Indie News

In today’s film news roundup, the Austin Film Festival selects a Terrence Malick title, “A Day Without a Mexican” gets a sequel and Dcr Finance signs a first-look deal.

Festival Screening

The Austin Film Festival will screen Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life,” which won the Francois Chalais and Ecumenical Jury awards at the Cannes Film Festival.

Starring August Diehl and Valerie Pachner, the film follows the true story of an Austrian farmer who refused to yield to Nazi forces in World War II. Fox Searchlight will open “A Hidden Life” on Dec. 13.

The festival, which runs Oct. 24-31, is also screening the Harriet Tubman biopic “Harriet,” written by Kasi Lemmons and Gregory Allen Howard and starring Cynthia Erivo, Joe Alwyn, and Janelle Monáe. Aff will also screen “The Truth” from writer/director Hirokazu Koreeda, starring Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche, and Ethan Hawke, and the world premiere of the documentary feature “Cowboys,

At Saturday’s massive D23 Expo in Anaheim, Disney flexed its powerful movie muscles in both live-action and animation, emphasizing cultural diversity and legacy building. Among the standouts were sneak peeks of the “Mulan” live-action remake and Pixar’s “Soul”, with the studio’s first predominantly all-black cast (led by Jamie Foxx as an aspiring jazz pianist). And the common thread was the richness of family in all its various forms.

In fact, Walt Disney Studios’ co-chairman Alan Horn literally underscored the point when kicking off the presentation: “You’re not just fans, you’re family,” he told the crowd of 6,800 in D23 Hall.

Here are nine key takeaways from the D23 movie presentation.

1. Goodbye to the “Skywalker Saga”

Horn began by introducing Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and director J.J. Abrams to bid farewell to the “Skywalker Saga” with the ninth and final “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (December

Anaheim – D23 has become an event where all the divisions of the Walt Disney Studios make one announcement after another. For instance, we now know the “Black Panther” sequel’s release date, Kit Harrington is now a cast member of the McU (although not the new Wolverine) and that Awkwafina is in Disney Animation’s “Raya The Last Dragon.”. Pixar, on the other hand, is just venturing into major star casting for its films after avoiding the big names since Owen Wilson took the wheel of “Cars” in 2006.

Continue reading Pixar Finds Its ‘Soul’ With Jamie Foxx & Tina Fey [D23] at The Playlist.

The following interview with Jim Jarmusch was originally published as our Spring, 2004 cover story, and it is appearing here online for the first time. — Editor “Why do people go to the cinema?” Andrei Tarkovsky writes in a book of essays, Sculpting in Time. “I think that what a person normally goes to the cinema for,” he goes on, “is time: time lost or spent or not yet had.” Time lost, spent or not yet had is the stuff of Jim Jarmusch’s new feature, his ninth, Coffee and Cigarettes. Consisting of 11 short vignettes, all featuring two or three people […]

The following interview with Jim Jarmusch was originally published as our Spring, 2004 cover story, and it is appearing here online for the first time. — Editor “Why do people go to the cinema?” Andrei Tarkovsky writes in a book of essays, Sculpting in Time. “I think that what a person normally goes to the cinema for,” he goes on, “is time: time lost or spent or not yet had.” Time lost, spent or not yet had is the stuff of Jim Jarmusch’s new feature, his ninth, Coffee and Cigarettes. Consisting of 11 short vignettes, all featuring two or three people […]

Update: Just shortly after this piece was written, Netflix let the cat out of the bag and released the poster, teaser trailer, release date, and details. Clearly, the discovery of the show on Netflix, precipitated the release of all materials. The story is as follows.

We may still be recovering from (wrongly) assuming that the immortal “Breaking Bad” duo of Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul were teasing a project based on the uber-popular TV series over the summer, but Netflix may have just made it a whole lot easier to move on from that.

Continue reading ‘Breaking Bad’ Movie ‘El Camino’: Netflix Reveals First Look Teaser & Poster at The Playlist.

Anaheim – Tom Holland was at the D23 Expo to talk to Disney fans about his new upcoming Pixar film “Onward” but it was his comments about the character he’s most known for that made the most news. A character that just happens to be at the center of a dispute between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures after the $1.1 billion success of “Spider-Man: Far From Home.”

Read More: Director Jon Watts Reportedly Not Confirmed For Future ‘Spider-Man’ Films As Jeremy Renner Shows His Marvel Allegiance

The now 23-year-old actor initially ad-libbed his departure from the D23 stage by stating, “Hey, it’s been a crazy week but I want you to know I am grateful from the bottom of my heart and I love you 3,000.” That “Avengers: Endgame” reference seemed to indicate that Holland might still be trying to use his leverage (he reportedly has an option on a third

“Let it go?” As if! The long-awaited sequel to 2013’s modern Disney classic “Frozen” is due in theaters Nov. 22. Once again directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, this installment follows the gang as they set out on a journey to find the origin of Elsa’s powers in order to save their kingdom.

Idina Menzel, who plays Queen Elsa, is reunited with Kristen Bell, who voices Queen Anna. Josh Gad is back as snowman sidekick Olaf, with Jonathan Groff as iceman Kristoff, and Santino Fontana as Hans, also in tow. New additions to the film, which picks up three years after the original, include Evan Rachel Wood as the siblings’ mother, and Sterling K. Brown.

In an extensive clip from the first act shown at D23 on Saturday, the sisters, Olaf, and Sven are playing a game of charades but Elsa is distracted by a mysterious voice that she hears singing.

It’s official! Netflix has confirmed that the “Breaking Bad” film will be released on October 11. Here’s the plot synopsis, according to Netflix: “In the wake of his dramatic escape from captivity, Jesse must come to terms with his past in order to forge some kind of future.” Check out teaser art below, as well as a first clip.

Much like the vexing insect that couldn’t be swatted away in director Rian Johnson’s season-three episode “Fly” of the all-time-classic AMC series, buzz has been flying around Netflix’s long-awaited “Breaking Bad” movie ever since the Emmy-winning stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul tweeted cryptic messages earlier this summer.

Earlier today, according to a post on CNET, Netflix accidentally (or accidentally on purpose?) leaked a placeholder page for the film on its website, with the film titled “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.” See below.

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The first photo of Emma Stone as Cruella de Vil in the upcoming live-action film led people to compare the Oscar-winning actor’s appearance to post-punk icon Siouxsie Sioux when the image was shown to fans at the D23 Expo in Anaheim Saturday.

Fans were also treated to footage from the upcoming live-action “Mulan” film, teasing its colorful costumes, impeccable choreography, and epic scale. Star Liu Yifei was notably absent after her comments about the Hong Kong protests were met with backlash and calls to boycott the film.

Is that you Siouxsie? #cruella pic.twitter.com/CeKcQjW83F

— Sharon Stead (@ShazStead) August 24, 2019

Stone will portray the classic Disney villain in the origin story “Cruella,” set to be released May 28, 2021. She promised the D23 crowd that the 1970s London-set film has a punk rock vibe — backed up by the single photo revealed at the expo shows. Yes, the haute couture of

A new pint-sized African American superhero is joining Marvel’s superhero TV universe in what will be an animated series titled “Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.” Ordered by the Disney Channel, and based on the popular comic book, “Moon Girl” follows the adventures of nine-year-old Lunella Lafayette (aka Moon Girl), a 13-year-old super-genius, and her ten-ton T-Rex, Devil Dinosaur. After Lunella accidentally brings Devil Dinosaur into present-day New York City, via a time vortex, the duo works together to protect the city’s Lower East Side from danger.

The series hails from “black-ish” and “grown-ish” executive producers Laurence Fishburne and Helen Sugland via their ABC Studios-based Cinema Gypsy Productions, as well as Marvel Animation & Family Entertainment, and Emmy Award-winner Steve Loter (Disney’s “Kim Possible”).

Created by Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare, and Natacha Bustos, Moon Girl made her first appearance in the December 2016 comic, “Moon Girl and

“Spider-Man: Far From Home” actor Tom Holland took to the D23 Expo main stage in Anaheim on Friday to address studio drama over who gets the rights to the Marvel character, which he has played in five McU films beginning with 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War.” The titular web-slinger recently was forced to decamp the Marvel Cinematic Universe proper after Disney and Marvel Studios failed to broker a new deal with Sony.

“It’s been a crazy week, and I love you all from the bottom of my heart, and I love you 3000,” Holland said, referencing Tony Stark’s farewell line to his daughter in “Avengers: Endgame.”

Holland was in attendance at the Expo to tout his new animated fantasy film “Onward” from Disney and Pixar, where he stars opposite Chris Pratt, another McU mainstay, as two teenage elf brothers trying to bring some life back into a magical world.

Yesterday, Marvel dazzled audiences with their D23 appearance and revealed three new limited series for Disney+—“Ms. Marvel,” “She-Hulk,” and “Moon Knight.” All three are new characters never before seen on the big screen, and this was quite exciting for Marvel fans. Today, however, Marvel film’s presentation was much more muted. Fans expecting a barrage of news were left somewhat disappointed.

Continue reading ‘Black Panther 2’ Scheduled For May 6, 2022 Release [D23] at The Playlist.

America’s favorite nuclear family has joined Disney, and it’s a surprisingly good fit. “The Simpsons” made its first-ever appearance at the D23 Expo on Saturday to inaugurate a new era of fox and mouse living in harmony after the acquisition of Fox by Disney in March.

