Samuel L. Jackson is in negotiations for a key role in J.J. Abrams’ untitled feature at Warner Bros.

If a deal makes, Jackson would be the veteran thespian amid a bevy of hot young Hollywood talent. The call sheet already includes Glen Powell, Jenna Ortega, and Emma Mackey in what is expected to be a trifecta of leads for the project.

Abrams wrote the script for the feature, whose logline and description is being kept in the mystery box. At one point it was speculated to involve time travel, but sources say that is not the case. Abrams’ Bad Robot is producing.

The feature is expected to shoot in the spring in the UK.

Jackson has had a busy 2024 with appearances in several movies and series, among them Matthew Vaughn’s all-star caper Argylle and Piano Lesson, Netflix’s adaptation of the play by August Wilson directed by Malcolm Washington.

César Award winners Ella Rumpf and Louis Garrel will co-star alongside Angelina Jolie in director Alice Winocour’s first English-language film “Stitches.”

I can also exclusively report that Anyier Anei, Garance Marillier and Finnegan Oldfield have been cast as well.

“Stiches” follows American filmmaker Maxine (Jolie) on a “life and death journey as she arrives in Paris for Fashion Week,” reads an official logline of the movie. Filming is currently underway in Paris.

The production team includes cinematographer Andre Chemetoff, costume designer Pascaline Chavanne, and production designer Florian Sanson.

Charles Gillibert of CG Cinéma is producing alongside Zhang Xin and William Horberg of Closer Media, Bob Xu is serving as an executive producer. Pathé Films, which previously collaborated with Winocour on her Cannes Directors’ Fortnight premiere “Revoir Paris,” will handle distribution in France.

“Stiches” financing was structured by UTA Independent Film Group, who are also representing global and North American rights,...

What’s the latest on Emerald Fennell‘s “Wuthering Heights” adaptation? Deadline reports that Fennell has padded out her main cast list in the project, adding Hong Chau, Alison Oliver, and Shazard Latif to her ensemble. And those new cast members foretell what fans of Emily Brontë’s novel already knew after Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi‘s castings: this isn’t your parent’s “Wuthering Heights” adaptation.

Continue reading ‘Wuthering Heights’: Emerald Fennell’s Next Film Adds Hong Chau, Alison Oliver & Shazard Latif at The Playlist.

Jesse Eisenberg is already confirmed for his third directorial feature, and this time, he’s swapping dramedy for a full-on musical comedy, just in time for IndieWire’s Musicals Week.

The yet-untitled project reunites writer/director Eisenberg with Julianne Moore, who starred in his debut feature “When You Finish Saving the World.” The film will also be Eisenberg’s third with Emma Stone, Dave McCary, and Ali Herting’s Fruit Tree production banner.

Moore is set to star as a shy woman who is unexpectedly cast in a local production of an original musical, according to the logline. “Under the spell of the strong-willed and enigmatic director (Paul Giamatti), she loses herself in the role and the high-stakes world of this community theater production.”

Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain” recently debuted in theaters on November 1. Eisenberg co-starred in his sophomore film alongside Kieran Culkin; the duo play a pair of...

*Brrraaaahhhhmmm* Did you hear that? It's the new Christopher Nolan movie casting klaxon — and it's just gone off again! Oh yeah, since the Oppenheimer Oscar winner set his next movie at Universal last month, the stars have been aligning at a dizzying rate to help bring Nolan's newest blockbuster to life. And overnight, news broke courtesy of THR that none other than the British auteur's Tenet star Robert Pattinson has just become the latest addition to the stacked line-up for Nolan's secrecy shrouded latest.

Pattinson, who's currently filming Kristoffer Borgli joint The Drama with Zendaya, will join his co-star from that film in Nolan's 13th movie. Among the big names they're set to appear opposite in this one are are previously announced cast members Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Lupita Nyong'o, and Anne Hathaway. And while we still are none the wiser as to what exactly Nolan's new movie will entail,...

When Neve Campbell returns to the “Scream” franchise in 2026, she’ll be bringing some fictional family along with her, as “1883” star Isabel May has been cast as the daughter of Campbell’s franchise heroine Sidney Prescott.

The Hollywood Reporter first reported the casting news.

Campbell is returning to the series as Prescott after skipping “Scream VI” over a pay dispute in 2023. She previously appeared in “Scream V,” Paramount’s 2022 revival of the franchise alongside longtime series co-stars David Arquette and Courteney Cox. They were joined by Melissa Barrera, Jack Quaid, Mikey Madison and Jenna Ortega

The “Scream” franchise was created by Kevin Williamson and legendary horror director Wes Craven.

May’s breakthrough role came in the Taylor Sheridan-created “Yellowstone” prequel series “1883,” in which she played Elsa Dutton, the teenaged daughter of James (Tim McGraw) and Margaret (Faith Hill) Dutton as the family makes the dangerous journey from...

