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He’s back, and this year before Thanksgiving, and even as #1 at iTunes.

We’re talking about the Grinch. Two Universal hits featuring the Dr. Seuss character — one live-action (Ron Howard’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” starring Jim Carrey), one animated (“The Grinch” from 2018) — both have returned to top 10 VOD lists. And with a vengeance — “How the Grinch” is #1 at iTunes (which ranks by transactions) but even more impressively #7 at Fandango. With that site calculating by revenue, the $3.99 rental cost at 20 percent of the normal $19.99 level (eight of their 10 films have that), it means a huge volume that likely made it tops in transactions there.

Netflix originals continue their hot hand, with five of the top six positions on their U.S. movie chart Monday. “The Piano Lesson,” from August Wilson’s play and featuring Danielle Deadwyler’s award-touted lead performance, is #6 at the moment after debuting at #5 over the weekend.

After a record-breaking weekend at the global box office, “Wicked” has now become the most nominated movie in the Astra Film Awards and Astra Creative Arts Awards eight-year history. The Universal Pictures film received 19 nominations including Best Picture, Best Actress for Cynthia Erivo, Best Supporting Actress for Ariana Grande, and Best Director for Jon M. Chu.

The Hollywood Creative Alliance will host two ceremonies – a luncheon and dinner – on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 at the Taglyan Complex in Los Angeles. Both ceremonies will be recorded and streamed on Knekt.tv and YouTube. Actor, comedian, and writer Peter Kim will host the Astra Creative Arts Awards and Emmy-winning comedian and host, Loni Love, will host the Astra Film Awards.

“Dune: Part Two” came in second place with a total of 15 nominations. The Denis Villeneuve sequel from Warner Bros. snagged nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Cast Ensemble, amongst many others categories.

“Wicked” led all films in nominations for the 2024 Astra Film Awards, the Hollywood Creative Coalition announced on Monday. The hit musical received a record 19 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Comedy or Musical, three acting noms and a sweep of all the below-the-line categories in which it was eligible.

The big-budget sequel “Dune: Part Two” was second with 15 nominations, while Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language musical “Emilia Perez” received 11, the body horror film “The Substance” received 10 and Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers” received nine.

Films that were not nominated in the top category include “Gladiator II,” “Nickel Boys,” “Blitz,” “September 5” and “A Complete Unknown.”

Overall, the nominations tended toward high-profile and commercial movies, with more challenging performances by Daniel Craig, Sebastian Stan, Nicole Kidman, Tilda Swinton and Marianne Jean-Baptiste overlooked in favor of, for instance, acting nominations for Naomi Scott for “Smile 2” and three separate stars of “Wicked”: Cynthia Erivo,...

If the 2025 Oscars nominations were announced today, what would Gold Derby predict as the nominees and winners? Since our predictions center opened on July 1, 2024, more than 6,000 people have made their forecasts in 18 top categories. So who’s out front to claim these golden trophies, according to the Gold Derby Oscar predictions 2025?

Below, see a snapshot in time of our racetrack odds for the 97th Academy Awards, updated on Nov. 25, 2024. See how the odds and rankings have changed over time by examining our previous Oscar snapshots on July 3, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 29, Aug. 6, Aug. 19, Aug. 28, Sept. 11, Sept. 19, Sept. 23, Sept. 30, Oct. 7, Oct. 14, Oct. 22, Oct. 28, Nov. 4, Nov. 11, and Nov. 18.

Now expected to receive a nomination since the last update: Yura Borisov (“Anora”) in Best Supporting Actor. The Neon film centers around the titular character, a sex worker (Mikey Madison) who embarks on a whirlwind romance with a client, the young son of a Russian oligarch.

If you loved the dark, intriguing journey of The Substance (2024), you’re in for a treat with two follow-up films that explore transformation and its consequences in unique ways. Like Elisabeth Sparkle’s story of self-reinvention, these movies dive deep into the personal struggles and dangers of pushing yourself to become “better” at any cost.

First up is Black Swan (2010), a haunting psychological thriller directed by Darren Aronofsky. It follows Nina Sayers, a talented ballerina played by Natalie Portman, who lands the lead role in Swan Lake. But as she fights to embody the dual roles of the innocent White Swan and the seductive Black Swan, the pressure begins to unravel her mind. Much like Elisabeth in The Substance, Nina’s drive to transform into a new version of herself takes her down a dark and destructive path. It’s a gripping look at ambition and how the desire for...

“Landman” is here. Taylor Sheridan’s latest series, based on the Texas Monthly podcast “Boomtown,” has started streaming on Paramount+, and it’s already a sensation. It’s the biggest global series premiere on Paramount+ in two years, with more than 5.2 million views on the streaming service and the Paramount Network, where it aired following the second episode of “Yellowstone” 5B.

Set in the oil fields of Texas, “Landman” is full of colorful characters essayed by some of our very best actors. Let’s get into it, shall we? Can we get a yee-haw?

