News

Deadline reports that Paul Reiser (Mad About You) is set to star in a new multi-camera comedy series in the works at Fox Entertainment Studios. He’s teamed up with Adam F. Goldberg, creator of The Goldbergs, to develop the untitled series.

The show follows “the dysfunctional fallout after the family’s failed-to-launch 20-something son is forced to work alongside his father (Reiser) in the less-than-glamourous New Jersey damaged goods business.” Reiser is writing the script with Goldberg and his son, Leon Reiser. Reiser and Goldberg will executive produce alongside Nacelle’s Brian Volk-Weiss, Michael Pelmont, and Matt Ochacher. Leon Reiser will serve as a producer.

In a statement, Reiser said, “So excited to be creating this show with the good people at Fox and my two great partners in crime – Adam F. Goldberg and Leon Reiser. This feels like it’s on its way to be something really special.

Image Source: Sony Pictures

While nearly everybody remembers Paul Reiser as the co‑star (alongside Helen Hunt) of the hit sitcom Mad About You, fewer fans know that Reiser was also the co‑creator of the series and penned nearly a season’s worth of episodes himself.

The show, which aired on NBC from 1992 to 1999, became a critical and commercial success, winning 12 Emmy Awards and making household names out of its leads. While Reiser didn’t take home any of those Emmys personally, he earned six Best Actor nominations, solidifying his place as one of TV’s most beloved sitcom stars.

Paul Reiser on Creating a Sitcom That Felt Real

When Reiser and co‑creator Danny Jacobson first pitched the idea to NBC, they weren’t trying to make another cookie‑cutter network comedy. Instead, they wanted to craft something that felt authentic and personal — a sitcom that captured the...

Jonathan Kaplan, the five-time Emmy-nominated director/producer of ER and filmmaker behind projects like The Accused, Bad Girls and Unlawful Entry, has died at the age of 77, per multiple media reports.

His daughter Molly Kaplan said he died Friday at his home in Los Angeles of advanced liver cancer.

Kaplan was born in Paris on Nov. 25, 1947 to industry veteran parents, father Sol Kaplan, a film and TV composer, and mother Frances Heflin, a regular on ABC soap All My Children. (He was also the nephew of Oscar-winning actor Van Heflin.)

He began his career as a child actor in the Broadway production of The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, helmed by Elia Kazan. Later, Kaplan earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Chicago and studied film at New York University, where he was taught by Martin Scorsese.

It was the Goodfellas director who recommended him to Roger Corman,...

Mel Gibson might be known for charging into battle in Braveheart or directing The Passion of the Christ, but there was a moment in 2000 when he stepped squarely into the world of romantic comedies — and now, that film is making a streaming comeback. What Women Want, the high-concept rom-com from writer-director Nancy Meyers, has just landed on Pluto TV, for free.

The movie stars Gibson as Nick Marshall, a chauvinistic advertising executive who, after a freak accident involving a bathtub and a hair dryer, gains the inexplicable ability to hear women’s thoughts. Naturally, chaos — and introspection — ensue. Helen Hunt co-stars as Darcy, Nick’s new boss and the first real challenge to both his career and worldview. Rounding out the cast are Marisa Tomei, Judy Greer, and Sarah Paulson. According to the official logline:

"Advertising executive Nick Marshall is as cocky as they come, but what happens to a...

Throughout Emmy history, only Helen Hunt, Candice Bergen, Mary Tyler Moore, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus have won Best Comedy Actress four or more times. This year, Jean Smart is predicted to join their elite ranks.

Smart is so far undefeated for her role as veteran Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance on Hacks, winning in 2021, 2022, and 2024 (the show was on hiatus in 2023). A fourth victory would tie her with Hunt, who went on a four-year winning streak from 1996 to 1999 for playing dedicated wife Jamie Buchman on Mad About You.

Ironically, Smart and Hunt are currently working together on Hacks, where the latter plays network executive Winnie Landell, who oversees Late Night with Deborah Vance. You can't make this stuff up!

Jean Smart and Helen Hunt on HacksHBO Max

Bergen won Best Comedy Actress five times over seven years for playing the titular news anchor on Murphy Brown. She then selflessly withdrew from...

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

This August, Hulu is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the highly anticipated release of FX’s Alien series to the much-anticipated streaming release of Osgood Perkins‘ The Monkey. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Hulu next month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the ten best films that are coming to Hulu in August 2025 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Devil in a Blue Dress (August 1) Rt Score: 92% Credit – TriStar Pictures

Devil in a Blue Dress is a neo-noir mystery thriller film written and directed by Carl Franklin. Based on the 1990 novel of the same name by author Walter Mosley, the 1995 film is set in the late 1940s, and it follows an unemployed World War II veteran, Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins,...

The weekend is here, and Hulu has some amazing content you need to binge-watch. If you’re on the hunt for some fresh, conversation-starting content, we’ve got you covered.

