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Knives Out 3, aka Wake Up Dead Man, isn’t going to have much of a cinema after all it seems. Netflix has changed its mind.

If you were planning to catch the third Knives Out movie, Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man, in cinemas this winter? Well, perhaps unsurprisingly, you might need to adjust your plans.

Netflix, which has been paying lip service at best to the idea of a theatrical release of late, is now said to be reversing the plans it had for the film. There was a period of time where it looked like it was going to placate writer/director Rian Johnson and star Daniel Craig, but that now appears to not be the case.

I’d suggest that behind this is likely to be Netflix exiting the Knives Out saga. Lionsgate released the first film, and earned a significant cinema return on it. Then,...

Though Louis B. Mayer created the Academy Awards as a union-busting enterprise and a bid for further studio control, they're now considered the highest honors in Hollywood. Studios put millions into Oscars campaigns for their films and stars, and Oscars commentary has become an industry in and of itself. In the Internet age, the Academy Awards now generate iconic viral moments like the memorable "La La Land" and "Moonlight" mix-up in 2017.

Even as we recognize their insignificance, it's difficult not to get invested in the outcome of the Oscars. However, as Oscar voters are fallible people, they don't always get it right. Remember when "Green Book" inexplicably won Best Picture in 2017, mirroring the "Driving Miss Daisy" controversy in 1990? The history of the Academy Awards is filled with instances of voters having very bad taste and having very good taste -- though, of course, taste is subjective.

Indeed, some Oscar winners are best left gathering dust.

Prime Video is ready to make viewers swoon again this summer with another heartfelt romantic novel adaptation that's also packed with adventure. After Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine stole hearts in The Idea of You last year, the streamer will follow that success up with The Map That Leads to You on August 20, featuring Outer Banks star Madelyn Cline and Riverdale alum Kj Apa. Based on the book by Jp Monninger, the pair plays a sizzling couple who meet on a trip across Europe and ignite an intense emotional journey neither of them expected from the outset. As part of Collider's Exclusive Preview event for upcoming movies, we're thrilled to share a new image of the two following the moment their lives unexpectedly intertwined. It highlights the blossoming love that will leave both parties rethinking their futures to include each other.

Cline leads The Map That Leads to You as Heather,...

It's always exciting to watch Saturday Night Live's best duos reunite onscreen any chance they get. We love watching Amy Poehler and Tina Fey doing anything together (especially with Maya Rudolph!), Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig riffing in some hilarious bit, and Poehler cracking in-jokes with her pal and Weekend Update partner Seth Meyers. But that's just the tip of the iceberg of amazing SNL duos.

Maybe you missed the exciting news, but we're about to be treated to a Saturday Night Live reunion that's both a long time coming and one we didn't see coming. Two of the most iconic SNL stars, who starred in a film based on one of their most popular sketches, are joining forces once again after over a decade in an upcoming Netflix original comedy series. Who else is already sold?!

Molly Shannon reuniting with Will Ferrell in new series

Superstar stars Will...

Comedy veteran Molly Shannon is officially joining Will Ferrell in his upcoming Netflix golf comedy series. The two Saturday Night Live (SNL) alums are reuniting again after Shannon’s appearance in Ferrell’s Netflix documentary film Will & Harper. Now, Shannon joins Ferrell’s comedy, playing his foul-mouthed ex-wife Stacy (via Deadline).

In the 10-episode series, Ferrell stars as fictional golf legend, Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins. The untitled Netflix golf comedy is Ferrell’s first-ever scripted TV series. The project has been in the works since 2024 and has undergone major creative changes. Despite those shifts, production is underway. And Shannon’s casting signals a return to the iconic comedic chemistry fans loved from their SNL years.

What We Know About SNL Alums Molly Shannon and Will Ferrell’s Reunion Molly Shannon and Will Ferrell in SNL | Credit: NBC

Shannon and Ferrell are comedy icons with decades of shared history. They...

Molly Shannon has signed on to star opposite Will Ferrell in Netflix’s forthcoming ten-episode golf comedy, reuniting the longtime collaborators on screen for the first time in more than a decade. Ferrell will portray a legendary pro whose dominance is tested when a breakaway league upends the sport, a premise loosely modeled on the real-world PGA-liv rivalry. Shannon’s character, Stacy, is described by the streamer as the blunt confidante who keeps the superstar’s ego in check.

The series—still officially untitled and known internally as Golf—was co-created by Ferrell, comedian Ramy Youssef, and writer Josh Rabinowitz, though Youssef, Rabinowitz, and producing partner Andy Campagna quietly exited last month amid creative differences. Executive production now rests with Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum, and Alix Taylor for Gloria Sanchez Productions alongside Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, and Nena Rodrigue of T-Street; additional EPs include Chris Henchy, Harper Steele, David Gordon Green,...

