NEW YORK (AP) James Cameron recently turned 71 as he brought his third “Avatar” film, “Fire and Ash,” to the finish line. Cameron first began developing “Avatar” more than 30 years ago. He started working on the first film in earnest 20 years ago. Production on “Fire and Ash,” which ran concurrently with 2022’s “The Way of Water,” Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) On the first day of shooting “Frankenstein,” Guillermo del Toro held up a drawing of the creature he had made when was a teenager. “He said, ‘This is like Jesus to me,'” recalls Oscar Isaac. For the Mexican-born filmmaker, Mary Shelley’s 1818 gothic novel and the 1931 film with Boris Karloff are his personal urtexts: Read More 

VENICE, Italy (AP) In the new Yorgos Lanthimos film “Bugonia,” a disturbed, conspiracy obsessed man kidnaps the head of a pharmaceutical company and tortures her in an attempt to save humanity. The kidnapper, played by Jesse Plemons, believes his hostage, played by Emma Stone, is an alien. While the situation is heightened, Lanthimos believes that the film isn’t Read More 

TELLURIDE, Colo. The official program selections have been unveiled for the 52nd Telluride Film Festival (TFF). TFF’s annual celebration of artistic excellence unites filmmakers, cinephiles, and artists to discover the best in world cinema in the mountain town of Telluride, Colorado. The 52nd Telluride Film Festival will screen over 60 feature films, short films, and revival programs Read More 

VENICE, Italy (AP) In “Jay Kelly,” George Clooney plays a very George Clooney-esque movie star on a self-reflective journey through Europe. The film, which is premiering Thursday night at the Venice Film Festival, explores heady questions about finding oneself while also poking fun at the business of being a major celebrity in the world and all the people Read More 

VENICE, Italy (AP) Julia Roberts and filmmaker Luca Guadagnino faced pointed questions about complicity and undermining the feminist movement at a news conference for “After the Hunt” on Friday at the Venice Film Festival. The film, set in the world of higher education where Roberts plays a beloved philosophy professor, revolves around an accusation of misconduct. Her mentee, Read More 

VENICE, Italy (AP) The Venice Film Festival is kicking off with the world premiere of Paolo Sorrentino’s “La Grazia” on Wednesday. The 82nd edition of the glamourous international film festival is playing host to many Hollywood stars, including George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Dwayne Johnson, and famed auteurs, from Guillermo del Toro to Kathryn Bigelow, who all have Read More 

NEW YORK The Critics Choice Association (CCA) has named legendary documentarian Ken Burns the recipient of the Critics Choice Impact Award. The award recognizes documentarians whose work has sparked meaningful dialogue, inspired action, and driven tangible societal change–an achievement that Burns’s extraordinary career exemplifies. The CCA will present the Pennebaker Award (formerly known as the Critics Choice Read More 

LOS ANGELES The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro will serve as the guest artistic director for AFI Fest 2025. “Guillermo del Toro is one of the great champions of the art form–a visionary filmmaker, a passionate cinephile, and a tireless advocate for bold, original storytelling,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI Read More 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. Twenty-two television projects have been approved to tap into the California Film Commission’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program. This marks the first round of tax credits since the historic expansion of the program in July, which more than doubled the available funding for qualified film and television productions. Compared to the previous round for Read More 

LOS ANGELES ArtClass Content has added Zillion–consisting of Grady Hall and Mark Kudsi–to its directorial roster for U.S. representation. This marks the first official production company signing for the Zillion duo. Prior to joining ArtClass, Zillion partnered with a variety of different production companies, in-house teams, post companies, and freelancers. As solo directors, Grady had earlier been Read More 

BROOKLYN, NY Bicoastal production company Greenpoint Pictures has added filmmaker and photographer Blair Getz Mezibov to its roster of directors for U.S. representation spanning commercials, branded content and music videos. Known for his iconic portraiture, Mezibov has turned out romantic and dramatic imagery that can be seen across many brand collaborations, fashion films, and music videos, all Read More 

LOS ANGELES Emerald Pictures has brought filmmaker Carlos M Rodriguez aboard its roster of directorial talent. This marks his first official signing with a production house. Rodriguez had been freelancing as a director prior to joining Emerald. Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and raised traveling the globe with his parents, Rodriguez gained an early, immersive perspective as a Read More 

LOS ANGELES STADIUM has added director Duncan Heger to  its roster, marking his first representation in the U.S. market. Since officially signing with the production company this month, Heger has secured projects for Under Armour, Delta and Best Buy. A true homegrown talent, Heger joined STADIUM as an intern before rising to creative lead–all while earning recognition Read More 

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc is back. So are the stars of “Wicked” and the animals of “Zootopia.” Summer may be known as sequel season, but part twos, and threes, will play big roles this fall at the movies. That goes not just for the likes of Rian Johnson’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) Darren Aronofsky has already made several indelibly New York movies. But loveable as was the subterranean monochrome paranoia of “Pi” and charming as we all consider the pupil-dilating tragedy of his bleak Brighton Beach-set “Requiem for a Dream,” Aronofsky’s latest, “Caught Stealing,” is easily the director’s most affectionate portrait of his hometown. That, too, may Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) “The Roses” begins in a marriage therapist’s office, where Theo Rose has something interesting to say about his longtime wife, Ivy: “I would rather live with her than a wolf.” That’s especially interesting because the question the therapist posed was: What are 10 things you love about each other? After a few minutes of blistering Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) First of all, is this really what retirement looks like? If so, perhaps we should all sign up, no matter our age. In “The Thursday Murder Club,” an amiable, cozy, pleasantly entertaining adaptation of Richard Osman’s mystery novel, the lucky club members live in a retirement home that resembles Downton Abbey. The food at this Read More 

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (AP) “The Toxic Avenger” got stuck in the sludge. Director Macon Blair’s reboot of the classic 1980s cult superhero franchise from Troma Entertainment was shot four years ago and had its festival premiere two years ago, but for a long time, no theatrical distributors would bite. It had bona fide stars, including Peter Dinklage as the Read More 

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) After three decades in Hollywood, Daniel Dae Kim has done spy thrillers, sci-fi epics and medical dramas. But there’s one role that’s eluded the Korean American actor: romantic leading man. “I’m still waiting to play a romantic lead after all these years,” Kim says with a laugh. His latest project, “Butterfly,” which features a star-studded Read More 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. The Location Managers Guild International  (LMGI) unveiled  the winners of its 12th Annual LMGI Awards on Saturday evening (8/23). The Motion Picture awards went to “A Complete Unknown” (shot in New Jersey’s dramatic landscapes) and “Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning” (filmed in England, Norway, South Africa, Malta). The Television Series winners were “The Studio” (filmed in L.A., Las Vegas) “1923” (shot Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) Netflix appears to have its first No. 1 box-office title in the streaming company’s 18-year history thanks to the sensation of “KPop Demon Hunters.” Rival studios on Sunday estimated “KPop Demon Hunters” led all films over the weekend with $16-18 million in ticket sales. Distribution executives from three studios shared their estimates for the Netflix Read More 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) Many fled when wildfires devastated Los Angeles earlier this year, but Guillermo del Toro rushed back in, determined to save his lifelong collection of horror memorabilia. It’s the same loyalty that finds him making another tough decision to protect the items he loves like family: letting some of them go. Del Toro partnered with Heritage Read More 

WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump is calling national security and privacy concerns related to TikTok and its Chinese parent company “highly overrated” and said Friday he’ll keep extending the deadline for the popular video-sharing platform until there’s a buyer. Congress approved a U.S. ban on TikTok unless its parent company, ByteDance, sold its controlling stake. But Trump Read More 

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