Whether it’s a crime documentary you’re craving, or a drama series, something to crack you up, or something to make you cry, they have something for everyone. We have a cooking show, a murder mystery, a horror flick, and a flavorsome sitcom to satiate all your streaming senses. From hilarious new releases to underrated thrillers, we have handpicked our top choices. Let’s get right into it.

1. Washington Black: A Sci-fi Revolutionary Tale on Hulu

Fresh off the block, Washington Black, based on Esi Edugyan’s novel, is the story of a young slave boy in a Barbados plantation who escapes to travel the world and transforms into a science prodigy.

Tom Ellis and Eddie Karanja in...

In the 2000s, millennials crowned auburn-haired Lindsay Lohan as the teen idol of the era. Unfortunately, like many child stars, Lohan had a difficult time in the industry and took a decade-long break in the 2010s. Still, her films from the late 1990s and mid-2000s remain generational touchstones and comedy classics.

Lohan's more grown-up work is less popular, though there are a few gems in her filmography that she deserves more credit for. More recently, Lohan launched something of a comeback with her series of popular Netflix films, putting her name back on the proverbial marquee once more.

Films aimed at kids and teens aren't always given serious consideration, and Lohan hasn't had the easiest time pleasing critics and keeping the press on her side. In fact, it's high time we evaluate Lohan's work with clear eyes and enough hindsight to recognize her talent and charisma for what it is.

Glen Powellhas been arguably the hottest actor in Hollywood the last couple of years. He's about to star in Edgar Wright's remake of The Running Man. However, whether it be thrillers like Hit Man or romantic comedies like Anyone But You, the actor has quite the range. That said, his biggest starring hit to date has been last year’s Twisters. Now, the Powell-led action-adventure is wrangling a new physical media release with its original 1996 classic.

Twister and its sequel Twisters are getting a new 4K/Digital double-feature steelbookthat combines the artwork of both critically-acclaimed films. Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos and Powell are together at last. This isn't the first time Universal Pictures and Warner Brothers have released both films in one package and all the special features appear to be the same as their past 4K releases, but its beauty can't be denied...

Ted Danson revealed that he was initially reluctant to cast a certain actress in a critical role on Cheers. The main cast of Cheers is so etched in stone at this point that it's hard to imagine any other actor stepping into one of the roles that helped make the 11-season series become a fixture of network comedy.

Every actor in Cheers was perfect for their character, and the tremendous amount of chemistry on display between every character configuration was remarkable. However, Danson said that he was initially wary of casting Shelley Long as Diane Chambers (via EW). He said on his podcast in a conversation with Helen Hunt,

"I looked at Shelley Long when we were auditioning for Cheers. I went, 'No, no, no. Do not hire her. It'll ruin the show.' She made the show. She came out hitting a home run, day one... We were so different.

Possessor of one of the finest chins in existence, Ted Danson has been a heartthrob for decades now with no sign of stopping.

Nowadays, he hosts a podcast, which I think should be reserved for those of us who don’t, well, look like Ted Danson. Nevertheless, he and his Cheers co-star Woody Harrelson take to the mic to interview friends in film and further. Given their history and the fact that the podcast is called Where Everybody Knows Your Name, discussion of the Cheers days is anything but off-limits. Even though we all know that if anyone from Cheers was going to launch a podcast, it would clearly have been Cliff. You know he'd be recording live from a studio he called the Clave Cave.

Recently, Danson had Helen Hunt on the podcast, and when the conversation came around to casting, of course they discussed the pitch-perfect casting of...

Cheersran for 11 seasons on NBC from 1982 to 1992. While the cast was a big part of the show's success, Ted Danson recalls worrying that one of his co-stars was not the right fit for the sitcom.

Speaking on his Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast alongside guest Helen Hunt, Danson opened up about his initial concerns about Shelley Long's casting. "I looked at Shelley Long when we were auditioning for Cheers. I went, 'No, no, no. Do not hire her. It'll ruin the show,'" he said via Entertainment Weekly. The actor went on to admit that his first impression of his co-star was wrong. "She made the show. She came out hitting a home run [on] day one. We were so different... Grew to love her, absolutely. But different. It was hard for us to sit around and just talk. But when we got in front of a camera, it was like a prize fight.

A decade ago, the writing and directing duo of Aaron Hann and Mario Miscione drew inspiration from the classic 1957 drama 12 Angry Men while making the sci-fi psychological thriller Circle, which ended up gathering a cult following after it was released through the Netflix streaming service. Now, Deadline reports that a sequel titled Circles is now filming in Buffalo, New York!

If you need a refresher, Circle had the following synopsis: In a massive, mysterious chamber, fifty strangers awaken to find themselves trapped with no memory of how they got there. Organized in an inward-facing circle and unable to move, they quickly learn that every two minutes one of them must die… executed by a strange device in the center of the room. At first the attacks seem random, but soon the strangers realize that they, as a group, have the power to decide who will be the next to be killed.

