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Tribeca Film Review: Ricky Gervais’ ‘Special Correspondents’
8 hours ago
Ricky Gervais has yet to find another role as perfectly suited to his caustic sensibilities as “The Office” boss David Brent — or, for that matter, the impishly nasty, trash-talking persona he assumes for his Golden Globes hosting gigs. “Special Correspondents” doesn’t halt that streak, affording him a loser-makes-good part that’s as toothless as the rest of the film, about a cocky New York City news radio reporter and meek sound technician who unwittingly fake their way into the national spotlight. Written and directed by Gervais, it’s an overly long, if passable diversion whose star power should help it draw comedy-starved home viewers via Netflix, where it’ll exclusively live after its Tribeca Film Festival debut.
Based on the 2009 French comedy of the same name, “Special Correspondents” is predicated on the chemistry of its odd-couple leads — a seemingly solid plan undone by the milquetoast mildness of their bickering banter. »
- Nick Schager
‘Green Room’ Scared Patrick Stewart Into Setting His House Alarm
9 hours ago
Patrick Stewart’s general policy when he receives a script is, if it looks like it won’t be very interesting, he just reads it on his computer. But if it looks like a cut above, he prints it out and settles in with it.
When Jeremy Saulnier’s “Green Room” (currently in limited release) came his way, he printed it out. He began reading the thriller, about a punk rock band under siege by neo-Nazis in a remote performance venue, early in the evening. Then it got dark. After about 35 pages, he closed the script, went around his West Oxfordshire home checking all the doors and windows and then set the perimeter lights and alarm.
“It had got to me so fast, and potently,” the actor says. “I poured myself a large glass of whiskey and then I finished reading the script.”
Saulnier, meanwhile, was about two weeks away »
- Kristopher Tapley
Tilda Swinton Speaks Up About Staying Quiet at ‘A Bigger Splash’ Screening
9 hours ago
Despite the “clothing optional” policy in the new film “A Bigger Splash,” a special screening at New York’s The Museum of Modern Art on Thursday was a mini fashion show of sorts. The guests’ outfits dazzled, but none as much as one of the film’s stars, Tilda Swinton, who was dressed in all white for the screening but donned a sparkly purple jacket for the afterparty. Director Luca Guadagnino also attended the screening, as did star Ralph Fiennes. His co-stars, Dakota Johnson and Matthias Schoenaerts, did not attend. In “A Bigger Splash,” which opens May 4, Swinton plays an ethereal rock goddess-turned-Sicilian island sunbather. Since she plays a famous musician in the film, the actress recalled a special memory from many years ago in light of Prince’s recent death. “Somebody said, ‘We’re going to Prince’s house. Come.’ So we went along, and there was Stevie Wonder singing ‘Superstition, »
- Seth Kelley
Warner Bros. Announces Release Date for ‘It’
11 hours ago
New Line and Warner Bros. have announced a release date for their adaptation of Stephen King’s “It.” The movie, which was originally supposed to be directed by Cary Fukunaga, hits theaters Sept. 18, 2017.
WB has also set its “C.H.I.P.S.” reboot to bow on Aug. 11, 2017 and an untitled comedy for Dec. 22, 2017.
“It” has been on a roller coaster after losing Fukunaga last year over creative differences. The studio quickly replaced him with Andres Muschietti as director and sources now tell Variety production is set to get under way this summer.
The original King novel followed seven children known as The Losers Club who come face to face with life problems, bullies and a monster that takes the shape of a clown called Pennywise. The idea is to have two films, one focused on the children and the other focusing on them as adults when they come back »
- Justin Kroll
Tribeca Film Review: ‘Adult Life Skills’
11 hours ago
It’s fitting that Whitesnake’s hair-metal classic “Here I Go Again” closes out “Adult Life Skills,” as writer/director Rachel Tunnard’s film is a cheesy rehash of numerous stunted-adolescent dramedies. This story of an English woman struggling with adulthood on the cusp of her thirtieth birthday dispenses requisite quirk and bathos, but its lack of originality is paired with an even more disappointing dearth of laughs. Theatrical viability for the winner of the Nora Ephron Prize at the 2016 Tribeca fest seems narrow, though no doubt at least a few moviegoers have yet to outgrow its brand of profane, idiosyncratic mopiness.
