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Stop me if you've heard this one before. A drifter or outlaw is on a perilous journey with a young partner, who is either his literal or spiritual son/daughter. It's a common formula not tied to any specific genre. You can see it in gangster movies ("Road to Perdition"), Westerns ("True Grit"), science-fiction, superhero stories ("Logan") and more.

The best version of it isn't an action story but a road trip black comedy: Peter Bogdanovich's "Paper Moon," about con artist Moze Pray and his maybe daughter Addie (Ryan and Tatum O'Neal) driving through Great Depression-era Kansas. The legacy of "Paper Moon" lives on to this day. It has inspired recent stories including a key episode of "Andor," and the new Neo-Western crime thriller, "She Rides Shotgun."

Based on Jordan Harper's page-turning, bite-sized novel, "She Rides Shotgun" begins...

The late Argentinian director served up this tale of squalid fraud 25 years ago, but its questions about greed, cynicism and the human condition remain evergreen

Twenty-five years ago, Argentinian director Fabián Bielinsky gave us this grifter satire classic, a deliciously cynical tale of swindling and double-cross. It is confidence trickery perpetrated on the victim in parallel to narrative trickery perpetrated on the audience, who are invited to assume that however hard the fictional characters on screen are falling, the rug under their own feet is perfectly secure. Four years later, Hollywood paid this excellent film the traditional compliment of a well-meaning but inferior (and now forgotten) remake, pedantically renamed Criminal, starring John C Reilly and Diego Luna.

Now restored and rereleased, the original looks sharper than ever: a drama of squalid fraud which is a tale of human greed, but also a specific, prophetic jab at Argentina’s financial shady...

I almost remember what it’s like to dislike a Wes Anderson movie, which was my first reaction to “The French Dispatch.” It began as my most anticipated Wes film because it was his first in live-action since “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” The anticipation was heightened by the fact that I was a massive Anderson fan. There were his Oscar-nominated stop motion films, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “Isle of Dogs”, cartoons with a mature edge. “Moonrise Kingdom” was a masterful story of young love at summer camp, and “Budapest” took his meticulously designed storybook films to violent, vulgar, heartfelt, and hilarious high points. I’m sentimental for the time when going to watch this movie – my first Wes film on the big screen – which was a seven-minute walk from my house.

If artists’ relationship to their work is deeply personal, “The French Dispatch” should’ve connected to my desire to be a journalist,...

Barbra Streisand isn’t ruling out another round as Roz Focker — but if you want her back, it’s going to cost you. Now 83, the Egot-winning icon is as busy as ever, releasing The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two, a new album featuring duets with the likes of Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Sam Smith, and Ariana Grande. It’s her first release since her sprawling 970-page memoir My Name Is Barbra, and she's also in the middle of filming a multi-part documentary about her life. But despite her still-busy schedule, Streisand insists she’d rather be relaxing.

“I’m very lazy,” she said on this week’s Just for Variety podcast. “I don’t like to have to work. I like to be free. I don’t like to have commitments.”

Which is why any return to the big screen — particularly as Roz Focker, the wildly unfiltered sex therapist...

Barbra Streisand still gives a “fock” about her “Meet the Fockers” salary. The Egot winner, who appears in “Meet the Parents” franchise installments “Meet the Fockers” (2004) and “Little Fockers” (2010), told Variety that she was “pissed off” by the salary discrepancies across the ensemble cast.

Streisand played Ben Stiller’s onscreen mother Roz, with Dustin Hoffman as her husband. The duo were the in-law foils to Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner, the parents of Stiller’s wife (Teri Polo). A fourth “Meet the Parents” film was announced earlier this year, with Stiller, De Niro, Danner, Polo, and Owen Wilson (who starred as Polo’s ex) reprising their roles. However, don’t bet on Streisand’s return.

“They’d have to pay me a lot of money because I didn’t get paid what the other people got paid and so I’m pissed off,” the icon said while promoting her album,...

Australia’s Imprint Films will release four limited edition Alfred Hitchcock Blu-ray collections — totaling 16 films plus a season of television — on August 27.

The Hitchcock Nine (1925-1929) collects the filmmaker’s nine surviving silent movies: The Pleasure Garden, The Lodger, The Ring, Downhill, The Farmer’s Wife, Easy Virtue, Champagne, The Manxman, and Blackmail.

Each film has been restored by the BFI National Archives. The feature documentary I Am Alfred Hitchcock is also included.

The 10-disc set is housed in hardbox packaging. Limited to 1,500, it costs $150.30.

Disc 1 – The Pleasure Garden (1925):

A selfish London chorus girl’s relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to a point where it nearly causes her death.

1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray Solo Piano Score by composer Neil Brand (new) Theater Organ Score by Lee Erwin Audio Commentary by editor of the Hitchcock Annual, Sidney Gottlieb (new) Introduction by film historian Charles Barr Interview with BFI silent film...