Billy Bob Thornton in “Landman” (Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+) Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris

Tommy Norris is a crisis executive (basically a fixer) at a fictional oil company M-Tex Oil. In the opening scenes of the series, he is kidnapped by a Mexican cartel and forced to deal with a situation where an oil tanker...

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.

The Batman by John Dunn

The Crow by Jack C. Gregory

Dune by Tom Lathom-Sharp

Gladiator II by Jean-Baptiste Roux

Life of Pi by Mark Levy

Scream 4 by Alex Neuhedel...

Ridley Scott is the king of director’s cuts. Some of his films have been completely transformed with alternate cuts (most notably Kingdom of Heaven), and while speaking with THR earlier this month, Scott said he’s already considering an extended cut of Gladiator II.

Gladiator II clocks in at 2 hours 28 minutes, but Scott said his first cut of the sequel was a whopping 3 hours 40 minutes. “It ended around 3:40. I know that’s unrealistic. I think with the titles it’s about 2:33, so the film itself is about 2:20. I wanted to put the opening titles at the beginning, not at the end. But they ran two-and-a-half minutes — which is a long time to look at a black screen,” Scott said. “So I called up [animator Italian artist Gianluigi Toccafondo] who did my [Scott Free vanity card animation] 20 or 30 years ago and asked, “Are you still alive and want to do this?” I had him animate the elements from Gladiator.

Nominations voting is from January 8-12, 2025, with official Oscar nominations announced January 17, 2025. Final voting is February 11-18, 2025. And finally, the 97th Oscars telecast will be broadcast on Sunday, March 2 and air live on ABC at 7:00 p.m. Et/ 4:00 p.m. Pt. We update our picks through awards season, so keep checking IndieWire for all our 2025 Oscar predictions.

The State of the Race

It has already been said plenty of times, even since Cannes, but this is a really weird year for Best Picture. Academy rules have changed to make it so there will be 10 nominees no matter what, but there are only five to seven films that feel like shoo-ins for an Oscar nomination in the category.

With all the uncertainty around what films will make it in, there’s room for one or two newcomers to claim a spot. With critics having seen the last crop of major live-action awards contenders,...

The goofiest, strangest Christmas movie of 2024 has already taken over Netflix, but it seems that audiences are in the mood for more festive cheer. According to data obtained by FlixPatrol, "The Merry Gentlemen" is the latest holiday-themed caper to sleigh ride to the top of the charts in the United States. In the film, Chad Michael Murray and Britt Robertson play the lovestruck protagonists who are united by holiday magic, but there's more to this one than mushy, feel-good romance.

At first glance, "The Merry Gentleman" echoes the spotlight-obsessed ageism that informs "The Substance," aka this year's most bonkers and bloody body horror movie. Coralie Fargeat's splatterfest movie tells the story of a TV aerobics instructor who gets relieved of her duties as the network wants a younger star on its screens. Meanwhile, Peter Sullivan's "The Merry Gentlemen" sees Robertson's character, Ashley, get ousted from a Broadway...

Welcome to Oscar Experts Typing, a weekly column in which Gold Derby editors and experts Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen discuss the Oscar race — via Slack, of course. This week, we revisit Best Supporting Actress, where a new contender is ascendant.

Christopher Rosen: Hello, Joyce! I feel like this week’s column might be… popular. “Wicked” is out in theaters now, riding a wave of pre-release hype that hasn’t been seen in these parts since “Barbie.” Fans are fanning, stans are stanning, and I’ve got Ariana Grande winning Best Supporting Actress. We knew this would happen once you planted the seed, “Inception”-style, that typical Best Supporting Actress winners from musicals are more like Grande’s performance than what Zoe Saldaña does in “Emilia Pérez.” So, of course, I’ve made the swap — Ariana fans, tweet at me! — and while I’m always reactionary, it seems I’m not alone.

Will “Wicked” be more popular with the Oscars’ acting branch than we think? Could the brouhaha over Sebastian Stan and “Actors on Actors” help him? Gold Derby editors and experts Christopher Rosen and Joyce Eng are here to answer your burning questions of the week.

It’s “Wicked” mania this week as the long-awaited film hits theaters and continues to rise in various categories in the Oscar odds. Ariana Grande is in fourth place in Best Supporting Actress and Cynthia Erivo is in seventh place in Best Actress. But could its other supporting players coattail? Jonathan Bailey is in 11th place and Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh is way down in 32nd. Plus: Are the musicals subplots underdeveloped?

See Experts slugfest mailbag: ‘Emilia Pérez’ vs. ‘Wicked,’ Nicole Kidman vs. Martin Scorsese fans

Meanwhile, Stan made headlines this week when he revealed that he couldn’t do our sister site Variety‘s...

Good afternoon subscribers, Max Goldbart back in the saddle in a week that saw showcases and spin-offs galore, along with plenty controversy. Do read on. And sign up here.

