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Exclusive: Academy Award-winning NYC studio Believe Entertainment Group has signed with Verve for representation.

The news follows the announcement of a Grammy nomination for the company’s Peacock documentary Kings from Queens: The Run Dmc Story in the Best Film Music category.

Believe has previously won both an Oscar and an Emmy for Dear Basketball, the animated short film written and created by the late NBA star Kobe Bryant, which animation legend Glen Keane directed and animated, with a score by John Williams. The company also garnered Emmys for PBS’s American Anthems docuseries, co-produced with NBCUniversal Syndication Studios, and YouTube Kids’ Jam Van.

Other standout projects for Believe Entertainment Group include the two-time Emmy-nominated documentary Billion Dollar Babies: The True Story of the Cabbage Patch Kids, Peacock’s New York Yankees doc The Bronx Zoo ’90: Crime, Chaos and Baseball, Comedy Central and Paramount+’s scripted comedy feature Office Race,...

Director Tamra Davis (“Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child”) teamed up with music manager Johnny Wright and Van Toffler (Gunpowder & Sky) to give viewers an up-close look behind the scenes at some of the most beloved boybands. The new documentary, “Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands,” features *Nsync, 98 Degrees, Backstreet Boys, Hanson, New Edition, New Kids On The Block, The Osmonds, and Seventeen. You can stream the film beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, with a subscription to Paramount+.

How to Watch “Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands” When: Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024 Where: Paramount+ Stream: Watch with a subscription to Paramount+. 7-Day Free Trial $7.99+ / month paramountplus.com Everything You Need to Know to Watch ‘Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands’:

How to Watch “Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands”

Watch the ‘Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands’ Trailer:

How to Watch ‘Larger Than Life: Reign of the...

Nsync isn’t saying “Bye, Bye, Bye” this time.

Key members of boy bands are opening up in the Paramount+ documentary Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands, which is set to premiere Nov. 12.

The documentary, from director Tamra Davis (Crossroads, Billy Madison), highlights boy bands and their rise — and fall — to fame, from The Beatles to Jackson 5 to the Jonas Brothers and One Direction, as well as the K-pop group Seventeen. Larger Than Life will show the perspective of what it was like to be a member of a boy band during their prime.

The trailer opens with Donnie Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block saying, “I love boy bands. I’m proud to be in a boy band.”

Larger Than Life also includes commentary from Aj McLean of the Backstreet Boys, Lance Bass and Chris Kirkpatrick of Nsync and Nick Lachey of 98 Degrees, who all reflect on...

Being in a boyband isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. In the upcoming documentary, Larger Than Life: Reign of The Boybands, both the highs and lows of boy band hysteria are examined — from the eardrum-splitting screams and the flashy “I Love You” posters to dangerous car chases and grueling schedules. “Some things are a little bit too crazy to talk about,” 98 Degrees member Jeff Timmons says in the trailer, which was released Monday.

The documentary features interviews with members of some of the most iconic boy bands,...

Paramount+ today announced that Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands will premiere on the service in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and Brazil on Tuesday, November 12, and internationally in the U.K., Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios in partnership with Gunpowder & Sky, this captivating documentary delves into the evolution of boy bands, one of pop culture’s most enduring musical movements, highlighting the genre’s rich history from the groundbreaking influence of The Beatles to the global rise of K-pop and shining a spotlight on the iconic groups of the 1990s and 2000s.

For more than half a century, boy bands have been a cultural touchstone, bridging generations with unexpected connections to the past and future. Larger Than Life weaves together these stories into a perfectly curated playlist, transitioning from one group to the next to reveal what it was...

Boy bands from multiple eras will be featured in the new Paramount+ documentary Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands, premiering November 12. The trailer can be viewed above.

From The Beatles and The Jackson 5 through New Edition, Nsync, New Kids on the Block and The Backstreet Boys, to Seventeen and beyond, the documentary highlights the era’s defining boy bands— their highs and lows and everything in between—and how the groups have evolved throughout the years. It will also delve into the not-so-glamorous part of the business like having to adapt quickly to newfound fame.

Participating members from various groups include Aj McLean, Chris Kirkpatrick, Donnie Wahlberg, Donny Osmond, Jeff Timmons, Hanson, Lance Bass, Michael Bivins, Nick Lachey, Seventeen (Hoshi & Vernon) and Tiffany.

