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Soundtracks in Netflix’s Wednesday aren’t just background noises, but they help shape major scenes, carrying on the morbid, mischievous, and stylishly gothic tale ahead. So while we cannot wait to hear what songs the second season of the show will have, here is a comprehensive list of every original track and every licensed song featured in Season 1 of the Netflix show, from classical pieces to modern pop and rock.

Wednesday, created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar and produced under the direction of Tim Burton, is a stylish supernatural mystery series starring Jenna Ortega as the darkly brilliant Wednesday Addams. With Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, Luis Guzmán as Gomez, Gwendoline Christie as Larissa Weems, and Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester, the show follows Ortega’s character as she navigates psychic visions, high school politics, and monster hunts at Nevermore Academy.

The first season of the series contains several...

If you’ve ever rooted for a brooding guy with scissors for hands or found yourself strangely obsessed with a skeleton falling in love, well, congrats, because you’ve officially entered the wonderfully weird world of Tim Burton.

The man, the myth, the maestro of macabre, Burton has been serving us with his spooky yet sweet cinematic goodness since the 1980s. From creepy Christmas towns to gothic fairytales and even a Batman who low-key looks like he shops at Hot Topic, Burton’s movies have never been your average Hollywood fare. They’re literally whimsical, weird, and wickedly fun. And well, that’s exactly how we love them, ain’t it?

While the 2000s had some Burton misses, he came roaring back in 2024 with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the sequel we didn’t know we still needed. And guess what? He’s not done yet. Burton teased that he’s diving back into animation.

It’s been 40 years since Pee-wee Herman lost his bike, and to be honest, we’re still not over it.

Released in August 1985, “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” not only introduced audiences at large to Paul Reubens’ wild comic creation, it also welcomed us into the heightened world of Tim Burton. Then just an animator with a couple of credits under his belt, Burton was personally picked by Reubens to bring Pee-wee’s living-cartoon aesthetic to life on screen.

Turns out, it was a match made in heaven. Together, they sent viewers on a rip-roaring road trip following Reubens’ grey-suit-and-red-bowtie-loving manchild as he hitchhiked across America to find his beloved stolen bicycle. With Pee-wee’s unpredictability and Burton’s eye for detail, “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” defied expectations and more than tripled its $7million budget. What’s more, it propelled the duo to household-name status.

Four decades on, a lot has changed. Reubens returned for a Burton-less sequel,...

Plot: Wednesday Addams, returns to prowl the Gothic halls of Nevermore Academy, where fresh foes and woes await. This season, Wednesday must navigate family, friends and old adversaries, propelling her into another year of delightfully dark and kooky mayhem. Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery.

Review: The first season of Wednesday became a massive hit for Netflix despite a quintessentially CW-style approach to storytelling. But, armed with the unique visual style of director Tim Burton and a supporting role from The Addams Family movie star Christina Ricci, Wednesday was anchored by Jenna Ortega’s pitch-perfect take on the macabre teenage protagonist. While the story of Wednesday attending Nevermore Academy felt like a horror-tinged take on Nancy Drew, the series had its charms and easily garnered a second season. After three years of waiting, Wednesday is back with...

Tim Burton has long been regarded as one of Hollywood's most visually distinctive filmmakers, so it only stands to reason that audiences would want — nay, deserve — to see his works in the highest possible resolution. Well, Burton fans, we've got some great news on that front: One of his most well-received fantasies is returning to store shelves with a 4K Uhd remaster, timed to celebrate the film's 20th anniversary.

We're talking, of course, about The Corpse Bride, the stop-motion animated effort that paired Johnny Depp (as Victor Van Dort) and Helena Bonham Carter (as the titular undead betrothed) in an unorthodox love triangle with Emily Watson. Although the film marked Burton's first official foray into stop-motion, he'd dabbled before by producing The Nightmare Before Christmas in 1993 and James and the Giant Peach three years later.

Although The Corpse Bride was generally well-received by critics — it's currently at 84 percent on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes,...

Tim Burton‘s Corpse Bride will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a 4K Ultra HD release in both SteelBook and standard packaging on September 23 via Warner Bros.

The 2005 stop-motion fantasy musical has been newly restored in 4K with High Dynamic Range and Dolby Atmos-TrueHD sound.

Special features:

Digging up the Past: The Minds Behind Corpse Bride (new) ‘Til Death Do Us Art: A Corpse Bride Reflection (new) Danny Elfman Interprets the Two Worlds Inside the Two Worlds of the Corpse Bride Making Puppets Tick The Animators: The Breath of Life The Corpse Bride Pre-Production Galleries Tim Burton: Dark vs. Light Voices from the Underworld The Voices Behind the Voice

Burton co-directs with Mike Johnson from a script by John August (Big Fish), Caroline Thompson (The Nightmare Before Christmas), and Pamela Pettler (Monster House). Danny Elfman (The Nightmare Before Christmas) composed the music.