‘Rust’ Comes To Poland

Torun, Poland – November 20: Cinematographer Bianca Cline (L) and film director Joel Souza (R) continue the discussions following screening of the movie ‘Rust’

Alec Baldwin Western overshadows: It would be an understatement to say that the Camerimage Film Festival had a bumpy ride in its run-up this year, but it finally kicked off this past weekend in Torun, Poland, and Zac was on the ground. This year’s edition had a bumper lineup of awards season titles such as The Brutalist and Wicked, while also managing to enlist two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett for the international competition jury. But it’s easy to understand how this buzz was comfortably overshadowed by the festival’s shock decision to...

Independent titles with strong directorial visions could be the frontrunners in a wide-open awards race, according to Screen International’s awards experts.

The Screen International Podcast · Are leftfield titles leading this year’s awards race?

In the first Screen Awards Podcast for the 2024/25 race, Screen’s editor-in-chief Matt Mueller, executive editor, reviews and new talent Fionnuala Halligan, and awards and box-office editor Charles Gant assess the contenders featured in our Bold Visions issue.

In the absence of a major studio frontrunner like last year’s Oppenheimer, leftfield titles like Emilia Perez, The Substance, Anora and Nosferatu can be major contenders in the big categories.

On this episode of Daily Dead's official podcast, co-hosts Bryan Christopher, Scott Drebit, Derek Anderson, and Jonathan James discuss what they've been watching this Halloween season, including The Substance, Smile 2, V/H/S/Beyond, Longlegs, and Terrifier 3! And as an additional autumnal treat, Derek discusses making pizza soup for this year's annual Soupfest!

Looking for more scary good Corpse Club content? Missed out on our previous episodes? Don't despair, our entire backlog is waiting for you on our website!

The post Listen to the Corpse Club Discuss Soupfest, The Substance, Smile 2, and V/H/S/Beyond on a New Episode of Daily Dead’s Official Podcast appeared first on Daily Dead.

An estimated 55 delegates from various women’s and cinematographer organizations around the world participated in a two-hour meeting on Thursday with EnergaCamerimage representatives, for what was described as a private forum to voice views and ideas as a step toward continued discussion and a goal of addressing diversity, inclusion and representation at the annual cinematography film festival. Sources who were in attendance described, in the words of one, a general “willingness to cooperate” among the participants.

The topic is at the center of a controversy that has plagued this year’s festival, which is taking place this week in Torun, Poland. The outcry heightened roughly a week before the opening ceremony when festival director Marek Zydowicz wrote a column published in Cinematography World magazine, which appeared to suggest that having greater representation of women DPs and directors in the event’s selection could lead to the inclusion of “mediocre film productions.

While this year’s Cannes competition titles such as Anora, All We Imagine as Light, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, and The Substance are in the spotlight right now, one you may have all but forgotten was Parthenope, the latest from Paolo Sorrentino. A24 has now set the film for a release this winter on February 7 and have unveiled the first trailer.

Here’s the synopsis: “Parthenope, born in the sea of Naples in 1950, searches for happiness over the long summers of her youth, falling in love with her home city and its many memorable characters. From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino comes a monumental and deeply romantic story of a lifetime.”

See the trailer below for the film starring Celeste Dalla Porta, Stefania Sandrelli, Gary Oldman, Silvio Orlando, Luisa Ranieri, Isabella Ferrari, Silvia Degrandi, Lorenzo Gleijeses, Daniele Rienzo, Dario Aita, Marlon Joubert, Alfonso Santagata, Biagio Izzo, and Peppe Lanzetta.

Critically, European films are having a hell of a year. Euro cinema is well represented in this season’s Oscar race, with the likes of Jacques Audiard’s transgender crime musical Emilia Pérez, Edward Berger’s papal thriller Conclave, Coralie Fargeat’s body horror satire The Substance, Steve McQueen’s WW2 drama Blitz, Tim Fehlbaum’s historic thriller September 5, and Pablo Almodovar’s end-of-life drama The Room Next Door, are among the award frontrunners.

Commercially, it’s another story. On Thursday, the European Audiovisual Observatory (Eao), a research body, published its annual report on the theatrical performance of European movies worldwide. It’s not a pretty picture.

According to Eao, European films accounted for just 6 percent of worldwide ticket sales in 2023, compared to 56 percent for U.S. productions and 26 percent for Chinese films. Japan, thanks to the global success of anime, is close on Europe’s heels, with Japanese releases...

On Wednesday, AARP The Magazine announced its 2025 Movies for Grownups Awards nominations. Papal thriller “Conclave” leads with six nominations, including Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups, Best Director for Edward Berger, and Best Actor for Ralph Fiennes. Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” is in second place, with five nominations. TV nominees with multiple nominations include “Hacks,” “The Morning Show,” “Shōgun,” and “Slow Horses.”

The American Association of Retired People’s Movies for Grownups program champions movies and TV “for grownups, by grownups,” meaning 50-plus.

