Movie News

In Michael Bay’s new action thriller “Ambulance,” Jake Gyllenhaal plays career criminal Danny Sharp. One of the highlights of the film is an intense stunt where Gyllenhaal hangs outside the door of the titular vehicle, shooting a gun while helicopters chase him, his adopted brother Will (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and their hostages — Emt Cam Thompson (Eiza González) and a patient — as they speed along the bank of the Los Angeles River.

At the film’s Los Angeles premiere on Monday night, Gyllenhaal revealed that the scene wasn’t in the original script. Instead, Bay came up with the idea the night of filming.

“I had no idea,” Gyllenhaal told Variety on the red carpet outside the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. “We were on our way home, Yahya was driving the ambulance. We were almost finished with our day, and we were driving to get back into our civilian clothes,

Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav hails ”passionate and committed steward of the world’s most formidable creative engine”.

Ann Sarnoff, the WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group chairman and CEO, will exit the company when the 43bn Discovery merger is completed.

Sarnoff led Warner Bros as its first CEO since June 2019 in light of Kevin Tsujihara’s departure and had the unenviable task of shepherding the studio during the pandemic. She reported to Jason Kilar, the CEO of WarnerMedia and architect of the controversial day-and-date strategy for Warner Bros films in 2021, who resigned on Tuesday (April 5), ending months of speculation over his impending departure.

HBO Max’s new series “One Perfect Shot” is a masterclass in filmmaking. Ava DuVernay hosts and executive produces the series, inspired by the Twitter account of the same name.

Patty Jenkins, Aaron Sorkin, Kasi Lemmons, Jon M. Chu, Malcolm D. Lee and Michael Mann are among the featured filmmakers who share their obstacles, challenges, lessons and triumphs as they talk about that one perfect shot. In the case of Chu, he discusses “Crazy Rich Asians” and the path to making a film that would herald a new moment in storytelling for Aapi representation in Hollywood.

Chu is joined by production designer Nelson Coates and costume designer Mary Vogt. As they recall the epic wedding scene, Vogt tells Chu how she worked with the extras and locals from Singapore to “bring your couture dresses and real diamonds” — and that’s how the team pulled off a 40 million dollar wedding scene on a 35 million film budget.

Movie musical biopics are a beloved Hollywood tradition and one that — unlike erotic thrillers — shows no signs of slowing down.

Over the years we’ve seen Sissy Spacek win an Oscar as Loretta Lynn in “Coal MIner’s Daughter,” Jessica Lange earn a nomination as Patsy Cline in “Sweet Dreams,” and Reese Witherspoon win Best Supporting Actress as June Carter Cash in “Walk the Line.” And that’s just the country music biopics.

Portraying a musical icon is just the next step in an evolving way to showcase triple-threat talent. Jamie Foxx took home the Best Actor Oscar for his transformation into Ray Charles for the 2004 film “Ray.” Joaquin Phoenix showed a new facet to his talent as Johnny Cash in “Walk the Line.” Marion Cotillard burst onto the international scene (and won a Best Actress Oscar) as Edith Piaf in “La Vie En Rose,” and more recently Rami Malek and

The Walt Disney Company has named Kristina Schake as EVP of global communications.

Effective immediately, Schake will be responsible for the Twdc’s worldwide communications strategy and operations, while also serving as lead spokesperson. She will report to chief corporate affairs officer Geoff Morrell.

“I could not be more pleased to welcome Kristina to Disney and to have her leading communications for the company,” Morrell stated, announcing Schake’s appointment.

“Her experience in the public and private sectors, in political and corporate campaigns, make her ideally suited for this important role and to help me integrate communications with government relations, public policy, and corporate social responsibility into a new Corporate Affairs team,” Morrell continued. “Together with the exceptional professionals at Disney, we will help the world’s greatest storytelling company engage even more effectively with our many stakeholders around the world.”

Schake has spent three decades working in government, media,

“Dazed and Confused” is one of the defining American independent films of the 1990s and one of the most beloved cult classics of all time, but it turns out the film’s enduring legacy has never resulted in money for writer-director Richard Linklater. The filmmaker was recently asked by The Daily Beast if he made money off “Dazed and Confused,” to which he responded, “Fuck no!”

“It’s like… where’s my money?” Linklater asked. “How come a movie that cost less than 7 million has 12 million in interest against it?”

When asked how “Dazed and Confused” can be a cult hit for nearly three decades and counting and not make money for him, Linklater responded, “I don’t know. Ask Universal! Hollywood accounting. I remember really asking for a piece of the soundtrack, because I picked all the songs, and they were like, ‘Oh no…First film, you know?’ N.

Jim Carrey may be considering retirement, but that doesn’t mean his career is “Out of Time” just yet.