A young man mistakenly weds a corpse while...

ScreenRant can exclusively reveal the digital and 4K DVD release date of Corpse Bride. The movie was a 2005 dark fantasy stop-motion animated film directed by the visionary Tim Burton. The now-classic film sees Victor Van Dort attempt to flee his arranged marriage, only to end up inadvertently agreeing to marry a bride in the underworld.

The movie did fairly well at the box office when it came out, especially as a stop-motion film. The movie made $117.2 million on an estimated $40 million budget. It also got good reviews and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars (but lost out to Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit).

In celebration of the movie's 20th anniversary, Corpse Bride is getting a 4K restoration DVD release for the first time ever. The film will be available on both 4K Blu-ray and DVD on September 23. Said Blu-ray will be available to purchase...

Forty years ago, Paul Reubens and Tim Burton took viewers on a ride to remember with Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.

The film centers on Reubens as titular Pee-wee Herman, whose hunt for his stolen bicycle leads him to the Alamo. As a member of the L.A. comedy troupe the Groundlings, Reubens developed the childlike character and played him in the 1980s in live stage shows, an HBO special and appearances on Late Night With David Letterman. “It dawned on me that I could actually become Pee-wee Herman,” Reubens told THR in 2020 about his alter ego.

During a run of sold-out performances, the comedian landed a deal with Warner Bros. to write a Pee-wee feature. While on the studio lot, Reubens noticed people riding bikes and asked for one of his own. After being taken with the refurbished 1940s Schwinn he was given, Reubens retooled his movie to focus on the bike.

Image Source: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

Released on August 2, 1985, Weird Science is pure mid‑’80s mayhem. It was a time when John Hughes ruled teen cinema. Synth music echoed in every mall. Nerds dreamed big on clunky home computers. In this wild fantasy, two misfit teens decide to play God. Their creation comes with heels, a pink Cadillac, and a theme song by Oingo Boingo. Before Iron Man and the MCU, Robert Downey Jr. was just Ian. He played a smirking high school jock tormenting the underdogs in Hughes’ gloriously weird teen fever dream.

Behind the Scenes: Hall & LeBrock Reflect

At a AwesomeCon Weird Science reunion panel, Anthony Michael Hall and Kelly LeBrock shared their memories of making the movie. They talked about how they were cast and what the film meant to them. (Click the media bar below to hear Hall and LeBrock discuss their experience. It’s a...

Tim Burton’s take on Batmanis considered to be one of the best film versions of the iconic DC comic. Starring Michael Keaton as the titular Caped Crusader, Burton’s 1989 Batman won an Academy Award for Best Art Direction. The 1992 follow-up, Batman Returns, continued the story and featured the addition of Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman and Danny DeVito’s take on Penguin.

Now, decades after Batman and Batman Returns were first released, the films are headed back to the big screen in a one-night-only event in a “completely new cinematic experience.” PerVariety, the two films are returning, exclusively at Dolby Cinema locations on Aug. 25. Batman and Batman Returns will be presented at more than 160 Dolby Cinema at AMC Theaters in the U.S. on that night.

Not only will fans be able to see Michael Keaton and company on the big screen, but the Aug. 25 event will mark the first...

Fans of the Dark Knight who never got the opportunity to see Tim Burton's Batman movies on the big screen are in luck... unless they happen to have plans on August 25!

Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) are returning to theaters for a one-night engagement later this month, exclusively at Dolby Cinema locations. The remastered versions of both movies will play at over 160 Dolby Cinema at AMC Theatres locations across North America. This marks the first time both films will be presented in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

“I hadn’t watched these films since I made them, and seeing them again with this level of clarity, beauty, color, and sound felt really new and exciting,” Burton said. “Dolby Atmos and Vision brought it all to life in a fresh way.”

“Batman and ‘Batman Returns’ remain seminal films in the history of the superhero genre,” said Michelle Maddalena, VP of global...

You can dance with the devil by the pale moonlight yet again as Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns will screen in Dolby Cinemas for a special one-night event. Variety reports that the 1989 original and its 1992 follow-up are remastered in the format and are going to be back in theaters on August 25. The new remastered versions have secured screenings at over 160 Dolby Cinema at AMC Theatres locations across the United States. This will mark the first time both films are to be presented in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

Dolby Cinemas are premium theaters, like IMAX or Prime. They emphasize picture clarity with Dolby Vision, where it upgrades sharp contrasts, which will enhance the gothic atmosphere of the Tim Burton films, as his Batman movies are reliant on their lighting design. Additionally, Dolby Atmos is the theater’s sound set up that will provide a multi-dimensional sound experience, which...

Tim Burton’s classic Batman films from 1989 and 1992 are making a big comeback in theaters for one night only on August 25. Fans can catch these remastered versions exclusively at Dolby Cinema locations across the U.S., specifically at AMC Theatres.