Will Ferrell's upcoming sports comedy series will see him reuniting with a fellow Saturday Night Live star. The currently untitled series, which will have 10 episodes, will feature Ferrell as a fictional golfing legend.

Despite his history on SNL and there being no shortage of comedic Will Ferrell movies, this will be the star's first scripted television comedy show. The project was first announced in May 2024, with Ferrell, Rian Johnson, and Ram Bergman attached as executive producers.

Netflix has now revealed that SNL alum Molly Shannon will reunite with Ferrell in the comedy series, where she will play a character named Stacy. Ferrell and Shannon joined SNL in 1995 and were in many sketches together during their time on the show.

What This Means For Will Ferrell's New Netflix Show

While a scripted television comedy is new territory for Ferrell, he will be doing it alongside a former co-star that he...

Molly Shannon will join her former Saturday Night Live co-star Will Ferrell in a Netflix comedy series, which is also undergoing some off-camera changes.

Ramy Youssef and Josh Rabinowitz, who were credited as co-creators and executive producers when Netflix picked up the series in May 2024, have departed the untitled show over creative differences, sources confirm to The Hollywood Reporter. Andy Campagna of Youssef’s Cairo Cowboy production company has also departed.

The series stars Ferrell as a fictional golf legend and will mark his first continuing role in a comedy series (as opposed to the sketch/variety world of SNL). Shannon, whose recent credits include Only Murders in the Building and The Other Two, will play a character named Stacy.

Shannon and Ferrell have worked together a number of times outside Saturday Night Live, including the SNL-inspired films A Night at the Roxbury and Superstar, IFC’s cult miniseries...

Will Ferrell is set to reunite with one of his old Talladega Nights co-stars on an upcoming project in the works at Netflix. The streamer has announced that Molly Shannon, who previously played Mrs. Dennit, opposite Ferrell’s Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights, has joined the cast of Ferrell’s golf comedy series. Ferrell will play a fictional golf legend in the upcoming show, and Shannon has been tapped to star as his foul-mouthed ex-wife, Stacy. The show was announced back in May of last year, but it has undergone significant changes since its announcement. It was originally also set to star Ramy Youssef, who has since departed the project. In addition to starring opposite each other in Talladega Nights, Ferrell and Shannon also worked together on Saturday Night Live from 1996-2002.

Rian Johnson, famed for his work directing The Last Jedi and creating the Knives Out franchise, is also...

Ramy Youssef, Josh Rabinowitz and Andy Campagna have exited as executive producers of Will Ferrell’s upcoming golf comedy series at Netflix due to creative differences.

Variety understands that the leadership change took place last year. Youssef and Rabinowitz were originally announced as co-showrunners in addition to having created the series with Ferrell, who stars as a fictional gold legend. Campagna was executive producing via Youssef’s Cairo Cowboy production banner. Cairo Cowboy continues to work with Netflix on an untitled living facility series in development with Steve Way, Youssef’s close friend and collaborator.

Separately, Molly Shannon has joined the series in the role of Stacy. The project reunites her with Ferrell, as the two overlapped as “Saturday Night Live” cast members from 1995 to 2001. More recently, she starred in Season 4 of “Only Murders in the Building” on Hulu and all three seasons of HBO Max’s “The Other Two,...

Molly Shannon (Only Murders In the Building) is set to star opposite her former Saturday Night Live castmate Will Ferrell in his upcoming golf series for Netflix, which has undergone major changes since the original May 2024 announcement.

The untitled 10-episode series stars Ferrell, in his first TV comedy series, as Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins, a fictional golf legend. Shannon will play his foul-mouthed ex-wife Stacy.

Originally, Ferrell was to star in the comedy alongside Ramy Youssef, with the two co-creating it alongside Josh Rabinowitz. Youssef, Rabinowitz as well as Andy Campagna of Youssef’s Cairo Cowboy banner all left the project last year due to creative differences, sources said.

New behind-the-scenes additions since then include Ferrell’s long-time collaborator Chris Henchy; Harper Steele, who starred with Ferrell in his Netflix documentary Will & Harper; as well as David Gordon Green and Andrew Guest.

The four executive produce the series alongside Ferrell,...

A trip to the green is in full swing in an upcoming scripted series that will star Will Ferrell in his first TV comedy as a fictional golf legend. Also appearing in the show is his Saturday Night Live castmate and frequent big-screen co-star Molly Shannon.

Shannon will play Stacy in the 10-episode comedy. Executive producers include Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum, and Alix Taylor for Gloria Sanchez Productions; Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, and Nena Rodrigue for T-Street; Chris Henchy; Harper Steele; David Gordon Green; and Andrew Guest.

More news about the show is coming soon. In the meantime, get your Ferrell fix with Talladega Nights and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, streaming on Netflix now, and the documentary Will & Harper, featuring Ferrell and Steele and directed by Josh Greenbaum.

Check back with Tudum for future...