It’s been a rough start to the year for Robert De Niro after the release of The Alto Knights, but another of his films that was mostly forgotten to time has resurfaced on streaming charts 10 years later. De Niro stars alongside Anne Hathaway and Rene Russo in The Intern, the 2015 workplace comedy following seventy-year-old widower Ben Whittaker (De Niro) who becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site. The Intern was released on Netflix not long ago, and the film jumped to the top of streaming charts in America, sitting at #1 at the time of writing. It grossed over five times its $35 million budget upon release, earning $194 million, and it also netted scores of 60% from critics and 73% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

Nancy Meyers did not need any help to write and direct The Intern, which is still the most recent film she’s released in her career.

Stars from The Masked Singer will be making appearances on a fan-favorite game show in order to win money for their favorite charities. The Masked Singer shocked viewers when it revealed that it'll skip its fall and that season 14 won't premiere until 2026. However, fans are hoping that this means that former panelist Nicole Scherzinger will return to the show that her Tony Award-winning run as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard is coming to an end on July 20.

Stars from The Masked Singer will be making appearances on a fan-favorite game show in order to win money for their favorite charities.

According to TV Insider, the beloved game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? season 4, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will welcome several Masked Singer alums to the show, including guest panelist Joel McHale and his teammate Jim Rash, Kate Flannery and her teammate Oscar Nuñez, and Joe Buck and his teammate Oliver Hudson.

Wesley Snipes made his big screen debut in the mid 1980s with the Goldie Hawn comedy "Wildcats," and it wasn't long before supporting roles became leads. He reached his peak in the '90s with a string of well-received films ranging from action movies and comedies to dramas and sci-fi hits. The new millennium brought a few more box-office successes, but for one reason or another, Snipes began filling his filmography with somewhat forgettable direct-to-video fare with titles like "The Marksman," "The Contractor," and "The Detonator." And then the U.S. government came calling...

Snipes was charged, convicted, and sentenced in 2008 for tax evasion, and after serving over two years in prison, he returned to filmmaking roughly where he left off -- forgettable genre movies with titles like "The Recall" and "Armed Response." He also got assists, though, from old friends like Sylvester Stallone, Spike Lee, Eddie Murphy, and Ryan Reynolds...

“Christiane F.,” the 1981 cult classic nightmare vision of a teen girl’s descent into heroin addiction in West Berlin, makes even “The Panic in Needle Park” look like a walk in the, well, you know.

German filmmaker Uli Edel adapted a harrowing nonfiction book by Kai Hermann and Horst Rieck with testimonies from users who haunted the drug-cruising spot at Berlin’s Zoo Station, including from Christiane Felscherinow, who was 13 when she fell into the wrong crowd and started shooting up amid the underground club scene. For the film version, Edel cast then-unknown actress Natja Brunckhorst (who would later write her own memoir about her experience making “Christiane F.”) as the David Bowie-worshipping teen addict experimenting with first love and drug use. Felscherinow eventually became an actress and musician herself.

Now, a new 4K restoration from Janus Films of “Christiane F.” opens at Film at Lincoln Center starting June...

Tiziana Rocca is back. The Italian festivals specialist, producer and marketing whizz has just wrapped the latest edition of the starry Taormina Film Festival, marking her triumphant return to the Sicilian event that she headed up for five years before being forced to step down in 2017 due to political turmoil.

Indeed, the long running Italian festival has had a tumultuous few years since Rocca’s departure. She lost her legal battle to stay as the festival head in 2017 after she claimed her company Agnus Dei had been left out of the pitching competition for a new contract. Since then, Taormina has endured a number of ups and downs, seeing a revolving door of artistic directors attempt to step in and revamp the event. Former Venice head Marco Mueller had a brief stint last year before Rocca was brought back aboard for 2025.

For Rocca, her return to Taormina represents a fresh...

Who wants to be a millionaire? Well, Ken Jennings already is. The Jeopardy! host is set to compete on the upcoming season of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? starting on Wednesday, July 23. Fans of the game show think it is unfair since he is the undisputed G.O.A.T. of Jeopardy!. Ken Jennings will be playing with Matt Damon, as all of the celebrities will pair up to try and win $1 Million for charity. Along with Jennings and Damon, this season’s contestants include sportscaster Joe Buck and actor Oliver Hudson, Helen Hunt and Scandal‘s Dan Bucatinsky, Kal Penn and Jameela Jamil, E! red carpet reporter Brad Goreski and producer Gary Janetti, comedian Mike Birbiglia and actress Atsuko Okatsuka, Dietland‘s Tramell Tillman and actor Zach Cherry, Sarah Silverman and comedian and podcaster Marc Maron, Jordan Klepper and comedian Ronny Chieng, Jillian Bell and Chloe Fineman, Community...

The celebrity pairings for the new season of ABC’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (premiering Wednesday, July 23) include Severance’s Tramell Tillman and Zach Cherry, Community’s Joel McHale and Jim Rash, former Office mates Kate Flannery and Oscar Nuñez, Good Will Hunting know-it-all Matt Damon and Jeopardy! Goat Ken Jennings, and podcasters Sarah Silverman and Marc Maron.

