recently and happily celebrated his 90th birthday surrounded by cherished loved ones. As a family we are comforted knowing Bill has found peace and eternal rest with his Heavenly Father.

Bill Cobbs, a prolific film and TV actor with memorable performances in Night At The Museum, Brother From Another Planet, Oz The Great And Powerful, The Sopranos and dozens of others, died surrounded by family Tuesday, June 25, of natural causes at his home in Inland Empire, California. He was 90.

His death was announced by family members on Facebook, and confirmed to Deadline by his publicist Chuck I. Jones.

“We are saddened to share the passing of Bill Cobbs,” wrote brother Thomas G. Cobbs. “On Tuesday, June 25, Bill passed away peacefully at his home in California. A beloved partner, big brother, uncle, surrogate parent, godfather and friend, Bill recently and happily celebrated his 90th birthday surrounded by cherished loved ones. As a family we are comforted knowing Bill has found peace and eternal rest with his Heavenly Father. We ask for your prayers and encouragement during this time.”

Said Jones, “Bill...

Sad news to report today as it has been confirmed that legendary character actor Bill Cobbs has died at the age of 90. The actor’s publicist, Chuck I. Jones, told TMZ that Cobbs passed away at his home in Riverside. He recently celebrated his 90th birthday. Cobbs leaves behind an incredible body of work, with memorable roles in movies such as The Hudsucker Proxy, The Bodyguard, That Thing You Do!, Ghosts of Mississippi, Night at the Museum, and so much more.

After serving for eight years in the U.S. Air Force, Cobbs sold cars and worked for Ibm before he decided to give acting a try. After appearing in various theater productions, he made his feature film debut in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. “I came back home to see my mom and dad, and all our friends and neighbors went to see the movie, and everyone was waiting for my appearance,...

Bill Cobbs, the convincing character actor who had pivotal turns in such films as The Hudsucker Proxy, Sunshine State and Night at the Museum, has died. He was 90.

Cobbs died Tuesday night at his home in Riverside, his publicist, Chuck I. Jones, told TMZ.

A native of Cleveland who excelled at comedy as well as drama, Cobbs portrayed Whitney Houston’s manager in The Bodyguard (1992), the older brother of Medgar Evers in Rob Reiner’s Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), a jazz pianist in Tom Hanks’ That Thing You Do! (1996) and the Master Tinker, builder of the Tin Woodsman, in Sam Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful (2013).

He also played the wise coach who put a basketball-playing dog into the Timberwolves lineup in Air Bud (1997).

On television, Cobbs stood out as the sardonic bartender The Dutchman on the Dabney Coleman-starring The Slap Maxwell Story, the bus driver Tony on The Drew Carey Show,...

by Mark Brinkerhoff

Jersey, the Channel Islands

1945

A screaming, terrified-looking Grace Stewart, played by an eerily put-together Nicole Kidman, awakens from a frightful dream (?) in the opening scene of Alejandro Amenábar’s wonderfully gothic 2001 thriller. Introduced in the vein of a spooky European fairy tale, The Others begins bracingly and basically doesn’t quit for all of its perfectly crafted 100 or so minutes. It’s a ghost story with ghostly storytelling beats from a pre-9/11 world of filmmaking. Released in the halcyon days of late summer 2001, The Others arrived with a pretty sterling production-distribution team at its back, despite its relatively slim ($17 million) budget: [Tom] Cruise-[Paula] Wagner Productions, Dimension Films and Studio Canal distributors. Having already announced—and by then finalized—a bombshell divorce from Cruise, Kidman appeared to have quite a bit of her own star power riding on the Cruise-produced film. Fortunately for her, The Others turned out to be an unqualified success…...

The darkness enveloped me, and despite the summer heat outside, the air in the building was cool. I sat in silence, intently focused, anticipating what happened next, but not quite prepared. I tensed up upon seeing the spectral woman directly ahead of me. She silently floated, translucent and seemingly unaware — until at last facing me and lunging with a guttural growl as her face distorted into some horrific entity.

This memory is entirely true; it is a ghost story, but not one that took place in a haunted house. Rather, the setting was a haunted library, projected on screen in a movie theater during one of my many viewings of Ghostbusters.

Released 40 years ago on June 8, 1984 — the same day as Gremlins and three weeks after Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom — Ghostbusters became a pop-culture phenomenon and box office juggernaut. Written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis — inspired by...

