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The zombie genre has seen many iterations over the years. Whether combined with melodrama, action—as in “Train to Busan”—or comedy, fans of the undead have a plethora of titles to choose from. One particularly interesting direction has been the blend of historical settings with horror, as seen in Kim Sung-hoon’s “Rampant”. “I, Kill”, a six-part mini-series directed by Paul Young and Daiji Hattori, follows this path, setting its story in 1635, thirty-five years after the Battle of Sekigahara, which marked the beginning of the Tokugawa shogunate.

I, Kill is screening at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival

The first two episodes show considerable promise, especially in the action, effects, and make-up departments. While the characters still need further development, both in their individual backgrounds and interpersonal dynamics, the 91-minute introduction does a solid job of establishing the world of the series.

Orin (Fumino Kimura) and her stepdaughter Toki...

Exclusive: Alongside A24, Jimmy Tatro and Dan Lagana have sold HBO on Lifties, an ensemble comedy series set in the snow.

Further plot details are under wraps. Tatro will star in the series, which he’s co-writing and exec producing alongside Lagana, with A24 as co-studio. The project reunites Lagana and Tatro following their work on American Vandal, an Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning mockumentary for Netflix, which ran for two seasons.

Lifties comes to HBO as the premium cabler looks to sort its next chapter in comedy, following the conclusion of such lauded series as Barry, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Righteous Gemstones. Currently airing the second season of Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal, HBO has put a lot of focus on comedy of late, with orders for The Chair Company from Tim Robinson, an untitled codependent friend group comedy from Rachel Sennott, and another untitled series pairing Steve Carell...

Lucasfilm leaders had more surprises on the final day of the three-day Star Wars Celebration fan event in Tokyo. A new batch of nine “Star Wars: Visions” shorts will debut Oct. 29 on Disney+, and also upcoming is the longform series “The Ninth Jedi,” a spinoff of an earlier “Visions” short, from writer-director Kenji Kamiyama.

“The Ninth Jedi” series was announced with fanfare at the event by James Waugh, Lucasfilm’s senior VP of franchise content and dtrategy at Lucasfilm. He called Kamiyama to the stage, “who thanked the audience for being so supportive and enthusiastic about the adventures of Kara and Juro in ‘The Ninth Jedi’ and the upcoming ‘Child of Hope,’ ” according to Disney’s StarWars.com official fan site.

“He then announced that fans will watch Kara’s journey continue to unfold in an all-new spinoff called “Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi,’ ” the site stated.

“Star Wars: Visions...

Exclusive: Abigail Spencer (Suits), Holt McCallany (Mindhunter), and Lucas Till (MacGyver) have been tapped for supporting roles in Clean Hands, the true-life drama from writer-director Jake Allyn on which we were first to report last month.

The trio is set to star opposite previously announced leads Zach Braff and Esther McGregor, with production now underway.

Set in Hagerstown MD, a Baltimore suburb along the infamous “Heroin Highway,” Clean Hands explores the American drug crisis through the lens of a father-daughter duo caught on opposing sides of the law, based on the harrowing story of hero drug cop turned recovery advocate Kevin Simmers (Braff) and his daughter Brooke (McGregor).

Spencer will portray Kevin’s wife Dana, while McCallany will play Maryland Congressman David Trone and Lucas Till will play Sheriff’s Deputy Dormer.

Producers include Conor Allyn of Margate House Films, Brian Loschiavo of Riverside Entertainment, James Suttles and Jason Winn of WW / Sf Entertainment,...

Rick Springfield hits the road this summer on the 2025 edition of his I Want My ’80s Tour presented by SiriusXM’s 80s on 8.

80s on 880s pop, the original MTV VJs, and moreListen on the App

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The tour includes special guests John Waite, Wang Chung, Paul Young, and John Cafferty, visiting 42 American cities and featuring hits like “Jessie’s Girl,” “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” “Missing You,” “Everybody Have Fun Tonight,” “Every Time You Go Away,” “On the Dark Side,” and many more of the most iconic songs of the 1980s.

Visit RickSpringfield.com for tickets.

Rick Springfield I Want My ’80s Tour Dates

Thursday 5/29/25 St. Augustine, Fl St. Augustime Amph *

Saturday 5/31/25 Brandon, Ms Brandon Amphitheatre *

Sunday 6/1/25 Gautier, Ms The Sound Amphitheatre *

Tuesday 6/3/25 Charlotte, Nc Skyla Credit Union Amp *

Wednesday 6/4/25 Raleigh, Nc Red Hat Amphitheatre *

Friday 6/6/25 Portsmouth, Va Atl. Union Bank Amph *

Saturday 6/7/25 Richmond, Va Allianz Amphitheatre *

Sunday 6/8/25 Roanoke,...

Rick Springfield has announced his 2025 “I Want My ’80s Tour.” He will be joined by John Waite and Wang Chung for the entirety of the late spring and summer run, with Paul Young and John Cafferty appearing on select dates.

Get Rick Springfield Tickets Here

The trek kicks off on May 29th in St. Augustine, Florida, and will make subsequent stops in cities like Charlotte, Cincinnati, Atlantic City, Dallas, and more before wrapping up on August 10th in Henderson, Nevada. See Springfield’s full tour schedule below.

A fan club pre-sale (sign up here) is ongoing ahead of the general on-sale beginning Friday, February 14th via Ticketmaster. Fans can also look for deals or get tickets to sold-out shows via StubHub, where orders are 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s FanProtect program.

During the 2023 edition of Springfield’s “I Want My ’80s Tour,” he was also joined by Waite, as well as The Hooters,...

"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" is one of the best teen movies of all time, but it also (perhaps purposely) tells its story from a very privileged point-of-view. I adore the John Hughes classic, yet the last few times I've watched it, I've been struck by how terribly Ferris (Matthew Broderick) treats the customer service workers he meets throughout the film. It's all a part of his schtick; to craft the perfect day off, he has to get access to all sorts of fun stuff, and the quickest way to do that is by putting on a haughty, rich-white guy persona that he probably learned from his dad.

It may be blasphemous to even consider adding a new layer to a perfect Hughes-made story, but if someone's going to do it, it may as well be a filmmaker who's interested in approaching the material from a truly fresh angle. Enter: "Sam and Victor's Day Off,...

Ryan Gosling, previously attached as lead, serves as EP.

Production has wrapped on Neon’s The Actor from Anomalisa co-director Duke Johnson as the company confirmed André Holland and Gemma Chan star.

Holland replaced Ryan Gosling, who had been attached to star and withdrew due to scheduling issues. He remains on board as an executive producer alongside Anomalisa director Charlie Kaufman

Tracey Ullman, Toby Jones, Simon McBurney and Joe Cole round out the cast on the 1950’s-set story about the man suffering from memory loss after an attack in Ohio who struggles to find his way back to his life in New York.

Ryan Gosling, previously attached as lead, serves as EP.

Production has wrapped on Neon’s The Actor from Anomalisa co-director Due Johnson as the company confirmed André Holland and Gemma Chan star.

Holland replaced Ryan Gosling, who had been attached to star and withdrew due to scheduling issues. He remains on board as an executive producer alongside Anomalisa co-director Charlie Kaufman

Tracey Ullman, Toby Jones, Simon McBurney and Joe Cole round out the cast on the 1950’s-set story about the man suffering from memory loss after an attack in Ohio who struggles to find his way back to his life in New York.

André Holland (Passing) and Gemma Chan (Don’t Worry Darling) will top Neon‘s The Actor, the second feature (and first in live-action) from Oscar-nominated Anomalisa helmer Duke Johnson, which has wrapped production. Holland takes over the male lead from Ryan Gosling, who was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts but remains aboard the project as an executive producer.

André Holland behind the scenes of The Actor

The film scripted by Johnson and Stephen Cooney is based on the bestselling novel Memory by Donald E. Westlake and tells the story of actor Paul Cole (Holland), who finds himself stranded in 1950s Ohio, suffering from severe memory loss after a brutal attack, struggling to find his way back to his life in New York and reclaim what he has lost.

Additional cast set for the film includes Tracey Ullman (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Toby Jones (Empire of Light), Simon McBurney (Wolfwalkers...

Chris O’Dowd (My Father’s Dragon) and Amy Huberman (A Cat Called Jam) have signed on to lead the voice cast of Puffin Rock and the New Friends, a new animated feature from WestEnd Films in collaboration with Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon and Northern Ireland’s Dog Ears.

The pic is currently in post-production, and WestEnd will launch sales at EFM where it will be showing buyers footage of the film.

Based on the Irish TV series Puffin Rock, the feature is directed by Jeremy Purcell, whose credits include the animated TV series Joe and Jack as well as the original Puffin Rock series and the animated features Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells.

The voice cast is rounded out by Beth McCafferty and Eva Whittaker (Wolfwalkers).

Puffin Rock And The New Friends will follow favorites from the animated series, including Oona, Baba, May, and Mossy, who...

Today, Disney+ and Lucasfilm announced that the second volume of the animated anthology series “Star Wars: Visions” will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on May 4, 2023. Following on the Emmy Award®-nominated success of “Star Wars: Visions,” the newest volume will continue to push the boundaries of “Star Wars” storytelling, with nine new shorts from 9 studios from around the globe. Employing the most captivating animation styles from a variety of countries and cultures, the second volume offers a dynamic new perspective on the storied mythos of Star Wars.