Other team-ups on tap: The Daily Show’s Jordan Klepper and Ronny Chieng, Whose Line hosts Drew Carey and Aisha Tyler, Workaholics’ Adam Devine and Anders Holm, CNN’s Jake Tapper and Kaitlan Collins, Kal Penn and Jameela Jamil, Helen Hunt and Dan Bucatinsky,...

For your consideration… or not.

Earlier this month, Alexis Bledel withdrew herself from Emmy consideration due to a rule change. The actress, who won Best Drama Guest Actress in 2017 for The Handmaid's Tale, made an appearance in the show's series finale, but the new rule prohibits her from competing in guest for the same show because of her prior 2018 nomination in supporting. Instead of submitting in supporting, Bledel took herself out entirely. And she's far from the first star to do so.

Here are seven other times actors voluntarily bowed out of the Emmy race.

John Larroquette, Night Court

Larroquette dominated Best Comedy Supporting Actor in the '80s, winning the category four years in a row from 1985 to 1988 for his turn as Dan Fielding. And then he decided four was enough, withdrawing his name in 1989, three years before Night Court ended. "As we got to that fifth season, I...

Freedom is a fleeting illusion, a brief gasp of air before the inevitable plunge. For Ava, released from a two-year prison sentence, the world she re-enters is not a clean slate but the same cage, just with wider bars. Her return to Ponoka, a town etched into the rugged Alberta landscape, feels less like a homecoming and more like a surrender to gravity.

Here, amidst the dust of the rodeo and the ghosts of past glories, the criminal life she sought to shed clings to her like a second skin. The film wastes no time in re-submerging her, where a violent rupture—the swift, brutal murder of her twin brother—catapults her from the purgatory of parole into the hell of being hunted.

Her existence is immediately compressed into a singular, desperate objective: survival. The presence of her father, Will, a former rodeo champion locked in a world of silence and stern judgment,...

Movies about drug dealers in trouble are nothing new, but the Canadian thriller In Cold Light, which had its world premiere in Tribeca, benefits from a strong cast and breakneck pacing. In prizing visceral impact over narrative clarity, the film sometimes leaves too many unanswered questions, but there isn’t much time to criticize while the film is racing forward.

It opens with the arrest and imprisonment of Ava (Maika Monroe), a tough but resourceful young woman who has clearly made some unfortunate choices. After a couple of years she is released and returns home to her deaf father (played by Troy Kotsur, the Oscar winner from Coda) and twin brother Tom (Jesse Irving). She seems to want to go straight, but her brother is still involved in drug dealing, and Ava finds that she cannot escape either. When Ava and Tom are stopped by police, everything spins out of control,...

Jeopardy! fans will get a Ken Jennings bonus this summer. After Jeopardy! goes off for the season at the end of July, the beloved host will be on a rival game show — Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? — with Matt Damon. Jimmy Kimmel is back to host Season 4 of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? but this time it is all celebrities competing in pairs for charity. The new season kicks off on Wednesday, July, 23 at 8pm. Along with Jennings and Damon, this season’s contestants include sportscaster Joe Buck and actor Oliver Hudson, Helen Hunt and Scandal‘s Dan Bucatinsky, Kal Penn and Jameela Jamil, E! red carpet reporter Brad Goreski and producer Gary Janetti, comedian Mike Birbiglia and actress Atsuko Okatsuka, Dietland‘s Tramell Tillman and actor Zach Cherry, Sarah Silverman and comedian and podcaster Marc Maron, Jordan Klepper and comedian Ronny Chieng, Jillian Bell and Chloe Fineman,...

The Taormina Film Festival wrapped its 71st edition with Axel Monsú’s “For Your Sake” taking home the top prize. The Argentinian film tells the story of a young girl played by Sabrina Melgarejo, whose life is restricted by poverty and an oppressive religion until she decides to make an attempt at taking her destiny into her own hands. The prize for best director went to Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza for their Iraqi set war movie “Warfare,” which plays out in real time and is based on real events experienced by Mendoza who wrote the script with Garland.

The jury – led by Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and including Academy Award winning costume designer Sandy Powell, former Variety vice-president of content Steven Gaydos and Italian actresses Ilenia Pastorelli and Alessandra Mastronardi – gave the acting honors to Ebada Hassan, who starred in Nadia Fall’s “Brides” and Geoffrey Rush for the thriller “The Rule of Jenny Pen,...

The Taormina Film Festival has named its 2025 winners.

Wrapping up the 71st edition of the Sicilian-based festival, Saturday’s awards ceremony culminated in the big honor, Premio Migliore Film (Best Film Award), going to Argentinian director Axel Monsú’s For Your Sake.

Premio Migliore Regia (Best Director Award) was awarded to Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza for A24’s Warfare.

The Premio Migliora Attrice (Best Actress Award) went to Ebada Hassan for her performance in director Nadia Fall’s Brides. Geoffrey Rush, who was also honored with the festival’s Excellence Award, won the Premio Migliore Attore (Best Actor Award) for director James Ashcroft’s The Rule of Jenny Pen.