“A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “Emilia Perez,” “Gladiator II,” and “September 5” are the Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups nominees.

In the Best Actress category, nominees are Pamela Anderson (“The Last Showgirl”), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Hard Truths”), Nicole Kidman (“Babygirl”), Demi Moore (“The Substance”), and June Squibb (“Thelma”). The Best Actor nominees are Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”), Daniel Craig (“Queer”), Colman Domingo (“Sing Sing”), Ralph Fiennes (“Conclave...

AARP The Magazine has announced the nominees for the annual Movies for Grownups Awards. The best picture contenders are “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “Emilia Pérez,” “Gladiator II” and “September 5.”

The best actress race includes Pamela Anderson (“The Last Showgirl”), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Hard Truths”), Nicole Kidman (“Babygirl”), Demi Moore (“The Substance”), and June Squibb (“Thelma”). The best actor category has Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”), Daniel Craig (Queer), Colman Domingo (“Sing Sing”), Ralph Fiennes (“Conclave”), and Jude Law (“The Order”).

Best director nominees include Pedro Almodóvar (“The Room Next Door”), Jacques Audiard (“Emilia Pérez”), Edward Berger (“Conclave”), James Mangold (“A Complete Unknown”), and Ridley Scott (“Gladiator II”).

“Passionate for sophisticated, high-quality content, older audiences have the ability to propel film and TV content into mainstream popularity,” says AARP film and TV critic Tim Appelo. “With this year’s Movies for Grownups nominations, AARP spotlights the talents and work that resonate with this powerful demographic.

Edward Berger’s papal thriller Conclave and the upcoming Timothée Chalamet-starring Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown lead the nominations for the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, which annually champion movies for grownups, by grownups and encourage films and TV shows that resonate with older viewers.

Focus Features’ Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes, scored a leading six nominations, while Searchlight’s James Mangold-directed Complete Unknown, which hits theaters on December 25, had five noms. The two pics are nominated for the Mfg’s marquee Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups Awards, alongside Paramount’s Gladiator II and September 5 (which had four noms apiece) and Netflix’s Emilia Pérez, (three noms).

Last year’s Best Picture winner, Killers of the Flower Moon, went on to nab 10 Oscar nominations.

Other notable nominees include Robert Zemeckis’ Miramax-produced, Sony-distributed generation-spanning Here, starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright and penned by Eric Roth in...

The Mubi production, Bring Them Down, starring Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott, is hitting theaters on Feb. 7, 2025.

Pic directed by Christopher Andrews, who is making his feature directing debut, follows Michael (Abbott) who is the last son of a farming family, and lives an isolated existence with his ailing, cantankerous father Ray. Burdened by a terrible secret from his past, Michael has isolated himself from the world and dedicates himself to his prized flock. When the ongoing conflict with rival farmer Gary and his wayward and unpredictable son Jack (Barry Keoghan) stirs old tensions and grievances, it triggers a chain of events that take increasingly violent and devastating turns, leaving both families permanently altered.

The movie also stars Colm Meaney (The Problem with People, Layer Cake), Nora-Jane Noone (The Magdalene Sisters, Brooklyn) Paul Ready and Susan Lynch (Enduring Love, Waking Ned Davine).

Bring Them Down...

We open with an epicenter of American celebrity, which uses a piece of classic iconography to introduce our female protagonist as a true star. However, that iconography soon falls apart, representing their decline into the realm of the has-been. What I have described is not the start of Coralie Fargeat’s new film “The Substance,” in which Elizabeth Sparkle’s (Demi Moore) star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame fades and cracks. Instead, I am referring to the opening of Robert Zemeckis’ “Death Becomes Her,” where a downward pan reveals disappointed audiences walking out of Madeline Ashton’s (Meryl Streep) new Broadway show before we see her Playbill cover sodden in a puddle.

Although Fargeat does not directly quote Zemeckis’ camp classic, opting instead to pay homage to films like “The Shining” and “Carrie,” the parallels between the two are clear. Both films feature a formerly celebrated star who has slipped from the limelight and,...

“Glen Powell delivers one hell of a performance.”

That is the headline of Connor Jameson’s (The First Picture House) review for Netflix’s “Hit Man,” the critically acclaimed comedy directed by Richard Linklater. In the film, Powell plays Gary Johnson, a professor moonlighting as a hit man for his city police department, descending into dangerous, dubious territory. Gary adopts numerous personas throughout the film, and that is what provides Powell with the opportunity to shine. The actor not only rises to the occasion as a leading man, but makes the movie work with his “entrancing” performance.

With raves like that (and the movie’s 95% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes), it’s no wonder that Powell is leading Gold Derby’s odds to take home the Golden Globe for Best Film Comedy/Musical Actor.

Anthony Francis (The Movie Revue) writes, “Glen Powell has never been as charismatic, nor has he...