When we first meet rebel leader Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) in "Star Wars: Andor," he's helping Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) escape the Ferrix police and recruiting him for a heist job. Then we see Luthen lives a double life, working as a luxury antiques dealer on Coruscant, the capital of the Empire he's fighting. Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau) is Luthen's assistant in both halves of his life.

So from the beginning, Luthen has had an air of mystery; we see early on that he wears one mask so are there others? In "Andor" season 1 episode 8, "Narkina 5," Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), a radical anti-Imperialist, asks Luthen what his ideology is. Luthen answers he's a "coward" who's afraid of letting the Empire grow unbeatable. Ok, but that's not really answering the question. What made him so afraid in the first place?

For that matter, how did Luthen and Kleya forge such an unbreakable trust,...

Frances Doel, neé Frances Margaret Doel, writer-producer-executive known for her work with indie film legend Roger Corman, died May 26 after a long illness. She was 83.

Born April 15, 1942 in London, Doel was the daughter of Iris Doel and Sgt. Francis Doel, a Royal Armoured Corps soldier killed in action in France during World War II. Doel found Corman’s job posting for an assistant on a jobs board at Oxford University as a graduating scholarship student of St. Hilda’s College.

A devoted daughter, loving sister, animal lover, and deeply caring friend, Doel died on May 26th after a long illness. She was born on April 15, 1942 in London to Iris Doel and Sgt. Francis Doel of the Royal Armoured Corps, who was killed in action in France during WW2. As a graduating scholarship student of St. Hilda’s College at Oxford University in the U.K., Doel found Corman’s job...

From Blackpink to White Lotus, the career of Thai singer, rapper, dancer, and actress Lisa is exploding. Now a documentary is in the works about Lisa’s past year when she took a break from the K-Pop group to go solo for the first time, while dazzling with her acting debut in the hit HBO drama (she also found time to perform at the Oscars and appear solo at Coachella).

Award-winning filmmaker Sue Kim is directing the film titled simply Lisa. She tells Deadline she just completed the documentary’s final shoot with Lisa in South Korea, where the singer was reunited with Blackpink. Fresh from Seoul, Kim took part in Sony Music Vision’s first ever content showcase in Hollywood Thursday night, explaining her vision for the project.

“We’ve all seen Blackpink, we’ve all seen Lisa on stage.

Andor concluded its critically acclaimed run with its second season, which established the series as one of the best Star Wars projects. Showrunner Tony Gilroy masterfully capped off the titular hero and the Rebellion’s story in the final batch of episodes, which also shined a light on Luthen’s backstory and relationship with Kleya.

During an interview, actress Elizabeth Dulau revealed that Luthen and Kleya’s relationship was loosely inspired by a classic 1973 movie. For fans of the show, who enjoyed the Luthen-Kleya storyline and are missing the magic of Andor, the 91% rated movie is a must-watch, and you can catch it right now on Paramount+.

Elizabeth Dulau revealed how Paper Moon inspired Luthen and Kleya in Andor

Actress Elizabeth Dulau played the role of Kleya Marki in Andor, featuring as the assistant to Stellan Skarsgard‘s Luthen Rael. The character emerged as the Mvp of season 2 thanks to...

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Spoilers for "Andor" to follow.

Now that "Andor" is over, Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) is likely to go down as one of the show's best creations. The Rebellion Alliance may not want to remember Luthen's legacy in helping to build it, but it's a legacy "Star Wars" fans won't forget. "Star Wars" has been political from the beginning, but "Andor" threads the needle like never before. A lot of that is Luthen's presence; he's a Rebel who feels like an actual revolutionary.

There's no Death Star yet in "Andor," but the Rebels have challenges aplenty — real challenges, like factionalist infighting and compromises for greater goods. Luthen saying in "One Way Out" that "I burn my life to make a sunrise I know I'll never see" is one of the most succinct and beautiful sentiments explaining political resistance I've heard — knowing...

[Editor’s note: this list was originally published in 2023. It has since been updated to include new entries, including “Hurry Up Tomorrow.”]

When HBO’s “The Idol” premiered to a resounding “ugh, really?” from the general public in 2023, there was a specific label people were quick to apply to the series: vanity project. Who the show was a vanity project for depended on which creator was being complained about at the time. But haters of the instantly despised pop star erotic thriller were practically universal in their assessment that the show was an ego stroke for star The Weeknd and/or series director Sam Levinson: both of whom took their lashings over the course of the show’s five-episode run.

The pair clearly had sky high hopes for the series, to the point that it received a rare TV premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023 before its broadcast debut in June. That was criticized by many as a deeply egotistical push, but its inclusion at the...