This year’s festival also honored Martin Scorsese, Michael Douglas, Olivia Wilde, Helen Hunt, Catherine Deneuve and Monica Bellucci with awards.

The international jury was led by Oscar-winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, with panel support from British actor Rupert Everett, 3x...

Voting for the 2025 Emmys officially opened today, and Gold Derby has spotted several intriguing strategies, omissions, and oddities in the ballots, which are available to view on the Television Academy website.

When it comes to the writing and directing categories, a popular strategy is to submit as few options as possible, so as not to split the vote. (Remember how Succession would only submit a single episode in writing each year? It won that race four seasons in a row.) That's why we're so surprised to see ABC's boat-themed medical drama Doctor Odyssey flooding the ballot 11 different times for Best Drama Directing. If the show can't pinpoint one or two stand-out directors out of Jen Lynch, Our Lady J, Tessa Blake, Paris Barclay, Crystle Roberson Dorsey, Brad Buecker, Millicent Shelton, Michael Medico, Steven Canals, Maggie Kiley, and John J. Gray, how are the voters supposed to?

Last year, Slow Horses...

Exclusive: David Ramsey, known for his work in the Arrowverse in series including Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow, and in Showtime’s Dexter, has signed with Stewart Talent for representation.

Ramsey starred for eight seasons as Oliver Queen’s confidante John Diggle/Spartan on Arrow, a role which led to overall deals with Warner Bros. TV and Berlanti Productions for acting and directing. He helmed multiple episodes of Arrow, The Flash, All American: Homecoming and Superman & Lois, among others. He also appeared as John Diggle on Batwoman and Supergirl.

Ramsey most recently appeared in a guest-starring role on NBC’s The Hunting Party. He also recurred on Season 3 of Peacock’s Bel-Air, as well as CBS’ Blue Bloods as NYC Mayor Carter Poole, opposite Tom Selleck.

His earlier role as Anton Briggs on Showtime’s Dexter drew critical acclaim and earned him a SAG Award nomination for...

Movies rarely come more generic than French-Canadian filmmaker Maxime Giroux’s “In Cold Light,” an exhaustingly paced action-thriller where every idea and visual seems templated and stylized within an inch of their life. It’s something closer to a mood-board assortment than a film with a real story to tell. A stockpile of neon lights, derelict spaces, gritty town exteriors and an on-the-run anti-heroine (Maika Monroe) caught in a web of drug lords can only sustain one’s attention for only so long.

That’s too bad, as Monroe, the renowned scream queen of excellent genre entries like “It Follows” and “Watcher,” is always an enthralling watch pit against sinister pursuers. She brings her signature qualities — a silent emotional forte, a stoic sense of gracefulness — to the psychically demanding “In Cold Light.” But while a very muscular Monroe gives the cat-and-mouse game her character is forced into her all (and...

When Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs stepped onto a pickleball court for a recent Gold Derby interview it was a full-circle callback to a fan-favorite scene from Max’s critically acclaimed comedy Hacks. In the Season 3 episode, their characters — eccentric talent agents Kayla and Jimmy — hilariously face off against a TV network president played by Helen Hunt in a match that became a standout moment for fans.

“We trained, we had a coach,” Downs said, laughing. Stalter chimed in: “Yes, I loved our classes.”

The blend of sharp comedy and heartfelt connection has propelled Hacks through four acclaimed seasons, with a fifth officially confirmed. The series follows Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), a legendary comedian, who partners with Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), a young, edgy writer, to revitalize her act. Created by Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky, Hacks has garnered widespread acclaim for its witty writing, emotional depth, and...

Martin Scorsese, Michael Douglas, Catherine Deneuve, Helen Hunt and Olivia Wilde are among the guests at the 71st edition of the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily, which runs June 10-14.

Scorsese, who will receive a lifetime achievement award, will be honored in the evocative location of the ancient Greek theater, which boasts a view of the currently active volcano Etna. A screening of “Taxi Driver” will celebrate the occasion.

“Scorsese is much more than a filmmaker — he is a living legend, whose unique cinematic voice has explored the human soul, social complexity, and raw emotion with unmatched power and elegance,” Tiziana Rocca, the artistic director of the festival, said.

Scorsese is working on documentary “The Shipwrecks of Sicily,” which follows the work of underwater archeologist Lisa Briggs, who uses the latest scientific techniques to bring to life the history of the sailors and ships that have sunk off the coast of the island.

The Italian mainland boasts a host of film festivals from the giants like Venice, Torino and Rome to the specialist cinephile celebrations like the Bologna Cinema Ritrovato and Pordenone’s annual celebration of silent cinema. But few of them boast as beautiful and historical a setting as the ancient amphitheater that hosts the screenings of the Taormina Film Festival, which celebrates its 71st edition this year.