This special event will take place in more than 160 Dolby Cinema theaters and marks the first time both movies will be shown with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos technology.

These upgrades mean viewers will see Gotham City in sharper colors and deeper blacks, while the sound will feel all around them, from the roar of the Batwing to the famous music by Danny Elfman.

Michael Keaton stars as Batman in these films, which also feature unforgettable villains like Jack Nicholson’s Joker, Danny DeVito’s Penguin, and Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. These movies helped set the darker, more serious mood for superhero movies that we see today.

Tim Burton shared...

Today, Dolby and Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group announced that Tim Burton’s landmark superhero films Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) will be brought back for a special one-night engagement on August 25 in ultra-vivid Dolby Vision picture and immersive Dolby Atmos sound. The films will be screened exclusively at over 160 Dolby Cinema at AMC Theatres locations in the U.S. Tickets go on sale today.

Whether you’re experiencing Batman’s (Michael Keaton) most heroic moments or witnessing chilling scenes with iconic villains like The Joker (Jack Nicholson), The Penguin (Danny DeVito), and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), Dolby Vision will transform every frame with deeper blacks, sharper contrast, and more vivid colors.

Meanwhile, Dolby Atmos elevates the film’s soundscape and score with pristine depth and dimensionality, allowing everything from the Batwing’s engines to Danny Elfman’s iconic score to envelop audiences in multi-dimensional immersive sound. Together, Dolby Vision and Dolby...

Some of the most iconicBatman films of all time are finally headed back to the big screen later this month. Tim Burton's seminal take on the classic DC superhero first hit cinemas in 1989, featuring Michael Keaton's glorious debut as the Caped Crusader. Then, in 1992, Burton one-upped himself with one of the greatest superhero sequels ever made, Batman Returns. Now, over 30 years after both films debuted in theaters, DC fans will be able to re-experience them on the big screen in one of the most immersive theatrical formats out there.

Dolby and Warner Bros. have announced that both Batman and Batman Returns will be returning to theaters for a one-night-only screening on August 25. The special presentation will feature the remastered versions of both films, which will make their way to Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for the very first time. Not only will it look better than ever before,...

You don't have to stay home washing your tights this summer: two classics of modern superhero cinema are returning to theaters. 1989's Batmanand its 1992 sequel, Batman Returns, are returning to theaters courtesy of Dolby Cinema. But the Bat-Signal won't stay on forever: this special event is one night only. Both films will screen on August 25 at all Dolby Cinema at AMC Theaters nationwide.

Both films have been remastered for both Dolby Vision picture and Dolby Atmos sound, giving unparalleled depth to Tim Burton's black-on-black vision of Gotham City and its inhabitants, and to the films' distinctive soundscapes and Danny Elfman's indelible scores. Batman Returns was, in fact, the first film ever to be presented in Dolby Digital, the precursor to Dolby Atmos. Says Burton, "I hadn’t watched these films since I made them, and seeing them again with this level of clarity, beauty, color, and sound felt really new and exciting.

Tim Burton’s iconic “Batman” (1989) and “Batman Returns” (1992) are getting the premium treatment, returning to theaters for a one-night engagement on Aug. 25 exclusively at Dolby Cinema locations.

The remastered versions will play at over 160 Dolby Cinema at AMC Theatres locations across the U.S.. This marks the first time both films will be presented in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

The Burton films, starring Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader, featured memorable villains including Jack Nicholson’s Joker, Danny DeVito’s Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. Both movies are credited with establishing the darker, more serious tone that would come to define modern superhero cinema.

The enhanced presentation promises to showcase Burton’s gothic vision of Gotham City with unprecedented clarity. Dolby Vision will deliver deeper blacks, sharper contrast and more vivid colors, while Dolby Atmos will create a multi-dimensional sound experience that envelops audiences in everything from the...

After parting with Josh Freese in May, the Foo Fighters have enlisted Nine Inch Nails touring member Ilan Rubin as their next drummer. In an unexpected twist, Freese will join Nine Inch Nails on their Peel It Back run, Rolling Stone has confirmed.

Rubin has been traveling with Nine Inch Nails since 2009, and he was 32 when he became the youngest inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 2020. The drummer has also collaborated with Paramore, Angels and Airwaves, and Danny Elfman.

The decision arrives months after Freese,...

Foo Fighters have tapped longtime Nine Inch Nails stickman Ilan Rubin as their new drummer. In a strange twist, former Foos drummer Josh Freese is returning to Nine Inch Nails.

The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed via sources that Rubin is exiting Nin to join Foo Fighters. However, it is unclear if he will be the Foos’ permanent drummer or touring drummer.

Get Nine Inch Nails Tickets Here

Rubin played with Nin from 2008 to 2009, and again from 2013 until now. He’s the youngest living musician to have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, having been included in Nin’s 2020 induction at age 32 at the time. In addition to Nin, Rubin is a current member of Tom DeLonge’s band Angels & Airwaves, and has played with Danny Elfman. He also recorded solo albums under the name The New Regime.