Top figures in the cinematography world took on what they described as “a really critical issue that we all know about in our industry” on Tuesday, sharing war stories from the ongoing fight for greater diversity and inclusion.

The broader film industry and cinematography in particular are still woefully out of step with diverse filmmaking talent, said the group during a panel held at the 32nd edition of the EnergaCamerimage film festival in Torun, Poland.

“The idea that inclusion dilutes excellence is not up for debate,” said producer and columnist Anna Higgs as she introduced the hastily assembled talk, called “Widening the Lens: Inclusion and Excellence in our Industry,” which organizers put together this week in the wake of a controversy that saw some top filmmakers boycotting Camerimage.

Industry organizations have decried published remarks made by fest president Marek Zydowicz that seemed to imply that a focus on inclusion can lead to “mediocre film productions,...

The Sun Valley Film Festival will recognize Demi Moore with the Vision Award, Pamela Anderson and Gia Coppola with the Pioneer Award, and “Porcelain War” with the Impact Award. Opening with “The Last Showgirl,” the series continues with screening of “Porcelain War,” “Blink” and a series of shorts from The New Yorker. The winter screening series includes Q&As, coffee talks and receptions for AMPAS members and runs from Dec. 5-8.

“The Substance” star Moore will partake in a coffee talk and receive the Vision Award on Dec. 8. This honor is given to “industry icons whose groundbreaking contributions have transformed the industry for the better.” Anderson and Coppola will be presented with the Pioneer Award on Dec. 6, when there will also be a screening of their film “The Last Showgirl,” along with a Q&a. The documentary “Porcelain War” is set to receive the Impact Award earlier that day “for...

Margaret Qualley is a “hottie with substance,” indeed. During the last stop of Sabrina Carpenter’s U.S. tour in L.A. Monday, the pop star joked with her producer Jack Antonoff, and made his wife Margaret her “Juno girl.”

During each show on her recent tour run, Carpenter selects one person in the crowd to handcuff before performing her sexy song, “Juno.” At the Kia Forum show, Carpenter first selected Antonoff, who appeared on-screen with his arms crossed, before Carpenter pulled back her decision: “This is super awkward… I...

Saint Rose is a Lebanese short film that tells the story of the titular character who is preparing for her daughter’s engagement ceremony. But with each passing moment, it becomes clear that her abusive husband isn’t content with the arrangements for reasons only known to him. Unable to deal with this situation, she seeks shelter in her bathroom where she smokes away her sorrows. The only person in the palatial house is the Kenyan housekeeper, Becky, who shares her bottle of vodka with her so that they can numb themselves to the pain they’ve to endure. I sat down for a virtual chat with director Zayn Alexandre about Saint Rose, what compelled him to tell this story, and why patriarchal norms are on the rise again.

What’s the story behind the title of the film, Saint Rose?

Anyone who quietly endures for the sake of their...

Margaret Qualley and Jack Antonoff made a surprise appearance during the final show of Sabrina Carpenter‘s U.S. leg of the Short n’ Sweet Tour!

The married couple, who tied the knot in summer 2023, got “arrested” by the pop star during her concert on Monday night (November 18) at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.

Jack and Margaret were photographed walking into the venue together before the show.

Keep reading to find out more…

Before performing her song “Juno” at every show, Sabrina “arrests” someone in the audience for being too hot. While it usually is an audience member, she’s had some celebs join in on the fun, including Millie Bobby Brown, Rachel Sennott, and SNL‘s Marcello Hernandez as his character Domingo.

During the final show of the U.S. tour, Margaret and Jack got arrested together. Sabrina even made a reference to Margaret‘s new movie The Substance...

Writer-director Damien Mc Carthy’s Oddity didn’t have the splashy marketing of, say, Longlegs, but it’s a corking horror you don’t want to miss.

Anticipation is the lifeblood of a good horror yarn, and writer-director Damien Mc Carthy creates an ingeniously tense scenario in his low-budget shocker, Oddity. A golem-like wooden effigy sits at a dining table in a spacious yet austere converted barn in a remote part of Ireland. Its mouth is frozen in a silent scream; its hands sit flat on the table as though it’s performing some sort of seance.

For a large chunk of his engagingly twisty narrative, Mc Carthy invites us to wonder: what is this thing? Is it going to move? And if so when, and what will it do?

Taking in just a handful of (largely interior) locations, Oddity feels like a welcome throwback to the quintessentially British horror of something like Amicus Productions,...

On the heels of the response to “Joker: Folie à Deux” (Warner Bros.) on PVOD, “Megalopolis” (Lionsgate), Francis Ford Coppola’s much lower grossing but also much publicized $100 million self-financed film, got a home release that garnered almost zero interest.

“Saturday Night” (Sony) was the other big name release, and landed #6 on both iTunes (ranking by revenue) and Fandango (by transactions) top 10 lists (#4 and #6 respectively; it was #1 for a day at iTunes). It’s not like it was a much bigger hit than “Megalopolis” in theaters or PVOD. Its domestic gross was only $9.5 million, less than $2 million better than Coppola’s film.