The Greco-Roman theater, which once saw spectators enjoying the spectacle of gladiators fighting ferocious beasts, now serves as an open air cinema where viewers have watched the likes of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and “Twisters.” Sometimes, Mount Etna will erupt in the distance, spouting plumes of molten lava and stealing the show. With such ancient history in mind, here’s a run through of some milestones in the admittedly shorter history of the Sicilian film festival:

● 1957 – The film festival, which had...

The John Wick spinoff Ballerina will open the 71st Taormina Film Festival, which kicks off in Sicily next week and announced its lineup Thursday.

Star Ana de Armas will not be in attendance, with the film represented instead by director Len Wiseman and actor Norman Reedus.

It is among eight features that will play as special events in Taormina’s Ancient Theatre.

Another 10 titles will play in the International Feature Film Competition including Iraq War U.S. Navy Seal drama Warfare; The Rule of Jenny Pen with John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush; and David Mamet’s Henry Johnson with Shia Labeouf, Evan Jonigkeit and Chris Bauer. (Scroll down for the full lineup.)

Ballerina is among 13 Out of Competition titles which also include Billy Zane’s Int. Hallway / Night and Tyler Perry’s The Six Triple Eight.

A number of high-profile stars will attend to receive honorary awards including Martin Scorsese,...

Italy’s Taormina Film Festival is set for a standout 71st edition with a rich mix of genres – including some potential discoveries – on display, plus a generous dose of star power within a new format that attempts to revive the storied Sicilian event and put it back on the international map.

Marketing guru Tiziana Rocca, who has close Hollywood ties and is a festivals specialist, is back at the helm eight years after she was forced to step down due to political infighting in 2017 following a five-year stint. Rocca’s first move has been to reintroduce a competitive section comprising 10 titles. They will be judged by a jury that, as previously announced, is headed by Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who won an Oscar for her role in “The Holdovers.”

The Taormina competition, unveiled on Thursday, comprises the world premieres of Whoopi Goldberg and Jeremy Irvine comedy “Leopardi & Co” by Italian director...

From French-Canadian director Maxime Giroux (Felix And Meira), Maika Monroe (It Follows) and Troy Kotsur (Coda) star in the film In Cold Light, which has been acquired by Saban Films ahead of its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival this coming weekend.

In Cold Light will be getting a U.S. theatrical release next year from Saban Films, Deadline reports this afternoon. Helen Hunt also stars in the upcoming “gritty crime thriller.”

The site details, “In Cold Light is set in a fractured city where loyalty is currency and violence speaks loudest, following Ava (Maika Monroe), who’s newly released from prison and ready to reclaim her territory — until she witnesses a brutal crime that forces her to run. Hunted by enemies and haunted by her past, Ava is pulled into a desperate fight for survival.”

Saban co-presidents Jonathan Saban and Shanan Becker said, “Maika Monroe is a star of the highest order.

Exclusive: Saban Films has acquired U.S. rights to In Cold Light, a crime thriller starring Maika Monroe (Longlegs), as well as Academy Award winners Troy Kotsur (Coda) and Helen Hunt (As Good As It Gets), which is slated to world premiere in the Spotlight section of the Tribeca Festival on June 7.

Marking the first English-language feature from Canadian filmmaker Maxime Giroux, the film will be released in theaters nationwide later this year.

In Cold Light is set in a fractured city where loyalty is currency and violence speaks loudest, following Ava (Monroe), who’s newly released from prison and ready to reclaim her territory — until she witnesses a brutal crime that forces her to run. Hunted by enemies and haunted by her past, Ava is pulled into a desperate fight for survival.

Script is by Patrick Whistler. Yanick Létourneau produced for Peripheria, alongside Mike MacMillan of Lithium Studios (Mobile Homes). Executive produced by XYZ Films and primarily financed by Telefilm Canada and Sodec, with additional investment from Ipr.Vc, the film’s ensemble also includes Allan Hawco, Jesse Irving, Patrick Sabongui, and Noah Parker.

In a statement on the acquisition, Saban Films co-presidents Jonathan Saban and Shanan Becker said, “Maika Monroe is a star of the highest order. Her talents are on full display in this electrifying thriller. Surrounded by Academy Award winners Helen Hunt and Troy Kotsur, In Cold Light is a tour de force on every level.”

Commented producers Létourneau and MacMillan, “We’re excited to have Saban Films on board for the U.S. release. Their enthusiasm for In Cold Light and their commitment to giving it a proper theatrical life in the U.S. is exactly what we were looking for.”

Jonathan Saba repped Saban Films in the deal, with XYZ Films’ Nate Bolotin and Pip Ngo repping the filmmakers.

Exclusive: Oscar winning actor Geoffrey Rush is the latest addition to the Taormina Film Festival lineup, and will receive the event’s Excellence Award during the 71st edition which runs June 10-14 in the hilltop Sicilian town.

Rush will also present his latest feature, The Rule of Jenny Pen, as part of the official competition selection. The psychological thriller from director James Ashcroft and co-starring John Lithgow debuted on the festival circuit last year and will make its Italian premiere in Taormina.

Rush won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1997 for Shine, and has also received three BAFTAs, two Golden Globes, a Tony Award, an Emmy Award and four Screen Actors Guild Awards, along with three additional Oscar nominations in other categories.