Romantic comedies are back, baby! After the success of Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell’s Anyone but You and Lindsay Lohan’s Irish Wish, studios’ wallets are pitter-patting for amor with a touch of giggle juice. Netflix is coming into Monday with a first look at the streamer’s upcoming romantic comedy A Family Affair, starring Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, and Joey King.

Richard Lagravenese directs A Family Affair from a screenplay by Carrie Solomon. The tangled web of emotions revolves around a surprising romance that kicks off comic consequences for a young woman, her mother, and her movie star boss as they face the complications of love, sex, and identity. Liza Koshy and the legendary Kathy Bates also star.

Netflix’s first look at A Family Affair includes a gallery of stills from the movie showing the primary players sorting their emotions, medical mishaps, and, if I’m not mistaken,...

“I think it was Andy Warhol who said, “Make art and let others decide whether it is good or bad. But while they are deciding, make some more”.

That was the line with which Nicole Kidman ended her 15-minute acceptance speech after Meryl Streep had presented her with the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award.

That is something that seems entirely appropriate for Kidman, who doesn’t seem to stop “making art,” taking risks at every turn, telling stories through her power not just as an actor, but also a producer dedicated to bringing those stories to screens big and small. At 56, she is on the younger side of the previous 48 recipients of this very high honor, the first Australian to receive it. And someone very much in the middle of creating those life achievements that led to last night’s honor at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, where a large...

Four decades after her feature debut in 1983’s BMX Bandits, Oscar and two-time Emmy winner Nicole Kidman is set to receive a history-making honor: the AFI Life Achievement Award, which for the first time in 49 years will go to an Australian performer. But the (American-born) Kidman considers herself a part of world cinema, having worked with such renowned filmmakers as Stanley Kubrick (Eyes Wide Shut), Jane Campion (The Portrait of a Lady), Park Chan-wook (Stoker), Sofia Coppola (The Beguiled), Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!) and Jonathan Glazer (Birth). The actress and producer reflects on how the honor represents both a robust career and a life well traveled.

You’ve received many awards throughout your career. What is so special about this honor?

The list of honorees that have come before me. I’m floored, actually, because there are so few, and there are no Australians. I was overwhelmed by it.

Do...

Let’s talk about those incredible and most famous actors who’ve become the faces we recognize and love on the big screen.

As someone who practically lives for movie nights and marathons, I’m thrilled to take you on a ride through the world of legendary actors and their unforgettable roles.

We’re about to dive into a collection of movie magic where actors turn into characters we can’t help but root for.

So, grab your popcorn and get ready to celebrate the Hollywood stars who’ve made us fall in love with their talent and the movies they’ve brought to life!

1. Meryl Streep – The Queen of Versatility

Meryl Streep‘s name is practically synonymous with unparalleled acting prowess.

With a staggering number of accolades, including three Academy Awards, Streep has showcased her unmatched versatility in a wide range of films.

From the heartwarming “Mamma Mia!” to the powerful “Sophie’s Choice,...

Have you ever experienced that electrifying moment in a film when everything you thought you knew gets flipped on its head?

I know I have, and let me tell you, there’s nothing quite like the rush of adrenaline that comes from a jaw-dropping twist ending.

Join me on a thrilling cinematic adventure as we dive deep into the realm of mind-bending twist endings.

From the classics that stunned audiences to the hidden gems that deserve more attention, we’re about to embark on a journey through the twists and turns that make movie magic genuinely unforgettable.

Get comfy because the surprises are about to begin!

A Personal Quest for Unforgettable Endings

As a devoted film enthusiast, I’ve always cherished the rollercoaster of emotions that movies can evoke.

Yet, those moments of sheer shock and awe have etched themselves into my memories.

From the palpable gasps of disbelief to...

After the conclusion of each Academy Awards ceremony, I always go back and rewatch the telecast from start to finish. I want to pick up on all of the things that I might have missed during my initial viewing. I especially like to study the nominees’ reactions each time an envelope is opened — particularly for the major categories when the famous five-camera shot is strategically displayed on the TV screen. I always rewind the moment that each winner is announced, so that I can carefully study the look on each individual’s face both before and after the big reveal.

As we all know, this year’s Best Actress race was the only above-the-line race with any real suspense. That it made it all the more fascinating when reigning Best Actress Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) announced that the torch would be passed on to Emma Stone in “Poor Things.