Freese, meanwhile, was let go from Foo Fighters earlier this year,...

The Foo Fighters have found their next drummer, as the rock band has tapped Ilan Rubin for the gig, sources confirm to The Hollywood Reporter.

Rubin is best known for his work with Nine Inch Nails, where he’s served as the band’s touring drummer since 2009 and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 2020, becoming the youngest-ever inductee at the time at age 32. He’s also the drummer for Angels & Airwaves and has worked with Danny Elfman as well.

The move comes just over two months after Foo Fighters parted ways with drummer Josh Freese, who joined the group in 2023 as successor to the late Taylor Hawkins, who died in 2022.

Notably, as Rubin joins the Foos, THR has learned that Freese will return to Nine Inch Nails, which a rep for the band has confirmed. The band subsequently shared a picture of Freese...

“Wednesday” has been renewed for Season 3 at Netflix.

The news comes before the second season premiere of the Jenna Ortega-led supernatural comedy, which is the most popular English-language Netflix series of all time.

“Wednesday” stars Ortega as the darkly funny Wednesday Addams, who is expelled from her school after dumping piranhas into the pool, and is transferred to a private academy for outcasts.

The series also stars Gwendoline Christie as the shapeshifting principal of Wednesday’s new school, Emma Myers as her werewolf roommate Enid, and Riki Lindhome as her school therapist.

The cast is rounded out by Jamie McShane, Hunter Doohan, Joy Sunday, Georgie Farmer, Naomi J. Ogawa, Moosa Mostafa, Christina Ricci, Steve Buscemi, Victor Dorobantu, Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, Billie Piper, Isaac Ordonez, Evie Templeton, Owen Painter, Noah Taylor, Luis Guzmán and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

“Wednesday” became an awards magnet after its first season exploded on Netflix in 2022, garnering four Emmy awards.

Brad Bird's 1993 animated series "Family Dog" began its life several years earlier as an episode of "Amazing Stories," a Steven Spielberg-produced anthology series that utilized the talents of Clint Eastwood (among many other notable filmmakers). Also titled "Family Dog," the episode aired on February 16, 1987, and featured a cute white terrier of some kind (with its barks provided by Bird) who lived in an ordinary suburb with a white sitcom family. The dog was only ever referred to as "the dog," but his actual name was Jonah. The episode also starred the legendary Stan Freberg as the family patriarch and Annie Potts as his wife. Danny Elfman and Steve Bartek provided the music, with Tim Burton contributing to the short's character designs.

The piece was sliced into three vignettes, all of which centered on the ways a family dog can forcibly -- and unfortunately -- insert themselves into traditional family moments.

The Story: A goofball gym teacher (Mark Harmon) is forced to teach a remedial English class over the summer.

The Players: Starring: Mark Harmon, Kirstie Alley, Dean Cameron, Courtney Thorne-Smith & Shawnee Smith. Music by Danny Elfman. Directed by Carl Reiner.

The History: Hollywood spent a couple of years trying to make Mark Harmon happen as a movie star. Fresh off an arc on “St. Elsewhere” which infamously had his character contract AIDS from a one-night stand, his career was red hot. For a while, he was seriously considered to replace Don Johnson on “Miami Vice” after contract negotiations fell through, and in 1987-88, we got a bunch of starring vehicles that would try him out in a variety of genres to see if one would stick. He did action in The Presidio (even doing his own stunts – although the film was stolen by co-star Sean Connery), drama in Stealing Home,...

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Although Tim Burton's 2005 film adaptation of Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" isn't deeply beloved -- anyone you ask will say they prefer Mel Stuart's 1971 adaptation, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," much better -- it was nonetheless a massive success. It was made for a hefty $150 million, but earned an impressive $476 million at the box office, taking most everyone by surprise. It was also better-reviewed than detractors may remember, fetching an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. "Charlie" was colorful and semi-surreal, utilizing extensive CGI to realize a nightmare carnival rendition of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Deep Roy played hundreds of Oompa-Loompas, and Danny Elfman wrote music for Dahl's original songs, printed in his original 1964 novel.

Johnny Depp played the unusual, reclusive, childlike Willy Wonka, deliberately evoking Carol Channing (in vocal inflection) and inadvertently...

Steven Spielberg is the highest-grossing director with $10.7 billion in worldwide box office (not adjusted for inflation), with James Cameron right behind at $8.7 billion, basically one "Avatar" movie. The top-grossing actors include Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Zoe Saldana, and Chris Pratt each in the $14 billion range (unadjusted). Pretty darn impressive ... but film composers scoff at such meager numbers, probably while twirling their batons.