“Megalopolis” not making either list is surprising. But what is stunning is it is nowhere to be found among the more than 80 movies listed on their daily list, nor has it since it was released. “Goodrich” (Bleecker Street) with Michael Keaton, which grossed barely over $1 million is #24 Monday.

First director Steve McQueen (Blitz) and now helmer Coralie Fargeat (The Substance). Both are noticeably absent from the Camerimage Film Festival in Toruń, Poland this week. Why? Because festival director Marek Zydowicz made sexist comments suggesting that inclusion of women cinematographers (and directors for that matter) could lead to “mediocre film productions.”

It is in this context I turn to the data my team at the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative has collected for years. Partnering with the Adobe Foundation, we recently assessed all above- and 10 below-the-line positions across 465 U.S. studio and mini major movies that brought in at least $1 million between 2019 and 2023. The findings for women cinematographers are grim. Only 21 movies had a woman cinematographer attached (only 6 of which had a woman of color Dp), which is a paltry 4.5 percent. Put differently, 444 or 95.5 percent of films were shot by men. These numbers make it clear that no one is “rushing to correct past wrongs,...

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2024 is nearly over and while we have seen some brilliant horror films come out this year I don’t think it has been such a great year for the genre. With most horror films flopping at the box office and the dreaded Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey sequel coming out it all felt wrong. But don’t worry because I have picked out the 18 best horror films that have come out this year. I haven’t ranked the films in the article and I will update the list as more films come out.

Terrifier 3 (In Theaters) Credit – Cineverse

Terrifier 3 is a Christmas supernatural slasher horror film written and directed by Damien Leone. The 2024 film is the third entry into the fan-favorite slasher franchise. It is set during the holidays and it follows Sienna and her brother...

After four weeks on the big screen, “Conclave” has managed to do something that few other adult-skewing films have achieved in the post-pandemic era: Sell some tickets.

Director Edward Berger’s mystery thriller about the politicking and backstabbing behind the selection of a new pope has generated $26.5 million at the domestic box office since late October. Ticket sales are projected to surpass $30 million and counting — and that’s thanks to its atypical release strategy, stellar reviews and even stronger word-of-mouth.

This year, only a handful of arthouse films have exceeded $20 million, and most of those breakouts — including Neon’s occult-tilted thriller “Longlegs”, A24’s dystopian “Civil War”, Cineverse’s ultra-gory slasher “Terrifier 3” and A24’s tear-jerker “We Live in Time” — were geared toward younger or horror-loving crowds.

“It’s been a tough road of late for adult-skewing films in the theatrical marketplace,” says box office analyst Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations.

Hugh Grant called an Honorary Oscar winner an a–hole, studios spent big money to show off all their awards contenders and a posthumous tribute to Quincy Jones left everybody buzzing at the Academy’s 15th annual Governors Awards on Sunday night in Hollywood, turning a fraught time in the movie business into a satisfying celebration – and, of course, a prime campaign opportunity for everyone hoping to attract the attention of Oscar voters.

While the Governors Awards, the annual event at which honorary Academy Awards are given out, has become a reliably grand combination of cinematic cclebration and campaign event, two factors conspired to cast a shadow over Sunday’s ceremony, which took place at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland.

The first was the fact that Jones was announced as a winner of the Honorary Oscar back in June, but died on Nov. 3, two weeks before he was to receive the award.

The Substance Box Office (Worldwide): Hits $50M Mark( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Despite multiple releases, Demi Moore’s The Substance crosses its first major milestone at the worldwide box office. There are big-budget films and low-budget movies in the cinemas, but none of them is impacting the business of satirical body horror flicks. It is the seventh highest-grossing original movie of the year. Scroll below for the deets.

The cinemas are prepping up for the holiday season movies. Red One has already landed in the theatres, and it has impacted Venom: The Last Dance’s box office collection in the US. Gladiator II and Wicked Part 1 will arrive at the US cinemas on Friday, followed by Moana 2 five days later. The theatres will be teeming with options, and these low-budget films are expected to take big hits then. However, the box office is a very volatile business, and nothing...

If the 2025 Oscars nominations were announced today, what would Gold Derby predict as the nominees and winners? Since our predictions center opened on July 1, 2024, more than 5,700 people have made their forecasts in 18 top categories. So who’s out front to claim these golden trophies, according to the Gold Derby Oscar predictions 2025?

Below, see a snapshot in time of our racetrack odds for the 97th Academy Awards, updated on Nov. 18, 2024. See how the odds and rankings have changed over time by examining our previous Oscar snapshots on July 3, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 29, Aug. 6, Aug. 19, Aug. 28, Sept. 11, Sept. 19, Sept. 23, Sept. 30, Oct. 7, Oct. 14, Oct. 22, Oct. 28, Nov. 4, and Nov. 11.