Robert Benton has died at the age of 92.The Oscar-winning director - who was best known for writing and directing the 1979 drama movie 'Kramer vs. Kramer' - has passed away, with Marisa Forzano, his longtime assistant, confirming the news to the New York Times newspaper.Benton was the art director at Esquire magazine in the early 60s, before he became part of the film industry with the help of acclaimed screenwriter David Newman.Benton once explained in an interview: "I had been working as an art director at Esquire and I got fired."I decided to write a screenplay. I am dyslexic. I cannot spell or punctuate. I knew a young editor at Esquire, a wonderful writer, David Newman. I sold him on the glamorous life of the Hollywood screenwriter."Benton wrote his first screenplay with Newman for 'Bonnie and Clyde', the 1967 biographical crime film that...

Three-time Oscar-winning director and screenwriter Robert Benton, who helmed the 1979 best picture Oscar winner “Kramer vs. Kramer” as well as such films as “The Late Show,” “Places in the Heart” and “Nobody’s Fool” and collaborated on the screenplay for “Bonnie and Clyde,” died Sunday in Manhattan. He was 92.

His death was confirmed to the New York Times by his assistant and manager Marisa Forzano.

Benton, who started out as an art director at Esquire magazine, was partnered early on with fellow Esquire alumnus David Newman. They penned the innovative, award-winning 1967 film “Bonnie and Clyde,” which launched both their careers. They gradually diverged as Benton expanded into directing starting with “Bad Company,” starring Jeff Bridges.

After “Kramer,” he continued to turn out dramatic films, which he often wrote as well as directed. He brought Oscar fortune to actors including Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Sally Field, John Malkovich, Jane Alexander and Paul Newman,...

Robert Benton, the much-admired screenwriter turned director who co-wrote Bonnie and Clyde and received a pair of Academy Awards for his work on the best picture winner Kramer vs. Kramer, has died. He was 92.

Benton died Sunday at his home in Manhattan, his longtime assistant and manager, Marisa Forzano, told The New York Times.

Benton captured a third Oscar for his screenplay for Places in the Heart (1984), an autobiographical saga based on his grandmother’s hard experiences during the Depression in Texas. He received yet another Oscar nomination for his direction of that drama, and he was nominated for his screenplays for Bonnie and Clyde (1967) — one of the fruits of his partnership with David Newman — The Late Show (1977) and Nobody’s Fool (1994). He helmed the last two as well.

Benton and Newman also wrote films including There Was a Crooked Man … (1970), directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and the Peter Bogdanovich screwball...

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With her signature Bs detector and a “voice like a rusty clarinet”, casino worker and whodunnit-solver Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) is back in search of new mysteries to solve, making a very welcome return in Rian Johnson’s other detective-fiction franchise. This time around, Charlie is looking for somewhere to hide: on the run again, this time from Rhea Perlman's mobster, who wants her dead following the events of last season.

But a few things have changed this season. Lyonne’s inquisitive road-tripper is trying to quit smoking, for one, with dubious help from a cotton candy-flavoured vape. After directing and co-writing one episode in the first run, Lyonne also steps up to helm more instalments of this expanded 12-episode run. That calls for a bigger, somehow even more impressive guest list for Season 2, which duly includes Melanie Lynskey, Kumail Nanjiani, Giancarlo Esposito,...

With superhero movies currently the backbone of Hollywood, it’s interesting to look back upon a time when the characters were not as popular, but even the concepts were unusual. Indeed, the “Fantastic Four,” “Spider-Man,” and the whole “Marvel universe” were just debuting at the time of cult B-movie icon director Roger Corman’s “X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes,” which plays like a superhero origins tale gone horribly wrong. I don’t know how conscious of any of this Corman was. I’m doubtful it was much, if at all, but the concepts play into the story in a dark and unique way.

Well-known to film buffs, Corman was a B-movie legend who launched the careers of many high-profile filmmakers: Joe Dante, John Sayles, Peter Bogdanovich, Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, and even blockbuster master James Cameron. But though he taught Cameron well, Corman was a master...

Every so often, the work of a filmmaker is given a major critical and public reassessment, allowing them to enter the pantheon of great directors.

It happened in the 1950s, when French critics declared that Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock and Samuel Fuller were not only skillful helmers of genre flicks, but auteurs with distinct personal visions. Later, John Ford was revisited by Peter Bogdanovich and Lindsay Anderson, in books claiming he was more than just a maker of great Westerns. In the 1990s, the Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski and the Iranian Abbas Kiarostami, both of whom had been working steadily in their homelands since the 70s, were finally celebrated abroad. More recently, the filmography of Agnès Varda was excavated in retrospectives and festivals, shining a light on a forgotten member of the New Wave.

It’s time the same thing happened for Frederick Wiseman.

First off, let’s not kid...

The TCM podcast The Plot Thickens returns in July with host Ben Mankiewicz taking a deep dive into the making of Cleopatra, the troubled 1963 drama that starred Elizabeth Taylor and was directed and co-written by his uncle, Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

As TCM notes, the production of the 20th Century Fox film was “plagued from the start by medical emergencies, location changes, climate disasters, nervous breakdowns and egos as big as pyramids…not to mention Taylor’s scandalous love affair with co-star Richard Burton. It fell to [Joe] Mankiewicz to somehow wrest an epic out of chaos.”