In an unnamed rural English town, Anna (Jodie Whittaker) copes with the lingering grief over her twin brother Billy’s death by making elaborate space-travel movies full of homemade sets and starring her thumbs, whose happy/sad countenances (drawn on with magic marker) denote them as surrogates for Anna and her departed sibling. »
- Nick Schager
Tribeca Film Review: ‘Kicks’
13 hours ago
A pair of vintage Air Jordans take the place of a bicycle in Justin Tipping’s “Kicks,” which updates De Sica’s post-war Rome for the modern day East Bay culture of sideshows and Mac Dre, following a California high school student across the urban expanse as he tries to recover his purloined shoes. An arresting visual experience, “Kicks” has style to spare, and in fact it probably should have spared a little, as this first-time director sometimes crowds his film with more auteurial flourishes than his rather simple story can support. Nonetheless, this is a debut of undeniable promise, both for its director and its largely unknown cast, and its Tribeca bow should be the first of many festival appearances.
Brandon (Jahking Guillory) is a quiet 15-year-old living in the rough Bay Area community of Richmond, facing all the problems of a good kid in a mad city: He’s short, »
- Andrew Barker
Q&A: Shia Labeouf and Alma Har’el on Merging Reality and Performance in ‘LoveTrue’
13 hours ago
Among the most singular films to premiere at this Tribeca Film Festival, Alma Har’el’s documentary “LoveTrue” reps an unusual view on the well-worn topic of love, in all its human imperfections. Tracing the bittersweet trajectories of three people under varying types of emotional strain — an Alaskan stripper fearing a lonely future, a Hawaiian slacker re-examining his relationship to his son, and the teenage daughter of a troubled but musically gifted New York family — the film blends intimate non-fiction footage with stylized dramatization in a manner that expands on the unorthodox technique of Har’el’s breakout 2011 doc, “Bombay Beach.” It also marks a striking off-camera diversion for actor Shia Labeouf, here taking his first feature-length credit as executive producer. We chatted to Har’el and Labeouf about this unexpected creative collaboration.
The three subjects you follow embody very different types of love. Do you think there’s a »
- Guy Lodge
‘Purple Rain’ Returning to U.S. Theaters This Weekend
15 hours ago
The movie that catapulted Prince to stardom is rolling back into U.S. theaters this weekend.
“Purple Rain,” starring the late pop star, was first released in 1984 and earned Prince an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. The accompanying album also produced two no. 1 singles –“When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy–and went platinum 13 times over.
AMC, the nation’s largest theater chain, is teaming with Warner Bros. to screen “Purple Rain” in 87 AMC locations this Saturday, April 22, through Thursday, April 27. Carmike Theaters will also screen the cult favorite in 80 theaters.
Prince, 57, was found dead at his Paisley Park residence on Thursday. An autopsy was performed Friday to determine the exact cause of death.
Below is a list of participating theaters:
Atlanta
AMC North Dekalb Mall 16
AMC Phipps Plaza 14
AMC Sugarloaf Mills 18
Baltimore
AMC White Marsh 16
AMC Baton Rouge 16
Boston
AMC Loews Boston Common 19
AMC »
- Variety Staff
Box Office: ‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’ Can’t Match ‘Jungle Book’
15 hours ago
“The Huntsman: Winter's War” is having a bear of a time competing with reigning box office beast “Jungle Book,” which is looking at a healthy $56 million weekend as is continues to win the lion’s share of audience affection.
The fairy tale prequel to 2012’s “Snow White and the Huntsman,” should pull in $7 million to $8 million Friday, based on studio estimates, leading into an opening weekend total that could reach into the low $20 million range.
The new interpretation of the classic tale will be at best a pale reflection of “Jungle Book.” Disney’s reimagining of its 1967 animated classic, which opened last weekend, is expected to haul in $15 million Friday, to jump-start a $56 million weekend, according to estimates.
“Jungle Book,” based on the Rudyard Kipling’s story and combining a live-action child with computer-generated animal characters, has won over audiences globally, bringing in a total of $377 million through Thursday night, »
- James Rainey
Vince Vaughn to Star in Action Pic ‘Brawl in Cell Block 99’
16 hours ago
Following his strong dramatic turn on HBO’s “True Detective,” Vince Vaughn is now looking at another gritty physical role with the action pic “Brawl in Cell Block 99.”
Sources confirm to Variety that “Bone Tomahawk” helmer S. Craig Zahler will direct.
The story centers on a former boxer whose life is crumbling: he loses his job as an auto mechanic and his troubled marriage is about to expire. At this crossroads in his life, he feels that he has no better option than to work for an old buddy as a drug courier. This vocation improves his situation until the day he finds himself in a gunfight between a group of police officers and his own ruthless allies. When the smoke clears, the man finds himself in prison in a no-win situation as his enemies force him to commit acts of violence that turn the place into a savage battleground. »
- Justin Kroll
Disney to Screen Never-Seen ‘Moana’ Sequences at Annecy
17 hours ago
Unseen artwork and work-in-progress sequences from “Moana,” produced by the Walt Disney Animation Studios, will be unveiled at June’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, one of the world’s biggest toon events.
The sneak-peek will be presented by “Moana” directorial duo Ron Clements and John Musker, whose collaboration dates back to “The Great Mouse Detective.” Since then they have written and directed Disney titles such as “The Little Mermaid” (1989), “Aladdin” (1992), “Hercules” (1997) and “The Princess and the Frog” (2009).
CG animated feature film “Moana” follows an adventurous teenager (Moana), the chief’s only daughter, and from a family of illustrious sea wayfarers, who sails out on an intrepid journey helped by a demigod Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) to prove herself a master pathfinder and save her people.
Clements and Musker will take an Annecy audience through their research on “their most ambitious production to date,” per a Disney statement.
Cast »
- Emilio Mayorga
DreamWorks Boss Jeffrey Katzenberg Sees Pay Double in 2015
18 hours ago
Updated: DreamWorks Animation chief exeuctive Jeffrey Katzenberg saw his compensation more than double in 2015 to $13.5 million — returning to its level before the company went through a tough year of layoffs and restructuring.
Katzenberg, 65, derived the pay from a $2.5 million salary, a $6 million bonus, $4.5 million in stock awards and other perks.
His pay had dipped to under $6.4 million in 2014, as the company pared its staff, announced it would make two films a year, instead of three and shifted to a new management structure. The $13.5 million for last year was just above what Katzenberg made in 2013.
After a string of lackluster feature film releases, DreamWorks recovered in January with “Kung Fu Panda 3,” which has taken in more than $496 million worldwide — a hit, if not the kind of blockbuster that the studio had hoped for.
The bonuses paid to Katzenberg and other executives were linked to the company’s operating income goal of $90 million for the year. »
- James Rainey
Tribeca: Netflix Buys ‘Little Boxes’ Starring Melanie Lynskey (Exclusive)
19 hours ago
In what will likely be one of the biggest deals out of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, Netflix has acquired worldwide streaming rights to the dramatic comedy “Little Boxes,” Variety has learned.
The movie sold for around $1.5 million, according to those with knowledge of the negotiations.
“Little Boxes” is directed by Rob Meyer (“A Birder’s Guide to Everything”). The story follows a family—played by Melanie Lynskey, Nelsan Ellis (“True Blood”) and Armani Jackson–after a move to suburban Washington, “gently touching on issues of race, class and privilege,” writes Variety critic Geoff Berkshire.
The cast also includes Oona Laurence (“Southpaw”) and Janeane Garofalo.
The picture was produced by Jared Goldman, Jordan Horowitz, Ken Keller and Caron Rudner. Executive producers are Cary Fukunaga, Wyatt Gatling, Marc Simon and Rose Troche.
Fukunaga and Netflix previously collaborated on “Beasts of No Nation,” which launched the streaming service’s original movie offerings last fall. »
- Ramin Setoodeh
Joaquin Phoenix Considered for Jesus Role in ‘Mary Magdalene’
19 hours ago
London — Joaquin Phoenix is being considered as a leading contender to play Jesus in Garth Davis’ “Mary Magdalene,” joining Rooney Mara in the cast, Variety has learned.
The film’s production company See-Saw Films, which is teaming with Universal Pictures Intl. Productions on the project, is in early talks with the actor’s representatives, Wme and Sloane Offer. Phoenix has been nominated for an Oscar three times — for “Gladiator,” “Walk the Line” and “The Master” — and was nominated five times for a Golden Globe, for those three films (winning for “Walk the Line”) as well as “Inherent Vice” and “Her.” He was last seen in Woody Allen’s “Irrational Man.”
“Mary Magdalene” is being produced by See-Saw’s Iain Canning and Emile Sherman, whose credits include “The King’s Speech.” Film4 co-developed the film with See-Saw. Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett penned the script to “Mary Magdalene,” which is described »
- Leo Barraclough
Prince to Get Tribute at Cannes Film Festival
21 hours ago
Paris — The Cannes Film Festival will host a tribute to Prince, the music legend who died Thursday, a festival spokesperson confirmed to Variety.
Details on the homage will be unveiled by the festival in the coming days, said the rep.
Prince, a pop culture icon whose legacy spans nearly every field of entertainment, contributed to a number of movie and TV shows soundtracks, notably Tim Burton’s “Batman,” Spike Lee’s “Girl 6” and even “Happy Feet.”
Like David Bowie, who died in January, Prince was revered in France. His death has provoked much sadness and shock expressed all over social media, TV and print outlets. His film “Under the Cherry Moon” was filmed on the French Riviera at La Victorine Studios in Nice.
On its Twitter account, French music artist Christine and the Queens wrote “Purple everything. No rules. Bodies owned, brilliantly free. New sounds, new ways to love. »
- Elsa Keslassy
Asghar Farhadi’s ‘The Salesman’ Joins Cannes Film Festival Competition
21 hours ago
Paris– “The Salesman” by Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, will be world premiere in competition at Cannes Film Festival.
