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Exclusive:Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler’s UK-us outfit Maven Screen Media, in Cannes as producers of Scarlett Johansson’sUn Certain Regard title Eleanor The Great, are lining up their next film Rose’s Baby, which Styler will direct and in which Antonio Banderas will appear.

It will shoot this summer in London.

Beta Cinema has international rights, with CAA representing North America. Piers Tempest’s Tempo Productions is also producing.

“It’s about a dysfunctional divorced couple who can’t bear each other,” said Rattray, who said Banderas will play the father. “The only thing they agree on is...

From playing a ballet-trained assassin to potentially starring as an old-Hollywood icon, Ana de Armas isn't backing down from taking risks in her acting career. While promoting the upcoming John Wick spin-off Ballerina, the Oscar nominee told Entertainment Tonight that she would be game to lead the Netflix adaptation of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Fans have actively mentioned her as the ideal candidate to portray the titular character, given that she was born in Cuba (similarly to the protagonist) and had already shown her capacity to play a '50s silver-screen star in Blonde.

De Armas noted during the interview that she is always open to tackling different genres and stories, noting that the role is appealing to her. Here is what she said:

"I would love that. I think one of the things that I love about acting and my career, is being able to do everything.

Eiza González got a big endorsement from Natalie Portman to play the titled role in the film adaptation of the Taylor Jenkins Reid novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

While promoting her latest film, Ash, González appeared on E! News’ The Rundown, where host Erin Lim said she was fan-casting her as Evelyn Hugo.

“I love the writer,” González said while revealing she was online pen pals with Reid before Evelyn Hugo. “We followed each other [on social media] and she would send me all her new books ahead of time, which I was such a fan of. I love Taylor, she’s so talented.”

González said she loved that book and found it to be “incredible,” saying it was “the biggest honor” that fans are envisioning her for that role.

The Baby Driver alum said that while filming The Fountain of Youth, co-star Natalie Portman told her, “I can’t think...

With Maggie Betts directing and Liz Tigelaar writing, Netflix’s take on ‘Evelyn Hugo’ is starting to take shape.

I always get a little nervous when a great book gets turned into a movie - sometimes, the magic of the story just doesn’t translate. But when it’s done right, it can be something special. That’s what I’m hoping for with “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s beloved novel. The book has everything you’d want in a Hollywood drama - glamour, scandal, heartbreak -and now, with director Maggie Betts at the helm, the film is finally moving forward. Here’s everything you need to know about “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.”

Everything you need to know about ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’:

What is ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ about?

When will the...

Before she was pumping it up in the Oscar nominated body horror film The Substance, one of Margaret Qualley’s earliest film roles was in the 2017 drama Novitiate. Written and directed by Maggie Betts in her feature debut, Novitiate stars Qualley in her first lead role as Cathleen, an aspiring nun questioning her faith. The film takes place during the 1960s, a pivotal time for the Catholic Church when Pope John Xxiii called the Second Vatican Council with the intention of modernizing the church’s practices. In Novitiate, Qualley shows off her potential as a strong dramatic actress, and the film is bolstered by a delightfully terrifying performance from Melissa Leo as the brutal Mother Superior and a brief but impactful performance from the underrated Dianna Agron. Novitiate is a thought-provoking look at the cult-like environment of the fictional Sisters of the Beloved Rose convent and the harmful effects of...

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has found a new director!

More than two week after it was announced that director Leslye Headland had exited the project, it was reported on Tuesday (February 11) that The Burial director Maggie Betts has signed on to direct the upcoming Netflix adaption of the New York Times best-selling novel.

Keep reading to find out more…Along with directing the movie, Deadline reports that Maggie will also be co-writing the script with Liz Tigelaar, who previously served as showrunner on the Hulu miniseries Little Fires Everywhere.

Written by Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is about a reclusive, iconic Hollywood starlet Evelyn Hugo, who enlists unknown reporter Monique Grant to write her tell-all book, which will chronicle her life story and rise to fame during the golden age of Hollywood.

We have come up with our dream cast for the movie!

Buy...