The most expensive film ever made at the time — some estimates put the cost at $49 million, or $512 million in today’s dollars — Cleopatra began principal photography in September 1960 and wrapped in July 1962, with reshoots taking place through the following March. It nearly bankrupted the studio.

The lavish movie opened in June 1963, was the highest-grossing film...

Natasha Lyonne is back as Charlie Cale!

The 46-year-old actress reprises her role in the upcomign second season of Poker Face on Peacock, which hails from creator, writer, director and executive producer Rian Johnson, best known for Knives Out.

Keep reading to find out more…

Here’s a season two synopsis: Poker Face is a mystery-of-the-week series following Charlie, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve.

Guest stars this season include Rhea Perlman, Richard Kind, Melanie Lynskey, John Cho, Simon Helberg, Patti Harrison, Simon Rex, Brandon Perea, Justin Theroux and Adrienne C Moore. Find out who else will be appearing!

“Charlie Cale is back on the run, and in Season 2 we’ve taken her journey to the next level...

Charlie Cale is back! What a concept! The latest trailer for Rian Johnson’s Poker Face Season 2 is here, and Natasha Lyonne’s lie-detecting detective is coming up against her most challenging cases yet! The first episode of Poker Face Season 2 debuts on Peacock on Thursday, May 8, with nine more episodes dropping weekly through July 10.

Here’s Peacock’s official synopsis for Poker Face Season 2:

“Charlie Cale is back on the run, and in Season 2, we’ve taken her journey to the next level, one murder mystery at a time. From minor league baseball to big box retail, funeral homes to alligator farms, and even a grade school talent show, Charlie navigates her crime-solving existential road trip with deadpan wit, human empathy, and her signature uncanny lie-detecting ability.”

“To bring Season 2 to life, we pulled visual inspiration from American 70s cinema, all the stuff we love like Robert Altman,...

Peacock has released the official trailer and key art for Poker Face season two, which will premiere with three episodes on May 8. From Rian Johnson and starring Emmy nominee Natasha Lyonne, the second season consists of 12 episodes.

Poker Face is a mystery-of-the-week series following Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve.

The show’s critically acclaimed first season received four Primetime Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Natasha Lyonne, and garnered Peacock its first Emmy win for Judith Light’s Outstanding Guest Actress Performance in a Comedy Series.

“Charlie Cale is back on the run, and in Season 2, we’ve taken her journey to the next level one murder mystery at a time,...

From the mind of Rian Johnson, fans of the filmmaker's detective stories were given a gift with Poker Face Season 1. The story followed Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne), a woman who can always tell when someone is lying. Her "Peter Falk in Columbo" energy is the perfect framing device for a beautiful mix of modern characters, murders to solve, and a new favorite detective who always gets the answers she is looking for. Now, the hit series, written by both Johnson and Lyonne, is back for Season 2! The new trailer shows us Charlie doing what she does best: Forcing people to tell the truth when they don't want to.

Much like the first season, Season 2 will feature an all-star line-up of guests! The list includes Alia Shawkat, Awkwafina, Cynthia Erivo, John Mulaney, Giancarlo Esposito, John Ritter, Katie Holmes, Justin Theroux, Melanie Lynskey, and more. What looks great about this season is that,...

We’ve always loved setting trends at The Film Stage and are accordingly chuffed that, nine months after we screened a 35mm print at the Roxy, Roman Polanski’s late-career triumph The Ghost Writer comes to the Criterion Channel in next month’s Coastal Thrillers, a series that does what it says on the tin: The Lady from Shanghai, Key Largo, The Long Goodbye, The Fog, and the other best film of 2010, Scorsese’s Shutter Island. It pairs well with Noir and the Blacklist featuring films by Joseph Losey, Fritz Lang, Jules Dassin, and so on. Retrospectives are held for Terry Southern, Kathryn Bigelow, Jem Cohen, and (just in time for Caught By the Tides) Jia Zhangke, while Spike Lee gets his own Adventures In Moviegoing.

For recent restorations, Antonioni’s Il Grido and Anthony Harvey’s Dutchman appear. Criterion Editions include The Runner, Touchez pas au grisbi, Godzilla vs.

If you loved Natasha Lyonne serving up truth bombs and outsmarting people with her signature charm in Poker Face Season 1, then get ready—because Charlie Cale is back for round two! After driving around the country solving cases for random people on the streets, Peacock decided to bring back our human lie detector for Season 2.

According to reports, Rian Johnson’s mystery TV show Poker Face was renewed within a month of season 1’s conclusion in 2023. So now, that very long-awaited Season 2 is approaching its release date in the spring of 2025. And by now, since the streamer has unveiled plenty of exciting details, let’s check out more about Poker Face Season 2.

Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in Poker Face | image: Peacock When will Poker Face Season 2 be released?

Although it has been around two years since Peacock renewed Poker Face Season 2, the wait is finally over. The hit mystery series,...

In the age of streaming, there’s a widespread belief that every movie is available, all the time, everywhere. Don’t fall for it! Some of the greatest movies ever made are nowhere to be found due to everything from music rights snafus to corporate negligence. In this column, we take a look at films currently out-of-print on physical media and unavailable on any streaming platform in an effort to draw attention to them and say to their rights holders, “Release This!”

When Peter Bogdanovich‘s musical “At Long Last Love” opened in 1975, the verdict was nearly unanimous — critics agreed that the wunderkind behind “The Last Picture Show,” “What’s Up, Doc?” and “Paper Moon” had badly stumbled in his attempt to revive the style of 1930s Ernst Lubitsch musicals like “The Love Parade” and “The Merry Widow.” Even Roger Ebert, who gave the movie one of its more sympathetic reviews,...

What's better than a con artist caper film? Time and time again, with movies like The Sting and Catch Me If You Can, this subgenre has been consistently entertaining and endlessly rewatchable. The illicit nature makes them riveting, but their non-violent and Robin Hood-like approach to treating anti-heroes keeps them light and a joy to follow along with. Because they are stories about chicanery and deception, they loosely mirror the process of crafting a movie. Crime capers are especially satisfying when made by master filmmakers like Peter Bogdanovich, a film historian who imbued his love for classic Hollywood into Paper Moon. The film that won Tatum O'Neal an Oscar paired her with her father, Ryan O'Neal, in a road film less about tricks and more about building genuine relationships.

Fire up the Plymouth Barracuda and brace the bullshit detector — Charlie Cale is back on the case! Yes, after making a storming debut in Season 1 of Rian Johnson's Columbo-esque, case-of-the-week murder-mystery series Poker Face back in 2023, Natasha Lyonne's human lie detector is readying her return in what's shaping up to be an all-star Season 2. As the newly released teaser for the series ahead shows us, Johnson is pulling out all the stops with the murderer's row — or victims' parade — on the block this time around. Check it out below;

Does this new teaser spoil anything about the new series? No. Does it actually tell us anything about any of the cases Cale will be facing this time out? Also no. Is it essentially a braggadocious run through of the top names on the Season 2 call sheet? Abso-damn-lutely. But what a set of names! Cynthia Erivo! John Mulaney! Katie Holmes!

Peacock has released the teaser trailer for Poker Face Season 2, which will premiere on the streaming service on May 8. From Rian Johnson and starring Emmy nominee Natasha Lyonne, the second season will consist of 12 episodes.

Poker Face is a mystery-of-the-week series following Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve.

The show’s critically acclaimed first season received four Primetime Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Natasha Lyonne, and garnered Peacock its first Emmy win for Judith Light’s Outstanding Guest Actress Performance in a Comedy Series.

“Charlie Cale is back on the run, and in Season 2 we’ve taken her journey to the next level one murder mystery at a time,...

We’re so back! Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie Cale is on the case in Peacock and Rian Johnson‘s new teaser trailer for Poker Face Season 2. The upcoming season of Johnson’s smash-hit crime series premieres at PaleyFest in LA on Saturday, March 29, at 2 Pt at the Dolby Theatre. Rian Johnson, Natasha Lyonne, and new guest stars will be there to introduce the first episode and hold an in-depth conversation about the show’s celebrated return.

According to Peacock’s Poker Face Season 2 press release, “Charlie Cale is back on the run, and in Season 2, we’ve taken her journey to the next level, one murder mystery at a time. From minor league baseball to big box retail, funeral homes to alligator farms, and even a grade school talent show, Charlie navigates her crime-solving existential road trip with deadpan wit, human empathy, and her signature uncanny lie-detecting ability.”

“To bring Season 2 to life,...

Poker Face is coming back!

Peacock debuted the official teaser for Season 2 of the Emmy-winning TV show on Wednesday (March 12), along with revealing the premiere date, teaser and first look images.

“We’re so back! And that’s no bullsh-t,” the network declared.

Keep reading to find out more…

The new season premieres May 8 with 3 episodes, followed by a new episode weekly.

Creator and writer Rian Johnson and executive producer, writer and star Natasha Lyonne provided a note about the upcoming season.

“Charlie Cale is back on the run, and in Season 2 we’ve taken her journey to the next level one murder mystery at a time. From minor league baseball to big box retail, from funeral homes to alligator farms and even a grade school talent show, Charlie navigates her crime solving existential road-trip with deadpan wit, human empathy, and her signature uncanny lie-detecting ability,” they wrote.

“To bring Season 2 to life,...

Welcome back, Charlie Cale.