In addition to the artists, managers will also be spotlighted to discuss how they helped orchestrate the rise of the biggest boy bands. Johnny Wright, who...

Zoe Saldaña confirmed she is open to making a sequel to Crossroads — but only if the rest of the cast returns. Speaking to Variety, Saldaña said she would potentially reprise her role as Kit in the 2002 road-trip drama if was alongside co-star Britney Spears.

“Why not?” Saldaña said. “But I feel like it would only work if Britney comes back and plays her character again. And Taryn Manning does as well, and Anson Mount. And that we write realistic sort of scenarios for them. That would be beautiful.”

She added,...

Britney Spears’ best selling memoir The Woman In Me is heading to the big screen courtesy of Wicked director Jon M Chu.

In 2022, pop sensation Britney Spears signed what was reportedly one of the biggest publishing deals in history, snagging $15 million for her memoir The Woman In Me, which became a best seller.

According to Deadline, the book’s rights have been snapped up by Universal Pictures, who are in talks with Jon M Chu to direct a film adaptation.

Given the amount of music that will be in the film, Chu is a strong choice. He’s helmed both parts of Wicked, the long awaited film adaptation of Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s Broadway play, which stars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh. Wicked: Part One arrives in UK cinemas on the 22nd November.

Britney Spears is no stranger to cinema, having starred in...

“Abba Zabba, you my only friend!” Imagine they made a Half Baked 2. That sounds like a slam dunk, right? After all, the original didn’t set the box office on fire, but it’s presumably made a mint on home video. Well, it looks like Universal finally pulled the trigger on a Half Baked 2, but of the original cast, the only person to return is Rachel True, who played the love interest, Mary Jane. Yes folks, it happened, and the sequel, Half Baked: Totally High, is going straight to Blu-ray, with an April 16th release date.

All this begs the question, why, twenty-five years later, make a Half Baked sequel without either Dave Chappelle, an infinitely bigger star now than he was in 1998, and Jim Breuer? Chappelle, I kind of get – the man is busy and would probably cost millions and millions to get, but Jim Breuer? Could...

Before she was seen online dancing with knives, Britney Spears was on a bigger screen. Now, her first film role, Crossroads, is finally coming to Netflix.

The 2002 film will hit the streamer on Feb. 15. The movie hasn’t been on streaming platforms or available from digital retailers since its release.

Crossroads features Spears as “Lucy,” a character who reunites with her childhood best friends Kit (Zoë Saldana) and Mimi (Taryn Manning). A cross-country road trip ensues with Mimi’s friend Ben (Anson Mount).

The film was written by Shonda Rhimes. It returned to theaters last year for two nights in October to coincide with the release of Spears’ memoir, The Woman in Me.

Director Tamra Davis said at that time, “I recently rewatched Crossroads and was so enthralled with the time capsule of nostalgia that this incredible ensemble cast brings to the screen. Britney is absolutely breathtaking to watch, and...

“Crossroads,” Britney Spears’ first starring role in feature film, will be available on Netflix globally starting Feb. 15, the streamer announced.

The movie premiered on that same day in 2002, while Spears was fresh off the success of “Oops…I Did It Again” and “Baby One More Time” and had become the most commercially successful teenage music artist of all time.

Featuring her song “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman,” the film starred Spears as Lucy. The movie covered topics such as teen pregnancy, rape and childhood abandonment. The cult favorite also starred Zoë Saldana, Taryn Manning, Dan Akroyd, Beverly Johnson and Kim Cattrall. “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Bridgerton” creator Shonda Rhimes wrote the film, which was directed by Tamra Davis. The mostly female production team was a rare occurrence for the time.

“Wow, we were so ahead of our time with an African American screenwriter; me as a young,...

Taryn Manning’s audition for the Britney Spears starrer Crossroads was so good it made director Tamra Davis nervous.

“She was picking something on her arm, and it looked like it might start bleeding,” recalls Davis of a casting session for the 2002 road trip drama, written by soon-to-be TV mogul Shonda Rhimes. “I thought ‘Oh my, she’s too much, this girl.’ But at the same time, she was the girl.”