Luca Guadagnino and Daniel Craig might have another novel adaptation in the works after collaborating together on “Queer.” But this rumored adaptation isn’t Burroughs; it’s actually a comic book.

According to a Deadline report, auteur Guadagnino and lead star Craig are in talks to bring DC Studios’ “Sgt. Rock” to the screen. Deadline noted that no deals have been confirmed between DC Studios, Craig, or Guadagnino. DC Studios did not respond to a request for comment.

The character of Sgt. Franklin John Rock, assumed to be played by Craig given the report, was created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert for the 1959 DC issue, “Our Army at War.” Like Craig’s “Queer” character, Rock is a WWII veteran. Rock landed his own comic book series, which ran from 1977 to 1988.

Variety cited that Justin Kuritzkes, who wrote “Challengers” and “Queer,” has a script for the DC feature.

Craig will...

Julius Avery, the director of “Samaritan,” “Overlord” and “The Pope’s Exorcist,” has come on board to direct the new alien abduction thriller “They Found Us.” The film hails from “Smile” producers Temple Hill Entertainment and Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios, which is financing the project.

AGC Intl. will handle international sales and co-rep U.S. rights with UTA Independent Film Group. Casting is underway on the movie, which will shoot in Australia in the first half of 2025.

“They Found Us” follows a father and daughter who undertake a camping trip in the Utah wilderness to heal their broken relationship. Attacked by a hostile extraterrestrial life form, their lives, not just their relationship, are at stake as they fight with a humanoid beast to stop their abduction to an unknown and terrifying alien world.

The film is based on an original screenplay by Jeremy Slater, and will be produced by Godfrey...

“Stree 2,” already Bollywood’s biggest hit film of the year, and India’s second highest grossing film of 2024, is poised to be joined by one or more sequels, its director Amar Kaushik said on Wednesday.

Kaushik was speaking at a Knowledge Series seminar which is part of the Film Bazaar project market that sits alongside the International Film Festival of India (Iffi) in Goa.

“We have stories in mind and will shoot soon, though there’s is no definite timetable. Of course, it will have to be done in Madhya Pradesh. And we may explore other parts of the state,” Kaushik said.

Kaushik revealed that Madhya Pradesh was not where he first envisaged making the horror comedy that was saw its first instalment emerge in in 2018 and spawn a sequel that released earlier this year.

“’Stree’ was originally going to be made here in Goa. But then we chose...

To a passing observer, much of children's television may come off as crude or odd. A parent may see their kid watching something with bright, flashing colors and wonder what exactly it's doing to their development. Truth be told, a lot of children's media is designed to introduce youngsters to important life lessons, like the necessity of saying sorry. And even when an episode is about something as inconsequential as riding a giant boulder to deliver a Krusty Krab pizza, it can still become a touchstone in so many lives.

Kids are smarter than adults are sometimes willing to give them credit for. Those working in children's media surely understand that, which is why some kids' shows occasionally delve into darker subjects that may make some wonder if it's really appropriate for someone who's not even 10 yet. However, it's crucial for kids to at least have a baseline knowledge of...

(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)

"We all had our tuxedos ready. I'm not even joking," Colin Farrell said in a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, reflecting on the 2004 historical epic "Alexander," directed by Oliver Stone. "We were all like, 'Right, lads, we're off to the Oscars. This is a sure thing.' And then it came out."

It came out, indeed, and as alluded to by the Oscar-nominated actor, things didn't exactly go as planned. In the aftermath of Ridley Scott's Best Picture-winning "Gladiator," Stone finally had the opportunity to scrape together funding for his three-hour take on Alexander the Great. The timing seemed perfect. The cast was a murderer's row. The production had all of the resources in the world at its disposal. But by just about every measure,...

This article contains spoilers for "Cobra Kai" season 6 part 2.

For a show that has spent years establishing the martial arts prowess of its central cast, "Cobra Kai" season 6 part 2 is not kind to a number of established karate masters. Most younger characters spend their time in complex and often embarrassing Sekai Taikai tag battles that require heavy teamwork, which locks champion fighters like Hawk (Jacob Bertrand) out of chances to shine individually.

The adults don't have it any easier. Favorites like Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) lack their customary conclusive fight scenes, and instead spend their time brawling with kidnappers and struggling against fearsome foes. Meanwhile, noted powerhouses Chozen Toguchi (Yuji Okumoto) and Kim Da-Eun (Alicia Hannah-Kim) are distracted by an unexpected but entertaining martial arts-themed courtship ritual. Even the potentially amazing confrontation between major villains Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) and John Kreese (Martin Kove...

Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Lucy Walker began a Saturday panel discussion on stories that travel by describing her own wanderlust backstory.

“As a girl growing up in London, I didn’t have enough money to travel. And I didn’t think being on vacation was the most interesting way to see the world. And yet I really wanted to travel and work and understand people, so I’ve designed myself a job making documentary films where I get to travel the world,” said Walker, who arrived at the International Film Festival of India in Goa having earlier this week won another award, in New York, for her Nepal-set tale “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lakhpa Sherpa.”

“When I make a film, I always have a question, one that I’ll drop everything to find out about: what’s going to happen? Will they be able to climb the mountain? Will they be okay?...

It’s Musicals Week at IndieWire. With “Wicked” about to sparkle over theaters, we’re celebrating the best of the movie-musical genre.

Editor’s note: The following interviews contains spoilers for a fun musical surprise in “Wicked.“

In Universal’s big-screen “Wicked,” there’s plenty for fans of the original musical to love. For those who have spent the better part of the last 20 years listening to the Grammy-winning cast recording (hi!), a big question heading into the film was if original Broadway Elphaba and Glinda, Tony-winning Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, respectively, would make an appearance.

Happily, they do, and it ranks among the very best treats of the adaptation. In the film, when Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) head to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard, they first stumble around the technicolor, magical metropolis — and even catch a little “welcome to our town” performance.

“We...

This post contains massive spoilers for "Gladiator II."

When Pedro Pascal's Marcus Acacius is first introduced in "Gladiator II," he is seen barking orders to his naval fleet en route to the seaside province of Numidia. The intent is to wage war and conquer this land at the behest of sibling emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger), who revel in lawless tyranny because they can. As the events of "Gladiator II" take place 16 years after that of "Gladiator," the hard-earned political reforms brought about by Maximus (played by Russell Crowe in the original) before his death have been discarded over time. Rome has lost its way once again, and we are initially led to believe that General Acacius is nothing more than a vicious warmonger, happy to do the emperors' bidding. However, just like that of Lucius/Hanno (Paul Mescal), our first impression of him could not be more wrong.

With Silo, the actor – known for his strong political stances – is still choosing roles he truly believes in that echo real life. But he’s now concerned about the wider future of his own industry, too

Before I speak to Tim Robbins, the publicist for the series that he’s promoting, Apple TV+’s dystopian drama Silo, politely requests that our conversation sticks to the show and his wider career. No politics please. It’s a brave attempt at reputation management, and also a completely doomed one. Because, well … this is Tim Robbins! Has there ever been a Hollywood star more associated with the free mixing of performance and politics?

This is the man, after all, who was banned, along with his then partner Susan Sarandon, from presenting at the Oscars after using their hosting stint at the 1993 ceremony to draw attention to the plight of Haitians being held in Guantánamo Bay; who,...

The Starfleet insignia seen on the chests of every officer in the service is typically nicknamed the Starfleet delta by fans, given its resemblance to the Greek letter. The symbol more closely resembles the letters lambda or alpha, of course, but if I were to legitimately complain that a Starfleet insignia looks more like one Greek letter than another, it might be the nerdiest complaint in the history of fandom. So, dear readers, this is the last we shall ever hear of it. 

On the original "Star Trek" series, the delta logo was only seen on the uniforms of those serving on board the U.S.S. Enterprise. Other ships seemingly had different insignias, but that was a detail never canonically addressed in dialogue. Indeed, it seemed to be a production error; a recently uncovered 1967 memo from production designer Robert Justman to costumer William Ware Theiss (the original designer of...

Fresh off his Cannes 2024 success with “In Retreat,” producer Thanikachalam S.A. is backing “Kurinji (The Disappearing Flower)” from debut feature director Payal Sethi at India’s Film Bazaar co-production market.

Sethi’s previous work includes the award-winning shorts “Leeches” (2016), which won the Grand Prix Internationale at Brussels Short Film Festival, and “Grant St. Shaving Co.” (2010). She studied at Vassar College and Tisch School of the Arts, and worked with Mira Nair on films including “Monsoon Wedding” and “The Namesake.”

The film follows Laly, a Kerala housewife whose migrant worker husband in the Gulf region suddenly stops calling home after years of separation. When a money-lender appears demanding repayment of an unknown debt, she embarks on a search for answers with help from an unexpected quarter – her lover who happens to be her husband’s brother-in-law.

“It feels like a very fun film to do, about a serious topic, and with an as-yet-untold story,...

Everything old was new again at this year’s Cairo Film Festival.

Filling out a super-sized 45th edition, the Egyptian event introduced a new section dedicated to heritage titles, showcasing 10 gems of world cinema, among them titles like “The Lonely Wife” and “The Color of Pomegranates” to mark the centenaries of film greats Satyajit Ray and Sergei Parajanov, as well as 4K restorations of “The Godfather Part II,” “The Thief of Baghdad” and “Cleopatra,” among several more.