Natasha Lyonne is back as TV’s favorite gumshoe detective in the first teaser for Poker Face season two, and the footage teases the roster of high-wattage guest stars who have been brought in to play in Charlie’s murder mystery sandbox when the series returns.

With its twist on the Columbo murder-of-the-week format, the Peacock series from creator Rian Johnson lured an eye-popping weekly roster of guest stars for season one that included the likes of Adrien Brody, Nick Nolte, Ellen Barkin, Tim Meadows, Ron Perlman and Stephanie Hsu, to name a few. Johnson, Lyonne and the Poker Face casting team went back to the drawing board for season two to bring on the impressive list of guest stars (listed below) — and the teaser introduces who some of them will be playing.

The 12-episode season launches with three episodes on May 8, followed by a weekly releases Thursdays on Peacock.

Can you read her poker face yet? She can read yours, and she's about to read a ton of other people as Natasha Lyonne returns in Season 2 ofPoker Face. With showrunner Tony Tost behind the wheel, Season 2 begins streaming on Peacock starting May 8, 2025, with three episodes at launch and new episodes streaming Thursday. There are a cool dozen episodes this time around, as opposed to the 10 great episodes in Season 1. The synopsis is simple: Poker Face is a mystery-of-the-week series following Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve.

A press release from Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne reads, "Charlie Cale is back on the run, and in Season 2 we’ve taken her journey to the...

More than two years after the Season 1 finale aired, Poker Face is finally set to return to Peacock. Season 2 premieres May 8, 2025 with three episodes, followed by a new episode streaming every Thursday.

From creator Rian Johnson and executive producer and star Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face is a mystery-of-the-week series following Lyonne’s Charlie, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. This season, Charlie continues her cross-country odyssey, encountering a new cast of characters and investigating crimes along the way.

Check out Peacock's official new teaser for Poker Face Season 2 below:

This season's all-star lineup of new suspects features Cynthia Erivo, John Mulaney, Katie Holmes, Giancarlo Esposito, Awkwafina, Cliff "Method Man" Smith, Justin Theroux, Taylor Schilling, Kumail Nanjiani, and Melanie Lynskey.

In a joint statement, Johnson and Lyonne said:

Charlie Cale is back on the run, and in Season 2 we’ve taken her journey to the next...

After over two years, we finally have a premiere date for “Poker Face” Season 2. Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne’s crime dramedy will return on May 8 with its first three episodes. After its premiere, new episodes will air Thursdays on Peacock.

“This is getting a little crazy,” Cynthia Erivo says in the teaser out Wednesday, to which Lyonne’s Charlie Cale shoots back, “Stay with me.”

The rest of the 30-second clip is filled with gunfire, explosions, zingers and big-name cameos. The video also shows appearances from John Mulaney, Katie Holmes, Giancarlo Esposito, Awkwafina, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Justin Theroux, Taylor Schilling, Kumail Nanjiani and Melanie Lynskey. “What am I even running from, right?” Charlie asks, chuckling. Seconds later, she’s shot at repeatedly. Watch the full teaser, below:

The Peacock original takes its cues from “Columbo” and other TV classics. The mystery-of-the-week series follows Lyonne’s Charlie, who always...

Natasha Lyonne is back in the game of solving mysteries in Season 2 of “Poker Face.”

The star-studded, Emmy Award-winning original series returns with Lyonne’s Charlie Cale tackling a new mystery-of-the-week. Charlie has an extraordinary ability to know without fail when someone is lying, and now for this season, Charlie continues her journey on the road across the country, encountering a new cast of characters and investigating crimes along the way.

“Poker Face” previously received four Primetime Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Lyonne, and garnered Peacock its first Emmy win for Judith Light’s Outstanding Guest Actress Performance in a Comedy Series.

Lyonne is joined by a fresh crop of celeb guest stars for Season 2, ranging from “Wicked” actress Cynthia Erivo to comedian John Mulaney. The full list also includes Awkwafina, Ben Marshall, B.J. Novak, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, David Krumholtz, Davionte “GaTa” Ganter,...

In 2023, Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature — the Mexican-born filmmaker’s third Academy Award since first winning in 2018 for “The Shape of Water.” As del Toro held this statue once more, a reporter asked him what the award would say if it had Pinocchio’s speech ability. The director answered in Spanish, “It would tell me he’s Indio Fernández.”

His quip references the long-rumored connection between the statuette and Mexican director/actor Emilio “El Indio” Fernández, who allegedly modeled for the Oscar statue’s design during his stay in the United States — just before becoming one of the most notable filmmakers of Mexico’s Golden Age of Cinema. Del Toro holding this piece of cinematic history is alluringly symbolic, especially given the filmmaker’s prolific Hollywood status 30-plus years after his debut “Cronos.” It wasn’t until Alfonso Cuarón’s 2014 Best Director win...