The “Mask” alum has a spooky cameo in The Weeknd’s latest music video for the song “Out of Time,” which debuted as part of his fifth studio album “Dawn FM” in January. The video, out April 5, follows The Weeknd singing karaoke alongside his onscreen love interest, “Squid Game” star Jung Ho-yeon.

After an evening of hotel adventures and debauchery, The Weeknd’s fun-filled fantasy turns sinister before bedtime, and the decadent buckets of champagne turn to blood. An elderly The Weeknd wakes up mid-surgery, with a doctor played by Carrey easing him into the presumed afterlife.

“Don’t you dare touch that dial, because like the song says, you are out of time,” Carrey says. “You’re almost there. But don’t panic: There’s still more music to come

Bobby Rydell, the epitome of the early ’60s “teen idol,” who parlayed that fame into a starring role opposite Ann-Margret in the 1963 film “Bye Bye Birdie,” died today at age 79. The cause of death was pneumonia.

His death just days away from his 80th birthday was confirmed by radio legend Jerry Blavat, Rydell’s longtime friend from the singer’s South Philadelphia stomping grounds. “Out of all the kids” from that era, Blavat said, “he had the best pipes and was the greatest entertainer. He told the best stories, did the best impersonations and was the nicest guy.”

Rydell’s fame as the epitome of an American teen pop star in the days just prior to rock’s British Invasion was such that Rydell High School in the Broadway musical and subsequent film “Grease” was named after him. An actor also portrayed him in a performance scene in the film “Green Book.

Great news for fans of queer true stories from history: revisionist gay pirate rom-com "Our Flag Means Death" may have sailed away for now, but lesbian landowner drama "Gentleman Jack" is back. The HBO series about Anne Lister (Suranne Jones), who lived somewhat openly with her female lover in 1800s England, is returning after three years away for a second season this spring. Now, a new trailer fills viewers in on everything they've missed since we last saw Anne.

Although the show's first season was billed as a drama, the second does seem to have some rom-com flavor to it if this trailer is any...

The post Gentleman Jack Season 2 Trailer: The Series Returns This Month appeared first on /Film.

HBO Max executive vice president and general manager Andy Forssell is leaving WarnerMedia ahead of the close of the company’s merger with Discovery, which is now eyed as early as Friday, Variety has learned.

News of Forssell’s exit follows two of his notable colleagues: WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar and studios and networks group chairman and CEO Ann Sarnoff.

As Variety previously reported, insiders first thought the transaction between Discovery and WarnerMedia’s current owner AT&T would be formally completed on April 11, leading to the creation of new company Warner Bros. Discovery. Two sources with knowledge of the situation, however, say the merger is now expected to finalize by the end of the week. Current Discovery CEO David Zaslav will serve as president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Named to the position in May 2019, Forssell led the HBO Max operating business unit at WarnerMedia, reporting directly to Kilar.

Ann Sarnoff won’t be a part of Warner Bros. Discovery. WarnerMedia on Tuesday announced that Sarnoff, the chair and CEO of the company’s studios and networks group, will eave her role as soon as the impending merger with Discovery Inc. is complete.

It comes just hours after her boss, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar, exited the company.

Longtime Discovery chief David Zaslav will lead the newly formed Warner Bros. Discovery, when the two former standalone companies come together as one, officially, within the next few days. The expectation is that their respective streaming services HBO Max and Discovery+ will begin to merge in an attempt to create a formidable challenger to streaming leaders like Netflix and Disney.

“I want to thank Ann for all of her leadership during a transformational period for the company and our industry. She has been a passionate and committed steward of the world’s

Celine Dion is the best-selling Canadian artist and French language artist of all time. With musician biopics like "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Rocketman," and the upcoming "Elvis" being potentially huge moneymakers for Hollywood studios, it's no surprise that Dion would be on the list for that treatment as well. However, the new French language film "Aline" isn't quite the same as the others. According to the trailer, this is "a fiction freely inspired by the life of Celine Dion," and the phrase "freely inspired" only scratches the surface of what's happening here.

Valérie Lemercier wrote, directed, and stars in "Aline," playing the title character as a child...

The post Aline Writer/Director/Star Valérie Lemercier on Her Version of Celine Dion's Life [Interview] appeared first on /Film.

WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group chairman and CEO Ann Sarnoff is leaving her post as the company prepares to complete its 43 billion merger with Discovery by week’s end.

Sarnoff was informed by leadership on Tuesday that her position would be eliminated, one insider said. The ground is shifting rapidly for executives and other divisions at the media giant as it nears the finish line of the merger deal that surprised Hollywood in May 2021.