Netflix’s long-awaited adaptation of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has found its new director and is back on track, it would appear. The Burialfilmmaker Maggie Betts has officially signed on to direct the film, taking over from Leslye Headland, who confirmed her departure from the project last month. Betts will also co-write the script alongside Little Fires Everywhere showrunner Liz Tigelaar, according to a report this morning from Deadline. Liza Chasin and Brad Mendelsohn will be serving as producers, while author Taylor Jenkins Reid and Margaret Chernin are on board as executive producers.

Filmmaker Maggie Betts has been tapped to direct “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” for Netflix after Leslye Headland’s departure from the project.

Betts, whose credits include Amazon MGM’s Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones-led legal drama “The Burial” and Sony Pictures Classic’s 2017 drama “Novitiate,” will also co-write the screenplay with Liz Tigelaar.

Adapted from Taylor Jenkins Reid’s best-selling 2017 novel, “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” follows a fictional Old Hollywood star who gives a final interview to an unknown journalist. During her tell-all, the fiercely private celebrity pulls back the curtain on the true story of her infamous seven marriages and other wild tales of showbiz scandals, betrayals and woes.

Netflix picked up rights in 2022 but the project has yet to get off the ground. Fans of the novel have been vocal about wanting Jessica Chastain to play the title role of Evelyn Hugo,...

Exclusive: Netflix’s adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s New York Times best-selling novel The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo has gained some momentum, as sources tell Deadline The Burial director Maggie Betts has come on to direct the film. Betts will co-write the script with Liz Tigelaar. Liza Chasin will produce for 3Dot Productions along with Brad Mendelsohn for Circle Management + Production.

The book has spent 120 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller Paperback, six years after publishing, and has turned into a TikTok book phenomenon before Netflix landed the rights. The story is set during a long awaited interview with a young journalist, where Evelyn Hugo, an aging Hollywood starlet, pulls back the curtain on her seven marriages, and as she tells tales of Hollywood scandals, betrayals, and woe, she unveils shocking truths about her own life and the lives of everyone around her. Jenkins Reid and Margaret Chernin will exec produce.

Coralie Fargeat bet big on herself and won, as her decision to turn down a big MCU director gig to focus on her passion project, The Substance, led her to an Academy Award nomination. Fargeat's The Substance has become one of the ultimate underdog stories of the awards season race, as the movie's original financer, Universal Pictures, dropped the project before being picked up by a smaller distributor, Mubi. The body horror film, starring Demi Moore, seemed like a tough sell on paper, but it has since gone on to gross $76 million worldwide and defied expectations. The Substance is a full-throttle gore fest that scored a Best Picture nomination at the 97th Academy Awards, with Fargeat earning a Best Director and Best Original Screenplay nomination.

Things might have gone very differently if Fargeat had considered Marvel Studios' offer. According to Variety, Fargeat was in consideration to direct Black Widow. Despite being broke at the time,...

Scott Feinstein, a veteran film publicist at 42West and fixture in indie film circles, has been promoted to President, Entertainment Marketing Division (Emd). Previously Executive Vice President, Feinstein will now work jointly with Presidents Tom Piechura in New York and Annalee Paulo in Los Angeles to oversee the department’s operational functions, manage staff and collaborate in the overall growth of the division.

42West’s Entertainment Marketing Division develops and executes integrated publicity campaigns for films, TV, podcasts, filmmakers, production companies, film festivals, and more. Feinstein began at the company in 2005, working with filmmakers including Martin Scorsese, David Chase, Rebecca Miller, Maggie Betts, Lissette Feliciano, Ramin Bahrani, production companies including Mattel Films, ShadowMachine, Euro Gang, Roddenberry Entertainment, and distributors including Sony Pictures Classics, Apple TV+, IFC Films, National Geographic, HBO Documentary Films, Vertical and many more. He is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys

2024 Oscars Predictions:

Best Adapted Screenplay Oppenheimer, from left: Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, 2023. © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Weekly Commentary: Cord Jefferson stands on the brink of potentially making history in the adapted screenplay category with “American Fiction,” potentially becoming only the second...

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys

2024 Oscars Predictions:

Best Achievement in Directing The Zone Of Interest, 2023. © A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection

Weekly Commentary: Christopher Nolan… in a walk. It’s not really worth going over any other potential upsets, but if you prefer — Jonathan Glazer for “The Zone of Interest.”