Film historian Karina Longworth‘s “You Must Remember This” podcast has been beloved by cinephiles ever since it launched 11 years ago to explore “the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century.” The latest season, “The Old Man Is Still Alive,” is Longworth’s most enlightening and entertaining to date. A deep dive into the late-career transformations of Hollywood legends, including Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, and Otto Preminger, “The Old Man Is Still Alive” explores how veteran directors met the challenges of an evolving industry and changing tastes with varying degrees of artistic and commercial success.

The idea for the season began with a 2023 trip to the Cinémathèque Française, where Longworth saw Vincente Minnelli’s “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” for the first time. “I thought of myself as a big Minnelli fan, and I had not even known this movie existed,” Longworth told IndieWire. “I went...

Tatum O’Neal is reflecting on the role that could have been.

The iconic actress, who made history at age 10 by winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for 1974’s “Paper Moon,” told Variety that her father — fellow actor and “Paper Moon” co-star Ryan O’Neal — forbid her from auditioning for “Taxi Driver.” Tatum was asked to audition for the Martin Scorsese feature after her Academy Award win; the film was released in 1976 with a 13-year-old Jodie Foster instead in the Oscar-nominated role of a child prostitute.

“My father said, ‘No, you can’t,'” Tatum said of Ryan restricting her budding career as a child star. She added that Ryan thought the part was “a little too naked.” Tatum continued, “And I never really recovered from that.”

After Tatum became the youngest person to ever win an Academy Award (a record she still holds to this day), she explained that her father...

Tatum O’Neal walked into Smashbox Studios using a cane, a vestige of the stroke she had in 2020 after an overdose. As she was getting a manicure, she struggled to remember the names of important people in her life. But now that she’s actually before the cameras, posing with her Oscar in hand, she’s come alive. There’s electricity in the air, and we’re all leaning in, cheering her on, rooting for her. “You look like a movie star!” shouts her 38-year-old son Kevin McEnroe, who has traveled from his home in New York to support her throughout the process of this story — and indeed she does. O’Neal beams. “Kevin, I love you!” she shouts back.

In April 1974, at age 10, a tuxedoed O’Neal — “I’m the original tomboy,” she tells me later — won a supporting actress Oscar for her role opposite her father, Ryan O’Neal, in Peter Bogdanovich’s “Paper Moon.

During the six-season run of The Sopranos, chief protagonist Tony Soprano entered a series of affairs. This was despite the mob boss sharing a generally happy marriage with Carmela, played by the quintessential Edie Falco.

Edie Falco and James Gandolfini as Carmela and Tony Soprano in The Sopranos | Credit: HBO

And while the series broke down a number of conventions, showrunner David Chase never allowed Carmela to actually have an affair. One notable instance in Season 1’s College teased the possibility of an affair, but Chase made sure it never materialized—intentionally proving a point about her character.

David Chase never wanted Carmela Soprano to sleep with Father Phil James Gandolfini and Edie Falco in The Sopranos | Credits: HBO

College proved to be an iconic episode for multiple reasons. Tony would kill a mob informant in cold blood after taking his daughter Meadow on a college trip. However, back at home,...

Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in ‘Poker Face’ season 2 (Photo by: Peacock)

There’s finally official content available for the much-anticipated second season of Peacock’s Poker Face starring Natasha Lyonne. While the streamer didn’t announce a season two premiere date, it teased that the 12-episode new season will arrive this spring.

“Charlie Cale is back on the run, and in season two we’ve taken her journey to the next level one murder mystery at a time. From minor league baseball to big box retail, from funeral homes to alligator farms and even a grade school talent show, Charlie navigates her crime-solving existential road trip with deadpan wit, human empathy, and her signature uncanny lie-detecting ability,” wrote series creator, writer, director, and executive producer Rian Johnson and series star director, writer, and executive producer Natasha Lyonne in a joint statement released with the first photos.

Johnson and Lyonne...

We’ve got a window for when Poker Face returns, so here’s a peek when you can see the return of TV’s most unusual crime solver!

Poker Face was a huge winner with audiences and critics when it debuted on Peacock in 2023. It’s been a longer wait for season 2 as the show was delayed by issues such as the 2023 Hollywood strikes and the busy schedule of creator Rian Johnson.

Thankfully, it’s coming with The Hollywood Reporter sharing a first peek at Poker Face season 2. That includes how it’s eying a spring 2025 release date. That’s likely going to be April or early May.

Poker Face revolves around Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne), a Vegas card shark who has the uncanny ability to know when someone is lying. After she inadvertently causes the death of a mobster’s son, Charlie goes on the run. As fate would have it,...

Peacock has released a first look at Poker Face season 2 with a special message from Natasha Lyonne and Rian Johnson.

Charlie Cale is back on the run, and in Season 2 we’ve taken her journey to the next level one murder mystery at a time. From minor league baseball to big box retail, from funeral homes to alligator farms and even a grade school talent show, Charlie navigates her crime solving existential road-trip with deadpan wit, human empathy, and her signature uncanny lie-detecting ability.