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Despite some solid reviews, "Vampire Academy" sadly became one of many series that were canceled after just one season. But why was this fantasy horror series cut short? The show was based on Richelle Mead's six-novel series, which had previously been adapted into a 2014 film of the same name. That film performed poorly at the box office and debuted to horrible reviews, which put a swift end to that iteration of the story. In 2021, however, hope arrived in the form of a TV series. Ultimately, that attempt to adapt the source material was similarly short-lived, but it did at least fare better critically.

In 2021, Deadline reported that Peacock had ordered a "Vampire Academy" series adaptation overseen by former "Vampire Diaries" showrunner Julie Plec and Marguerite MacIntyre, who played Elizabeth Forbes on that same show. At the time, Plec spoke...

The talents of George Clooney and Adam Sandler are on full display today in the debut teaser for the pair’s upcoming Netflix film, Jay Kelly. The latest project to come from Academy Award-nominated director Noah Baumbach is slated for a release on the streamer on December 5, with today’s first look teasing the heartfelt story to come. Featuring a supporting ensemble that includes the likes of Laura Dern (Jurassic Park) and Billy Crudup (The Morning Show), Baumbach’s latest star-packed feature promises to pull on heartstrings all while keeping audiences laughing until the credits roll.

In the film, Clooney plays Jay Kelly, an incredibly famous actor who is on a European adventure alongside his longtime friend and manager, Ron (Sandler). Not only is their journey filled with the normal experiences that one would expect a movie star and his manager to face on the day-to-day, but the pair also...

The 16-year hiatus between Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and Episode I - Phantom Menace (1999)—and again after Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) until Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015))—became known to fans as the Dark Times. That is, stretches when Star Wars went more-or-less silent. Now, in 2025, we might be living through another one.

At age 81, George Lucas finally took the Comic-Con stage—his first-ever visit—and talked Star Wars only to remind everyone he’s moved on. Focusing on the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, he spoke passionately about collecting comic and narrative art, not specifically the future of the galaxy far, far away.

Granted, Lucas sold his empire (pun intended) in 2012, handing over all creative direction to The Walt Disney Company. While he hasn’t played an official role in the future of the galaxy in well over a decade,...

There is nothing that gets me fresh in the morning better than a cup of freshly brewed coffee and a new set of daily puzzles by Actorle. That’s right, this cinema-themed daily puzzle has taken up more significance in my life than anyone could have expected, and honestly, I’m all for it.

For those who are new, Actorle.com, a daily puzzle site, offers four different sets of challenges that are Hollywood themed, and they keep your pop-culture knowledge sharp and ready to deploy. If you are by chance stuck on the puzzles offered on August 3, 2025, the following are all the solutions I was able to figure out for the day:

Actorle Solution for Today The answer for Actorle on August 3 is Colin Farrell | Credits: Actorle/ Fandomwire

The very first page when you open Actorle is the most basic puzzle of them all. The player is supposed to...

Amanda Knox‘s story from conviction to release has something to say at every step. It has been over a decade since one of the most sensational true-crime stories of the 21st century, which sustains a tangled web of conspiracy, erroneous forensics, media attention, and a human-life tragedy.

In the beautiful Italian hill town of Perugia, two young women, one British and one American, Meredith Kercher and Amanda Knox, came to pursue their studies. A mystery unfolds in the shared apartment that puts the friendship in question following the brutal murder of Kercher, a 21-year-old British student.

In November 2007, after this horrendous incident, the focus shifted to Kercher’s American roommate, Amanda Knox, then just 20 years old. Alongside her new Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, Knox was accused of a crime that shocked the world, but more than that, to her. In an interview with NPR, Knox said that,

“It never...

Rian Johnson will receive the Bill Wittliff Award for Screenwriting at this year’s Austin Film Festival. Johnson is set to receive the award during the 2025 Writers Conference. The conference will take place from Oct. 23 to Oct. 26.

The festival will also screen the Texas premiere of “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” the third installment of Johnson’s whodunnit franchise. The film stars Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rian Johnson back to Austin Film Festival as this year’s recipient of the Bill Wittliff Award for Screenwriting,” said Barbara Morgan, Aff’s co-founder and Executive Director. “Rian is an incredibly gifted screenwriter and visionary filmmaker whose body of work and generosity to the next generation of storytellers exemplifies this award. His latest installment in the “Knives Out Mystery” cannon,...

Netflix’s sci-fi epic 3 Body Problem is adding another familiar face from Game of Thrones.

The production — which is from Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss along with Alexander Woo — has cast Alfie Allen in a recurring role in season two. In addition, David Yip (The Chinese Detective) and Jordan Sunshine (Wonder Pets) have also joined the cast. They join previously announced new cast members Claudia Doumit and Ellie De Lange.

The season has just started production in Budapest, Hungary. The production has also revealed who from the first season’s cast is making the vast time jump into the season two storyline: Jess Hong as Jin, Benedict Wong as Da Shi, Eiza González as Auggie, Jovan Adepo as Saul, Saamer Usmani as Raj, Liam Cunningham as Wade, Marlo Kelly as Tatiana, Sea Shimooka as Sophon and Josh Brener as Kent.