Manning was vying for the role of Mimi, a trailer park teen with dreams of moving to Los Angeles to make it as a singer. Manning so nailed the mannerisms and soul of a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who longed for stardom that Davis also felt confused. “I remember quietly telling [casting directors Kim Davis-Wagner and Justine Arteta] that while she was amazing, I needed a real actress. My whole goal with the movie was to surround Britney with really talented actors,...

After the release of Britney Spears’ tell-all memoir, The Woman in Me, Crossroads, the 2002 road trip film starring Spears, was re-released in theaters last month.

Ann Carli, the film’s producer, and director Tamra Davis, surprised an audience at The Grove AMC in Los Angeles with a Q&a that took place after a screening.

Carli stated that she remembered standing up for Spears when her team attempted to make her work 18-hour shifts each day of production.

“She was super busy,” Carli said. “One of the things that I thought was really important was that she had time to rehearse with the other actors.”

Carli mentioned that “the day before she was shooting, they had a giant Pepsi commercial. It was crazy.”

According to Carli, Spears’ team, at one point during the shoot, “wanted her to be recording at night after she did a full day’s work on the set.

Ahead of the release of Britney Spears’ memoir “The Woman in Me,” the 2001 road trip flick “Crossroads” is back on the big screen. To celebrate the global fan event, in which the film will play in theaters again exclusively on Oct. 23 and 25, director Tamra Davis and producer Ann Carli surprised an audience at The Grove AMC in Los Angeles with a Q&a following the screening.

While reflecting on their experience making the film, Carli recalled the challenges Spears faced in balancing her global music fame with the responsibilities of starring alongside Taryn Manning and Zoe Saldaña.

“She was super busy. One of the things that I thought was really important was that she had time to rehearse with the other actors,” Carli said. “The day before she was shooting, they had a giant Pepsi commercial. It was crazy.”

At another point during the shoot, Spears’ team “wanted her to...

At long last, Crossroads is back. It’s the answer to a Britney Spears fan’s prayers. Britney’s 2002 movie-star showcase is finally returning to the big screen for two nights, on Oct. 23 and 25, to go with her new tell-all memoir, The Woman in Me, which drops on Oct. 24. Crossroads was a box-office smash at the time, but it’s been scandalously unavailable for years — most fans have never gotten the chance to see it since it’s not streaming anywhere. This movie has been hidden away for far too long.

Will Crossroads be getting a sequel?

The film’s director Tamra Davis recently did an interview with EW, where she talked about the potential for a sequel.

“I’m currently working with Van Toffler, who was the producer on it, and he’s [mentioned it],” she said.

Keep reading to find out more…

“I think he’s been talking to Britney about it, with her management. Britney, I don’t think she really wants to act so much, but I know Ann [Carli] spoke to Shonda [Rhimes] about something, and Shonda had an idea, so who knows if that will have life.”

Shonda wrote the script for the film that also starred Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning.

She also said she hopes Shonda is involved with it if it does happen, “because she’s just so brilliant.”

“You could see on her first feature film what an incredible voice she had and her understanding of female characters.

With the Britney Spears-starring Crossroads set to reenter theaters this week to coincide with the release of her memoir The Woman in Me, the 2002 dramedy’s director discussed a potential sequel and eventual streaming availability in a new interview.

Spears writes at length about working on Crossroads in her book, saying she didn’t enjoy “method acting” for the film. “I hope I never get close to that occupational hazard again. Living that way, being half yourself and half a fictional character, is messed up. After a while you...

Pop icon Britney Spears has made many revelations in her memoir ‘The Woman in Me’, dropping several bombshells regarding both her work and her personal life. Director Tamra Davis, with whom Britney worked with in the 2002 film ‘Crossroads’ has said that she is in talks with the singer for a potential sequel to the film.

In her memoir, Spears opened up about filming and recalled that she didn’t have a great experience with method acting. She went on to add that after she had wrapped up the movie she was done with acting.

The singer further said that she was not able to be herself while doing the film and it was difficult for her to break character, as per Deadline.

She mentioned in her book: “The experience wasn’t easy for me. My problem wasn’t with anyone involved in the production but with what acting did to my mind.