To bring Season 2 to life, we pulled visual inspiration from American 70s cinema, all the stuff we love like Robert Altman, Bob Rafelson, Peter Bogdanovich. But the backbone of this show is TV – the kind of TV we grew up watching, episodic case of the week gems like Columbo and The Rockford Files and Quantum Leap. Each episode is a mini movie, existing in its own...

Natasha Lyonne and Rian Johnson's hit streaming series, Poker Face, is set to return this year. And, well? The list of people they've finagled to guest star in Season 2 is actually unhinged. Like, the list of people who are going to be on this show is truly outrageous and unfathomable to someone like me, a person who does not cast television shows. But if I did? And I managed to pull this off? I'd be screaming it from the rooftop, folks. Because this cast list? It's truly the best of the best of the funniest, most talented people currently working in Hollywood.

And it seems that Lyonne and Johnson recognize that, sending along a note with the press release teasing the series' forthcoming slate of episodes. And though we don't know the exact premiere date yet — all it says is "Spring 2025" — we do know the 12, 60-minute-long episodes will feature Many very,...

Natasha Lyonne and Rian Johnson's hit streaming series, Poker Face, is set to return this year. And, well? The list of people they've finagled to guest star in Season 2 is actually unhinged. Like, the list of people who are going to be on this show is truly outrageous and unfathomable to someone like me, a person who does not cast television shows. But if I did? And I managed to pull this off? I'd be screaming it from the rooftop, folks. Because this cast list? It's truly the best of the best of the funniest, most talented people currently working in Hollywood.

And it seems that Lyonne and Johnson recognize that, sending along a note with the press release teasing the series' forthcoming slate of episodes. And though we don't know the exact premiere date yet — all it says is "Spring 2025" — we do know the 12, 60-minute-long episodes will feature Many very,...

Peacock has revealed the first photos from the second season of the Emmy Award-winning original series, Poker Face. From Rian Johnson and starring Emmy nominee Natasha Lyonne, the 12-episode second season will premiere on Peacock this spring.

PaleyFest LA is also getting an exclusive preview of Poker Face Season 2. Join Rian Johnson, Natasha Lyonne and new guest stars for a sneak-peek screening and conversation about the mystery and mayhem to come on March 29 in Hollywood. Visit the PaleyFest site for tickets.

Poker Face is a mystery-of-the-week series following Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve.

The show’s critically acclaimed first season received four Primetime Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Natasha Lyonne,...

Peacock has revealed exciting news about the second season of Poker Face. New images have also provided a first look at the new episodes.

Poker Face Season 2 is set to premiere on Peacock in Spring 2025. New photos share a sneak peek at Natasha Lyonne in the second season along with some of the various guest stars. While a specific premiere date has still yet to be announced, the Spring 2025 release window is good news for fans who have been waiting for the second season to arrive. For now, the new images can be viewed below.

RelatedPoker Face Season 2 Guest Stars Include Justified & The Office Actors

A new trio of familiar actors have signed on for the second season of the acclaimed Peacock series.

"Charlie Cale is back on the run, and in Season 2 we’ve taken her journey to the next level one murder mystery at a time," series creator,...

Natasha Lyonne is back to sniff out more “bull—” with Season 2 of Rian Johnson‘s Poker Face.

Returning to Peacock in spring 2025, first look images of the mystery-of-the-week series’ sophomore season see Lyonne’s human lie detector Charlie Cale still on the run in her 1969 Plymouth Barracuda while solving more crimes alongside the likes of Cynthia Erivo, Katie Holmes, John Mulaney and other star-studded guests.

A statement from star/EP Lyonne and creator Johnson teases “twelve killer episodes” in Season 2, filled with minor league baseball, big box retail, funeral homes, alligator farms and a grade school talent show.

Related: ‘Poker Face’ Season 2: Everything We Know So Far

“Charlie navigates her crime solving existential road-trip with deadpan wit, human empathy and her signature uncanny lie-detecting ability,” they said.

“To bring Season 2 to life, we pulled visual inspiration from American 70s cinema, all the stuff we love like Robert Altman, Bob Rafelson,...

The Natasha Lyonne-starring ensemble mystery series “Poker Face” is collecting a few more exciting stars for its second season. In advance of its spring premiere, Peacock has released a fresh batch of first look photos, along with news on the stars bound for the series’ next act.

Season 2 of the Award-winning original series “Poker Face” will be sporting quite a few familiar faces from the recent awards circuit, including “Wicked” star (and Oscar opener) Cynthia Erivo, “SNL” alum John Mulaney, “Between the Temples” actress Carol Kane, “The Piano Lesson” star Corey Hawkins, and “Blink Twice” actors Alia Shawkat, Haley Joel Osment, and Simon Rex.

The mystery-of-the-week series following executive producer/writer/director/actress Lyonne’s Charlie, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road in her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve.