The popes exorcist

The African American Film Critics Association on Monday revealed winners of its 14th annual AAFCA Awards honoring the best in film. The Woman King , Till , Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery each won a pair of awards. Among the honors, The Woman King was named the year’s best picture, with the film’s Gina Prince-Bythewood named best director. Danielle Deadwyler ( Till ) and Jeremy Pope ( The Inspection ) were named best actress and actor. Angela Bassett ( Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ) and Brian Tyree Henry ( Causeway ) won the supporting prizes. Special achievement honorees include Till , which received the Impact Award, and Antoine Fuqua and Will Smith receiving the Beacon Award for Emancipation . “AAFCA is deeply honored to recognize some of the most captivating films and performances of the year,” said AAFCA president and co-founder Gil Robertson. “These thought-provoking stories of strength, determination … [Read more...] about AAFCA Awards Winners List Includes Angela Bassett, Jeremy Pope & Gina Prince-Bythewood’s ‘The Woman King’

Some great news for exhibition Monday morning: Amazon Studios is getting back into the wide theatrical-release business with Ben Affleck ’s Nike movie Air, starring his fellow Good Will Hunting co-Oscar winner Matt Damon . Air will get a global theatrical release on Wednesday, April 5, heading into the lucrative Easter weekend. This is the first wide theatrical release from Amazon since its Sundance acquisition, Mindy Kaling’s Late Night, which had a wide summer release in 2019 . I hear Air will have a longer theatrical window than Amazon Studios’ recent limited theatrical releases, before hitting Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories. It truly is a first-of-its-kind arrangement for the studio as Amazon will distribute the film globally, with Warner Bros. Pictures handling international as part of its distribution pact with Amazon’s MGM. Amazon Studios only had U.S. on Late Night, not global rights. Air reveals the unbelievable … [Read more...] about Amazon Studios Returns To Wide Theatrical With Ben Affleck & Matt Damon Nike Movie ‘Air’ In Spring

With the lively, fun and star-packed Critics Choice Awards on Sunday night at the Fairmont Century Plaza ballroom (and accompanying viewing party upstairs that elegantly handled the 300 members and guests who lost the organization’s ticket lottery and couldn’t get a seat) now history, there is really nothing between it and the January 24 announcement of Oscar nominations. With the nationally televised show airing 48 hours before Oscar balloting closes (Tuesday at 5 p.m. PT) though, its influence could be strong, especially for moving speeches from the likes of Brendan Fraser ; an impressive sweep of top categories Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan becoming the runaway train of acting winners thus far this season) for Everything Everywhere All At Once ; and among other memorable moments, the great Guillermo del Toro looking to continue sweeping up every animated trophy in sight. But as a group of critics spread across the … [Read more...] about Critics Choice Awards Go Big For ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’, But What Does It Mean For Oscar?

Anthony Hopkins is stepping into the gladiatorial arena with his latest role. The two-time Oscar winner has joined Those About To Die , the epic period drama from Roland Emmerich for Peacock . Hopkins, who won Oscars for The Father and Silence of the Lambs, will play Emperor Vespasian in the drama, which scored a straight-to-series order last summer. Production will begin at Cinecitta Studios in Rome in March. The series, which is inspired by Daniel Mannix’s eponymous nonfiction book, is a large-scale drama set within the spectacular, complex and corrupt world of gladiatorial sports in Ancient Rome. It introduces an ensemble of diverse characters across the many layers of Roman society where sports, politics and business intersect and collide. Hopkins’ Vespasian, the Emperor of Rome and head of the Flavian bloodline, is battle tested, a rural upstart who claimed his throne after victory in a bloody 10-year civil war. He is aging and is despised by the … [Read more...] about Anthony Hopkins Joins Peacock’s Gladiator Drama Series ‘Those About To Die’

EXCLUSIVE: Marc Munden ( Utopia ) and Fernando Meireilles ( The Two Popes ) have been tapped to direct episodes of The Sympathizer , a drama series adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, produced by and co-starring Robert Downey Jr. The HBO/A24 series also has added three new cast members, Duy Nguyen, Kayli Tran and VyVy Nguyen. The Sympathizer is an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States. Described as a “blistering exploration of identity and America, a gripping spy novel and a powerful story of love and friendship,” the novel is hailed as a new classic of war fiction and has been compared to the works of Kafka, Orwell, and le Carré. Munden will direct episodes 5,6, and 7 and Meirelles will direct episode 4. Duy Nguyen will play Man, the Captain’s blood brother and spy … [Read more...] about ‘The Sympathizer’: Marc Munden & Fernando Meirelles To Direct HBO/A24 Series, Three Cast

EXCLUSIVE : Gravitas Ventures has picked up North American rights to the drama All the World is Sleeping , toplined by rising star Melissa Barrera ( Scream VI ), slating it for release in theaters and on demand on March 17. Written and directed by Ryan Lacen , All the World is Sleeping follows Chama (Barrera), who as a young girl in New Mexico, strived to be different from her mother. Now in her twenties, she’s found herself falling into a similar cycle of generational addiction. This struggle then threatens her balance as a mother to her own daughter. As Chama tries to keep it all together, a harrowing accident will spiral her out of control, causing her daughter to be taken from her custody. With nothing left, she’ll have to confront her past in order to fight for a future — one that can either guide her closer to getting her daughter back or lead her deeper into this dangerous cycle. Pic also stars Jackie Cruz, Jorge Garcia, Kristen Gutoskie, Valentina … [Read more...] about Gravitas Ventures Takes North America On Addiction Drama ‘All The World Is Sleeping’ Starring ‘Scream VI’s Melissa Barrera

There is blood flowing in the streets of Hollywood tonight, as the television networks’ annual Black Friday purge has cancelled a deluge of series, such as the shocker of Brooklyn Nine-Nine plus Designated Survivor , The Exorcist , Quantico , Lucifer and The Brave this week. Click on the photo above to launch our gallery of this season’s canceled shows so far. While there is talk, hope and rosary bead prayers that the Andy Samberg and Andre Braugher-led cop comedy could actually find a new home after the soon to be “New Fox” stuck in the knife, the fact is that the rules of this Peak TV era remind all of us why this is show business and not show friends. To paraphrase the original Blade Runner flick, if you’re not prestige or a hit, your little people and the small always get crushed in pursuit of the large, regardless of how many showrunners see themselves as a David battling a Goliath – sorry Lucifer, but you know it’s the truth, even if you aim for a … [Read more...] about Black Friday Cancellation Purge Sees Biz Reality Shiv ‘Lucifer,’ ‘Quantico’ & More