On the panel for the D23 presentation in Anaheim, Calif., were Groening, executive producers Al Jean, Matt Selman, supervising director Mike B. Anderson, and stars Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson) and Yeardley Smith (the voice fo Lisa Simpsons), who also performed moderating duties.

Smith, wearing a tiara befitting her new Disney princess status, opened with a touching tribute to Russi Taylor, voice of Minnie Mouse and Martin Prince on “The Simpsons.” “Heaven is a lot more giggly right now. Russi, cheers to you,” said Smith.

The panel ranged from advice to future animators (“Take your prized possessions with you [when you leave home]. Do

News out of the D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA, is hitting hard and fast, especially from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Disney has slated “Black Panther 2,” the sequel to director Ryan Coogler’s smash hit, for a May 6, 2022, release date. The 2018 film became the number-four highest-grossing film of all time in North America, while grossing $1.35 billion at the global box office, and the sequel is guaranteed to be another huge win for Disney and the McU. Coogler will return to direct. While plot details remain under wraps, Michael B. Jordan is rumored to return to play the iconic villain Killmonger for the sequel.

Meanwhile, “Game of Thrones” star Kit Harington, who wrapped the HBO series in May of this year, has found a place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well. As announced at the D23 Expo, Harington will join the cast of “The Eternals,” which already includes an embarrassment of riches — Richard Madden,

Presences seem to rule the day thus far, as Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), and company prepare to bring the main “Star Wars” saga to a close. Luke (Mark Hamill) is gone, but he continues to guide and advise Rey on how she can bring an end to the First Order and restore peace to the galaxy.

Continue reading ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ Reveals A New Poster; J.J. Abrams Says Carrie Fisher Is The Film’s “Heart” [D23] at The Playlist.

The news is pouring out of Disney’s D23 Expo in Anaheim and first up it’s Marvel dominating everything following a Lucasfilm presentation of “Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker.” “Spider-Man, who?” you’re going to ask soon. Because Marvel is basically revealing every character in the Marvel Universe for the McU. Next up, “Game Of Throne” star Kit Harington’s role has been revealed, he’s going to play the character The Black Knight in the upcoming Marvel film “Eternals” scheduled for a November 2021 release.

Continue reading ‘Game Of Thrones’ Star Kit Harington Joins Marvel’s ‘Eternals’ As Black Knight, Gemma Chan Is The Lead Cersei [D23] at The Playlist.

Remember the long-gone days when Netflix users were able to rate and even review films and TV series on the streaming site with more than just a mere thumbs up or down? Well, it seems that Netflix wants to bring back that time when its content was dictated by more than a veritable Rube Goldberg machine of complex algorithms designed to target and reduce your taste to empirical data.

As first reported by TechCrunch, Netflix is currently beta-testing human-curated “collections” in an effort to return agency to actual people over artificial intelligence. “We’re always looking for new ways to connect our fans with titles we think they’ll love, so we’re testing out a new way to curate Netflix titles into collections on the Netflix iOS app,” a Netflix rep said in a statement.

Take a look at what these collections might look like:

Netflix Collections is your

Disney created the biannual D23 Expo in Anaheim a decade ago as pure fan service, and the fans loved Disney for it. So when it came time to present upcoming programming for Disney+, the streaming service that will house all things Marvel and Star Wars and Pixar and Muppets and Disney animation, D23 was the natural launching pad.

However, while those fandoms are the initial target, the biggest audience for this in-depth preview may be those who didn’t see the latest Avengers installment in its first weekend, or perhaps have yet to see it at all. While fans were generously served in the 90-minute presentation, the heart of the Disney+ pitch is the familiar faces and theatrical quality will justify its $6.99 monthly cost for anyone — even if you’d rather do your taxes than go to Disneyland.

Jeff Goldblum hosts “The World According to Jeff Goldblum,” a new series from National Geographic.

Lee Pace’s sexuality has long been the subject of tabloid fodder and speculation, ever since his “The Hobbit” co-star Ian McKellen, ever prone to similar gaffes, outed the 40-year-old actor. In a new interview with BuzzFeed, Pace is here to set the record straight.

Last year, Pace appeared on Broadway as closeted Mormon Joe Pitt in Tony Kushner’s epic play “Angels in America,” and during an interview with W Magazine, the actor became flustered when the topic of his sexuality came up.

“I’ve dated men. I’ve dated women,” he said. “I don’t know why anyone would care. I’m an actor and I play roles. To be honest, I don’t know what to say — I find your question intrusive.” Pace later tweeted to identify himself as a member of the “queer community.”

When asked by BuzzFeed if anything has changed since his public coming-out,