After a year hit with Hollywood...

Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2023, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.

After 2022 left me feeling a bit out in weeds in regards to film culture, I came into 2023 a pessimist and left with a rejuvenated belief that the movies are, indeed, back. This year was overflowing with riches, to the point where even up until this very moment I’m mentally swapping in and out some titles for the list you’re about to see of my annual favorites.

There’s just too many gems I don’t want to leave behind, and they came in all shapes and sizes. From some of my favorite directors making highly anticipated returns (including one for their final feature) to filmmakers I’ve always been cold on for the first time making something that has nestled its way into my heart...

Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones make for an unlikely legal team in the courtroom drama The Burial, directed by Maggie Betts, which was recently released on Prime Video. The Burial, which is based on real-life events, tells the story of Jeremiah "Jerry" O'Keefe, a Mississippi-based funeral director and owner of several funeral homes across the state who hires a flashy and ambitious personal injury lawyer named Willie E. Gary. Gary is an up-and-coming trial lawyer who has never lost a case and agrees to take on Jerry's civil suit against a large corporation called the Loewen Group, which has reneged on a contract between the two parties. Foxx has never been better and shares a surprising and charming chemistry with the salty Jones who is excellent per usual. The pacing of the film clicks along wonderfully and leads to a nailbiting ending when we have to wait for a...

Maggie Betts, writer-director of The Burial, spoke about her film’s Oscar-winning stars Saturday at Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles event. Jamie Foxx plays a lawyer representing a funeral home owner (Tommy Lee Jones) in a lawsuit against a big corporation. Betts learned she had to give Foxx space for his process.

“He never does the same take twice,” Betts said. “He doesn’t like to rehearse. I think he only drops in five minutes before. That’s Jamie’s process. The results are extraordinary. He likes to do four takes and then he wants direction at that point.”

By contrast, Jones is all about rehearsal and preparation. But the test for Betts came during preproduction meetings with Jones. He spoke about his Texas ranch at length, and paying attention paid off for Betts.

“The next Zoom I had, he was in Argentina,” Betts said. “He was talking about...

Amazon Prime Video's latest legal drama, The Burial, has an all-star cast portraying complex and compelling characters. 

Directed by Maggie Betts, The Burial is based on the true story of how a lawyer named Willie E. Gary represented Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe against the Loewen Funeral Group, tackling themes of corruption within a huge corporation. 

After its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023, The Burial was released on Prime Video on October 13.

Read full article on The Direct.

The Burial is an acclaimed legal drama with a stellar cast, including Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones, based on a true story. The movie explores economic exploitation and racial injustice within the funeral business, exposing a larger network of corruption. Director Maggie Betts delivers a strong sophomore effort, while the cast, including rising star Mamoudou Athie, gives standout performances.

An acclaimed legal drama with a stellar cast, The Burial features two Oscar-winning actors in the roles of its main characters along with many other talented performers. The Burial is based on a true story, taking inspiration from Jonathan Harr’s article of the same name published in The New Yorker in 1999, about a charismatic personal injury lawyer who took up the case of the financially struggling owner of a funeral home. As this duo goes against a corporate giant in the funeral business, the Prime Video original movie's plot...

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on Wbgr-fm on October 12th, 2023, reviewing “The Burial,” a courtroom drama featuring Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jone. Streaming on Prime Video since October 13th.

Rating: 2.5/5.0

The film involves funeral home owner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones), who brings a lawsuit against the Lowewen Group, a Canadian company looking to corner the funeral market in the 1990s. This is a contract case, but in a unprecedented move O’Keefe decides to hire Willie E. Gary (Jamie Foxx) a flashy black personal injury lawyer. So in a counter movie, CEO Raymond Loewen (Bill Camp) hires Mame Downes (Jurnee Smollett), a female black lawyer from the more legitimate side of the legal world, to face off against Gary. Who is gonna out-lawyer the other?

”The Burial” is streaming on Prime Video since October 13th. Featuring Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones,...