The highest-earning film composers don't just match these figures; they far exceed them. Movie composers get their due credit, as their work is frequently one of the most enjoyable and enduring parts of the films we love. But while we talk a lot about composers, it's not often that the conversation turns to what really matters in Hollywood -- the money they make for movie studios. We're going to change that right now. You have seen their movies. You definitely know their work. Now...

There are lots of things that movies and comic books have in common. They’re both visual mediums. They both juxtapose one image after another to convey a narrative and make deeper thematic connections. And sometimes they both screw up a whole franchise and have to start over again.

Yes, superhero comics have been doing reboots since the early days. The Silver Age as we know it began when DC tried to goose up interest in their Golden Age intellectual property by making some brand new guy The Flash and claiming the original scarlet speedster was just a comic book. As the decades progressed superhero comics would often decline in popularity, get kicked to the curb, and then pop up years later, just in case audiences were finally interested in the Guardians of the Galaxy or the Punisher again.

Movies work the same way. If audiences dig one movie enough,...

While director Tim Burton is best known for live-action films like Beetlejuiceand Batman, the filmmaker has more than a few killer animated features under his sinister belt. The one that often gets talked about is The Nightmare Before Christmas – a film which he didn't even direct. However, out of the stop-motion animation classics he did indeed direct, Corpse Bride is arguably his most celebrated in that artful category. Now, in honor of the film’s 20th anniversary, Corpse Bride is finally coming to 4K Blu-ray.

Warner Bros. will be releasing Corpse Bride via a 4K/Digital combo pack steelbook. While the spooky edition doesn't have a release date yet, there is cover art to admire. The outside is simply the film’s logo on a black background, but the inside artwork is more defined. The inner workings of the steelbook feature Emily, aka the “corpse bride,” with a few of the eerie underworld residents.

With two weeks until the fest opens on July 16th, Fantasia 2025 has dropped the full and final lineup on us and there is so much to be excited about! Primal's Genndy Tartakovsky brings his latest animated feature Fixed to the festival to close out the celebration of all things genre on August 3rd. While in Montreal, Tartakovsky will also be one of two recipients of the Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award. The other will be legendary musician Danny Elfman, whose work with Tim Burton and dozens of others has defined cinematic scoring for the last four decades. Also being awarded with the Canadian Trailblazer award is Sheila McCarthy, while Anne-Marie Gélinas will receive the Denis-Héroux award and Troma's Lloyd Kaufman will receive the Indie...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The Fantasia International Film Festival will celebrate its upcoming 29th edition with an electrifying program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 16 through August 3, 2025, returning to the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screens and events at Montréal’s Cinéma du Musée and Bbam! Gallery.

Additionally, Fantasia has announced that it’ll be presenting a Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award to animator and director Genndy Tartakovsky, as well as musical icon Danny Elfman. The festival will also present the Canadian Trailer Blazer Award to actor Sheila McCarthy, and the Denis-Héroux Award to producer Anne-Marie Gélinas. Lloyd Kaufman will also receive the inaugural Indie Maverick Award for his decade-long dedication to the weird, gross, and wild.

The festival website is now live with the complete lineup of over 125 features and 200+ shorts available to be explored. Ticket pre-sales open at 10:00 Am on July 4, 2025.

Check Out...

As I recently mentioned, the Fantasia International Film Festival is one of the very best events to experience the latest and greatest genre films from around the world, and after having announced an impressive first and second wave of programming, they're back with a third wave announcement that is packed with must-see premieres, live events, and much more:

From the Press Release: The Fantasia International Film Festival will celebrate its upcoming 29th edition with an electrifying program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 16 through August 3, 2025, returning to the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screens and events at Montréal’s Cinéma du Musée and Bbam! Gallery.

The festival website is now live with the complete lineup of over 125 features and 200+ shorts available to be explored. Ticket pre-sales open at 10:00Am on July 4.

Fantasia is very pleased to reveal its massive final wave of titles,...

The 29th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival is set to run from from July 16th (one day earlier than previously announced) through August 3rd at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas in Montreal, with additional screenings and events at Cinéma du Musée. The first wave of titles that will be shown at the festival this year were revealed a couple months ago, the second wave of titles dropped four weeks ago, and now the final wave of titles has been unveiled! The festival website is now live with the complete lineup of over 125 features and 200+ shorts. Ticket pre-sales open at 10:00Am on July 4. But here’s some information on what attendees can expect to see at the festival, including the final wave of titles, directly from the Fantasia press release:

Official Closing Film: Genndy Tartakovsky’S Fixed: From Sony Pictures Animation, Netflix, and top-tier animator Genndy Tartakovsky comes Fixed,...

The Fantasia International Film Festival is back and celebrating its 29th edition with another densely packed slate of events and programming running from July 17 through August 3, 2025, returning to the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas and presented by Mels, with additional screenings and events at Montreal’s Cinéma du Musée.

The festival website is now live with the complete lineup of over 125 features and 200+ shorts available to be explored. Ticket pre-sales open at 10:00Am on July 4.

The festival’s final wave of programming has arrived, bringing with it the closing night film and a slew of highlights. The latest from legendary animator Genndy Tartakovsky, new adult comedy Fixed, has been designated as the official closing film of the this year’s festival. Troma documentary Occupy Cannes chronicles the Troma Team’s voyage to Cannes, and the company’s founder (and creator of The Toxic Avenger), Lloyd Kaufman,...

Genndy Tartakovsky’s adult animation Fixed will close the 29th Fantasia International Film Festival (July 16-August 3) in Montreal as event organisers unveiled a third wave of films including a special screening of Paramount’s Smurfs.

Programming highlights include the world premieres of Lee Chang-hee and Yusron Fuad’s class warfare thriller The Verdict, sci-fi author Ian Tuason’s folk horror The Undertone, and Hadrah Daeng Ratu’s Indonesian horror The Book Of Sijjin And Illiyyin.

Michel Gondry’s Annecy selectionMaya, Give Me A Title receives its North American premiere.

Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman will be presented with the festival’s inaugural Indie Maverick Award,...

Genndy Tartakovsky’s “Fixed,” from Sony Pictures Animation, an R-rated dog sex comedy bound for Netflix later this summer, will close Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival.

The news comes as Fantasia unleashed Thursday its third and final wave of feature films – over 125 features unspool from July 16 to Aug. 3, 2025— as well as details of its competitions and career-celebrating awards, the Fantasia Retro lineup and a rowdy pack of free daytime panels, launches and masterclasses.

The full programming schedule also goes live July 3; tickets go on sale July 4.

At separate events, Tartakovsky and composer Danny Elfman will be feted with a Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award. Elfman’s award event includes a special screening of 1993 classic “The Nightmare Before Christmas” preceded by the world premiere of Eddie Alcazar’s animated short “Bullet Time,” both scored by Elfman.

Also screening opening night, Lee Chang-hee (“The Vanished’) and Yusron Fuadi’s class-divide crime...

It's not easy to make a name for yourself in the world of film and television, especially when everyone else is trying to do the same thing. Some talent, whether they be actors, writers, or filmmakers, get lucky in their first few projects, while others won't get to see the fruits of their industry labor until much further down the line. Clint Eastwood technically made his big screen debut in 1955 in an uncredited role in "Revenge of the Creature," yet kept finding himself in bit parts over the next few years. Even "Rawhide," the television western career gig that got his foot in the door, would take up seven and a half years of his life on CBS. But not only would the experience of starring in those eight seasons serve as a testing ground as for his directorial sensibilities, it would also prompt him to travel to Spain, where...

Lalo Schifrin, the five-time Grammy-winning composer of the Mission: Impossible theme and six-time Oscar nominated maestro on movies such as Dirty Harry, Cool Hand Luke, and Bullitt, has sadly died at the age of 93. As reported by Variety, the Argentine-American multi-instrumentalist passed away earlier today of complications related to pneumonia.

Born into a musical family in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 21 June, 1932, it wouldn't be inaccurate to say that music was in Boris Claudio Schifrin's blood. His father, Luis Schifrin, was the concertmaster of Buenos Aires' Philharmonic Orchestra, and by the tender age of just six, young Lalo had already begun a six-year course studying piano. Even a spell studying sociology and law at university as a young man couldn't distract Schifrin from his true calling: by the age of 20, Lalo — who had developed a particular love for jazz as a boy — found himself playing piano by night in the...

Lalo Schifrin, the legendary composer who penned the Mission: Impossible theme and did scores for more than 100 other films and TV shows ranging from The Cincinnati Kid, Cool Hand Luke and The Sting II to Dirty Harry and the Rush Hour trilogy, has died. He was 93.

His son, writer-director Ryan Schifrin, confirmed to Deadline that his father died “peacefully” on Thursday morning.

Also a pianist and conductor, Schifrin won four Grammys on 19 career nominations spanning 40 years and was six-time Academy Award nominee for The Sting II, The Competition, The Amityville Horror, Voyage of thye Damned, The Fox and Cool Hand Luke. He received an Honorary Oscar at the 2019 Governor Awards.

He earned three consecutive Grammy noms for the stirring, dramatic, 5/4-time Mission: Impossible theme from 1967-69, and variations of his composition have appeared in all of Tom Cruise’s M:i movies. Among those who worked on version of theme for those films are Hans Zimmer,...

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The 1989 "Batman" film, directed by Tim Burton, is a culturally pivotal movie. Its impact on Batman the character is hard to overstate, but for me, the most important part of the movie's legacy is Danny Elfman's score. His main "Batman" theme is legendary; the images of Batman moving through the shadows and standing atop a skyscraper or gliding above them are now inseparable from Elfman's orchestral horns.