As part of a bolstered Cairo Classics program, the festival also premiered 14 milestones of Egyptian cinema freshly remastered and reintroduced to an eager public. And as the Cairo Film Festival charts a new course under president Hussein Fahmy and artistic director Essam Zakarea, this restorative vocation will stay a cornerstone of their wider mission.

“Egyptian cinema is one of the oldest in the world, but we have a problem with our archive,” Zakarea tells Variety.

Raja Krishna Menon’s Bandra West Pictures is producing “Harbir,” the debut feature from Angad Bawa. It is being presented at Film Bazaar in Goa.

The film follows Harbir, a 15-year-old Sikh boy who is scouted for an admission trial at Mumbai’s prestigious Bombay International School of Swimming. During the trial, concerns are raised about his long hair, requiring parental consent for a possible haircut. As the boy grapples with this decision, he faces opposition from his family and the larger Sikh community, who view his potential choice as a betrayal of faith and identity.

The project draws from Bawa’s personal experiences as a competitive swimmer navigating his Sikh identity. “Through Harbir, I want to offer an alternative narrative that doesn’t push an ideology, but instead explores the internal struggle of a character navigating societal expectations and their right to make a free, personal choice,” Bawa told Variety.

A new streaming series centered on Kerala’s ancient martial art Kalaripayattu is being developed by director Abhilash Vijayan (“That Elephant From the Bridge”) and producer Nithin Lukose (“Paka: River of Blood”) and is participating at India’s Film Bazaar.

Set in 16th century Kerala, “Chekavar” follows a teenage warrior who secretly takes on a mission from the King of Kuttiyadi to lead an army against the rebellious Lord of Palayi, who has executed 44 of the king’s swordsmen. The young protagonist must prove himself worthy of his legendary father Thacholi Othenan’s legacy while mastering Kalaripayattu.

“I’ve been familiar with these stories since childhood. Characters like Thacholi Othenan, Unniyarcha and Aromal Chekavar stood as heroic figures of folk mythology,” Vijayan told Variety. “Later in life, I discovered Japanese Samurai cinema, particularly through the films of Akira Kurosawa, and became an instant fan.”

“The parallels between the lives of...

Venice Fedeora award winner Aditya Vikram Sengupta (“Labour of Love”) brings his new Hindi-language project “The Employer” to India’s Film Bazaar co-production market.

The film follows Michael, a recently widowed chauffeur in Mumbai working for a veteran actress with political aspirations, whose life becomes entangled in both a missing diamond earring case and his maid’s personal crisis.

Sengupta’s previous films include “Labour of Love,” which won the Fedeora award for Best Debut Film at Venice, “Jonaki,” which premiered at Rotterdam, and “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta,” which debuted at Venice in 2021.

Sengupta drew inspiration from his own experiences in Mumbai. “I’ve been fascinated by the warmth of the people and this constant ambition and drive that people have,” Sengupta told Variety. “Everyone’s helping each other to move up in life.”

The director recounts how a real incident with his domestic worker, whose claimed that her son was seriously ill,...

Eliza Petkova’s German-Bulgarian co-production The Worker was among the winners at Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, the professional platform of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF).

The fifth film from Bulgarian director Petkova, The Worker won the €20,000 Eurimages Co-Production Development Award in the Baltic Event Co-Production Market. Currently in development with a €2m budget of which €450,000 is already secured, The Worker follows a Roma man who leaves his Bulgarian family for work in Germany, where he constructs a façade of living a luxurious life while he struggles as an undocumented worker.

Scroll down for the full list of winners

It is produced by Nicolas Kronauer,...

CAA has taken North American sales rights to psychological horror-thriller “Feral.” The project, set in 1950s India, already has Oscar-nominated producers Ron Yerxa and Albert Berger attached as executive producers. It heads to Film Bazaar as its creative team pursues further co-production partners and final financing.

The film follows two part-tribal sisters trained as servants by an English madame on a Himalayan colonial estate. The story centers on the estate’s shifting power dynamics after the arrival of the madame’s new lover, a singer/shaman scholar, as the sisters begin reclaiming their tribal heritage. The film will be shot in the English and Kinnauri languages. The project has previously found support from Sundance+Wif, Breaking Through The Lens and Film Independent.

Director-producer Nihaarika Negi (“Labours Of (An)Other Solipsist”) explores themes of colonialism through the lens of horror and magical realism. “As someone of a part-tribal identity from India,...

The 45th edition of the Cairo Film Festival concluded with the top prize, the Golden Pyramid Award, going to Bogdan Mureșanu’s “The New Year That Never Came.” The black comedy, which previously won the Horizons sidebar at the Venice Film Festival, is set in 1989 during the festive season that immediately precedes the downfall of the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu.