The film The Burial takes creative liberties to emphasize racial tension, a central theme not present in the actual case it is based on. This highlights the power of filmmakers to shed light on under-explored aspects of historical events. The portrayal of self-sufficient Black female attorneys in the film deviates from the all-male legal team in real life. This creative choice was made to focus on the female experience and challenge the trope of a white savior in race-driven narratives. The film exposes the racist implications of a deal between The Loewen Group and the Black National Baptist Convention, showcasing the exploitation of the African-American community. This narrative choice emphasizes the truth behind capitalistic manipulation and adds depth to the overall themes of the film.

The Burial, starring Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones, is a film that navigates the line between fact and fiction, showcasing the power of telling stories inspired by true events.

Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Burial

The Burial is a true story that highlights the victory of Jerry O'Keefe and Willie Gary in a contract lawsuit against the Loewen Group. The case was a David vs. Goliath situation, with Jerry and Willie taking on a greedy corporation that exploited Black communities for profit. Despite facing challenges and opposition, Willie Gary stayed loyal to Jerry's case due to personal connections and the potential to make a name for himself as an attorney.

The Burial ends with Jerry O’Keefe and Willie Gary winning the contract lawsuit case against the Loewen Group. Directed by Maggie Betts, The Burial is based on a true story and its setup is an old-fashioned one that pits a well-meaning man against a greedy business. The win is palpable, with Jerry, the owner of a funeral home and burial insurance business, essentially being awarded millions...

The Burial is a star-powered dramedy inspired by a true story, directed by Maggie Betts and co-written with Doug Wright. The film boasts an impressive cast including Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, and Jurnee Smollet, and has received positive reviews. The Burial is based on a 1999 article and has been in development for over two decades, with multiple filmmakers attached before Betts took over.

The Burial is a star-powered dramedy inspired by true events. The film was directed by Maggie Betts (Novitiate) as her third feature-length effort, and is her best-reviewed project to date. Betts also co-wrote the film with Doug Wright, a playwright and screenwriter who won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a Best Play Tony Award for his 2004 play I Am My Own Wife.

Prime Video’s new film boasts an impressive cast led by Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, and Jurnee Smollet, with supporting players including...

Plot: A nearly bankrupt funeral home owner (Tommy Lee Jones) is screwed in a deal by an unscrupulous, corporately run competitor. He enlists the aid of a flashy personal injury lawyer (Jamie Foxx) in a court case that blows the lid off of dishonest practices in the industry.

Review: Maggie Betts’ The Burial was the biggest surprise of this year’s TIFF. Set for a limited, one-week run in theatres on October 6th before making its streaming debut on Prime Video on October 13th, it feels like the streamer doesn’t really know what a high-quality film they have on their hands. Based on the true story of Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe (Jones), a kindly, honest funeral home owner who was nearly bankrupted by a massive corporate competitor, the Loewen Group, it’s a highly entertaining David vs. Goliath tale that has two potentially award-worthy performances at its heart.

Both...

When filmmaker Maggie Betts premiered her feature debut, the stunning period piece “Novitiate,” at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, the drama starring Margaret Qualley as a young nun took a path many other films had already followed. It showed to strong reviews (including from this writer), earned Betts a Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Director, was bought at the festival by Sony Pictures Classics for an estimated 7-digit price, got a theatrical release in the heat of the fall season, and even picked up some awards buzz for co-star Melissa Leo.

These days, that once-traditional route is a vestige of the past, as the theatrical landscape continues to shift and festival buys grow slimmer. But while Betts readily admits she’s had to change her ambitions to suit the ecosystem, that hasn’t diminished her work. It has, however, altered it a bit. For one thing, it took her six years...

The Burial is a legal drama film directed by Maggie Betts from a screenplay by Betts and Doug Wright. Loosely based on the true story of lawyer Willie E. Gary and his client Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe, the Prime Video film follows the story of their lawsuit against the Loewen funeral company, as it was documented by Jonathan Harr in a New Yorker article. The Burial stars Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones in the lead roles. So, if you loved the Prime Video film here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Michael Clayton (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Warner Bros.

Synopsis: Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an in-house “fixer” at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. At the behest of the firm’s co- founder Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack), Clayton, a former prosecutor from a family of cops, takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen’s dirtiest work.