But back in the 20th century, "Batman" movies didn't just have original scores, but tie-in songs from star musicians. Prince recorded a whole album for "Batman," including songs that appear in the movie (even diegetically; the Joker's gang brings a boombox along while trashing an art museum). For "Batman Returns," Elfman teamed up with Siouxsie and the Banshees for the single "Face to Face."

Joel Schumacher's two Batman films, "Batman Forever" and "Batman & Robin,...

From composer Danny Elfman, the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice score is coming to vinyl via Waxwork Records.

Pressed on “Ghost with the Most” swirl colored vinyl, the LP is housed alongside an 11×11 art print in a gatefold jacket featuring artwork by Ruiz Burgos.

Priced at $32, the album is expected to ship in August.

In the sequel to the 1988 classic, when Lydia Deetz’s teen daughter, Astrid, finds the town model in the attic of the family home, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns.

Tim Burton returns to direct from a script by “Wednesday” creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Jenna Ortega, and Willem Dafoe star.

Elfman is set to reunite with Sam Raimi on his survival thriller Send Help.

The post Danny Elfman’s ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Score Pressed...

Musicals can feel like a tough sell with their flashy songs and dance routines, but some films break through with gripping stories, sharp wit, or raw heart. These movies win over even those who cringe at spontaneous singing, feeling more like great cinema than stagey spectacles.

We’ve selected 10 movie musicals that ditch the Broadway fluff, ranked from captivating to unforgettable. Here’s why these films will hook you, even if musicals aren’t your vibe.

10. The Blues Brothers – English (1980) Universal Pictures

Jake and Elwood Blues race to save their orphanage with soulful tunes and wild car chases. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd’s deadpan humor keeps it grounded and gritty.

The soundtrack, featuring Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles, feels like a live show, not a musical. We’re hooked by its chaotic, soulful energy.

9. School of Rock – English (2003) Paramount Pictures

Jack Black’s fake teacher turns kids into a...

John August boards new Laika film

Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie screenwriter John August is returning to Laika for the still untitled project directed by Pete Candeland. Laika did not confirm any details on when they expect production to get underway on the upcoming stop-motion animated film.

“I’m thrilled to be back in the world of stop-motion animation working with a team of incredible artisans telling stories one frame at a time,” stated August. “Truly everything about stop-motion is time-consuming and difficult, but the results have a texture and authenticity that can’t be replicated. You can feel the fingerprints of everyone who touched it.”

August’s credits include Charlie’s Angels, Titan A.E., Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. August was nominated for BAFTA and Critics Choice awards in 2004 for Big Fish. In 2006, August shared a Grammy nominated with Danny Elfman in the Best Song Written for Motion Picture,...

If there's one superhero who's had many memorable themes, it's Batman. Each iteration on the Dark Knight has usually come with an earworm, all the way back to Neal Hefti's "Na-na-na-na-na, Batman!" opening in the 1960s "Batman" show. Danny Elfman's theme for the Tim Burton "Batman" movies, echoed by composer Shirley Walker on "Batman: The Animated Series," was classically operatic and became the Batman theme.

Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard's "Dark Knight" trilogy scores may not have received an Oscar, but it wasn't for lack of deserving one. Their primary theme, "Molossus," is intense and unrelenting but does not sacrifice creepiness. It's perfect for Christopher Nolan's dark and action-fueled Batman. Michael Giacchino's simple but effective theme for 2022's "The Batman" is the most ominous. It consistently rises in power, like fear sliding up a criminal's spine when they look into the shadows and see Batman.

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If you're in need of a Batman fix, you can't go wrong with "Batman: The Animated Series." Since its premiere in 1992, many have deemed this Batman show to be the definitive take on the Dark Knight. A lot of what we consider to be the archetypal Batman comes from the series. Gothic atmosphere dripped from its animation frames and the orchestral score sounded right out of the Tim Burton "Batman" films. On the topic of sound: The late Kevin Conroy, who provided the voice performance for Batman/Bruce Wayne, was the ideal actor for the character.

The relatively mature storytelling of "Batman: The Animated Series" also redefined expectations about what an American children's cartoon could be. Yet its ambitious writing was also economical; stories fit into tight 22-minute runtimes. At its best, "Batman" felt less like mere cartoon episodes and more like short films,...

Alf Clausen, the longtime composer on The Simpsons who scored countless iconic moments on the animated series, has died at the age of 84.

The Emmy-winning composer died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles following an eight-year battle with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), Clausen’s daughter told the Hollywood Reporter.

Clausen served as composer on The Simpsons from the series’ second season in 1990 (starting with the inaugural “Treehouse of Horror” episode) through its 28th season in 2017, after which he was — to the chagrin of the show’s fans — fired in a controversial cost-cutting move.

Sad news in the world of The Simpsons: Longtime composer Alf Clausen has passed away at the age of 84 . Sure, Danny Elfman wrote the show’s theme song (with an assist from The Jetsons), but it was Clausen who consistently gave the show a true sense of majesty, whether it was a memorably playful ditty about a city made entirely of chocolate…

…or a wistful piece to accompany one of the show’s most emotional scenes.