Tiziana Rocca, Artistic Director of the Taormina Film Festival, said: “We are honored to welcome an artist of Geoffrey Rush’s caliber to Taormina. His presence is...

Exclusive: Actress, director and producer Olivia Wilde will receive the Taormina Film Festival’s Creativity Award at the 71st edition of the event which runs June 10-14 in the hilltop Sicilian town.

Wilde, who started out as an assistant casting director and moved into acting on such series as The O.C. and House, made her feature directing debut with 2019’s Booksmart, following it up with 2022’s Don’t Worry Darling.

As an actress, Wilde has thriller I Want Your Sex from Gregg Araki and Black Bear on deck. Cooper Hoffman and pop superstar Charli Xcx also star.

Wilde is also on her next directing gig, comedy The Invite, from a screenplay by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack. She stars alongside Seth Rogen, Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz.

Further, she’s attached to direct Avengelyne, a feature adaptation of the 1990s comic book character for Warner Bros, and Universal’s Christmas comedy Naughty,...

Few celebrities have experienced the same rise in popularity as Glen Powell over the last few years, and much of his stardom can be traced back to his role in Top Gun: Maverick. The 2022 Tom Cruise-led legacy sequel grossed well over $1 billion at the box office and introduced fans to Powell’s sharp-tongued Hangman. However, later that year, Powell also starred in another aviation thriller, Devotion, which found new life on streaming after grossing only $21 million against a $90 million budget. Devotion recently began streaming on the free service Tubi, and the film wasted no time becoming a success, reaching #9 on the streamer’s charts at the time of writing. It boasts a “certified fresh” 81% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a “verified hot” 92% on the audience-driven Popcornmeter.

In addition to Glen Powell, former MCU star Jonathan Majors also stars in Devotion. Majors was poised to be the next...

Last week, the four guest acting categories were added to Gold Derby's Emmy predictions center, and we now have a snapshot of the initial odds.

For Best Drama Guest Actress, The Last of Us holds the top two spots with Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, a vengeful soldier in the zombie apocalypse, and Catherine O'Hara as Gail, a therapist who has a run-in with Pedro Pascal's Joel. Dever has yet to win an Emmy Award, while O'Hara is a two-time champion for starring on Schitt's Creek (2020) and for writing Sctv Network (1982).

Read: Our complete Best Drama Guest Actress breakdown

For Best Drama Guest Actor, Jeffrey Wright is in the lead for playing Isaac on The Last of Us, the former Fedra soldier in post-apocalypse Seattle who switches sides in explosive fashion. He previously won an Emmy for the HBO adaptation of Angels in America (2004). In second place is Shawn Hatosy,...

Exclusive: Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actress Helen Hunt will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at Italy’s Taormina Film Festival in June.

The celebrated American actress has won one Academy Award, four Golden Globes, and four Emmy Awards across her career. She clinched a Best Actress Academy Award and Golden Globe in 1998 for her performance in romantic comedy As Good As It Gets, opposite Jack Nicholson and Greg Kinnear.

Other career highlights include her role in the long-running New York couple comedy show Mad About You, for which Hunt won three Golden Globes.

Hunt has also gotten behind the camera with directorial feature credits including Then She Found Me (2007), in which she co-starred opposite Colin Firth, and mother and son surfing world comedy-drama Ride (2014).

“It is an honor for us to welcome Helen Hunt to Taormina. Her presence represents a bridge between great international cinema and the eternal beauty of our land.

Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart in ‘Hacks’ season 4 (Photograph by Courtesy of Max)

Was there ever any doubt that Max would renew Hacks for season five as long as Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder were game? Max (soon to be HBO Max again) made it official, confirming the critically acclaimed, award-winning series will be returning for a fifth season. The announcement came just one day prior to season four’s finale.

“Like Deborah Vance herself, Hacks only gets bolder, sharper, and more iconic with time. We’re beyond thrilled to keep the laughter rolling with Jen, Paul, Lucia, our extraordinary cast and crew, and our partners at Max,” stated Erin Underhill, President of Universal Television.

Six-time Emmy winner Jean Smart stars as Deborah Vance and Critics Choice Award winner Hannah Einbinder stars as Ava. The season four cast also includes Emmy winner Paul W. Downs, SAG Award nominee Megan Stalter,...

Max has renewed the multi-Emmy-winning comedy series Hacks for a fifth season ahead of the season four finale, debuting this Thursday, May 29, at 6:00 p.m. Pt/9:00 p.m. Et. Over the course of its run, the series has garnered 48 Emmy nominations, including a season three win for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Hacks has been a top-five series on Max (soon to be called HBO Max) since its season four debut in the U.S. and a top 10 series globally. Season four has been pacing as the series’ best season yet, achieving both domestic and global week-over-week growth every week so far this season.

“Yes! More! We congratulate Hacks’ singularly talented cast and crew and our great partners at Universal Television,” said Sarah Aubrey, Head of Max Original Programming. The show’s studio is Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Erin Underhill, President of Universal Television, added: “Like Deborah Vance herself,...