A wacky film based on a stage show by comedians Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp, Dicks: The Musical – a riff on The Parent Trap with two adult men as the starring twins — opens in seven theaters in NY, LA and San Francisco on a crowded specialty weekend as theatrical releases of fall film festival titles accelerates.

Dicks, from A24, developed by Chernin Entertainment, is, according to press notes, a first “adult musical comedy” for both. (It’s Chernin’s second musical after hit The Greatest Showman.) Directed by Larry Charles, it stars the two creators Jackson and Sharp as self-obsessed businessmen who discover they’re long-lost identical twins and come together to plot the reunion of their eccentric divorced parents. They’re joined by an A-list roster of Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Bowen Yang and Megan Thee Stallion.

A SAG-AFTRA interim agreement allowed the talent to promote the film at TIFF,...

Tommy Lee Jones, Jamie Foxx in The Burial Image: Prime Video The Jamie Foxx courtroom drama The Burial is inspired by the true story of African American lawyer Willie E. Gary, his funeral director client Jeremiah O’Keefe, and the seminal 1995 lawsuit they filed against the vast Canadian corporation The Loewen Group.

Tommy Lee Jones, Jamie Foxx in The BurialImage: Prime Video

The Jamie Foxx courtroom drama The Burial is inspired by the true story of African American lawyer Willie E. Gary, his funeral director client Jeremiah O’Keefe, and the seminal 1995 lawsuit they filed against the vast Canadian corporation The Loewen Group.

There’s a story of thrillingly righteous indignation sitting at the core of Maggie Betts’s The Burial. This flashy legal melodrama is fitfully stirring but too flabby to deliver the walloping blow that it needs. The high points are delivered primarily by Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones, who make a good effort to fill in the gaps left by the spotty screenplay.

Based on a New Yorker article by A Civil Action author Jonathan Harr, the film works as hard to get its audience interested in contract law as Foxx’s high-octane personal injury lawyer, Willie Gary, does when whipping up a jury’s emotions about arcane legal matters. The case in question pits Mississippi funeral home director Jeremiah O’Keefe (Jones) against the Loewen Group, a funeral home and cemetery company, after the conglomerate stalled on an agreement to buy some of the man’s locations, possibly to run him out of business.

There’s been a shocking amount of horror movies released in August and September. Now that it’s October, it’s going to seem far more appropriate, with the month starting off with a doozie. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.

Way back in 1973, William Peter Blatty‘s 1971 novel, “The Exorcist,” was adapted into a movie by the late William Friedkin, becoming a huge theatrical phenomenon that is still thought of as one of the scariest horror movies ever made. It introduced many Americans to the idea of possession and exorcism, making household names of Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn, both who received Oscar nominations. The movie received 10 bids total, winning for Blatty’s screenplay and the sound.

Fifty years later and filmmaker David Gordon Green has followed his mostly successful “Halloween” sequel trilogy with “The Exorcist: Believer,” the first of three movies in the works. The...

Exclusive: Writer-director Maggie Betts has signed with WME for representation.

Her latest film, The Burial starring Jamie Foxx, Jurnee Smollett and Tommy Lee Jones, premiered to rave reviews at Toronto Film Festival last month and will be released theatrically by Amazon/MGM on October 6.

Related: ‘The Burial’ Review: Jamie Foxx And Tommy Lee Jones Lead Rousing David Vs. Goliath Deep South Legal Story – Toronto Film Festival

Betts’ debut feature Novitiate premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Jury Award for Direction, and was picked up for distribution by Sony Pictures Classics. She also was nominated for a Gotham Award for Breakthrough Director.

Related: ‘The Burial’ Trailer: Jamie Foxx & Tommy Lee Jones In A Legal Matter From Maggie Betts

Betts continues to be managed by Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

Enter the contest below (be sure to enter the following code when prompted: Nerdzro) for the chance to win a pair of passes to attend an advance screening of The Burial on Thursday, October 12, 2023 at 7:00pm at the Emagine Royal Oak!

Synopsis: Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story. Based on The New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr.

About The Film Genre: Drama Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Jamie Foxx, Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, Pamela Reed, with Bill Camp, Alan Ruck Director: Maggie Betts Screenplay: Doug Wright, Maggie Betts Producer: Jamie Foxx, Jenette Kahn, Celine Rattray, Adam Richman,...