Title Treatment Available Here: https://wdsprod.box.com/s/iu695c3glvbmhije79ik0zudas4rcqm0

The shorts included in “Star Wars: Visions” Volume 2 were created by the following international animation studios: El Guiri (Spain), Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Punkrobot (Chile), Aardman (United Kingdom), Studio Mir (South Korea) Studio La Cachette (France), 88 Pictures (India), D’art Shtajio (Japan), and Triggerfish (South Africa). D’Art Shtajio’s...

The animated world of “Star Wars” is growing.

On Thursday, Disney+ announced “Star Wars: Visions” volume 2 will debut on Star Wars Day, May 4, and shared the incredible lineup of animated shorts in store for fans.

Read More: Christian Bale Still Wants To Do A ‘Star Wars’ Movie: ‘What A Delight That Would Be’

Films for volume 2 are being produced by acclaimed filmmakers and studios from around the world, including Aardman, best known for the “Wallace & Gromit” series, as well as Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon, South Africa’s Triggerfish, Japan’s D’art Shtajio, India’s 88 Pictures and more.

“The reaction to the first volume of ‘Star Wars: Visions’ blew us away. We were delighted that this project inspired and resonated with so many people,” said James Waugh, “Star Wars: Visions” executive producer.

“We always saw ‘Star Wars: Visions’ as a framework for celebratory expressions of the franchise from some of the best creators working today.

Ready your lightsabers because Disney+ and Lucasfilm announced the release date, animation studios, filmmakers, and episode descriptions for Star Wars: Visions Volume 2! The animated anthology will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on May 4, 2023. The newest volume presents a masterclass in animation, with stories prepped to push the boundaries of Star Wars storytelling and more shorts from nine studios around the globe. Featuring animation styles inspired by various countries and cultures, Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 takes the beloved franchise beyond the stars and back again.

Per the official press release for Star Wars: Visions Volume 2:

The shorts included in “Star Wars: Visions” Volume 2 were created by the following international animation studios: El Guiri (Spain), Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Punkrobot (Chile), Aardman (United Kingdom), Studio Mir (South Korea) Studio La Cachette (France), 88 Pictures (India), D’art Shtajio (Japan), and Triggerfish (South Africa). D’Art Shtajio’s short was created in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd.

When “Star Wars: Visions” debuted back in 2021, it was just what the doctor ordered. A collection of gorgeously animated shorts by some of Japan’s leading animation studios, the shorts offered up new sensibilities and visual styles that existed outside the comparatively stodgy realms of the live-action “Star Wars” franchise.

Fortunately, “Star Wars: Visions” is coming back on May 4 with a second volume of all-new studios from around the world.

Instead of exclusively Japanese studios, the second volume of “Visions” canvasses our world, with shorts from El Guiri (Spain), Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Punkrobot (Chile), Aardman (the United Kingdom), Studio Mir (South Korea), Studio La Cachette (France), 88 Pictures (India), D’art Shtajio (Japan) and Triggerfish (South Africa). This is truly an international affair!

Also Read:

‘Devotion’ Filmmaker J.D. Dillard No Longer Developing ‘Star Wars’ Movie for Lucasfilm (Exclusive)

“The reaction to the first volume of ‘Star Wars: Visions’ blew us away.

Haven't yet had your fill of "Star Wars" on the small screen? Well, you're in luck. Today brings some very good news about one of the best-ever additions to the popular space-faring franchise.

"Star Wars: Visions," the anime anthology series that filled in the gaps between the movies and shows with some of the most refreshingly original and exciting stories the property has ever seen, is coming back just in time for the geekiest "Star Wars"-themed holiday of them all. Oh, and the new season is bringing along some incredibly intriguing talent that should please just about any fan of animation out there, too. If "Star Wars" fatigue is a real thing, well, luckily nobody ever informed the sprawling creative team behind "Visions" about it.

Disney+ and Lucasfilm announced that season 2 of "Star Wars: Visions" will premiere on Disney+ streaming on "Star Wars Day" -- May 4, 2023. But wait, there's more!

If you’re both a Star Wars fanatic and an animation nerd, get ready for Lucasfilm to make your wishes come true – the animation studios handling episodes of the next batch of Visions have just been announced, and there’s plenty to look forward to. The anthology series (telling not-necessarily-canonical stories in the Star Wars universe) initially centred on studios from Japan, but Season 2 of Visions is broadening the scope to showcase animation houses from around the world – including ones from the UK and Ireland.

Now, we know that the UK studio is none other than Aardman – behind the likes of Wallace And Gromit and Chicken Run – and that the Irish studio is Cartoon Saloon, the geniuses behind Song Of The Sea, WolfWalkers and more. Let that sink in for a second: Aardman and Cartoon Saloon are doing Star Wars shorts! Aardman’s episode is titled ‘I Am Your Mother...

Barrett Strong, artist and songwriter credited with having given Motown its first hit with “Money (That’s What I Want),” has died. He was 81.

Motown founder Berry Gordy confirmed Strong’s death in a statement where he called his songs “revolutionary.”

Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Bertha Barbee McNeal Dies: Cofounder Of Motown's Velvelettes Was 82 Related Story Mable John Dies: First Female Solo Artist Signed By Motown Records Founder Was 91

“I am saddened to hear of the passing of Barrett Strong, one of my earliest artists, and the man who sang my first big hit,” Gordy said in a statement shared by Billboard. “Barrett was not only a great singer and piano player, but he, along with his writing partner Norman Whitefield, created an incredible body of work, primarily with the Temptations. Their hit songs were revolutionary in sound and captured the spirit...

Apple TV+’s limited series Lady In The Lake has added to its cast.

Noah Jupe, Mike Epps, Byron Bowers Josiah Cross and Pruitt Taylor Vince are all joining the Endeavor Content-produced series ensemble cast.

The casting comes after Moses Ingram joined the series, alongside star Natalie Portman, replacing Lupita Nyong’o.

The series, which comes from Alma Har’el, is based on Laura Lippman’s New York Times bestselling novel. It takes place in ’60s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder pushes housewife and mother Maddie Schwartz (Portman) to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist and sets her on a collision course with Cleo Sherwood (Ingram), a hardworking woman juggling motherhood, many jobs and a passionate commitment to advancing Baltimore’s Black progressive agenda.

The cast also includes Y’Lan Noel, Mikey Madison and Brett Gelman.

It marks the second Apple series for Jupe, who recently joined Michael Douglas in Franklin. He...

Apple’s limited series adaptation of “Lady in the Lake” has rounded out its cast.

Byron Bowers, Josiah Cross, Mike Epps, Noah Jupe, and Pruitt Taylor Vince are the latest additions to the series. They join previously announced cast members Natalie Portman, ’Lan Noel, Mikey Madison and Brett Gelman, as well as Moses Ingram.

The series is an adaptation of Laura Lippman’s novel of the same name. It takes place in 1960s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder pushes housewife and mother, Maddie Schwartz (Portman), to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist and sets her on a collision course with Cleo Sherwood (Ingram), a hard-working woman juggling motherhood, many jobs and a passionate commitment to advancing Baltimore’s Black progressive agenda.

Alma Har’el created the series and is also a director and executive producer via her new production company, Zusa. Har’el’s producing partner, Christopher Legget, also executive produces.

In celebration of World Book Day this Saturday, Netflix unveiled the first look and cast of five-time Oscar® nominated Cartoon Saloon co-founder Nora Twomey’s upcoming animated feature ‘My Father’s Dragon.’

Jacob Tremblay, Gaten Matarazzo, Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith with Whoopi Goldberg and Ian McShane will all feature in the animation.

Directed by Twomey, the film is inspired by the Newbery honoured book of the same title by Ruth Stiles Gannett. Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother, Elmer runs away in search of Wild Island and a young dragon who waits to be rescued. Elmer’s adventures introduce him to ferocious beasts, a mysterious island and the friendship of a lifetime.

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Netflix has unveiled the voice cast for its upcoming animated film “My Father’s Dragon,” which is the next feature from the award-winning studio behind “Wolfwalkers” and “The Secret of Kells” Cartoon Saloon.

Jacob Tremblay will lead a voice cast that also includes Gaten Matarazzo, Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith with Whoopi Goldberg and Ian McShane.

Nora Twomey (“The Breadwinner”) is directing “My Father’s Dragon” based on Ruth Stiles Gannett’s Newbery Award winning book of the same name. Meg LeFauve (“Inside Out”) wrote the screenplay based on a screen story by LeFauve and John Morgan. “My Father’s Dragon” is the fifth animated feature for the animation studio based out of Kilkenny, Ireland.

“My Father’s Dragon” is the story of a boy who,...

Nora Twomey directs the animation, with Netflix releasing.

Room star Jacob Tremblay and Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo are to voice Cartoon Saloon co-founder Nora Twomey’s upcoming animated feature My Father’s Dragon.

Further English-language voice cast includes Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith with Whoopi Goldberg and Ian McShane.

It is Twomey’s first outing as director since 2017 animation The Breadwinner, with a screenplay by Inside Out writer Meg LeFauve.

Bonnie Curtis and...

Netflix has unveiled a first-look image (below) from upcoming animated feature “My Father’s Dragon,” which features Jacob Tremblay, Gaten Matarazzo and a host of bold-face names.

Based on the book of the same name by Ruth Stiles Gannett, “My Father’s Dragon” tells the story of Elmer, a young boy who struggles to cope after moving to the city with his mother. One day he runs away to try and find Wild Island, home to a young dragon awaiting rescue. Elmer must navigate ferocious beasts and a mysterious island as he embarks on the friendship of a lifetime.

Tremblay will play Elmer while Matarazzo voices the dragon.

Joining Tremblay and Matarazzo in the film are an all-star cast including Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack...

Netflix has confirmed the full cast for its upcoming animation pic My Father’s Dragon.

Voicing the film will be: Jacob Tremblay, Gaten Matarazzo, Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith with Whoopi Goldberg and Ian McShane.

The feature is inspired by the book of the same title by Ruth Stiles Gannett and the screenplay has been written by Inside Out scribe Meg LeFauve from a story co-written with John Mogran. Directing is Nora Twomey, who previously helmed the Oscar-nominated The Breadwinner, which was produced by Irish company Cartoon Saloon.

My Father’s Dragon is produced by Cartoon Saloon’s Paul Young, with Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn of Mockingbird Pictures.

The story is as follows: Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother,...

Exclusive: CBS Studios has signed an overall deal with Barbershop writer Don D. Scott. Under the two-year pact, Scott will develop new series for the studio across all platforms, including drawing on his unique background for inspiration. Scott grew up in a nightclub-owning family, and his father was also a professional bowler who broke the color barrier in the Pba.

Most of Scott’s TV series career to date has been at CBS Studios. He was a staff writer on the studio’s CBS comedy Fam and worked on the second and third season of CBS Studios’ CBS hit The Neighborhood, rising to co-producer.

Scott got his break in 2002 with his first produced script, Barbershop. Scott co-wrote the breakout hit, which spawned a franchise that spanned film and TV, and wrote the sequel, Barbershop 2: Back In Business. He transitioned to TV with the Disney Channel original movie Let It Shine,...

The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) has picked Irish-Language feature Foscadh (Shelter) as this year’s entry for the International Oscar race.

Written and directed by Seán Breathnach, the pic stars Dónall Ó Héalai (Arracht), Fionnuala Flaherty (An Klondike), and Cillian O’Gairbhí (Blood) in a story based on characters in Donal Ryan’s novel The Thing About December. The plot follows naïve recluse John Cunliffe who is suddenly propelled into manhood at the age of 28. When his overprotective parents pass away, friendless John inherits mountain land that is in the way of a lucrative wind-farm development, and he is forced to navigate the choppy waters of romance, trust and vengeance for the first time.

Producer is Paddy Hayes (Cumar: A Galway Rhapsody), whose father Tom Hayes was nominated for an Oscar 50 years ago for the documentary Cradle Of Genius. The film is produced by Hayes’ Magamedia and premiered at...

Byron Bowers (Concrete Cowboy) and Tom Sturridge (Sweetbitter), in a recasting, have joined Alicia Vikander in HBO’s Irma Vep, a limited series based on Olivier Assayas’ 1996 feature film.

The series, loosely based on the film, will be written and directed by Assayas and produced by the team behind HBO’s Euphoria: A24, Sam Levinson and Kevin Turen.

Feature film Irma Vep starred Maggie Cheung as herself and Jean-Pierre Leaud as a middle-aged French film director. It screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.

The series, which is set against the backdrop of a lurid crime thriller, follows Vikander’s Mira, an American movie star disillusioned by her career and a recent breakup who comes to France to star as Irma Vep in a remake of the French silent film classic, Les Vampires. Mira struggles as the distinctions between herself and the character she plays begin to blur and merge.

Refresh for updates… Zz Top bassist Dusty Hill is being remembered by friends, musical colleagues, and even the governor of Texas paying tribute.

“Rock and roll has been stopped in its tracks,” tweeted Martha Quinn, one of MTV’s original veejays whose tenure at the channel coincided with Zz Top’s music video heyday. “Dusty Hill, you will always be bad, nationwide and much missed.”

Hill’s death was announced today by bandmates Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard. The bassist was 72.

Said Kiss vocalist Paul Stanley, “Always a gentleman from the days of us opening for them through the recent days of them opening for us. I don’t know what to say but ‘Thank you’ and ‘Rest however you damn well choose!'”

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea mourned the loss on Twitter while celebrating his unique talents. “Ahhhh man, I love Dusty Hill. A true rocker. What a straight jammer,...

Nicolas Cage will not be playing Joe Exotic.

The beloved actor was set to lead an Amazon drama series based on the Texas Monthly article “Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into the World of a Man Gone Wild.”

But it sounds like the Tiger King craze is coming to a close with a thud.

“I think Amazon ultimately felt that it was material that had become past tense because it took so long for it come together,” Cage said to Variety of the decision.

“They felt at one point that it was lightning in a bottle, but that point has since faded into the distance and it’s no longer relevant.”

Indeed, the world has changed substantially since Netflix's wildly successful docu-series hit the air in 2020.

As a result, it feels like a distant memory, and it seems Amazon was concerned about investing time and money into a project...

Amazon Prime Video has opted not to proceed with a scripted series starring Nicolas Cage as the infamous Joe Exotic, subject of the hit Netflix docuseries Tiger King, Deadline has confirmed.

The project, from CBS Studios and Imagine Television Studios, was set up at Amazon for development almost a year ago, at the height of the Tiger King popularity, which has since dissipated. It didn’t go past the script stage, and, at least for now, it appears unlikely that the show would be shopped elsewhere.