Pop icon Britney Spears has made many revelations in her memoir ‘The Woman in Me’, dropping several bombshells regarding both her work and her personal life. Director Tamra Davis, with whom Britney worked with in the 2002 film ‘Crossroads’ has said that she is in talks with the singer for a potential sequel to the film.

In her memoir, Spears opened up about filming and recalled that she didn’t have a great experience with method acting. She went on to add that after she had wrapped up the movie she was done with acting.

The singer further said that she was not able to be herself while doing the film and it was difficult for her to break character, as per Deadline.

She mentioned in her book: “The experience wasn’t easy for me. My problem wasn’t with anyone involved in the production but with what acting did to my mind.

A 'Crossroads' sequel is being discussed - though Britney Spears is not said to be keen to "act" in it.The pop idol, 41, starred in the 2002 teen comedy-drama road film as Lucy Wagner with her sister Jamie Lynn Spears, 32, playing a younger version of her character, and director Tamra Davis has revealed the flick's producer Van Toffler has been in touch with Britney and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes about making a follow-up, and the latter even has an idea for it.Tamra told Entertainment Weekly: “I’m currently working with Van Toffler, who was the producer on it, and he’s [mentioned it]. “I think he’s been talking to Britney about it, with her management. Britney, I don’t think she really wants to act so much, but I know Ann [Carli] spoke to Shonda [Rhimes] about something, and Shonda had an idea, so who knows if that will have life.

Crossroads has been getting a lot of attention lately following the release of Britney Spears’ memoir titled The Woman in Me.

The film’s director Tamra Davis recently did an interview where she talked about the potential of a sequel, which she says there have been conversations about following up with the 2002 movie.

“I’m currently working with Van Toffler, who was the producer on it, and he’s [mentioned it],” Davis told EW in an interview. “I think he’s been talking to Britney about it, with her management. Britney, I don’t think she really wants to act so much, but I know Ann [Carli] spoke to Shonda [Rhimes] about something, and Shonda had an idea, so who knows if that will have life.”

Before Grey’s Anatomy, Rhimes wrote the script for the film that also starred Anson Mount, Zoe Saldana, Taryn Manning, Kim Cattrall and Dan Aykroyd. In the event that a sequel happens,...

On October 23rd and 25th audiences will have the opportunity to celebrate the release of Britney Spears‘ memoir, “The Woman in Me,” with a global fan screening of Spears’ acting debut, in the 2002 film “Crossroads.” As director Tamra Davis told TheWrap, fans have Spears herself to thank for the movie returning to theaters.

“I’ve been working on trying to get distribution for the film for years. I’ve been calling my lawyers, everybody, but it was so tangled up,” Davis said. “It was Britney [who] called to make it happen. She was the one [who] personally called and she got it over to Sony and got it to be rereleased.”

“I meant nothing but one phone call from her and she made it happen,” Davis said.

That’s true, to an extent. A source close to the film said the project was a collaboration between the Sony Music premium content team,...

Britney Spears is talking about the acting technique she used to film Crossroads which left her confused and not wanting to take on more acting roles.

“The experience wasn’t easy for me. My problem wasn’t with anyone involved in the production but with what acting did to my mind,” Spears said in an excerpt from her memoir The Woman in Me shared by People. “I think I started Method acting — only I didn’t know how to break out of my character. I really became this other person. Some people do Method acting, but they’re usually aware of the fact that they’re doing it. But I didn’t have any separation at all.”

Spears continued, “I ended up walking differently, carrying myself differently, talking differently. I was someone else for months while I filmed Crossroads. Still to this day, I bet the girls I shot that movie with think,...

Paramount+ is putting a spotlight on the boy bands of the 90s and early 2000s!

The streaming service has picked up a documentary about the boy band-obsessed era and their place in pop culture, Variety reports.

Longtime music manager Johnny Wright, who has managed acts like New Kids on the Block, *Nsync, 98 Degrees and more, has teamed up with Gunpower and Sky CEO Van Toffler to produce the upcoming doc.

Get more details inside…

“The ’90s boy band era made an indelible impact and will be forever woven into the pop culture landscape,” Bruce Gilmer, Paramount’s president of music, music talent, programming and events and Paramount+’s chief content officer of music, said in a statement. “Boy bands remain bonafide global sensations to this day, as seen in the fan frenzy heard around the world during *Nsync’s on-stage reunion at this year’s VMAs and the ever-spreading domination...