With Halloween right around the corner, viewers have plenty of seasonal titles to choose from in October. But there’s more than horror to look forward to in theaters and on your favorite streaming services this month, from Prime Video to Hulu. Loki and Our Flag Means Death both return for new seasons, as does, somehow, Frasier (though most of its cast will be nowhere to be seen).

Beyond that, we’ll be getting big new movies, including one of the year’s most-anticipated films from Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon...

In select theaters October 6 and streaming Globally on Prime Video October 13 is The Burial.

Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story. The cast includes Tommy Lee Jones, Jamie Foxx, Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, Pamela Reed, with Bill Camp, and Alan Ruck.

Rated R.

The Advance Screening is this Monday night, October 2, 7pm at Ronnies. Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.

Enter At The Link:

https://amazonscreenings.com/DUbbF97251

The Burial is directed by Maggie Betts, story by Doug Wright with the screenplay by Doug Wright and Maggie Betts. Based on The New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr.

October 2023 will bring a mix of horror movies, a Martin Scorsese project, and a Taylor Swift concert film to the theaters. September had big theatrical releases, but October will bring highly anticipated movies, some of which will be available to stream. The movies coming in October include a new Exorcist installment, a horror movie based on a popular Twitter thread, and Martin Scorsese's crime drama.

With Halloween fast approaching, October 2023 will see the arrival of a couple of horror movies, as well as Martin Scorsese’s latest project and a concert movie from a very popular pop singer. September welcomed some big releases and movies from different franchises, such as the final installment in The Equalizer trilogy, The Nun II, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, and Expend4bles. September also kicked off spooky season with movies like A Haunting in Venice and Saw X, and also welcomed Gareth Edwards’ latest project,...

While many thought this year’s edition of the Toronto International Film Festival would be quiet due to the SAG/AFTRA/WGA strikes, even if the red carpets were empty, TIFF’s lineup was as strong as ever. With American Fiction having nabbed the People’s Choice Award and many of the entries generating some serious Oscar buzz, as a way of wrapping up our coverage of the fest, here are some of our picks for the best movies that played at the festival. While they can’t all be winners (a double bill of Chris Pine’s Poolman and Harmony Korine’s Aggro Dr1ft just about killed me), there were way more good movies than bad, and many of the titles below should be coming out relatively soon.

The Holdovers:

Alexander Payne makes a welcome return with his first movie since Downsizing back in 2017. He’s ditched the high-concept,...

Greta Lee and Teo Yoo in Past Lives; Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer; Emma Stone in Poor Things; Jeffrey Wright in American FictionImage: Images courtesy A24, Universal Pictures, Searchlight Pictures, Orion

Now that the big film festivals in Toronto, Telluride and Venice are all wrapped up, it’s time to start...

Sports and music representation powerhouse Wasserman has finalized its acquisition of Brillstein Entertainment Partners, the venerable Hollywood management and production company. Terms were not disclosed. Deadline exclusively revealed the acquisition talks back in February.

Wasserman chairman and CEO Casey Wasserman and Brillstein co-CEOs Cynthia Pett and Jon Liebman made the announcement. It puts Wasserman, grandson of the iconic Hollywood representative and studio chief Lew Wasserman, directly into the film and TV representation and production game for the first time. It is the second strategic alignment for Wasserman, who took over the lucrative music touring business that was once the most profitable part of the Paradigm agency, at a time when the pandemic grounded live touring revenues.

It would be the latest move in management after 3Arts made a deal with Lionsgate, and Range Media Partners linked with Automatik.

Wasserman, Pett and Liebman believe their cultures will mesh in their compatible business and staffs.

Updated with latest: The Toronto Film Festival began September 7 in Ontario with opening-night movie The Boy and the Heron, from Oscar-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. It kicked off a lineup for the fest’s 48th edition that included world premieres of GameStop pic Dumb Money, Netflix’s Pain Hustlers, Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins, Kristin Scott Thomas’ Scarlett Johansson pic North Star, Chris Pine’s Poolman, Michael Keaton-directed Knox Goes Away, Anna Kendrick’s Woman of the Hour, Atom Egoyan’s Seven Veils, Michael Winterbottom’s Shoshana, Grant Singer’s Reptile, Viggo Mortensen’s The Dead Don’t Hurt, Lee Tamahori’s The Convert and Alex Gibney’s doc In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon.