Exclusive: Pierre Morel, the veteran action director behind Taken, has been tapped to direct a feature based on the popular racing Nft Reactor Motors from the company of the same name, Deadline has learned.

The film will be produced by Morel, Mike Bundlie and Barry Levine of Abstract Entertainment, and Renee Tab of Sentient Entertainment.

Created by artist and Abstract co-founder Bundlie, Reactor Motors‘ storyline follows geophysicist Eva Mason as she accidentally discovers a new mineral she calls Reykium while researching geothermal energy in Iceland’s volcanoes. The mineral is energetically reactive to metal which she and her team convert into the future of clean energy race cars in hopes of making it globally available. Subsequently, her team’s racing wins catch the attention of an energy conglomerate that will do anything to acquire the Reykium engine.

“Pierre is the perfect director for Reactor with his...

Berlin-winning Argentine helmer Ariel Rotter debuts his latest feature “A Blue Bird” (“Un Pájaro Azul”) to Spanish audiences in Málaga this week, the film screening in a particularly robust out-of-competition 19 title lineup that include Benito Zembrano’s “Jumping the Fence” and Morena Films-backed “Puntos Suspensivos,” from David Marqués.

Produced by Argentina’s Tarea Fina, behind “Sublime” and Cannes Camera d’Or winner “Las Acacias,” alongside Uruguay’s Montelona Cine (“Nunchaku”), the film follows Javier (Alfonso Tort) and his partner Valeria (Julieta Zylberberg), as they navigate their exhausting six-year battle to conceive a child.

Scenes sit still, sometimes in silence between the pair as they embrace, breathe, sigh, indicative of the love poured into their struggle.

“In the years that my partner and I spent trying to become parents, we went through periods of great uncertainty that strengthened us and wore us down at the same time. The feeling of those years is reflected,...

It may not match last year’s sheer quantity in competition strands, but Spain still boasts a high quality presence at the Berlinale. Following, highlights the festival and EFM:

“Every You Every Me,” (Michael Fetter Nathansky)

A factory worker strives to reconnect with her distant husband, exploring the rediscovery of love within the complexities of relationships. From Contando Films, Studio Zentral, Network Movie and Nephilim, a German-Spanish production.

“Cura Sana,” (Lucía G. Romero)

Produced by Escac Films, this Generation 14plus premiere delves into sisters’ lives shaped by ancestral violence, exploring deep familial bonds and lasting impact of abuse.

“Deprisa, Deprisa,” (Carlos Saura)

A classic: Set to a memorable flamenco-pop score, four young Madrid delinquents pull robberies, snort heroin, steal cars the film capturing the raw energy youth and their vague, but visceral sense of ‘liberty.’ A restoration of a seminal work.

“The Human Hibernation,” (Anna Cornudella)

A sci-fi exploration of siblings undergoing hibernation,...

Principal photography is set to begin in April on “The Captive” (“El Cautivo”), the period adventure epic from Alejandro Amenábar, whose “The Sea Inside” won an Oscar for best foreign language film. Film Constellation has boarded worldwide sales, and will introduce the project to buyers at the European Film Market.

The film centers on the origin story of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of the iconic novel “Don Quixote.” At the age of 28, Cervantes was taken captive by the Moors in Algiers, leading to his creative birth.

The $15 million production will shoot at locations in Spain including Valencia, Alicante and Seville.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures is on board to release the film in Spain next year.

The film is set in Algiers in 1575 when Cervantes, a wounded 28-year-old Spanish Navy soldier, is held prisoner by Ottoman corsairs. Faced with a ticking clock, a cruel death awaits him should his...

Experience the sequel to the highest-grossing DC film of all time when “Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom” debuts for purchase and rental Digitally at home on January 23. The film is directed by James Wan with Jason Momoa reprising his role as Arthur Curry along with returning stars Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Academy Award Winner Nicole Kidman. The film will also be available to purchase on 4K Uhd, Blu-ray and DVD on ... Read more...

“Death of a loved one can lead people to do the strangest things.”

