LOS ANGELES Nearly nothing is what it seems to be in writer-director JT Mollner’s Strange Darling, a horror thriller which he describes as “one day in the romantic life of a serial killer.” While the taut, suspenseful storyline seems at first blush a bit formulaic, it’s anything but as twists and turns take us on a path Read More 

VENICE, Italy (AP) For Angelina Jolie, portraying the famed opera singer Maria Callas meant more to her than she can put into words. “I felt such a privilege to feel like I got to know this woman and got to be inside her skin a moment. I really care for her deeply,” Jolie told The Associated Press a Read More 

VENICE, Italy (AP) “Babygirl,” an erotic thriller about a female CEO who begins an affair with a younger, male intern, is about sex, certainly. But that’s just part of the story. It’s also about desire, secrets, marriage, truth, power and consent, star Nicole Kidman said Friday at the Venice Film Festival. And it’s bound to inspire conversations for Read More 

TELLURIDE, Colo. The official program selections for the 51st Telluride Film Festival have been announced. The festival will screen nearly 60 feature films, short films, and revival programs representing 26 countries, along with filmmaker Tributes, Conversations, Panels, Student Programs, and Festivities. The 51st Telluride Film Festival takes place Friday, August 30 through Monday, September 2, 2024. The Read More 

VENICE, Italy (AP) Filmmaker Errol Morris turned his lens toward the U.S. government’s border policies and family separation in the documentary “Separated,” which premiered on Thursday at the Venice Film Festival. The Trump administration separated thousands of migrant parents from their children as it moved to criminally prosecute people for illegally crossing the Southwestern border. Minors, who could Read More 

VENICE, Italy (AP) Alfonso Cuarón is the first to admit that he does not know how to make a television series. He might even be too old to learn how, he said. The Oscar-winning filmmaker has technically now made a series, the seven-part AppleTV+ show “Disclaimer,” four episodes of which premiered Thursday at the Venice Film Festival. But Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) The merger between entertainment giant Paramount and media company Skydance is set to go ahead after Edgar Bronfman Jr. withdrew a competing offer. Bronfman, executive chairman of streaming service Fubo, told Paramount’s special committee of directors Monday night that he would not proceed with his bid. “While there may have been differences, we believe that Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) The estate of Michael Crichton, who wrote the screenplay for what became the pilot episode of “ER,” has sued Warner Bros. Television over a dispute about an upcoming medical drama it says is a rebranded version of an unauthorized reboot. After Crichton’s estate, led by his widow, Sherri, could not reach an agreement with the Read More 

LOS ANGELES The American Film Institute (AFI) announced that the world premiere of the documentary film Music By John Williams from Lucasfilm Ltd, Amblin Documentaries and Imagine Documentaries, a comprehensive look at the prolific life and career of legendary composer John Williams, will open the 38th edition of AFI Fesr on Wednesday, October 23. From his early Read More 

LOS ANGELES The 6th Annual AAFCA TV Honors, presented by the African American Film Critics Association, took place at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Saturday, Aug. 24, at an invitation-only event that bestowed special honors to Glynn Turman, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Starz’s “Power” Universe and Streaming Platform Tubi. The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) also Read More 

NEW YORK Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) has launched Omnicom Advertising Group (OAG), a global organization aligning creative networks BBDO, DDB, TBWA, as well as leading agencies within the Advertising Collective including Goodby Silverstein & Partners, GSD&M, Merkley & Partners and Zimmerman. OAG will be led by Troy Ruhanen as global CEO, Deepthi Prakash as chief operating officer and Read More 

NEW YORK & SYDNEY Mark Green, co-founder and CEO of antipodean creative agency The Monkeys, and currently the Accenture Song–Australia and New Zealand lead, will relocate to New York City and take on the role of global CEO of Droga5 starting in October 2024. Green succeeds Sarah Thompson at Droga5, an award-winning creative agency within Accenture Song. Green will Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) Verizon Communications has long enjoyed its position as a leading provider of mobile services in the U.S. But a new trend of price-conscious customers holding onto their old phones has hurt the bottom line for telecom companies seeking to capitalize off the sale of new mobile phone lines. Enter Verizon chief marketing officer Leslie Berland, Read More 