In addition, Emmy-winning Thrones director Miguel Sapochnik (“Battle...

The Austin Film Festival will bestow the Bill Wittliff Award for Screenwriting to writer/director Rian Johnson, as part of this year’s Writers Conference, happening Oct. 23 – 26. The festival will also screen Johnson’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” the third installment in the filmmaker’s whodunnit series after “Knives Out” and “Glass Onion.” Both screenplays were nominated for Academy Awards.

“Wake Up Dead Man” sees Daniel Craig return as private detective Benoit Blanc, investigating a new murder and interrogating a new set of quirky suspects. The typically star-studded cast includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church. The film will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September before being released on Netflix on Dec. 12.

The award is named after Bill Wittliff, the Austin-born screenwriter of “Lonesome Dove,” “Legends of the Fall...

Knives Out fans, get ready for another round of clever sleuthing – Netflix is dropping The Thursday Murder Club on August 28, 2025. Based on the hit novel by Richard Osman, this one swaps eccentric detectives for four witty retirees living in a quiet English village. Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), Ron (Pierce Brosnan), Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley), and Joyce (Celia Imrie) normally spend their time digging into old cold cases, until a real murder lands right on their doorstep.

Directed by Chris Columbus and written with Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote, the movie walks the line between dry humor, tender moments, and a mystery worth chasing. With Netflix teaming up with Amblin and Columbus calling “the finest cast I’ve worked with since Potter,” this isn’t just a one-off (via Netflix). Osman’s novels already lay out a full series blueprint – the streaming service just needs to follow it.

Knives Out Walked So That...

Jeremy Renner has made a steady return to acting following his near-fatal snowplow accident in 2023, but Marvel fans are eager to know if the Avenger will ever pick up his bow and arrow again. He previously cast doubt over reprising his role as Clint Barton in the MCU after he candidly revealed that he had turned down a second season of the Disney+ series Hawkeyedue to a salary dispute. However, the actor has now offered a more promising update that suggests he is open to returning to screens as the arrow-slinging archer once more.

Renner has made a considerable recovery from the horrific injuries he suffered while trying to save his nephew from being run over by a snowplow, but resulted in the actor being pulled under its tracks. He celebrated his second "rebirthday" after the incident at the start of the year, and he has now revealed a little...

Craig Mazin and John August may lend their storytelling expertise while hosting their podcast Scriptnotes, but now the hosts are ready to offer that knowledge in book form.

The Hollywood screenwriters will release Scriptnotes: A Book About Screenwriting and Things That Are Interesting to Screenwriters, based on their hit podcast by the same name, offering an “ultimate guide for writing screenplays or building a screenwriting career,” The Hollywood Reporter can exclusively announce.

John August Dustin Bocks

On their podcast, Mazin and August discuss “everything from writer’s block, to getting started in the industry, to the vagaries of work-for-hire and copyright law,” all the while sharing “their expertise and best tips for working in film and television.” For their podcast they have spoken to a myriad of entertainment figures, including Christopher Nolan, Greta Gerwig, Michael Schur, Rian Johnson, Aline Brosh McKenna, Ashley Nicole Black, Seth Rogen and more about the...

The only thing about "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" that everyone can agree on is how people don't agree about it — but that's what happens when you take bold swings in a story. One of the boldest that writer-director Rian Johnson took was killing off Snoke (Andy Serkis), Supreme Leader of the First Order and master to dark warrior Kylo Ren, né Ben Solo (Adam Driver).

J.J. Abrams' "The Force Awakens" introduced Snoke as a sinister, shadowy figure, but it also largely glossed over how the galaxy had essentially returned to the status quo of the original trilogy. Snoke was clearly the film's analogue to Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), but how had this never-before seen villain climbed to such a powerful role? The vagueness made many fans assume that more information about the rise of Snoke would be revealed in the next two films.

Instead, in "The Last Jedi,...

In recent years, Jeremy Renner’s life has been more dramatic than anything he’s played on screen (including the Chitauri invasion of New York in The Avengers). Back in 2023, Renner was hospitalised in critical condition after an incident with a snowplow, with his life hanging in the balance. And while he survived, he’s been on a road to recovery in the years since. Now, he’s back on screens again, returning to his role of Mike Mclusky in Mayor Of Kingstown, and joining Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out movie, Wake Up Dead Man, which hits screens later this year.

It took Renner a while to get back to the idea of being in front of the camera once more. “It was kind of a struggle coming back to fiction, when my life is more non-fiction than non-fiction can really be,” he tells Empire, speaking in support of his book My Next Breath.

[This story contains major spoilers from Dexter: Resurrection episode four, “Call Me Red.”]

After a brief bout of death, Michael C. Hall’s Dexter Morgan has wasted little time getting back into the business of killing.