The news, which Cage confirmed to Variety, comes as Peacock has started production on their Joe Exotic limited series starring Kate McKinnon as Carole Baskin and John Cameron Mitchell as Joe Exotic.

The story in the Imagine/CBS Studios show, written by American Vandal showrunner Dan Lagana, centered around Joe Shreibvogel (Cage), an eccentric, exotic zookeeper in Oklahoma who fights to keep his park...

Amazon’s “Tiger King” series that would have starred Nicolas Cage as Joe Exotic has been scrapped, an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.

The series was one of two scripted takes based on the Netflix docuseries. Peacock also has its own version on the story of Joe Schreibvogel (aka “Joe Exotic”) starring Kate McKinnon and John Cameron Mitchell.

In an interview with Variety, Cage expanded on the decision: “I read two excellent scripts, which I did think were excellent, but I think Amazon ultimately felt that it was material that had become past tense because it took so long for it come together. They felt at one point that it was lighting in the bottle, but that point has since faded into the distance and it’s no longer relevant.”

The Amazon series was to be produced by Imagine and CBS Studios. It was based on Leif...

Ghost Master: "Ghost Master (originally titled Gôsuto masutâ) is a Japanese horror-comedy that follows Akira Kurosawa, a nerdy assistant director working on the set of a low budget rom-com at an abandoned school. Burnt out on campy teen dramas, Akira dreams of becoming the ultimate horror master. When a conflict with the director, Atsushi Suzuki causes half the cast to strike, Akira is left in charge of the production. Ditching the scheduled project and pivoting to his own horror script, titled Ghost Master, Akira is shocked when his evil screenplay comes to life and begins possessing the cast, including the film’s star, Yuya. As a killing spree commences and the body count rises, Akira must band together with the crew and one remaining actress, Mana to stop the gruesome attacks.

Winner of “Best Film” at the 2020 International Fantasy Film Awards, Ghost Master is directed by Paul Young (“Flashback”) and...

Cartoon Saloon, the Oscar-nominated Irish independent animation studio behind Apple TV Plus’ “Wolfwalkers,” has signed with CAA.

Formed by creative heads Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey and Paul Young in 1999, the five-time Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Emmy-nominated studio will now be represented by the agency.

“Wolfwalkers,” directed by Moore and Ross Stewart, is nominated for the best animated feature Oscar at Sunday’s 93rd Academy Awards. The Apple original film was also nominated for a BAFTA and Golden Globe award.

Though the Oscar nod for “Wolfwalkers” was a historic first for Apple TV Plus, it marks Cartoon Saloon’s fourth best animated feature nomination. The indie studio has received Academy Award nods for each of their previous animated feature films, 2009’s “The Secret of Kells,” 2014’s “Song of the Sea” and 2017’s “The Breadwinner.” In 2019, the studio landed an Oscar nod in the best animated short category for “Late Afternoon.

NBCUniversal's Joe Exotic series is moving along swimmingly.

The series has cast John Cameron Mitchell in the titular role of Joe "Exotic" Schreibvogel in the limited series, which is in the works at NBC, USA Network, and NBC Universal's streaming service, Peacock.

Mitchell is probably best known for writing and starring in Broadway's Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

"I'm thrilled to take on the role of this modern folk antihero," Mitchell said.

"Joe and I are the same age and like him, I grew up queer in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas so I feel like I know a little bit about this guy and his desperate attempt to conquer an inhospitable world."

Kate McKinnon is on board to play Carole Baskin.

The series will center around Baskin, Exotic, and the tigers they famously tussled over. The insanity begins when Baskin learns that her sworn nemesis is breeding and using his menagerie for profit.

Buyers respond in France, Italy, Scandinavia, Latin America.

Illustrating the enduring readiness of independent theatrical buyers to step up for coveted packages with star attachments, Endeavor Content has concluded a raft of prestige international deals on noir tale The Actor with Ryan Gosling in the lead.

Following the recent North American deal with Neon, rights to the 1950’s-set story have gone in France (Metropolitan), Italy (Notorious), Scandinavia (Scanbox), Eastern Europe (Vertical Distribution), Cis (Capella Film), Middle East (Salim Ramia), Japan (Happinet Phantom Studios), and Latin America (Sun).

Endeavor Content launched sales on The Actor in early March at the virtual EFM,...

Neon has acquired the North American rights to “The Actor,” a film noir from director Duke Johnson and starring Ryan Gosling. Additionally, filmmaker Charlie Kaufman has joined the film as an executive producer.

Neon, which was also the distributor of “Parasite,” acquired “The Actor” in a competitive bidding war. The film is based on the bestselling book “Memory” by Donald E. Westlake.