It ended Sunday when Cord Jefferson’s satire American Fiction won TIFF’s People’s Choice Award for best film, usually a steppingstone to a strong awards season to come.

The fest also...

What will the people choose?

In its final stretch, on Sunday, the Toronto International Film Festival will announce the film chosen by the public for the People’s Choice Award of its 48th edition. After “Poor Things” took home the Golden Lion at Venice, we look to the Canadian awards season staple to boost a film in the hunt for best picture.

The top prize has become one of the most vital predictors of awards season success. In past years, best picture winners such as Peter Farrelly’s “Green Book” (2018) and Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland” (2020) made a winning stop at TIFF before getting Oscar glory. Other TIFF Audience Award recipients such as “The Fabelmans” (2022), “Belfast” (2021), “Jojo Rabbit” (2019), “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017) and “La La Land” (2016) are among the movies that went on to receive noms.

So, which movies are buzzing with support? The movie that wins at TIFF is...

The Burial tells the story of funeral home owner and former politician Jerry O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) and his case against the Loewen Group, spearheaded by flashy personal injury lawyer Willie E. Gary (Jamie Foxx). The film, based on a real case in Hinds County, Mississippi, in 1995, is the sophomore narrative feature from Maggie Betts, with a screenplay by Doug Wright and Betts.

O’Keefe is the father of 13 children with 22 grandchildren and a mountain of debt he’s been hiding from everyone, including his wife (Pamela Reed). And at his age, his focus is on securing his legacy to make sure his large family is taken care of after he’s gone. Though he owns multiple funeral homes, debt has forced him to sell. His attorney and friend Mike Allred (Alan Ruck) sets up a meeting with Raymond Loewen (Bill Camp), the billionaire owner of the Loewen Group, who...

Toronto – Considering the explicit gravity of her previous films, “The Burial” is an unexpected detour for filmmaker Maggie Betts. Likely considered a dramatic comedy by most, the MGM release centers on a 1995 lawsuit where a Mississippi small businessman, Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones), took the Loewen Group, a Canadian funerals services company, to court. It was a case that quickly transformed from what was assumed to just be a “he said, he said” contract dispute into a revelation of true corporate greed.

Continue reading ‘The Burial’ Review: Jamie Foxx Rules In This Uneven Courtroom Dramedy [TIFF] at The Playlist.

While it’s easy to imagine lawyers screaming “objection, your honor!” to the exaggerated courtroom theatrics of “The Burial,” good luck convincing audiences that this David v. Goliath legal showdown between a small-time Southern funeral home operator and an unethical Canadian billionaire should have played out any other way. Demonstrating talents far beyond her 2017 indie debut, “The Novitiate,” director Maggie Betts has a rousing old-school crowd-pleaser on her hands with this truth-based (albeit strategically embellished) drama featuring the most entertaining performance yet from Jamie Foxx, who makes a day in court feel like going to church.

Foxx plays Willie E. Gary, a Southern Baptist personal injury lawyer who channels the spirit of evangelical preachers every time he practices law — hardly the counsel you’d expect to see representing Jeremiah “Jerry” O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones), a 75-year-old business owner in Biloxi, Miss. But then, that unlikely partnership between a charismatic...

The Burial is a not-so-great title; it sounds like a horror film. I hope it doesn’t keep people away from this highly entertaining, crowd-pleasing movie that otherwise is an example of what good old fashioned Hollywood filmmaking can still be all about in the right hands. It feels bigger than life, but it is based on some pretty big lives indeed.

This lively courtroom true story has taken awhile to get to its closeup. Inspired by a November 1999 New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr, The Burial, which provides choice lead roles for Oscar winners Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx, has taken a long circuitous route to production. Directors like Jonathan Demme and Ron Howard were in and out along the way until it finally wound up in the hands of Maggie Betts, best known for 2017’s wildly different religious drama Novitiate.

With an initial draft script by Tony and Pulitzer winner Doug Wright,...