The Special Jury Award for best director, the Silver Pyramid, went to Russian director Natalia Nazarova for “Postmarks,” which also picked up a best actor award for Maxim Stoyanov and a special mention for the female lead, Alina Khojevanova. The other male lead award went to Lee Kang-Sheng for his performance in “Blue Sun Palace.”

The International Jury led by Danis Tanović (“No Man’s Land”) also awarded the Bronze Pyramid for best debut or second feature award to Pedro Freire’s “Malu.” The Rio-set film was inspired by his...

Ahead of Grand Theft Hamlet, in which Shakespeare’s play is staged entirely inside a video game, check out cinema’s avenging princes, from Laurence Olivier to Ethan Hawke

When I was 16, for a high school English assignment I composed a short play titled Deconstructing Hamlet, made up entirely of decontextualised quotes from Shakespeare’s play, all placed in conflicting dialogue with each other. It probably wasn’t as clever as I thought at the time, but it was early proof to me of the Danish tragedy’s endless adaptability – a virtue that the film industry has amply seized upon over the past century or so. Even with that in mind, Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane’s ingenious documentary Grand Theft Hamlet, in cinemas next month (and on Mubi early next year), stretches the point further than most, examining a lockdown staging of the play within the online digital realm of Grand Theft Auto,...

Director Arun Karthick returns to Film Bazaar with “Aanaikatti Blues,” a story of young love set against the backdrop of rural gang culture in an Indian mountain village.

The film follows Gopi, 22, and Vishnupriya, 20, as they navigate a controversial live-in relationship while Gopi becomes increasingly entangled with a local gang. The narrative follows Gopi’s descent into substance abuse through his involvement with “The 46 Gang,” a group of young men occupied with drinking, smoking, hunting, and cricket betting. As his addiction deepens and paranoia sets in, the story tracks the impact on his relationship with Vishnupriya, culminating in a series of events that threaten their future together.

“I was initiated into the sub-culture of small-town gang-life which led to some devastating personal consequences. The rush of love, the thrill of addiction, and the crushing weight of responsibility is why I want to tell this story,” Karthick tells Variety.

The film...

Acclaimed actor-filmmaker Anupam Kher has announced his next directorial venture “The Return,” a co-production between Australia and India, at the International Film Festival of India (Iffi), Goa.

The project emerges as Anupam Kher Studio wraps production on “Tanvi The Great,” directed by Kher, slated for international release in late 2025.

“The Return” will be produced in partnership with Australian film company Temple, based at Disney Studios Sydney. The production plans to shoot more than 90% of the film in Australia and will cast an Australian actor in a leading role, utilizing Australian talent across multiple departments. Plot details are under wraps at the moment.

Kher, whose career spans over 540 films and 100 plays across 35 years, has worked with directors including Ang Lee, David O. Russell, and Woody Allen. His international credits include “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Hotel Mumbai,” and the series “New Amsterdam.” He is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honor,...

During an extensive masterclass at the International Film Festival of India (Iffi) in Goa, veteran Indian filmmaker Mani Ratnam engaged in conversation with actor-director Gautham Vasudev Menon about adapting literature to screen, his approach to period filmmaking, and his creative process.

Discussing his recent two-part historical epic “Ponniyin Selvan,” based on Kalki Krishnamurthy’s 1950s Tamil novel, Ratnam emphasized authenticity in period storytelling. “We wanted to make it look like it really happened, that it’s not just a set or something shot in the studio. There should be sunlight, dirt, sweat – you should feel that you are there at that point in time,” he said.

The filmmaker revealed the practical challenges of shooting a period piece set in the Chola era. “If you go to Tanjore today, you’re not going to get any forts. There’s no palace, nothing left. So we shot in a palace in the...

Indian actor Konkona Sen Sharma has been cast as the lead female protagonist opposite Carlos Bardem (“El Cid”) in the comedy feature “Mis(s)chief,” it was revealed at the Film Bazaar in Goa.

The project hails from U.K. and India-based production outfit Avani Films and is currently in development. It has advanced to the second round at the 2025 Sundance Development Labs as a curated entry.

“Mis(s)chief” will follow a mother of two trying to succeed as a filmmaker while navigating a failing marriage, the odd bullet from a gangster she has unwittingly managed to annoy and the never-ending schedule of her children’s homework. British filmmaker Peter Webber (“Girl With a Pearl Earring”) is on board as executive producer and Emmy-nominated casting director Nancy Bishop is assembling an international cast.

“I am delighted by the comic premise, the representation of women and the writing itself,” Sen Sharma said.

Laine Kline will step down at the end of the year as head of international production at Amazon MGM Studios.

Kline has led the division for three and a half years and in that time oversaw projects such as Santiago Mitre’s Argentinian Oscar-nominated Argentina 1985, Domingo Gonzalez’s Spanish hit Culpa Mía, German scripted series Maxton Hall, and the unscripted Lol.