Four episodes deep into showrunner Clyde Phillips’s Dexter: Resurrection, the titular serial killer has already put a couple of fellow killers under the knife — with plenty more still to go, based on what he uncovers in this latest outing, “Call Me Red.” The episode sees Dexter posing as the late Red Schmidt, alias “The Dark Passenger,” a New York City killer whose name just so happens to be the same as Dexter’s own internalized code. Taking on the guise of Red, Dexter infiltrates a clandestine meeting of the serial killer minds, hosted by Leon Prater, a massively wealthy serial killer admirer played by Peter Dinklage. Prater, working alongside security operative Charley (Uma Thurman), regularly assembles a cadre...

There were few films at this year’s Sundance Film Festival that generated the kind of buzz that “Train Dreams” did.

The feature, directed by Clint Bentley from a script he wrote with Greg Kwedar, got some of the best reviews of the festival (our own review called it an “epic of breathtaking visual splendor and formidable lyrical cinematic poetry”) and was quickly snapped up by Netflix, who will be releasing it this November. The first trailer for the acclaimed film has just been released. You can watch it below.

The film, based on Denis Johnson’s Pulitzer-nominated novella, “is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly-changing America of the early 20th Century,” according to the official synopsis. Grainier is played by Joel Edgerton, with Felicity Jones as his wife. The rest of the cast includes Kerry Condon,...

Mark Hamill’s issues with Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi are well known, with the Luke Skywalker actor disagreeing with how the director made the character entirely different from the one we knew from the original trilogy, turning him into a “Get off my lawn!”-yelling curmudgeon. But eight years removed from The Last Jedi’s release and divisive reception, Hamill is ready to bury the lightsaber with Johnson.

Mark Hamill recently appeared on Jesse Thorn’s Bullseye podcast (via IGN) so he could declare that there were no more clouds in his perception of Johnson over The Last Jedi. “Here’s the thing, and I’d love to clear this up: Rian Johnson is one of the most gifted directors I’ve ever worked with. He’s amiable, he’s fun on set, he’s smart. He made a great movie. I think the staging of the stand-off between Kylo Ren,...

Hasta cuatro presencias españolas en el Festival canadiense.

© TIFF

El Festival Internacional de Cine de Toronto, que celebra su 50.ª edición del 4 al 14 de septiembre, ha anunciado los primeros títulos que integrarán sus dos secciones principales: Galas y Proyecciones Especiales. Aunque se esperan más incorporaciones, ya destacan nombres como Chloé Zhao, Edward Berger, David Michôd, Gus Van Sant, Guillermo del Toro, Mark Jenkin y Paul Greengrass. Además, España no se queda atrás y pone toda la carne en el asador con cuatro títulos. A la previamente anunciada El cautivo, de Alejandro Amenábar, que tendrá su estreno mundial en el certamen canadiense, se suman Tres adioses, de Isabel Coixet, también en calidad de premiere mundial; Sirat, de Oliver Laxe, tras su triunfo en la Croisette; y la coproducción Calle Málaga, que llegará tras su estreno en Venecia.

Galas

Adulthood (Alex Winter)

A Private Life (Rebecca Zlotowski)

Driver’s Ed (Bobby Farrelly)

Eleanor...

Celebrating its 50th edition this year, the Toronto International Film Festival will take place September 4–14. The festival has now unveiled its Galas & Special Presentations lineup, featuring new films by Benny Safdie, Gus Van Sant, Alice Winocour, Baz Luhrmann, Mark Jenkin, Steven Soderbergh, Rian Johnson, Paul Greengrass, Mamoru Hosoda, Joachim Trier, Richard Linklater, Jafar Panahi, Guillermo del Toro, Arnaud Desplechin, and more.

See below.

2025 Galas (in alphabetical order):

*previously announced

*A Private Life | Rebecca Zlotowski | France

North American Premiere

Adulthood | Alex Winter | USA

World Premiere

Driver’s Ed | Bobby Farrelly | USA

World Premiere

Eleanor the Great | Scarlett Johansson | USA

North American Premiere

Eternity | David Freyne | USA

World Premiere

Fuze | David Mackenzie | United Kingdom

World Premiere

Glenrothan | Brian Cox | United Kingdom

World Premiere

Good Fortune | Aziz Ansari | USA

World Premiere

*Hamnet | Chloé Zhao | United Kingdom

Canadian Premiere

*Homebound | Neeraj Ghaywan | India

North American Premiere

*John Candy: I Like Me | Colin Hanks | USA...

Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” Edward Berger’s “Ballad of a Small Player,” Bobby Farrelly’s “Driver’s Ed,” Brian Cox’s “Glenrothan,” Gus Van Sant’s “Dead Man’s Wire,” Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague” and Baz Luhrmann’s “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” will screen in the Galas and Special Presentations sections of the 2025 Toronto international Film Festival, TIFF organizers announced on Monday.