Jean Smart's Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder's Ava Daniels are getting another spin in the spotlight, as Hackshas officially been renewed for a fifth season at Max (soon to be HBO Max again). The critically acclaimed dark comedy series with 98% on Rotten Tomatoes is set to air its Season 4 finale on May 29, and now fans can rest easy knowing that the story will continue beyond the potential cliffhanger that the tenth and final episode will leave them on — with a new season likely to arrive in 2026, if the current release schedule is anything to go by.

Hacks follows the rollercoaster professional relationship between Vance, a veteran stand-up comedian, and Daniels, a down-on-her-luck comedy writer who works for her. The fourth season, which debuted on Max on Apr. 10, tossed the odd-couple pairing into another messy situation, picking up after the shock events of Season 3 when Daniels blackmailed her boss...

Jean Smart fans rejoice: Hacks has been renewed for a fifth season. Max announced the news ahead of the fourth season’s finale, which is set to air on Thursday, May 29.

The comedy series stars Smart alongside Hannah Einbinder, Paul W. Downs, Megan Stalter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Mark Indelicato, and Rose Abdoo. It was created by Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky. To date, the show has earned 48 Emmy nominations and won Outstanding Comedy Series for its third season.

“Yes! More!” Sarah Aubrey, Head of Max Original Programming, said in a statement.

Hacks is entering the record books at Max.

The streamer has renewed the series for a fifth season, which will make Hacks the longest-running live-action show in Max’s (admittedly not very long) history. Series creators and showrunnners Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky announced the renewal Tuesday evening at an Emmy FYC screening in Los Angeles.

The pickup for the Emmy-winning comedy from Universal Television comes two days before its fourth season finale. The current season has seen Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) realize her dream of hosting a late-night talk show — though with more strings attached than she would like — with Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) as her head writer.

Hacks premiered in May 2021, when the streaming service where it runs was known as HBO Max. It has continued since the platform changed its name to Max in April 2023 — and with the renewal, season five will stream on...

Max is doubling down on Deborah Vance. The streamer renewed its Emmy-winning comedy “Hacks” for a fifth season on Tuesday ahead of its Season 4 finale.

The comedy’s creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky learned of the renewal news last week.

“We’re thrilled to be able to make a fifth season of a comedy,” Downs told TheWrap in an interview that also included Aniello and Statsky. “It is a very rare thing now, which we wish weren’t the case. But we don’t take for granted how fortunate we are to get to do it. We were really excited because we’ve always known where we want the story to conclude, and so to be able to continue to build towards that is so satisfying.”

It’s no surprise that Max renewed “Hacks.” So far, the comedy has been nominated for 48 Primetime Emmys. The series...

There’s always more Deborah Vance to go around: IndieWire can announce that beloved HBO Max series “Hacks” has been renewed for Season 5. The Season 4 finale is set to debuts May 29 on streamer HBO Max, with Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) looking to conquer late night TV.

The Emmy, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice Award-winning series is created and showrun by Emmy winners Paul W. Downs (who also stars), Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky. “Hacks” is executive produced by Downs and Aniello via their Paulilu banner, and Statsky via First Thought Productions, as well as Emmy winners Michael Schur via Fremulon, David Miner for 3 Arts Entertainment, Morgan Sackett, and Joe Mande. The studio is Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

In addition to Smart, Einbinder, and Downs, the series stars Megan Stalter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Mark Indelicato, and Rose Abdoo, plus Dan Bucatinsky, Helen Hunt, Tony Goldwyn,...

Deborah Vance is about to rewrite her legacy: Max has renewed Hacks for Season 5, TVLine has learned.

“Like Deborah Vance herself, Hacks only gets bolder, sharper and more iconic with time,” president of Universal Television Erin Underhill said in a statement. “We’re beyond thrilled to keep the laughter rolling with Jen [Statsky], Paul [W. Downs], Lucia [Aniello], our extraordinary cast and crew, and our partners at Max.”

More from TVLineThe Chi Renewed for Season 8Yellowjackets Renewed for Season 4Sesame Street Avoids Cancellation, Finds New Home on Netflix

Added Head of Max Original Programming Sarah Aubrey: “We congratulate Hacks’ singularly talented cast and...

Hacks is returning for a fifth season.

Max renewed the Emmy-winning comedy series ahead of the season four finale this Thursday. The series has garnered 48 Emmy nominations during its run, including a season three win for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Hacks has been a top five series on Max since its season four debut in the U.S. and a top 10 series globally. Season four has been pacing as the series’ best season yet, the streamer reports.

Starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, Hacks was created and is run by Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky. It is executive produced by Downs and Aniello via their Paulilu banner, Statsky via First Thought Productions, as well as Michael Schur via Fremulon, David Miner for 3 Arts Entertainment, Morgan Sackett, and Joe Mande.

The studio is Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

“Like Deborah Vance herself, Hacks only gets bolder,...