The executive managed and oversaw production of all international films, international scripted and unscripted series at the company. He led a team of 69 executives in 12 countries, overseeing projects across 22 territories, including India, Latin America, Asia, and Europe.

Prior to Amazon MGM Studios,...

While most ordinary TV shows aren't too interested in introducing new characters into the mix at all when they reach their final season, let alone feature one who becomes a breakout best character, "Cobra Kai" is no ordinary TV show. Currently, the show's sixth and final season just bowed its second of three parts, and it's become apparent that the villainess Zara Malik is arguably the final season's best new character. A student from the Iron Dragons participating in the Sekai Taikai tournament, Zara is a mysterious girl who lets her beauty, popularity, and especially her fists do the talking for her. As "Cobra Kai" wraps up its various storylines before the final episodes drop on February 13 of next year, Zara could turn out to be a pretty dangerous and dramatic wild card.

What's even more exciting than that is the accomplishments and potential of the actress behind Zara: Rayna Vallandingham.

“Wicked,” part one of the long-awaited screen adaptation of one of Broadway’s longest-running musicals, has a bevy of seasoned experts in the musical genre both in front of and behind the camera. The film is directed by Jon M. Chu, who previously received critical acclaim for his movie version of Lin Manuel-Miranda’s “In the Heights.” Leading the cast as Elphaba is Cynthia Erivo, a Tony winner for “The Color Purple,” while her love interest Fiyero is played by Jonathan Bailey, an Olivier Award winner for a role in a London revival of “Company.” And beyond being one of the biggest pop stars of the last decade, Ariana Grande is a theater kid at heart who got her start in showbusiness in the ensemble of tween musical “13.”

But in two key roles are actors who are probably the most familiar faces for cinephiles and moviegoers — but not ones known for breaking out in tune.

Denzel Washington is determined to get Ridley Scott his long “overdue” Oscar.

Washington, who reunites with Scott for “Gladiator II” almost 20 years after 2007’s “American Gangster,” told The Hollywood Reporter that Scott not having won Best Director is almost criminal.

“Ridley is overdue,” Washington said. “How can he not have won an Oscar? That doesn’t even make sense. I don’t believe it, actually.”

Scott’s original 2000 “Gladiator” won Best Picture, with star Russell Crowe winning Best Actor. Scott was up for Best Director, having been nominated in the category previously with “Thelma & Louise” and again with “Black Hawk Down.” Scott has won BAFTA Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Primetime Emmy Awards, just not an Academy Award yet.

And Washington is ready to make 2025 Scott’s year.

Washington said to “BBC Radio 1” that Scott not having an Oscar is proof that the Academy can’t do their “job” recognizing talent.

The concept of a prequel is a well-worn one in literature. Not only did authors like J.R.R. Tolkien further flesh out their characters and worlds in books set before previously published adventures, but L. Frank Baum, author of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," wrote "Ozma of Oz," the first prequel to be set in that particular universe. In cinema, however, the concept took a while to catch on, and it wasn't really until "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace" that the cinematic prequel became popular. To say that the process had some bumps in the road would be an understatement; "The Phantom Menace" and its two sequels were loudly reviled upon their initial release, with everything from their characters to their dialogue to their visual aesthetic taken to task for not looking or feeling enough like the original "Star Wars" trilogy. Despite George Lucas' claims that the films...

Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for “Wicked,” now playing in theaters.

Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth have found their way back to Oz. Broadway’s original witches make a surprise appearance in director Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked,” but not as Elphaba and Glinda.

The duo, who originated the leading roles in 2003, sing a new verse in “One Short Day,” telling the story behind the wonderful Wizard of Oz. Their characters fight for the spotlight in the Emerald City, prompting Menzel’s character to shut down the competition by belting out her famous “Defying Gravity” riff.

Composer Stephen Schwartz also cameos as the Oz soldier who allows Elphaba and Glinda into the Wizard’s palace, while the musical’s book writer Winnie Holzman similarly appears in the Emerald City, touting the Wizard’s ability to read the Grimmerie.

Clad in over-the-top pink and purple poofy dresses, Menzel and Chenoweth...

Director Elia Kazan‘s “The Visitors” was barely noticed when it was released in 1972, and it hasn’t had many opportunities for reappraisal since. While several of Kazan’s other movies that were commercial failures during their initial runs — most notably “Baby Doll,” “A Face in the Crowd” and “Wild River” — have since been canonized as classics, “The Visitors” remains obscure. That’s a shame, because it’s a fascinating case of Kazan applying his talents to film that initially seems like a major departure, but on deeper examination reveals itself to be a personal and profound work.