Those films were among the more than 50 new movies that were added to the robust TIFF lineup. Previously, the festival had announced 17 other galas and special premieres, including Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet,” Derek Cianfrance’s “Roofman,” Steven Soderbergh’s “The Christophers,” Agnieszka Holland’s “Franz,” Paul Greengrass’ “The Lost Bus” and Rian Johnson’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.” The festival will open with Colin Hanks’ documentary “John Candy: I Like Me.”

More than 30 of the newly announced films will be world premieres. Those include “Driver’s Ed,...

Days after announcing its gala world premieres, the Toronto International Film Festival has just expanded its lineup with a slate of new films featuring A-listers and Oscar winners. On Monday, the festival announced the highly anticipated debuts of movies starring Keanu Reeves, Vince Vaughn, Seth Rogen, Saoirse Ronan, Dustin Hoffman, and Al Pacino, underscoring the festival’s reputation as a crucial spring board for award-season contenders.

Tuner

The film, starring Hoffman and Leo Woodall, is directed by Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher (Navalny) in his feature debut. It follows a former piano prodigy (Woodall) who, down on his luck, uses his extraordinary auditory skills to help a found family figure (Hoffman). The cast also includes Havana Rose Liu and Lior Raz.

Christy

Sydney Sweeney stars as trailblazing professional boxer Christy Martin in this drama directed by David Michôd. Based on a true story, the film chronicles Martin’s meteoric rise...

[This story contains major spoilers for 2025’s I Know What You Did Last Summer.]

It’s been an especially busy summer for Madelyn Cline.

She’s not only in the middle of filming the final season of her hit Netflix series, Outer Banks, but she’s also been simultaneously promoting this weekend’s theatrical debut of Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025). And that’s not even half of it. Just one month ago, she happily carved out time from her existing shooting schedule and flew from South Carolina to Los Angeles in order to film a new ending for her character in Robinson’s slasher.

In Jim Gillespie’s 1997 franchise launcher, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Julie James and Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Helen Shivers played best friends until the latter met her end in a heartbreaking duel with Ben Willis’ murderous Fisherman. In Robinson’s legacy sequel to that film and...

Director Rian Johnson is known for making one of the most disliked Star Wars movies. However, the filmmaker is also behind one of the best sci-fi movies to feature Bruce Willis. Looper is Johnson’s 2012 sci-fi thriller starring Willis that is widely considered one of the best time travel movies.

Given how notoriously difficult the concept is to nail, it is no surprise that Johnson’s take resulted in one of the best movies in Willis’ career. Here is why Looper nailed time travel and why the sci-fi movie is worth revisiting after Johnson announced his next project.

Rian Johnson’s Looper Nailed Time Travel With One Creative Choice

Directed by Rian Johnson, Looper was released in 2012, emerging as a critical and commercial success, grossing $176.5 million against a $30 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). It also currently holds a critics’ score of 93% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.

Bruce Willis...

If you asked a million people what they think about "Star Wars: Episode VIII -- The Last Jedi," you might end up getting a million different answers. Rian Johnson's unexpectedly complex sequel to "The Force Awakens" blew the doors open on what a "Star Wars" movie could be and proved to be a lightning rod for the most toxic members of the "Star Wars" fandom. The film's approach to what came before it is in keeping with "Star Wars" creator George Lucas' own ethos, and its defenders continue to uphold "The Last Jedi" as the most exciting entry in the franchise to come out of the Disney era.

That division even carries over to the film's cast, as the movie's actors have begun to share their own complicated thoughts and feelings about "The Last Jedi" candidly over the years. John Boyega, whose defecting former stormtrooper Finn was unfortunately sidelined...

There's nothing the internet loves more than good ol' fashioned drama, and very few franchises over the last decade or so (with the possible exception of Zack Snyder's now-defunct Dceu) have delivered more of that than "Star Wars." You can probably see where I'm going with this. When "The Last Jedi" hit theaters back in 2017, online reactions could generously be described as mixed. Real ones recognized what writer/director Rian Johnson was trying to do with the sequel film, wrapping an emotionally complex story about legacy and the weight of the past around a love letter to the overall franchise. To others, well, the blockbuster went against their expectations to such an extent that it felt like a total aberration compared to "The Force Awakens" ... until "The Rise of Skywalker" hit just two years later, at least.

Given the many, ah, curious decisions made in the grand finale to the Skywalker Saga,...

Clint Eastwood and his Dollars trilogy inspired Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian, but in its later seasons lost that connection to the classic Westerns. Played by Pedro Pascal, The Mandalorian is an intergalactic bounty hunter who is tasked with protecting a child named Grogu, who is force-sensitive, and is pursued by remnants of the Empire, especially Moff Gideon. The show was positioned as a neo-Western in Star Wars.