Set in the 1950s, “The Actor” stars Gosling as Paul Cole, who has been stranded in Ohio after a brutal attack. As he finds himself suffering from severe memory loss, he struggles to find his way back to his life in New York and reclaim what he has lost.

Johnson, who directed the stop-motion animated “Anomalisa” along with Kaufman, wrote the script with Stephen Cooney.

Gosling is also producing “The Actor” alongside Waypoint Entertainment’s Ken Kao. Johnson will produce with Abigail Spencer under their Innerlight Films production banner.

Anomalisa writer-director Duke Johnson, Stephen Cooney adapted screenplay from Donald E. Westlake novel Memory.

Demonstrating the long tail of the virtual EFM, Neon has prevailed in what it said was a bidding war for North American rights to noir package The Actor in which Duke Johnson (Anomalisa) will direct Ryan Gosling.

Endeavor Content handles international sales on the 1950s-set story of an actor who sets off to reclaim his life in New York after an attack leaves him stranded with memory loss in Ohio.

Charlie Kaufman, who wrote Anomalisa, has come on board as executive producer.

Johnson and Stephen Cooney...

Distributor Neon has scooped up North American rights to a new movie from “Anomalisa” director Duke Johnson. Titled “The Actor,” the film is being billed as a noir and will star Ryan Gosling. It’s based on the bestselling novel “Memory” by Donald E. Westlake, and Charlie Kaufman (who co-directed “Anomalisa” with Johnson) is also on board as an executive producer. According to Deadline, the buy was in the seven-figure range.

Here’s the synopsis from Neon: “Stranded in 1950s Ohio after a brutal attack, actor Paul Cole (Gosling), suffering from severe memory loss, struggles to find his way back to his life in New York and reclaim what he has lost. ‘The Actor’ follows a thrilling journey we must all make, to find home, to find love and ultimately to find ourselves.”

This will mark Duke Johnson’s first solo feature film directing credit. He most recently served as...

Exclusive: In a competitive situation, Parasite distributor Neon has come out on top for North American rights to Ryan Gosling package The Actor, the next movie from Anomalisa director Duke Johnson. We hear the pre-buy is in the mid seven-figure range.

Oscar-nominee Gosling will play actor Paul Cole who becomes stranded in 1950s Ohio after a brutal attack. Suffering from severe memory loss, he struggles to find his way back to his life in New York and reclaim what he has lost.

The hot virtual EFM project is based on the best-selling noir novel Memory by Donald E. Westlake. Johnson penned the script alongside Stephen Cooney. Johnson’s Anomalisa collaborator Charlie Kaufman has newly boarded as executive producer.

Jeff Deutchman negotiated the deal for Neon with CAA Media Finance and Endeavor Content, who are co-repping U.S. rights. Endeavor Content is handling international sales.

La La Land and First Man...

Neon has landed the North American right to Ryan Gosling starrer The Actor.

Duke Johnson is behind the movie based on best-selling novel Memory by Donald E. Westlake. Gosling will play actor Paul Cole, who, stranded in 1950s Ohio after a brutal attack and suffering from severe memory loss, struggles to find his way back to his life in New York and reclaim what he has lost. Johnson penned the script alongside Stephen Cooney.

Gosling will produce the film with Waypoint Entertainment’s Ken Kao along with Johnson and Abigail Spencer under their Innerlight Films production banner and Make Good’s Paul Young....

Neon has landed the North American right to Ryan Gosling starrer The Actor.

Duke Johnson is behind the movie based on best-selling novel Memory by Donald E. Westlake. Gosling will play actor Paul Cole, who, stranded in 1950s Ohio after a brutal attack and suffering from severe memory loss, struggles to find his way back to his life in New York and reclaim what he has lost. Johnson penned the script alongside Stephen Cooney.

Gosling will produce the film with Waypoint Entertainment’s Ken Kao along with Johnson and Abigail Spencer under their Innerlight Films production banner and Make Good’s Paul Young....

It’s been a strange year, but cinema endures. The 2021 British Academy Film and Television Awards took place at the Royal Albert Hall on the 11th of April, 2021. In a first in BAFTA history, four women have been nominated in the Director category, including Nomadland director Chloe Zhao, Sarah Gavron for Rocks, and Shannon Murphy for Babyteeth. Other notable nominees include Promising Young Woman, The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Father, Saint Maud and Minari. It is a diverse line up, and a very unusual time but the red carpets are rolling out, even if they are in living rooms around the world.

Yesterday director Ang Lee was entered into the BAFTA Fellowship, and Noel Clarke was awarded the Outstanding British Contribution to cinema. This evening Edith Bowman and Dermot O’Leary hosted the awards and it was a delight to see Yun-Jung Youn’s incredible win for her role in Minari.