A new Blu-ray from Kino Lorber provides the perfect opportunity to take a closer look after decades in which “The Visitors” was almost impossible to find (and almost never in watchable transfers — the long out-of-print MGM DVD reduces the entire movie to a murky blob). The story is stark and simple: Years...

Three months after Apple inked a deal with director Jon Watts to develop a follow-up to his crime caper “Wolfs,” starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, plans for the sequel have now been halted, Variety has learned.

The confirmation comes after Collider published an interview with Watts Friday morning. Promoting his new Disney+ “Star Wars” series “Skeleton Crew,” the filmmaker was asked about his coming plans, responding “I don’t know what I’m directing next, and I don’t think there’s going to be a ‘Wolfs’ sequel.” Variety has since confirmed with sources that plans have been scrapped.

Apple TV+ did not immediately respond for comment.

Back in August, Apple gave a rose-and-thorn update to its rollout of “Wolfs.” The tech giant confirmed that it was pulling the wide theatrical release of the film, which it had partnered with Sony on as a distributor. Instead, “Wolfs” moved to...

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Between his big-screen acting debut in Robert Rossen's vastly underrated "Lilith" and his swan song "Welcome to Mooseport," Gene Hackman had a reputation for being a prolific and, at times, nowhere-near-choosy-enough actor given his considerable talents. But when you look over that 40-year career, you don't see an egregious number of turkeys. The Dan Aykroyd buddy-cop comedy "Loose Cannons" or his third go-round as Lex Luthor in "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" are probably the twin nadirs of his career, but mostly Hackman had a propensity to make many mediocre movies watchable. He was the reason you'd find yourself halfway through Nicholas Meyer's ho-hum spy thriller "Company Business" without any real complaints. Could it be better? Absolutely. But it had Hackman.

The movies -- great, average, or garbage -- haven't had Hackman since 2004, which never ceases to stink.

Doha, Qatar’s capital city and main financial hub, saw serious star traffic this week from Hollywood players and world leaders.

Heads of state including President Barack Obama, former British prime ministers Boris Johnson and Tony Blair, “Deadpool and Wolverine” star Ryan Reynolds, Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel and host of other big names hit the Arabian Peninsula for the inaugural Sportico World Summit.

The publication hosted an intimate gathering of 75 top creatives, politicians and thinkers to discuss worldwide issues and foster alliances across borders. Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Penske Media Corporation CEO Jay Penske served as hosts. The summit, which will become an annual gathering, is an expansion of Sportico’s U.S. confab on South Carolina’s Kiawah Island, which primarily draws sport franchise owners.

Speaking of, the Doha program attracted names like Tottenham Hotspurs chairman Daniel Levy, Ariel Investments Co-CEO Mellody Hobson,...

43 years after its publication, Frederick Forsyth's "The Day of the Jackal" is still thrilling people the world over. The book is newly relevant due to its fourth live-action adaptation, and while the Peacock series bears little resemblance to the based-on-real-life novel (no one's trying to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle this time out), it's gripping in its own right thanks to dynamite performances from Eddie Redmayne as the very dangerous prey and Lashana Lynch as the estimable predator.

Why is this yarn so enduring? It's a classic cat-and-mouse story with believable stakes. The fate of the world doesn't hang in the balance because of Redmayne's assignment -- at least, not yet. The show is a slow burn, and is only at its seventh episode in the United States, so who knows where it's all going to end up? We'll have to wait until December 12 to find out, but...

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,...

“Everyone wants to know how the world ended. This is the story of how it began,” says the narrator in the trailer for “Homestead,” an inspirational survivalist thriller out Dec. 20 from Angel Studios.

As the story starts, newscasters announce “America’s just been attacked!” After a nuclear bomb is detonated in Los Angeles, the nation devolves into unprecedented chaos, according to the logline.

Ex-Green Beret Jeff Eriksson, played by “Longmire” actor Bailey Chase, and his family escape to The Homestead, an eccentric prepper’s fortress nestled in the mountains, the logline continues. As violent threats and apocalyptic conditions creep toward their borders, the residents of The Homestead are left to wonder: How long can a group of people resist both the dangers of human nature and the bloodshed at their doorstep?

Also starring are “Tulsa King” star and “Yellowstone” actor Neal McDonough along with Dawn Olivieri, Jesse Hutch and Olivia Sanabia.

Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” is full of memorable action scenes, from a bloody showdown featuring CGI baboons to Paul Mescal outsmarting a charging rhino in the Roman Colosseum. But one sequence that is sure to leave audiences with the most questions is a rather insane set piece in which the Colosseum is filled with water and sharks. The gladiators enter the arena on a boat as a mock sea battle is staged, much to the delight of the sadistic emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).

But did the Colosseum actually get flooded with water and sharks in real life? It’s a question that’s warranted given Scott often plays fast and loose with history. For instance, “Gladiator II” features a character reading a newspaper 1,200 years before the invention of the printing press. And don’t get us started on Scott’s “Napoleon,” which was so littered...