Pedro Pascal, on multiple occasions, described Din Djarin as a mix between Han Solo and Clint Eastwood’s classic Man with No Name character from Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy. Even the makers mentioned that they wanted to introduce a similar, morally ambiguous hero to the Star Wars universe (via Men’s Health).

The character is very much built on the iconic presence of The Man With No Name in Sergio Leone’s movies, played by Clint Eastwood, and The Lone Samurai in Akira Kurosawa.

Good afternoon Insiders, been all hands to the pump this week but we bring you the very latest news and analysis. Please read on. And sign up here.

BBC Scandal(s)

‘Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone’ BBC

Davie defiant: Monday and Tuesday delivered a whirlwind 48 hours for bosses at the UK’s oldest public broadcaster. Reports into both the Gregg Wallace (and subsequently John Torode) MasterChef scandal and the Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone debacle dropped almost simultaneously, bringing with them consequences and posing plenty more questions. By the time Director General Tim Davie’s written response to a third scandal, the Bob Vylan Glastonbury brouhaha, dropped at 5.30 p.m. UK time, us journalists were exhausted. While it is impossible to ‘rank’ scandals, it is fair to say that Davie and co have been bruised by each landing on top of the other. The future of MasterChef is being brought into question,...

Lionsgate has named Erin Westerman president of its Motion Picture Group, TheWrap has learned. Adam Fogelson, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair, shared the news Thursday.

In her role, Westerman will oversee all aspects of the development and production of Lionsgate’s slate of theatrical film releases. She will report to Fogelson.

“Erin’s profound impact on our studio cannot be overstated,” Fogelson said in a statement to TheWrap. “She has earned the respect of her peers and talent through hard work, incredible story sense, and great choices, whether related to cast or the direction of some of our most important IP. However, it is her fierce intelligence, passion for theatrical moviegoing, and ease of manner that have made Lionsgate an attractive home for filmmakers who continue to do their most creative work here. She is a true leader, and I’m looking forward to shaping our slate together.”

Westerman is...

Lionsgate has upped Erin Westerman to president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.

This was to be expected in the wake of the news that Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Nathan Kahane is departing at year’s end for a producing deal with the studio. Westerman was previously president of Motion Picture Production.

In her role, Westerman will oversee all aspects of the development and production of Lionsgate’s theatrical slate. She will report to Adam Fogelson, chair, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.

Fogelson said, “Erin’s profound impact on our studio cannot be overstated. She has earned the respect of her peers and talent through hard work, incredible story sense, and great choices, whether related to cast or the direction of some of our most important IP. However, it is her fierce intelligence, passion for theatrical moviegoing, and ease of manner that have made Lionsgate an attractive home for filmmakers who...

Edward Berger’s Ballad Of A Small Player has been set for an awards corridor theatrical release in October by Netflix.

The dramatic thriller starring Colin Farrell will open in select theatres in the US on October 15 and in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on October 17, before making its global streaming debut on Netflix on October 29.

Berger’s films have been strong awards contenders in recent years, with Conclave winning this year’s British film Bafta and being nominated for the best picture Oscar and All Quiet On The Western Front winning the best international film Oscar for Germany...

Bruce Springsteen was “Born to Run” into the 2025 Oscars race.

As The Boss gears up for the release of his much-anticipated biopic “Deliver Me from Nowhere” later this year, the iconic singer is already set to be honored during the fifth annual Academy Museum Gala. The timing couldn’t be better: The Academy Museum Gala will take place October 18, with “Deliver Me from Nowhere” arriving in theaters in October 24. Springsteen will be portrayed by Jeremy Allen White, with Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, Marc Maron, Gaby Hoffmann, and David Krumholtz also starring in the ’80s-set feature.

The Academy Museum Gala recognition further ushers in the presumed Springsteen mania of this upcoming awards season. Springsteen will receive the museum’s inaugural Legacy Award and is also set for a live performance at the ceremony. The Legacy Award “honors an artist whose body of work has inspired generations of storytellers and deeply influenced our culture,...

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is set to honor Bruce Springsteen, Penélope Cruz, Bowen Yang and Walter Salles at its fifth annual fundraising gala, set for Oct. 18.

Springsteen, who will perform live at the event, will receive the inaugural Legacy Award, given to an artist whose body of work has inspired generations of storytellers and deeply influenced culture. Cruz is being recognized with the Icon Award, celebrating an artist whose career has had a big worldwide impact.

Yang will receive the Vantage Award, given to an emerging artist helping to challenge existing, entrenched narratives around film.

Salles is set to be honored with the Luminary Award, given to an artist whose contributions have expanded the creative possibilities of filmmaking.

Both Springsteen and Cruz are Oscar winners, and Yang is part of the cast of the Oscar-winning Wicked, the second part of which, For Good, is set to hit theaters on Nov.

Are you ready for Benoit Blanc’s most dangerous case yet? Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is the third film featuring the Southern-fried detective created by writer-director Rian Johnson. The mystery of when this will be released, however, has been solved: Wake Up Dead Man will come to Netflix on Dec. 12. Before then, it will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival at the beginning of September and during the opening night of the London Film Festival in October.