A few minutes ago, the Producers Guild Awards concluded, and with that, we can now say with a fair amount of certainty that Nomadland is in the driver’s seat for Best Picture. The Academy Awards could still potentially throw a curveball, but the odds don’t favor that. Rather, it sure seems like this movie is the Oscar pick. Sit tight for the rest of the guilds to chime in, but if you had to pick a film to repeat with the Academy, Nomadland is the one, especially after PGA… Here’s all of the winners from the Producers Guild Awards: Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (Amazon Studios) Producers: Sacha Baron Cohen, Monica Levinson, Anthony Hines “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros) Producers: Charles D. King, Ryan Coogler, Shaka King “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix) Producers: Denzel Washington, Todd Black...

On Friday, March 19, Wolfwalkers will be rereleased in theaters, North American distributor Gkids announced today.

The Apple Original Film’s latest theatrical run will kick off in New York, at the Angelika Film Center. In celebration of the Irish roots of the fantastical hand-drawn pic, which is set in Kilkenny, Gkids also has scheduled a special St. Patrick’s Day sneak preview, which will take place at the Angelika on March 17.

Additional theaters in major markets across North America will be added throughout March and April.

Directed by two-time Oscar nominee Tomm Moore and his longtime collaborator, Ross Stewart, the film centers on Robyn (Honor Kneafsey), a young apprentice hunter from England, who journeys with her father to Ireland, to help take out a pack of wolves. Long confined by the Puritanical society in which she’s been raised, the girl experiences true freedom for the first time only when...

Shannon Murphy has been nominated for the BAFTA Award for best direction for her debut feature, Babyteeth.

Murphy is in good company, with fellow nominees for the prize including Thomas Vinterberg for Another Round; Lee Issac Chung for Minari; Chloé Zhao for Nomadland; Jasmila Žbanić for Quo Vadis, Aida? and Sarah Gavron for Rocks.

It is the first time in BAFTA history that four women have been nominated in the director category.

These are the first edition of nominations to follow BAFTA’s seven-month diversity review, which came about after it faced significant backlash one year ago for a lack of diversity among nominees – including an all-male director category. Three of the nominated directors are also up for best film not in the English language.

The BAFTA nod is yet another accolade for Babyteeth and Murphy’s work, following on from the film’s premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival in 2019. There,...

Today, at the Royal Albert Hall, Aisling Bea and Susan Wokoma, on behalf of The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), announced the nominations for the Ee British Academy Film Awards in 2021, celebrating the very best in film of the past year.

In a first in BAFTA history, four women have been nominated in the Director category, including ‘Nomadland’ director Chloe Zhao, Sarah Gavron for ‘Rocks’, and Shannon Murphy for ‘Babyteeth’. In all, ‘Nomadland’ and ‘Rocks’ received seven nominations each.

‘The Father’, ‘Mank’, ‘Minari’ and ‘Promising Young Woman’ all received a total of six nominations while ‘The Dig’ and ‘The Mauritanian’ received five.

Supporting new talent is at the heart of BAFTA’s remit and four of the five nominated films in Outstanding Debut are also nominated across other categories. This year, first-time nominees account for four of the six nominated Directors and 21 of the 24 nominees in the performance categories.

‘The Father’, ‘Mank’, ‘Minari’, ‘Promising Young Woman’ also score well.

Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland and UK teenage drama Rocks led the 2021 Bafta film awards nominations, which were announced today (March 9).

Both titles received seven nominations, including for directors Zhao and Sarah Gavron, and for Frances McDormand and Bukky Bakray in leading actress respectively.

Scroll down for full list of nominations

Four titles received six nominations each: UK titles The Father and Promising Young Woman, plus Minari and Mank from the US.

In the first Bafta film awards since widespread criticism over the lack of diversity in the 2020 nominations, four out...

PGA best feature contenders include award front runners Nomadland, Mank and Minari.

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) has revealed the nominations in film and TV categories for its 32nd annual awards event, set to take place virtually on March 24.

Up for PGA’s theatrical feature award, which the Guild says has predicted 21 of the past 31 best picture Oscar winners, are the producers of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Judas And The Black Messiah, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Mank, Minari, Nomadland and One Night In Miami.

In the animated feature category, the producers of The Croods: A New Age, Onward, Over The Moon,...

The 2021 Oscar race for Best Picture comes into clearer focus with the announcement of the nominees for the 32nd Producers Guild of America Awards. More often than not, the PGA award-winner is the same as the eventual winner of the Best Picture Oscar. But that’s not always the case, as it was when Sam Mendes’ “1917” won the PGA last year over “Parasite,” although Bong Joon Ho’s eventual Oscar winner for Best Picture did receive a PGA nomination.

Usually the most likely to vie for the Best Picture Oscar are movies landing both SAG Ensemble and PGA nominations. This year that includes two dramas from Netflix, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and writer-director Aaron Sorkin’s courtroom drama, “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Sundance’s Korean language prize-winner “Minari” (A24), and “One Night in Miami” (Amazon).

The more likely Best Picture winner is Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” (Searchlight...