Cannes Films Festival has also added David Mackenzie’s “Hell or High Water” to Un Certain Regard and announced that Mohamed Diab’s “Clash” will open that section of the official selection. Meanwhile Jean-Francois Richet’s “Blood Father” with Mel Gibson snatched up a Midnight Screening slot.
Thierry Fremaux, the artistic director of Cannes Film Festival has also added three films to the Special Screenings section: Jonathan Littell’s “Wrong Elements” from the U.S. and a pair of French pics, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet’s “La Foret de Quinconces” and Karim Dridi’s “Chouf.”
The fest also announced that Iggy Pop will be attending the screening of Jim Jarmusch’s “Gimme Danger” on May 19.
More to come.
»
- Elsa Keslassy
Tribeca Film Review: ‘A Kind of Murder’
21 hours ago
Crime doesn’t pay, and in “A Kind of Murder,” neither does fantasizing about it. Adapting acclaimed suspense author Patricia Highsmith’s 1954 novel “The Blunderer,” director Andy Goddard and screenwriter Susan Boyd chart the doom that befalls a couple of men whose spouses, in quick succession, turn up dead at the same out-of-the-way Northeast rest stop. While thrills are mitigated by convoluted plotting and suspect character behavior, the film’s uniquely bleak twist on classic noir conventions is enlivening. Its theatrical fate is limited, yet finding subsequent cult-following favor with genre aficionados isn’t beyond a reasonable doubt.
Highsmith’s novel is reminiscent of her debut smash “Strangers on a Train,” in that it details the intersection of two men with murder on their minds. Rare bookstore owner Kimmel (Eddie Marsan) is a reserved loner whose wife has recently been slain at roadside diner Harry’s Rainbow Grill. Detective Lawrence »
- Nick Schager
Broad Green Pictures Sets Movie Output Deal with Amazon Prime
21 hours ago
Broad Green Pictures has set a multi-year movie output deal with Amazon Prime.
The deal will make Amazon Prime the premium TV home of Broad Green’s slate of films, starting with last year’s Robert Redford-Emma Thompson starrer “A Walk in the Woods.”
The deal ensures that Broad Green, which launched in 2014, has a steady pay TV revenue stream in the coming years and helps Amazon fill its pipeline with indie features of a similar style that it is producing through its in-house movie wing.
Some Broad Green titles have already been available on Amazon for streaming on a rental basis. The new output deal makes Broad Green titles part of the basic Amazon Prime monthly service, following theatrical and home entertainment windows. Titles will be available for streaming and download.
“Working with Amazon to share our titles on Prime Video now gives us the ability to »
- Cynthia Littleton
Tribeca Film Review: ‘Bad Rap’
21 hours ago
Asian-American rappers battle not only other lyricists but also ethnic and music-industry stereotypes in “Bad Rap,” filmmaker Salima Koroma’s documentary portrait of four aspiring musicians endeavoring to break into a genre reluctant to accept them. Edited with a rhythmic gracefulness that nicely harmonizes with its subjects’ verses and beats, it’s a unique look at the difficulty of achieving stardom and respect in an unresponsive marketplace, and most engaging when investigating questions of legitimacy in the hip-hop (and mainstream American pop-cultural) world — issues which should help it carve out its own non-fiction niche, albeit most likely via streaming services.
As newcomer Koroma (who wrote, directed, shot and edited) cogently illustrates, Asian-American rappers have — despite some in-roads in the ’80s and ’90s, courtesy of minor breakout stars like Mc Jin — largely been relegated to fringe performers, thanks to the fact that they aren’t viewed as “authentic” by African-American (and, »
- Nick Schager
Vivendi’s Vincent Bollore Considers Closing Money-Losing Canal Plus Channels
21 hours ago
Paris — Vincent Bollore, the boss of Vivendi — parent company of Canal Plus Group, Universal Music Group, Dailymotion and shareholder of Telecom Italia — rocked the boat at the annual shareholders’ meeting on Wednesday, warning that Canal Plus’ six pay TV channels would fold if escalating losses continued.
In what seemed to be a lobbying push directed toward the French antitrust board, the French billionaire said loud and clear that the livelihood of Canal Plus depended for the most part on its ability to access sports rights, which have been held by Al Jazeera’s BeIN Sports since 2012. The anti-trust authorities have yet to clear Canal Plus’ deal for a five-year exclusive distribution of beIN Sports.
Per Bollore, the launch of BeIN Sports, Netflix and other Ott services have been highly detrimental to Canal Plus, which keeps losing more and more money — Canal Plus’ pay TV channels lost 180 million in 2014, 250 million in »
- Elsa Keslassy
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