Of all the female killers in the wide world of cinema, few strike such an abhorrent cord as a mother who kills her children. Assumed to be natural caregivers and expected to automatically love their offspring, we place a special taboo on the women who not only fail to protect their kids, but actively cause their deaths. But mothers are not only human beings with complex inner lives, they are flawed, fallible, and just as likely to be cruel as the rest of society. Few films explore the mindset of a murderous mother like Alejandro Amenábar’s The Others. Within the trappings of a classic ghost story, this gorgeous film views its tragic heroine with a compassionate lens, extending an olive branch to a woman who has done the unthinkable. As the fog closes in and intruders threaten her carefully constructed life,...

The episode of Revisited covering The Others was Written, Edited, and Narrated by Ric Solomon, Produced by Tyler Nichols and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

If you go into any AMC theater in the past year, you’ve been graced with one of the best theater chain openings of all time. I’m sure anyone watching this video knows exactly what I’m referring to. If not, it’s none other than Nicole Kidman welcoming you to the movies. Her onscreen presence has been nothing short of incredible. She has starred in some truly great films such as Eyes Wide Shut, Moulin Rouge, Cold Mountain, and this writer’s favorite Practical Magic. But back in 2001, Nicole teamed up with Alejandro Amenabar to make one of the creepiest supernatural horror flicks of all time. It’s a film that was not only a big box office success, but...

Grief takes many forms. It gets inside your bones and could change you after siphoning your energy and reducing you to a shadow of your former self. In today’s Expats trailer, Margaret (Nicole Kidman) encounters a level of grief no parent should suffer, and as her emotions pull her into an abyss, loved ones attempt to remove her from the brink of darkness. Expats, the six-part limited series from the brilliant directorial eye of Lulu Wang (The Farewell), comes to Prime Video on February 23, 2024.

“Set against the vibrant and tumultuous tapestry of 2014 Hong Kong, Expats centers on three American women—Margaret (Nicole Kidman), Hilary (Sarayu Blue), and Mercy (Ji-young Yoo)—whose lives intersect after a sudden family tragedy,” reads the official Expats synopsis. “The series interrogates privilege and explores what happens when the line between victimhood and culpability becomes blurred. Brian Tee plays Margaret’s husband Clarke, and Jack Huston...

New Amazon Prime Video series “Los Farad,” released Dec. 12, takes a look at the Cold War from one of its strangest geo-political hubs, 1980s Málaga. The action-packed show follows a family that is normal in many ways, despite earning a luxurious living as arms traffickers.

Part of a determinedly diverse and burgeoning lineup at Spain’s Prime Video, “Los Farad” is a high-profile prestige package starring Miguel Herrán – who plays Rio in “Money Heist” and Cristián in “Elite” – and the on-the-rise Susana Abaitúa, who delivered a tearaway performance in Netflix rom-com “Crazy About Her.”

Co-created by Alejandro Aménabar co-scribe Alejandro Hernández, “Los Farad” is directed by Mariano Barroso in his fifth collaboration with Hernández.

Emerging as one of Spain’s most notable drama series directors in an age of premium fiction, Barroso has extracted terrific, nuanced performances in series set in Spain’s recent past, such as “The Invisible Line” and “What the Future Holds.

Happy Ho ho horrordays! As the jingle bells start to ring and the snow begins to fall, Nightmare on Film Street is gearing up for our spine-chilling annual event – the #12DaysofKrampus Holiday Horror Movie Challenge! Starting December 13th and leading up to the eeriest Christmas Eve you’ve ever experienced, we invite you to join us in watching a new chilly horror movie each day, inspired by our uniquely twisted prompts. Don’t forget to share your screams and scares with us on social media using #12DaysofKrampus and tag us @NightmareonFilmStreet!

Day 1: Misfit Toys

Day 1 is all about those eerie toys that just aren’t right. Think evil dolls, possessed playthings, and toys with a mind of their own. You’ll never look at your childhood teddy the same way again!

Recommended Watches: Child’s Play (1988), M3gan (2022), Dolls (1987) [More]

Day 2: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

All aboard for a journey into terror!

Three titles received €500,000.

Ildikó Enyedi’s Silent Friend is among 29 projects to receive a share of €8.1m in Eurimages’ latest round of co-production funding.

The new feature from Hungarian filmmaker Enyedi, who won Berlin’s Golden Bear for On Body And Soul in 2017, is a co-production between Germany, France and Hungary, and received €500,000 – the largest amount awarded in this round of funding. The film focuses on an ancient tree in the Botanical Gardens of the university town of Marburg to explore the relationship between man and nature.

Scroll down for full list of titles

Two more titles received €500,000: The Captive...