Now expected to receive a nomination since the last update: Universal Pictures’ “Wicked” in Best Visual Effects. The movie adaptation of the popular Broadway musical is also predicted to receive nominations in Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Ariana Grande), Best Costume Design, Best Makeup & Hairstyling,...

Updated: Amazon MGM Studio’s big tentpole of the year Red One staggered into action over the weekend with a confirmed $32.1m number one North American debut.

While not a poor number in and of itself for an original film, the reported $250m price tag will raise eyebrows. Despite generally poor reviews, filmgoers gave it an A- Cinemascore, offering hope that if the family holiday season film plays into the holiday season, it might reach a decent number in North America to complement the $51.1m and counting international tally.

Dwayne Johnson stars as the head of security for Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons), who goes missing,...

Amazon MGM Studio’s big tentpole of the year Red One staggered into action over the weekend with an estimated $34.1m number one North American debut.

While not a poor number in and of itself for an original film, the reported $250m price tag will raise eyebrows. Despite generally poor reviews, filmgoers gave it an A- Cinemascore, offering hope that if the family holiday season film plays into the holiday season, it might reach a decent number in North America to complement the $50m and counting international tally.

Dwayne Johnson stars as the head of security for Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons), who goes missing,...

The Substance, the Cannes Film Festival winning, Demi Moore body swap horror movie, is poised to bust to great heights at the global box office with a $70M-$75M take.

That’s quite a landmark for the Working Title produced-2 hour and 21-minute running, French shot movie which has the Ghost and $2.5 billion global grossing blockbuster actress in the awards season conversation for her portrayal of an aerobics instructor TV star, Elizabeth, who soon realizes her days are over in Hollywood. However, she gets the opportunity to participate in a body swap experiment which introduces the world, and her former TV audience, to much younger version of herself, under the new alias Sue (Margaret Qualley). Consequences, as unsexy as they are, ensue. The movie received a 13-minute standing ovation at its Cannes premiere back in May and won Best Screenplay for its filmmaker Coralie Fargeat. Moore has been public about...

Hello, Love, Again, the widest domestic release for a Filipino film, now holds a record for the highest opening weekend for the same with $2.4 million and a no. 8 spot.

Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain crossed $3 million at the box office following its expansion to more than 1,000 theaters in week 3, landing at no. 9 with a $2.3 million gross. Eisenberg stars with Kieran Culkin.

Anora is at no. 10 at $1.8 million on 1,500 screens in week 5 with a cume of $10.5 million.

All We Imagine As Light by Payal Kapadia, had the best ever opening for Sideshow & Janus Films with $51k on three screens in NY and LA. Demand outstripped supply on both coasts with multiple sellouts at all three locations.

Hello, Love, Again is a great marketing story as Abramorama, in collaboration with Ajmc (Amorette Jones Media Consulting), released...

France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (Pnf) has requested the country’s cultural minister Rachida Dati stand trial for long-standing charges of conflict of interest and corruption.

The prosecutor, who announced the decision on Friday (November 15), also recommended that former president of Renault-Nissan Carlos Ghosn face a criminal court for the case following its probe.

Dati is accused of having received €900,000 between 2010 and 2012 from a subsidiary of the French-Japanese Renault-Nissan alliance when it was under Ghosn’s leadership and hired Dati as a consultant after she stepped down as justice minister to stand for the European Parliament.

A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame literally cements many talents with a permanent place in the entertainment industry, but, as depicted in Coralie Fargeat‘s body horror satire “The Substance,” a star can also represent the insecurity in trying to ensure their legacy and value. Despite this toxic underpinning, the star of the film, Demi Moore, recently shared in an interview with the Los Angeles Times how she wouldn’t mind receiving this honor one day soon.

“I think it would be a sweet thing,” said Moore. “I think often about it, less for me and more for my children and their children. There was conversation about doing it this year, the feeling like, ‘Wow. The timing would be perfect.‘ But there’s a bit more bureaucracy involved.”

In acknowledging how the Walk of Fame star is used in “The Substance” and what it means to her character Elisabeth Sparkle,...

Poland’s EnergaCamerimage film festival is kicking off under a cloud of controversy this year — but you wouldn’t know it from the opening ceremony that took place Saturday night in the host city of Toruń.

Festival founder Marek Żydowicz opened the 32nd edition of the event without any direct mention of his controversial statements that caused an industry backlash last week, resulting in two of the festival’s most high-profile guests — Oscar winner Steve McQueen and The Substance director Coralie Fargeat — pulling out in protest. Żydowicz emphasized, however, that he “founded Camerimage over 30 years ago to help restore dignity to the artists of the film industry who are overlooked, or who are treated simply as technicians whenever we celebrate film.”

Camerimage famously highlights the work of cinematographers and other craft artists integral to the filmmaking process. For years, the event has been akin to a cult favorite on the festival circuit,...