“I want to thank Ann for all of her leadership during a transformational period for the company and our industry. She has been a passionate and committed steward of the world’s most formidable creative engine and has led with integrity, focus and hard work in bringing WarnerMedia’s businesses, brands and workforce closer together,” said David Zaslav, the incoming CEO of the merged Warner Bros. Discovery.

Sarnoff joined the company in 2019, and counted a massive

Stardate: 1991. Brandon Tartikoff, the newly-minted head of Paramount Pictures, was eager to capitalize on the runaway success of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." And so, producers Rick Berman and Michael Piller were tasked with developing a sister series with hardly any directives. Though Piller and Berman were "The Next Generation" veterans with a hardline commitment to "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry's vision for the franchise, it was Roddenberry's untimely passing that ultimately opened new doors for the Trek universe.

The result of Berman and Piller's efforts was "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," a seminal work of 20th century sci-fi television. In terms...

The post 13 Reasons Why Deep Space Nine Is the Best Star Trek Show appeared first on /Film.

I wish there was a way to properly convey in text the high-pitch screaming of "Oh My God, Marcel, I Love You!" I did this morning when the trailer for "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On" dropped. The first foray into family-friendly films for A24, the live-action/animation hybrid centers on everyone's favorite googly-eyed seashell (voiced by Jenny Slate) as he grapples with newfound internet fame, his budding friendship with filmmaker Dean Fleischer-Camp, caring for his ailing grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini), and trying to find the rest of his shell family. 

"Marcel the Shell With Shoes On" won over audiences at SXSW,...

The post Watch Every Short That Inspired the Marcel the Shell With Shoes On Movie appeared first on /Film.

When Stephen Sondheim died at age 91, the composer-lyricist left behind a tear-stricken theater community and a cultivated garden of classic musicals that have been loved, examined, adapted, and revived. The apprentice of Oscar Hammerstein II was lauded for his lyrical dexterity and empathetic embrace of human contradictions, as well as his role in reinventing the form of commercial musical theater. Sondheim left his indelible thumbprints in the theater community and in movie contributions, be it cinematic adaptations of his work or in creating music for film. 

We compiled a chronological list of his major musical theater projects (one television musical...

The post The Complete Stephen Sondheim Repertoire And How To Watch appeared first on /Film.

Which is your favorite: "Star Wars: A New Hope" or "The Empire Strikes Back?" It's long been a topic of debate among movie enthusiasts when it comes to the original trilogy of films set in a galaxy far, far away. Personally, I would pick "Return of the Jedi" as my answer, if only for the sake of chaos and to make things a little more interesting.

Anyway, the question came up yet...

The post Why The Empire Strikes Back Means So Much to Jim Carrey appeared first on /Film.

Denzel Washington undoubtedly is one of the best actors of his generation. His films are often either critically lauded, financially successful, or often both. He moves adroitly between intense personal dramas, Shakespeare, sci-fi blockbusters, and even the occasional horror film. Even if his films do occasionally bomb or garner bad reviews, Washington himself is never the uncommitted party. He has been nominated for ten Academy Awards, and has won two. He was once one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood.

Because of his continued success, Washington...

The post The One Role Denzel Washington Wishes He'd Agreed to Do appeared first on /Film.

(Superhero Bits is a collection of stories, updates, and videos about anything and everything inspired by the comics of Marvel, DC, and more. For comic book movies, TV shows, merchandise, events, and whatever catches our eye, this is the place to find anything that falls through the cracks.)

In this edition of Superhero Bits:

The Elmo/Rocco feud gets a Batman tribute.

"Echo" may bring some major characters back to the MCU.

Michael Bay has some conditions before he would make a superhero movie.

James Marsden rules out a return as Cyclops in "Multiverse of Madness."

All that...

The post Superhero Bits: Daredevil's Return To The MCU, Michael Bay's Condition To Make A Superhero Movie & More appeared first on /Film.

Robert Eggers has done it again with “The Northman.”

The writer-director’s third feature film behind “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse” tells a Viking revenge story based on the same Scandinavian folk tale that inspired Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”

The star-studded cast — including Alexander Skarsgård, Ethan Hawke, Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Willem Dafoe, Ralph Ineson, and Björk — plus the grueling 87-day production, have propelled “The Northman” to a status of intrigue even before its release.

IndieWire’s Chief Film Critic David Ehlrich wrote, “All you need to know about The Northman — a 90 million viking revenge movie directed by Robert Eggers — is that every single moment of it feels like a 90 million viking revenge movie directed by Robert Eggers.”

While IndieWire Executive Editor of Film Kate Erbland said the film had her “flipping between ‘Hell Yes’ and ‘Oh No’ with startling regularity,” Deputy Managing Editor Ryan Lattanzio felt the film perhaps didn