In the date announcement above — which debuted at Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event on Saturday, May 31 — you can get a glimpse of everybody’s favorite ascot-wearing sleuth (Daniel Craig) alongside the new star-studded group of suspects.

This is the latest installment in the Knives Out mystery series, crafted with Johnson’s signature touch — but this time, it ventures into a darker, more gothic tone.

We...

The 50th Annual Toronto International Film Festival kicks off this fall and there are some big changes coming this year. An official press release has announced 11 galas and special presentations for global artists that the committee wishes to spotlight this year. The scheduling of these events are a reflection of “TIFF’s commitment to champion new perspectives and cinematic excellence to its diverse international public audience.”

Anita Lee, the Chief Programming Officer of TIFF, said in a statement, “Since its inception, TIFF has championed global cinema that opens our eyes and brings us together. We are delighted to share 11 more titles from our Gala and Special Presentations programmes that showcase the remarkable originality and excellence of today’s most exciting and acclaimed directors. These films reflect a sweeping range of voices and styles that embodies the spirit of TIFF and our commitment to a public audience.”

The films featured at...

The sleepy 2026 Oscar race is about to get a wakeup call, courtesy of Benoit Blanc and the Toronto International Film Festival.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the anticipated third installment in Rian Johnson's wickedly delicious mystery series starring Daniel Craig, will have its world premiere at the film festival — a traditional launchpad for Academy Awards contenders. The sequel, whose starry cast also includes Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, and Kerry Washington, was one of 11 official selections unveiled Wednesday, all of which have Oscar aspirations.

The potential contenders include:

The Choral: Set against the backdrop of WWI, Ralph Fiennes stars as a tough choir director mentoring a group of enlisted British teens in the Nicholas Hytner film.

Franz: Oscar nominee Agnieszka Holland directs this episodic biopic of writer Franz Kafka (German actor Idan Weiss), from his birth to death.

Hamnet: Nomadland Best...

The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival added several world premieres by prolific filmmakers including Netflix’s Rian Johnson threequel Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Sony Pictures Classics’ Nicholas Hytner title The Choral, Miramax/Paramount’s Derek Cianfrance caper The Roofman, Paul Greengrass’ AppleTV+ movie The Lost Bus, Searchlight’s The Rental Family from Beef episodic director Hikari as well as the Canadian premiere of Hament from Oscar winning Nomadland filmmaker Chloe Zhao.

In total TIFF unveils today 11 more Official Selections in the Gala and Special Presentations programmes. The fest, presented by Rogers, runs from Sept. 4-14.

“Since its inception, TIFF has championed global cinema that opens our eyes and brings us together,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “We are delighted to share 11 more titles from our Gala and Special Presentations programmes that showcase the remarkable originality and excellence of today’s most exciting and acclaimed directors.

Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, Paul Greengrass’s wildfire dramaThe Lost Busstarring Matthew McConaughey,and Rian Johnson’s ensemble Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery led by Daniel Craig, are among 11 Galas and Special Presentations that will screen at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Apple Original Films’ The Lost Bus and the third Knives Out mystery at Netflix receive their world premieres at the festival’s 50th edition running September 4-14. The latter will go on to open the BFI London Film Festival in October.

Zhao’s period drama for...

The Toronto International Film Festival celebrates its 50th year in 2025, and this year will play host to a number of exciting world premieres. For TIFF 50, the festival announced 11 new Galas and Special Presentations on Wednesday morning, including heavy hitters like “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” at the September festival.

TIFF 50 will also have Special Presentations for “Franz,” “The Lost Bus,” “Rental Family” and “Steal Away.” The six newly-announced Galas include “The Choral,” “Homebound,” “Hamnet,” “A Private Life,” “Roofman” and “She Has No Name.” Both the Special Presentations and the Galas are meant to platform high-profile premieres from notable creators with significant audience buzz.

By far the standout of this announcement, “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” sees writer/director Rian Johnson return to the world of detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) for his third mystery movie in the franchise. “Knives Out” had its world...

Detective Benoit Blanc is packing his bags for Canada.

“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” the third murder mystery in director Rian Johnson’s hit series, will have its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. That movie and several others, including Chloe Zhao’s Shakespearean drama “Hamnet” and Channing Tatum’s action comedy “Roofman,” have been added to the lineup.

Johnson’s two prior whodunnits in the trilogy, 2019’s “Knives Out” and 2022’s “Glass Onion,” also had their world premieres at TIFF. Daniel Craig will reprise his role as Benoit Blanc, the sleuth with a distinctly Southern drawl, in “Wake Up Dead Man,” alongside the new ensemble of Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington and Andrew Scott.

“Roofman,” based on the true story of a former Army ranger and professional thief who finds a hideout inside a Toys “R” Us,...