And we have 11 words for you: Stop the Planet of the Apes I Want to Get Off!

Before his time at The Simpsons, Clausen was the orchestrator for some of the biggest movie comedies of all-time, such as The Naked Gun and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. He was also the composer for the show Alf, prior to his Pog-based comeback. Yes, Alf co-wrote the theme song to Alf.

But when The Simpsons first began,...

Alf Clausen, the veteran composer with two Emmy wins and 30 nominations whose whimsical scores brightened such television series as The Simpsons, Moonlighting and, purely coincidentally, Alf, has died. He was 84.

Clausen died Thursday at his Valley Village home in Los Angeles, his daughter, Kaarin Clausen, told The Hollywood Reporter. He was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy about eight years ago, she said.

From The Simpsons‘ second season in 1990 until its 28th in 2017, Clausen crafted many of the spirited melodies that contributed to the cutting-edge lunacy of the Fox animated show. From 23 Emmy nominations, he — along with lyricist Ken Keeler — won in 1997 and ’98 for the songs “We Put the Spring in Springfield” and “You’re Checkin’ In (A Musical Tribute to the Betty Ford Center).”

His harmonious relationship with the show would not last, however, with Clausen filing a lawsuit against Disney and Fox in August 2019 after he was dismissed from The Simpsons.

On May 22, 2017, Universal unveiled its Dark Universe, a new, interconnected series of movies based on the studio’s beloved stable of classic movie monsters. They even released a photo, which looked real enough until you started to see the seams, with Johnny Depp (set to play the Invisible Man); Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde (Russell Crowe); Frankenstein’s Monster (Javier Bardem); along with Tom Cruise and Sofia Boutella, both mummies and both stars of “The Mummy,” which was set to open later that same summer and kick off the shared, monster-filled universe.

The sky – with an ominous, full moon perched right in the middle of it – was seemingly the limit. Then it all came crashing down, only to be resurrected in sunny Orlando, Florida.

Best laid plans

In addition to the previously announced actors that were set to undergo a monstrous transformation, Angelina Jolie was rumored for a “Bride of Frankenstein...

Danny Elfman will reunite with Sam Raimi to compose the score for the survival thriller Send Help.

“I’m just finishing a score for Gus Van Sant and a really fun thriller,” the composer told journalist Andrew Freund. “And then I start another thriller with Sam Raimi that they just finished shooting in Australia called Send Help.”

The two icons of cinema previously collaborated on Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Oz the Great and Powerful, A Simple Plan, Darkman, and the Army of Darkness theme. Elfman also cameoed in Raimi’s The Gift.

Send Help lands in theaters on January 30, 2026 from 20th Century Studios.

It follows two colleagues who become stranded on a deserted island after surviving a plane crash. They must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, but ultimately, it is a battle of wills and wits to make it out alive.

Eddie Alcazar is the under-the-radar, up-and-coming visionary filmmaker who’s collaborated with everyone from Steven Soderbergh to Darren Aronofsky and The Weeknd. Soderbergh executive-produced Alcazar’s 2018 sci-fi debut “Perfect” before teaming up with the filmmaker again for his 2023 black-and-white Sundance premiere “Divinity,” which IndieWire deemed one of that year’s “best-looking movies.”

Aronofsky, meanwhile, executive-produced Alcazar’s short film “The Vandal,” released by New Yorker Studios in 2021. And filmmaker Alcazar, who also works as a writer and game developer, also wrote and directed The Weeknd’s stop-motion music video “Red Terror” earlier this year.

But Alcazar’s next project is “Bullet Time,” a hand-drawn TV pilot, fours years in the making, that he created and directed that tributes the Golden Age of ’90s animation. Alcazar hopes the DIY, tactile approach to the storytelling will be an antidote to AI-driven times. Danny Elfman also composed the music.

IndieWire debuts a first...

Universal’s innovative new theme park, Epic Universe, is officially now open in Orlando, Florida, and welcoming guests to explore five exciting new lands. One of which is Dark Universe, the highly detailed realm featuring Universal Classic Monsters.

Compared to its counterparts, the gothic village of Darkmoor makes for one of the smaller lands available to explore. But what it lacks in square footage, it more than makes up for in its impressive level of immersion. Every detail matters, from shops to interactive taverns, in Dark Universe’s epic lore and storytelling centered around Dr. Victoria Frankenstein and Universal’s best dark ride to date: Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment.

Frankenstein Manor, home of Monsters Unchained. Photo Credit: Bloody Disgusting/Meagan Navarro

Dark Universe brings new canon to the Classic Monsters through Monsters Unchained; Dr. Victoria Frankenstein is the great-great-granddaughter of Henry, the scientist pioneer responsible for one of horror’s classic icons.