The boy band golden era and its biggest stars — ‘NSync, the Backstreet Boys, and New Kids on the Block — will be the subject of a new documentary on Paramount+.

As The Wrap notes, the yet-untitled documentary, which just got the green light, will purportedly examine the highs and lows of boy band superstardom, as well as the era these groups helped define. There will be interviews with key figures, including band members, and access to music and archival footage.

The movie will be directed by Tamra Davis, whose credits include...

Paramount+ has greenlit a new documentary that will shine a spotlight on the boy bands that dominated pop culture and the music industry in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including Nsync, the Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block.

The documentary will feature new interviews and material, along with archival concert footage, unaired interviews and candid clips that feature original members, songwriters, producers, managers, family members and fans.

The project is produced by music manager Johnny Wright and Gunpower & Sky CEO Van Toffler and directed by Tamra Davis.

Gunpowder & Sky is producing in partnership with MTV Entertainment Studios.

“The ’90s boy band era was an extraordinary chapter in music where harmonies and beats came together, along with talented vocal artists who captivated the hearts of millions worldwide,” Wright said in a statement. “Their music spoke to the dreams, aspirations and emotions of the fans, creating a bond that transcended borders and language.

Exclusive: Paramount+ is hangin’ tough with its latest music documentary.

The streamer has lined up a new feature doc about boy bands such as New Kids On The Block, Backstreet Boys, *Nsync and 98 Degrees that dominated the field in the 90s and early 2000s

The untitled doc has some boy band experience behind it. It is produced by Johnny Wright and Van Toffler.

Wright started out as tour manager for New Kids on the Block before managing Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. Toffler, who is CEO of Gunpowder & Sky, which is producing with MTV Entertainment Studios, spent 28 years at MTV, including as President of Viacom Media Networks Music & Logo Group between 2008 and 2016, when it played music videos, many of which were by these artists.

Tamra Davis, who helmed movies such as Billy Madison and Half Baked, will direct.

The doc will dig deep into the love, pain...

Fans will be able to celebrate the release of Britney Spears’ upcoming memoir The Woman In Me in a very special way.

It was revealed this week that Spears’ 2002 flick “Crossroads” — in which she stars alongside Zoe Saldana, Taryn Manning and more — would be returning to theatres for the first time in over 21 years.

The movie will be aired during a special two day celebratory global fan event on October 23 and 25, with a new trailer being revealed.

A press release confirmed, “In celebration of Britney Spears’ highly-anticipated memoir, The Woman In Me, ‘Crossroads’ returns to the big screen for a two-day only global fan event.

“With bonus features never before seen in movie theatres, this cinematic celebration invites both newcomers and loyal fans to experience the magic of this coming-of-age story anew.”

A description added, “Directed by Tamra Davis and written by Shonda Rhimes, ‘Crossroads’ tells the story of three childhood friends,...

Britney Spears isn’t about to be outdone by Taylor Swift again, as her 2002 flick Crossroads is returning to theaters. Ok, we have to admit here and now that she will once again be outdone by Taylor Swift…

While 2023 might seem like an odd choice for a re-release of Crossroads – 21st anniversaries aren’t typically celebrated on the big screen… – it is meant to coincide with the release of Britney Spears’ upcoming memoir, “The Woman in Me”. But this re-release of Crossroads, which will play on October 23rd and 25th, will also have it in theaters at the same time as Taylor Swift shakes it off with her Eras Tour concert movie, due out on October 13th. But will Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour have two bonus sing-alongs like Crossroads? We don’t think so!

Of course, the showdown between Britney Spears – who we hope is on the rebound – and...

The Britney Spears-starring 2002 dramedy Crossroads will drive back into theaters in October for a two-night rerelease planned to coincide with the release of the singer’s memoir The Woman in Me.

Despite being critically ravaged upon its release, the film is beloved by Spears fans, who will have the opportunity to see Crossroads on the big screen on October 23 and 25 at one of the nearly 900 movie theaters screening the movie nationwide.

Crossroads, Spears’ first (and last) starring role, was directed by Tamra Davis and written by future Gray’s...