EnergaCamerimage festival director Marek Żydowicz opened the 32nd edition of the event without any direct reference to his controversial comments that caused a firestorm this past week, saying that the festival was founded to honor those “who are overlooked” and not recognized by other awards.

Hiroyuki Sanada

Speaking before a full house at the opening ceremony in Torun, Poland, he also noted that “we are surrounded by images that lie, that misinform” and praised cinematographers as the antidote. “It is they who create what we see,” he said, speaking through an interpreter.

In a recent column published in Cinematography World magazine, Żydowicz appeared to suggest that having greater representation of women DPs and directors in the event’s selection could lead to the inclusion of “mediocre film productions.”

This provoked allegations of misogyny, leading to responses from groups including Women in Cinematography, the British Society of Cinematographers, American Society of...

Coralie Fargeat has withdrawn her film “The Substance” from the Camerimage Film Festival after the festival director made comments about female cinematographers. Coralie shared a post on X explaining what happened:

After discovering the highly misogynistic and offensive words of the director of the Camerimage Film Festival, I have decided to pull ‘The Substance’ from the festival (and [director of photography] Benjamin Kračun has decided not to attend).

‘The Substance’ is about the impact of exactly these types of behaviors on our world. We shouldn’t tolerate them anymore. We send our support to all involved in the festival and hope this decision will help create a much needed change.

We send our support to all involved in the festival and hope this decision will help create a much needed change.

pic.twitter.com/HLkBV6VaWp

— Coralie Fargeat (@coraliefargeat) November 15, 2024

In a column for Cinematography World magazine, festival director Marek Żydowicz seemed to...

The Camerimage Film Festival is in a lot of trouble now that director Coralie Fargeat pulled her movie “The Substance” because of what she called “highly misogynistic” comments made by festival CEO Marek Żydowicz about the role of women in movies.

The argument started when Łydowicz wrote an opinion piece in Cinematography World asking if more women in movies might make art less important. His words were directed at a change.org petition from Women in Cinematography that wanted female cinematographers to get more credit.

“Can we sacrifice works and artists with outstanding achievements solely to make room for mediocre film production?” Żydowicz wrote, which was quickly criticized by professionals in the field all over the world.

Because of this, Fargeat pulled “The Substance,” a movie with Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, from the festival. Benjamin Kračun, who shot the movie, will also not be there. “The Substance is about...

Poland’s Energa Camerimage film festival has long been considered a cineaste’s dream. Established 31 years ago as a specialty event focused on cinematography, the Toruń fest has expanded significantly in recent years but has retained its essence as a pure celebration of the art of filmmaking, prioritizing craftsmanship behind the camera — DPs, directors and production designers — over celebrities and industry functions.

“The reason people keep coming back here to Poland is that they get to talk about art; it’s not another trade show or a festival with red carpets every night,” says Camerimage director Kazimierz Suwała, who estimates that the festival usually welcomes between 700 and 800 cinematographer guests over the course of its week-long run every November. “You come here to meet your fellow artisans. We have DPs who come from LA and joke that they live just next door to each other, but it’s easier to get...

Der Direktor des Camerimage Film Festival, das die Kunst der Bildgestaltung feiert, steht unter Beschuss: Seine Worte in einem Artikel, der im Fachmagazin Cinematography World erschien, werden ihm als frauenfeindlich ausgelegt. Neben Steve McQueen hat nun auch Caroline Fargeat ihr Kommen abgesagt. Sie zog auch ihren Film „The Substance“ zurück.

Das 32. Camerimage startet am 16.11. (Credit: Festival)

In einem in dem Fachmagazin Cinematography World erschienenen Artikel mit Überschrift „Time for Solidarity“ hat sich der Direktor des polnischen Camerimage Film Festival, das die Kunst der Bildgestaltung feiert, Gedanken über die sich verändernde Filmindustrie gemacht und welche Wege sein Festival dabei gehen kann/muss. Teile des Artikels wurden als frauenfeindlich ausgelegt. Wie Cinematography World berichtet, schrieb Marek Żydowicz darüber, wie die Förderung von Frauen bei Regie und Kamera bei Festivals zu „mittelmäßigen Filmproduktionen“ führen könnte. In einem Teil, der immer wieder zitiert wird, heißt es: „Können wir Arbeiten und Künstler von renommiertem Rang und Namen opfern,...

Coralie Fargeat has pulled her Cannes sensation The Substance from Camerimage in response to recent remarks by festival director MarekŻydowicz about representation of female filmmakers.

The Polish cinematography festival kicks off on Saturday and Fargeat’s film had been scheduled to screen on Sunday afternoon with cinematographer Benjamin Kračun in attendance. Kračun will now not attend, just as Steve McQueen said earlier this week he will stay away from the opening night presentation of his film Blitz, which will go ahead,

On Friday Fargeat and Kračun issued a statement to Screen that read: “After discovering the highly misogynistic and offensive...