“I’ve been here before, but I’m really happy to be back,” said French actress Isabelle Huppert as she basked in the glow of all the neatly stacked cinema surrounding her.

A frequent visitor to the Criterion Closet, Huppert wasted no time in making her selections, starting with Barbara Loden’s “Wanda,” which tells the story of a female Rust Belt wanderer turned bank robber trying to survive the aimlessness put upon her by the world she inhabits.

“Here is ‘Wanda.’ A good friend of mine,” Huppert said, kissing the character on the cover. “I like this woman. She’s great. Barbara Loden.I like the way she comes to the court with bigoudis.”

For those non-Francophiles, translation: curlers. Huppert followed this choice with a set of films from Italian neo-realist Roberto Rossellini that includes “Stromboli,” “Europe ’51,” and “Journey to Italy.” In reflecting on Rossellini’s relationship to wife and collaborator Ingrid Bergman,...

Screenis running this regularly updated page with the latest film festival and market dates from across the world.

To submit details of or alter your festival dates, pleasecontact us herewith the name, dates, country and website for the event.Screenis also running a calendar for UK-Ireland film release dateshere.

Ongoing

French Film Festival, UK - November 6-December 12

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Estonia - November 8-24

International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, Netherlands - November 13-24

Camerimage, Poland - November 16-23

Pittsburgh Shorts, US - November 21-24

TorinoFilmLab Meeting Event, Italy - November 21-23

Alternativa Film Project, Indonesia - November 22-29

November

Erotic Film Festival Barcelona,...

In a sigh of relief to local film communities, Louisiana will not eliminate its tax credit for filming after the state’s Congress voted to lower the current cap instead of eliminate it.

The state will now allot just $125 million in tax credits to film and TV production, down $25 million from its prior level of $150 million. The Senate nearly unanimously voted to lower the cap on Friday, November 22 ahead of the current session of Congress ending next week, and the House, which had previously voted to eliminate the tax-credit program entirely, approved the new bill in a wide margin.

Landry had initially called for the film tax credit to be eliminated completely as part of sweeping tax reform in the state, but tax reforms will now move forward with the filming credit still intact.

Had the tax credit been eliminated, it would’ve been sunsetted by June 30. It would have...

Major spoilers for "Gladiator II" follow.

I have to hand it to the "Gladiator II" marketing department: they did a good job keeping the film's main villain a secret. When I sat down to watch Ridley Scott's sequel (read my review here), the trailers had convinced me that the film's villains would be the twin emperors played by Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger and a general played by Pedro Pascal. After all, the emperor (played by Joaquin Phoenix) was the villain in the first film, and the trailers for "Gladiator II" make it clear that the movie's main character, Lucius, played by Paul Mescal, wants revenge against Pascal's general.

But "Gladiator II" has a few twists up its sleeve. While Pascal's character, General Acacius, does cause the death of Lucius' wife in the opening scene of the film, we quickly learn that he's not really such a bad guy.

“Fire Island” filmmaker Andrew Ahn is putting his own twist on “The Wedding Banquet” — and in his reimagining, Lily Gladstone and Bowen Yang are watching their respective partners head down the aisle.

Ahn reinvents Ang Lee’s Golden Bear-winning 1993 film for a new era, 30 years later. Writer/director Ahn co-wrote the 2025 take on “The Wedding Banquet” with original co-screenwriter James Schamus, who co-wrote the 1993 film with Lee.

The official synopsis for the upcoming feature reads: “When Min’s (Han Gi-chan) boyfriend Chris (Yang) rejects his spontaneous marriage proposal, he convinces his best friend Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) to marry him instead, paying for her partner Liz’s (Gladstone) IVF treatments in exchange for his green card. Their plans for a subtle city hall elopement are turned upside down when Min’s grandmother makes a surprise trip from Seoul to throw them an extravagant Korean wedding banquet, which will fund the IVF treatments.

Though Apple Original Films has already announced a sequel to “Wolfs,” which the company says is its most-viewed film in Apple TV+ history, director Jon Watts is throwing cold water on the possibility.

Speaking to Collider while promoting the “Star Wars” series “Skeleton Crew,” Watts said, “I don’t know what I’m directing next, and I don’t think there’s going to be a ‘Wolfs’ sequel.”

It’s unclear if that means a “Wolfs” sequel will continue without Watts, without Clooney and Pitt, or if the project is dead altogether.

Reps for Apple did not return a request for comment.

“Wolfs” is a crime thriller starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt as two “fixers” who are forced to team up after a job involving cleaning up the mess of a dead body goes wrong.

In August, Apple announced that instead of a wide theatrical release, “Wolfs” would have...