Britney Spears’ 2002 film Crossroads is returning to the big screen.

The teen dramedy — featuring the Princess of Pop in her first feature role — will be rereleased in cinemas around the globe on Oct. 23 and Oct. 25 timed to the publication of her new tell-all memoir, The Woman in Me, which arrives Oct. 24. Trafalgar Releasing, Sony Music Entertainment and RCA Records announced the global fan event on Thursday.

This means Crossroads will go up against Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, although Taylor Swift’s new concert pic will have a much bigger footprint. Eras Tour, which opens on Oct. 13, will be playing in thousands of theaters across North America, while Crossroads‘ location count is roughly 875 theaters.

Crossroads, based on a concept created by Spears, was written by Shonda Rhimes and directed by Tamra Davis. Anson Mount, Zoe Saldaña, Taryn Manning, Kim Cattrall and Dan Aykroyd co-star.

From MTV Films and Paramount, the...

Cinemas are looking to pop stars to save the box office this October.

Weeks after the debut of Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” concert film, the 2002 coming-of-age movie “Crossroads” — the first feature to star Britney Spears — will return to theaters. It’s playing for just two nights, on Oct. 23 and 25, as part of fan event from Trafalgar Releasing, Sony Music Entertainment and RCA Records. The theatrical re-release is tied to Spears’ upcoming memoir, “The Woman in Me,” which drops on Oct. 24.

“Crossroads” will play in 875 locations across 24 countries and will include a bonus sing-along of two Spears songs that were part of the film but have never been seen on the big screen. The re-release will also include the launch of a “Crossroads” merchandise line featuring movie-inspired tops, sweats and jackets, along with recreations of wardrobe pieces worn by the cast in the film.

“We are excited to […] create an...

Steven Spielberg is opening up about feeling torn as a parent and a director during production on “E..T” with then-child-star Drew Barrymore.

The Oscar-winning filmmaker addressed being “helpless” over how Barrymore’s tumultuous home life was evident during the making of the 1982 fantasy film. Barrymore was seven years old at the time.

“She was staying up way past her bedtime, going to places she should have only been hearing about, and living a life at a very tender age that I think robbed her of her childhood,” Spielberg told Vulture. “Yet I felt very helpless because I wasn’t her dad. I could only kind of be a consigliere to her.”

Barrymore’s father, former actor John Drew Barrymore, was an abusive alcoholic. “Talk about someone who was not a careerist,” Barrymore said. “He was like, ‘I will burn this fucking dynasty to the ground.'”

As a child star,...

Exclusive: Veteran TV lit agent Amy Retzinger is departing Verve where she has been a partner for more than 11 years. She just confirmed her exit in a company email with the subject “New Adventures…”

In it, Retzinger revealed that she is leaving agenting and plans to focus her efforts on a plastics reclamation startup, acting on her passion about eliminating single-use plastics. She also may pursue career opportunities in hospitality, I hear. This coming summer, Retzinger and her family will be moving to Portugal where their children have been enrolled in school for next fall.

Retzinger was the first agent outside Verve’s founding trio of Bryan Besser, Adam Levine, and Bill Weinstein to join the partnership two years after the agency was launched. She added TV lit experience to Verve, whose founding partners all hailed from the feature side of lit representation, and spearheaded the agency’s television strategy.

Chris Farley employed an unusual set of gifts as an actor. During the Farley era, critics struggled to understand the quality of his craft. I'm not going to name names, but critics at the time called Farley a "slob," "blimp," and "fat dumb guy." Their words say more about them than they do about Farley. They were so busy sneering at an appearance they deemed unacceptable that they couldn't see the radiant being who brightened every scene he appeared in.

Farley mastered the art of the pratfall, but it wasn't just the execution of his body smashing through a coffee table or taking a wooden plank to the head that made him incredibly funny. He set you up for the moment by exposing his vulnerability and showing an earnestness that made you care for him -- and we loved him for it. Farley's physical tools are rare for any actor.

Although "Billy Madison" got poor reviews at the time, it still holds up for the kids who grew up watching it. That "I award you no points" speech is still iconic, and the scene with the O'Doyle family cheering as they fall to their deaths is still funny. It also helps that Adam Sandler would go on to make a ton of other movies throughout his career, and most of them make this movie's script look like Shakespeare in comparison. We've seen what a truly terrible Adam Sandler movie looks like, and this ain't it.

The exact version of "Billy Madison" we got almost never happened because the studio originally had mixed feelings. "The studio didn't know what to think about the film, which was, frankly, weird," director Tamra Davis explained. "Thank god for audience test scores — they loved it."

It should come as no surprise that it was teenagers specifically that loved the film,...

For folks of a certain age, the Adam Sandler comedy "Billy Madison" is one of those movies that lives in our bones. It is ridiculous, juvenile, endlessly quotable, and one of the great examples of a film that commits so hard to being stupid, it crosses the threshold of "bad" and comes out the other side as "brilliant." Sandler stars as the titular wealthy manchild who has spent his entire life drinking and partying without a care in the world. His successful father is getting ready to retire but has no faith in Billy taking over the family business as he enabled his son's behavior by bribing his teachers for passing grades. Realizing that enough is enough, Billy's father tells him he must retake and pass every grade in 24 weeks or else the business will be given to his weasely associate, Eric (Bradley Whitford).

Seeing Adam Sandler act like a...

Actor and comedian Chris Farley really didn't need too much extra help to act totally unhinged, but he apparently used the power of caffeine to fuel at least one of his famously funny improv performances. In the 1995 Adam Sandler film "Billy Madison," Farley plays an elementary school bus driver who gets completely fed up with the rambunctious kids on his bus after one of them hits him in the back of the head with a sandwich while he's driving; he's a huffing, puffing rage machine. In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment celebrating the movie's 25th anniversary, director Tamra Davis recalled how Farley had used espresso to get to the level of intensity he wanted, but that it was also a little scary in the moment for the director. 

Farley was one of the most popular comedic actors of the 1990s. Though his tragic death in 1997 cut his career and life far too short.

Mubi has announced its lineup of streaming offerings for next month, including Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave, alongside his 1999 short film Judgement, as well as Bi Gan’s new short A Shory Story and his second feature Long Day’s Journey Into Night, and Peter Strickland’s new short.

Additional highlights include new episodes of Lars von Trier’s The Kingdom Exodus, Denis Côté’s That Kind of Summer (which we caught at Berlinale earlier this year), Nicolas Winding Refn’s Pusher trilogy ahead of his imminent new project, and an Abel Ferrara double bill to close out 2022.

Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.

December 1 – That Kind of Summer, directed by Denis Côté | Luminaries

December 2 – The Cat’s Meow, directed by Peter Bogdanovich

December 3 – La chinoise, directed by Jean-Luc Godard | For Ever Godard

December 4 – The Kingdom Exodus: The Congress Dances, directed by Lars von Trier | The Kingdom Exodus

December 5 – Judgement,...

Click here to read the full article.

Adam Sandler, the beloved veteran actor who is best known for his work in big screen comedies, is set to be celebrated for a dramatic film next month.

The Newport Beach Film Festival will present Sandler with its inaugural Performance of the Year Award in recognition of his work in Jeremiah Zagar’s Hustle, the fest’s organizers announced Thursday. The 56-year-old will be feted at a noontime luncheon at the Resort at Pelican Hill on Saturday, Oct. 15, following an hourlong recording of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, which features career-retrospective conversations with Hollywood’s biggest names.

Sandler’s career took off with a five-year stint on Saturday Night Live, from 1990 to 1995, followed by a long string of comedic blockbuster films including Tamra Davis’s Billy Madison (1995), Dennis Dugan’s Happy Gilmore (1996), Frank Coraci’s The Waterboy (1998) and The Wedding Singer...

A piece of pop culture can mark a paradigm shift, even when it has no idea it’s doing so. (The lack of calculation is part of why the paradigm shifts.) That’s what happened in the summer of 1978, when the movie version of “Grease” came out. It ruled the way that “Saturday Night Fever” had just six months before, with the electric presence of John Travolta fueling both films. But “Saturday Night Fever” was a fiery and galvanic movie in a way that no one could miss. It was like disco Scorsese, with an unruly street vibe, some of the greatest songs — and dancing — ever to appear in a Hollywood film, and a performance by Travolta that was so extraordinary in its authenticity that it just about jumped off the screen. It was close to a great movie, and no one’s idea of a guilty pleasure.

