LOS ANGELES Having made its world premiere at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, Freaky Tales–from writers-directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden–hits theaters nationwide today (4/4) as a Lionsgate release. The feature marks a reunion for Boden, Fleck and editor Robert Komatsu, ACE. Their prior collaboration was the limited series Mrs. America (FX Networks), which dramatized the battle Read More 

LAS VEGAS (AP) Tom Cruise opened his highly anticipated CinemaCon appearance on Thursday with a moving tribute to his “Top Gun” co-star, Val Kilmer, who died Tuesday in Los Angeles. “He loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us with his performances and his films,” Cruise said to a room full of movie theater owners. Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) Val Kilmer, the brooding, versatile actor who played fan favorite Iceman in “Top Gun,” donned a voluminous cape as Batman in “Batman Forever” and portrayed Jim Morrison in “The Doors,” has died. He was 65. Kilmer died Tuesday night in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and friends, his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, said in an email Read More 

LAS VEGAS (AP) When Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and director Jon M. Chu took the stage in Las Vegas last April to tease “Wicked” months before its theatrical release, there was a cautious optimism that the long-anticipated film would be a hit. But when the pair hit the same stage at the annual CinemaCon convention Wednesday to promote Read More 

LAS VEGAS (AP) The 2025 box office has been hit with a deficit. Can the James Gunn-dubbed “summer of ‘Superman'” save it? Warner Bros. showed off a diverse and starry slate of its upcoming films on Tuesday, but the night was carried on the shoulders of Clark Kent. “I really do believe in this movie. And I do Read More 

LAS VEGAS (AP) Hollywood studio executives are making their case for theatergoing with a little help from John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr — along with the newly announced stars set to play them. Sony Pictures kicked off the annual CinemaCon convention and trade show in Las Vegas on Monday by touting their four upcoming Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) When Jack Black got the call to star in the “Minecraft” movie, the perks were plenty. He got to work alongside Jason Momoa, reunite with “Nacho Libre” director Jared Hess and engulf himself into a beloved gaming universe. But before agreeing, Black turned to the real decision-makers: his sons, who are avid Minecraft players. They Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) Kendrick Lamar, Gracie Abrams, Zoe Saldaña and Nutter Butter are among the nominees for this year’s Webby Awards, recognizing the best internet content and creators. The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences received nearly 13,000 entries from over 70 countries for the 29th annual Webby Awards competition. A mullet-filled song about jorts performed by Read More 

CANNES, France Cannes Lions has revealed the lineup of those who will serve as the 2025 Dan Wieden Titanium Lions Jury. The Dan Wieden Titanium Lions celebrate game-changing creativity, honoring work that breaks new ground, challenges industry norms and redefines the creative landscape. With their combined expertise, this distinguished group of creative visionaries will oversee the Festival’s Read More 

LOS ANGELES & NEW YORK Station Film has signed comedy director Kristin Dehnert for commercials. Best known for her performance-driven work with celebrities and athletes, she has directed campaigns for Uber, Liberty Mutual, ESPN, Credit Karma, Frito-Lay, Wells Fargo and many other brands. She recently directed Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart in a cheeky campaign for Bic, with Read More 

LONDON Pulse Films has added director Andzej Gavriss to its global roster for commercials and music video representation. Gavriss is originally from Latvia, where he graduated from the University of Audio-Visual Arts in 2015. Since then, his work has been showcased at institutions like The Centre Pompidou, Panorama Berlin, and Brown University, to name only a Read More 

MONTREAL International creative company Rodeo FX–known for its visual effects work on HBO’s Game of Thrones, Netflix’s Stranger Things, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two, and Prime Video’s The Rings of Power–has officially acquired Mikros Animation, the end-to-end animation studio behind PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, Orion and the Dark, and Teenage Mutant Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) Documentary filmmaker Bruce David Klein had finished shooting for the day when he was told that his subject, Liza Minnelli, wanted to see him privately. He found her sitting on the edge of her bed. “She grabbed my hand. She started petting it and she looked up at me with those luminous, dark eyes and Read More 

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) A court on Monday blocked the release of any public records that show the bodies of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, but said other images and documents can be disclosed. A representative for the Hackman family estate had urged a New Mexico judge to seal photos, video and documents to protect the family’s Read More 

WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump’s FCC commissioner said Friday he’s opening an investigation into the Walt Disney Co. and its ABC television network to see whether they are “promoting invidious forms of DEI discrimination.” FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr announced the probe in a letter to Disney CEO Robert Iger on Friday. The company said it was reviewing Read More 

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Elon Musk has sold social media site X to his own xAI artificial intelligence company in a $33 billion all-stock deal, the billionaire announced on Friday. Both companies are privately held, which means they are not required to disclose their finances to the public. Musk said in a post on X that the move will Read More 

LOS ANGELES Director Alexis Gomez has signed with Little Minx for his first commercial representation in the U.S. Among the latest work from the Mexico City-based photographer and director is a three-minute cinematic odyssey titled “Kismet,” which he helmed for premium luggage brand Monos featuring Oscar winner Adrien Brody. Gomez’s unique vision is also on display in Read More 

NEW YORK Washington Square Films has signed director Jihye for her first commercial representation. With a successful background as a producer and director, Jihye brings to the New York-based commercial and film production company a body of directorial work which includes spots for brands including Ford, Jordan, Bud Light, Toyota, HBO, Equinox, and McDonald’s. Most recently, she Read More 

LOS ANGELES & NEW YORK Imposter has added Kayla and Krista Kummerl, better known as the Kummerl Twins, to its roster of directors. As fraternal twins with distinct, yet complementary, creative talents, the Kummerls were raised in a Korean-Hispanic household. Their heritage plays an essential role in shaping their vision. Blending rich cultural influences with a sharp Gen Z outlook, Read More 

NEW YORK Brand experience studio DE-YAN, founded in 2014 by CEO Dejan Jovanovic, has named Jason Kreher as its chief creative officer. Kreher, a veteran creative executive, has garnered assorted honors, from multiple Grand Prix awards at Cannes and Ciclope, to the AICP’s Best in Show, to an Emmy. He is recognized globally for his work on Read More 

LOS ANGELES Creative production studio Whiskey Bear has added director Ash Xu to its roster of storytellers. This marks the first signing for Xu whose credits include vibrant pop ads for NYX Cosmetics, Toyota, and Taco Bell. As a film student during the pandemic, Xu’s solo foray explorations in filmmaking craft quickly earned her a massive digital Read More 

LOS ANGELES Alldayeveryday has signed director Alicia MacDonald for U.S. advertising and branded content representation. Known for eliciting authentic comedic performances and having a sharp eye for casting, MacDonald has built a diverse body of work spanning commercials, television, and short films. Her debut feature, “Cc:Emily” (Focus Features/Working Title Films), a romantic comedy with ‘Mare Of Easttown’ Read More 

CHICAGO Montreal-based director Didier Charette has signed with Quriosity Productions, his first representation deal with a U.S.-based production company. “I’ve been fortunate to build a career as a director in Canada, working with some incredible brands and telling stories that connect with people,” said Charette. “I’ve directed commercials that aired during the Super Bowl there, but Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) Having it all means different things to everyone, but a rent-controlled apartment in Manhattan is probably pretty close to a universal dream — even for non-New Yorkers. It’s easy enough, then, to understand the profound conundrum facing Iris (Naomi Watts), a writer and professor who suddenly finds herself with a 150-pound Great Dane ward after Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) The latest IP to be mined into a Hollywood blockbuster is appropriately a video game that celebrates digging: “A Minecraft Movie.” Like “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Jumanji” before it, “A Minecraft Movie” centers on four misfits who enter a mysterious portal that pulls them into a strange land, this time cubic, like Lego Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) Remember what it was like growing up in the East Bay in the ’80s? Ryan Fleck sure does, and vividly. The writer-director, together with partner Anna Boden, has produced a self-described “very weird” (no argument here) love letter to his former home in “Freaky Tales.” But this ode to Oakland contains more than memories. It’s Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) Richard Chamberlain, the handsome hero of the 1960s television series “Dr. Kildare” who found a second career as an award-winning “king of the miniseries,” has died. He was 90. Chamberlain died Saturday night in Waimanalo, Hawaii, of complications following a stroke, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll. “Our beloved Richard is with the angels now. Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) In an unexpected upset, the Jason Statham thriller “A Working Man” took No. 1 at the box office, besting the rapidly declining “Snow White,” according to studio estimates Sunday. Even after a lackluster debut, the Walt Disney Co.’s live-action remake was predicted to remain the top film in U.S. and Canadian theaters over the weekend. Read More 

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