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 actor Jamie Foxx will soon be seen in a courtroom in Prime Video's upcoming legal comedy-drama, The Burial.

Directed by Maggie Betts, the film features the Academy Award-winning actors, Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones, joined by a supporting cast that includes Jurnee Smollett, Bill Camp, and Alan Ruck. Prime Video has released the first trailer.

Related: Fox Orders a New Jaime Foxx Series Co-Starring the Actor's Daughter

Based on Jonathan Harr's 1999 The New Yorker piece of the same name which documented the true story of lawyer Willie E. Gary (played by Foxx) and his client Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe (played by Jones) about their lawsuit against Loewen funeral, a multimillion-dollar company. Guided by Gary, O'Keefe fights a legal battle against the company owned by Raymond Loewen (portrayed by Camp), shedding light on the deceptions within the funeral industry, while also giving viewers a glimpse into Gary's life,...

Oscar winner Jamie Foxx (Ray) stars as a lawyer with an incredible track record and Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive) plays his newest client in Prime Video’s The Burial. And a word of warning for those who dislike spoilers: While the trailer’s entertaining, you may want to steer clear of the nearly three-minute video as it gives away a lot of the plot.

Joining Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx in the R-rated drama are Jurnee Smollett (Lovecraft Country), Mamoudou Athie (Jurassic World Dominion), Pamela Reed (NCIS: Los Angeles), Bill Camp (American Rust), and Alan Ruck (Succession). Maggie Betts and Doug Wright co-wrote the screenplay, based on Jonathan Harr’s The New Yorker article, with Betts directing.

Jamie Foxx, Celine Rattray, Trudie Styler, Datari Turner, Jenette Kahn, Adam Richman, and Bobby Shriver served as producers.

The Burial will open in select theaters on October 6, 2023 followed by...

"The Burial" is a new 'legal drama' feature, directed by Maggie Betts based on the true story of lawyer 'Willie E. Gary' and his client 'Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe' and their lawsuit against the 'Loewen' funeral company, starring Jamie Foxx as 'Gary' and Tommy Lee Jones as 'O'Keefe', releasing October 6, 2023 in theaters and followed by streaming October 13, 2023 on Prime Video:

"... in 1995, 'Willie E. Gary', an unconventional personal injury lawyer with an impressive track record, helps bankrupt funeral homeowner 'Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe' sue the 'Loewen' funeral company led by 'Raymond Loewen' as a result of a contractual dispute. Gary ultimately won a $500 million jury verdict and the Loewen company filed for bankruptcy..."

Click the images to enlarge...

Oscar winners Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones team up for a lighthearted drama in the trailer for Prime Video’s upcoming film The Burial.

The official description: “When a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story.”

The film is inspired by a true story that was chronicled in a New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr (Doug Wright and Maggie Betts wrote the screenplay, with Betts directing).

The trailer comes months after the 55-year-old Foxx suffered a mysterious health scare in April.

The Burial is coming to select theaters Oct. 6, and streams globally on Prime Video beginning Oct. 13.

Two Academy Award winners, Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx, star in the legal drama The Burial. The film explores corporate corruption and racial injustice as the unlikely pair battle against the Loewen funeral company. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Maggie Betts, The Burial features a talented ensemble cast and is a special project for Foxx.

Two Academy Award winners unite in the first trailer for the upcoming legal drama The Burial starring Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx. Coming courtesy of Prime Video, The Burial is based on the true story of true story of unorthodox lawyer Willie E. Gary and his client Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe and their lawsuit against the Loewen funeral company. You can check out the newly released trailer for The Burial below.

“Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral home owner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E.

Jamie Foxx may have had to bounce back from health issues this year, but the star has always been a worker. The trailer for his new comedy/drama has just been released from Amazon for its streaming platform, Prime Video. The Burial is a new legal movie that is based on true events and pairs Foxx up with Tommy Lee Jones. Foxx plays a charismatic lawyer named Willie E. Gary, who is a force to be reckoned with in court as he has not lost a case in 12 years.

The cast for the new courtroom film includes Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx, and they are joined by Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, Pamela Reed, with Bill Camp, and Alan Ruck.

The official synopsis from Amazon reads,

“Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E.