LONDON Stink Rising has signed director-photographer Theodor Guelat for representation in the U.S., U.K. and Germany. This marks the first representation in the U.S. and U.K. for Guelat whose portfolio includes contemporary and urban commercial work. Guelat has a unique ability to capture modern culture with style. His love for music, graffiti and traveling sits at Read More 

NEW YORK Independent creative agency SPCSHP has launched its first-ever Impact and Creator offerings. While social and digital have supercharged SPCSHP’s growth since its launch in 2000, this move marks the agency’s first official one in the creator space. Apryl Gordy and Dana Robinson have joined the agency to lead these divisions in their newly created roles Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) Colman Domingo has implicitly invited audiences to take the journey of racial healing throughout his career. The Afro-Latino actor’s portrayals often complicate popular representations of Black masculinity. There’s his Oscar-nominated Bayard Rustin, the unsung gay civil rights leader. Or Mister, the abusive antagonist of “The Color Purple” who sheds his misogyny in a last bid Read More 

TORONTO Angelina Jolie–the multi-hyphenate Academy Award–winning actor, Tony Award–winning producer, and noted writer, director, and humanitarian–will be presented with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Tribute Award in Impact Media. Previously bestowed upon such luminaries as Pedro Almodóvar, Mira Nair, and Alanis Obomsawin, the TIFF Tribute Award in Impact Media is presented by Anne-Marie Canning and Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) When Jennifer Kent’s “The Babadook” opened in theaters a decade ago, it played at two cinemas. When it returns to theaters next month, it will be in 500. “It’s strange but in a wonderful way. I can’t quite believe it’s been 10 years already. But it’s fantastic to go back and be a part of Read More 

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) ESPN is looking at using artificial intelligence to create personalized “SportsCenter” shows for subscribers to its Flagship streaming service that is expected to launch in fall 2025, the network’s chief executive said Wednesday. The idea is one of several in the works that were discussed at a news conference by ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, including Read More 

WASHINGTON (AP) With the U.S. Open tennis tournament beginning Monday and college football kicking into high gear, this was supposed to be the week when some expected the Venu Sports streaming service to have a soft launch at least. Instead, the joint venture between ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery has been sidelined by a federal court’s Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) Nvidia may have exceeded Wall Street estimates as its profit jumped — buffeted by the chipmaking dominance that has cemented Nvidia’s place as the poster child of the artificial intelligence boom — but investors seemed less than impressed. The company reported a net income of to $16.6 billion. Adjusted for one-time items, net income was Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) Rapper, singer, songwriter, businesswoman, hot girl summer purveyor and now… award show host? Megan Thee Stallion will host the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. It marks her first time hosting an award show, though she’s guest hosted “Saturday Night Live” and served as a co-host for “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in the past. Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) Comedian and actor Nikki Glaser has been picked to host the next Golden Globes, adding an edgy voice known for mercilessly teasing the rich and powerful. Glaser will make her Globe debut Jan. 5 live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. In a statement, she cited Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Ricky Gervais as inspirations. Read More 

PARIS (AP) French authorities handed preliminary charges to Telegram CEO Pavel Durov on Wednesday for allowing alleged criminal activity on his messaging app, and barred him from leaving France pending further investigation. Both free-speech advocates and authoritarian governments have spoken out in Durov’s defense since his weekend arrest. The case has also called attention to the challenges Read More 

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) It was the summer of 1945 when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japan, killing thousands of people as waves of destructive energy obliterated two cites. It was a decisive move that helped bring about the end of World War II, but survivors and the generations that followed were left to grapple with sickness Read More 

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. The Location Managers Guild International  (LMGI) announced and honored the winners of its 11th annual LMGI Awards at a gala ceremony on Saturday evening (8/24) at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. The motion picture awards went to “Oppenheimer” (filmed throughout New Mexico) and “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part 1” (filmed in Norway, Read More 

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) “Is there anything worse than an actor with a cause?” asks an annoyed Jane Wyman, Ronald Reagan’s first wife, early in “Reagan,” the new biopic starring Dennis Quaid. Well, after watching two more hours of this story, an adoring look back at the man who served two terms as our 40th president, we can report Read More 

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