“Grease,” on the other hand,...

Choreographer Jamal Sims, Dp Adam Santelli and casting directors Kristian Charbonier and Bernard Tesley helped director Tamra Davis realize her vision in adapting “13: The Musical” from the Broadway stage to Netflix, where it is now streaming

Davis, who had directed more than 150 music videos, and had done episodes of Disney+’s “High School Musical: The Musical,” says she not only wanted to acknowledge classic Broadway tropes but also “bring all my knowledge from music videos and pop culture and what I think will appeal to contemporary kids.” She and Sims created high-energy numbers that reference classic musicals as well as TikTok trends in dance and camera moves.

“13: The Musical” follows Evan (Eli Golden), a New York City boy who’s deep into studying for his bar mitzvah — and planning the party for it (he calls it the “Jewish Super Bowl”). But his parents are divorced, and mom (Debra Messing...

In Netflix's "13: The Musical," based on the Broadway show of the same name, Eli Golden stars as Evan Goldman, a middle schooler who's obsessed with having the perfect bar mitzvah - even as his life seemingly falls apart amid his parents' divorce. Evan relies not just on his friends, but also his rabbi (played by Josh Peck), his parents (Debra Messing and Peter Hermann), and his grandma (Rhea Perlman) for advice and wisdom. And in real life, Golden also got lots of guidance from his more-experienced costars. Perlman and Peck specifically had great counsel for the 15-year-old about transitioning from a child star into an adult actor in the ever-challenging industry.

He tells Popsugar they recommended: "Don't get off the ground too much. Keep yourself level and keep yourself down. But at the same time, always push through and work harder than everybody else around you. If someone's working harder than you,...

Based on the highly praised Broadway musical, “13: The Musical,” Netflix has announced its adaptation is coming to their platform on August 12. Directed by Tamra Davis, best known for “Billy Maddison” (1995), “Half Baked” (1998), and “Crossroads” (2002). Tamra has dozens of directorial titles to her name and has worked with stars such as Adam Sandler, Britney Spears, and Drew Barrymore.

Continue reading ’13: The Musical’ Trailer: Tamra Davis’ New ‘Glee’-Esque Netflix YA Film Premieres In August at The Playlist.

As studios meet in Las Vegas to present footage of their upcoming slates to exhibitors, Netflix is showcasing their own slate of future feature films as it has unveiled its upcoming summer slate of original movies. Some of the films receiving new release dates include the Vampire thriller Day Shift starring Jamie Foxx, which is set to bow on August 12, the Kevin Hart-Mark Wahlberg comedy Me Time, bowing on Aug. 26 and the Dakota Johnson drama Persuasion, bowing July 15. The streamer also confirmed dates of some highly-anticipated films that had previously been announced like the Adam Sandler sports pic Hustle, which bows on June 8, the Chris Hemsworth-Miles Teller Thriller Spiderhead, which bows on June 17 and most recently the The Russo Brothers next film The Gray Man, starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, which will premiere on July 22.

You can find the remaining schedule for the entire summer...

Exclusive: The Rich & The Ruthless creator and star Victoria Rowell has booked a key recurring role on CBS’ medical drama Good Sam. Created and executive produced by Katie Wech, Good Sam centers on Sam (Bush), a talented yet stifled heart surgeon who embraces her leadership role after her renowned and pompous boss Dr. Rob “Griff” Griffith falls into a coma. Rowell plays Tina Kingsley, a high-powered, sophisticated, chairwoman of the hospital board with the kind of power that does not assert itself. Alienated from her son Malcolm (Edwin Hodge), Tina possesses a strong will to take what’s in her sights, even when it means navigating complicated relationships from her past. Wech executive produces with Jennie Snyder Urman and Joanna Klein. Tamra Davis directed and executive produced the pilot. Rowell created, directs and stars in The Rich and the Ruthless, which recently moved to BET+. Her previous notable credits...

Twenty years ago, “Crossroads” hit theaters. The first feature film to star Britney Spears, the teenage road trip movie was panned by critics, but loved by audiences. Exceeding box office expectations, making more than $61 million on a $12 million budget, “Crossroads” went on to become somewhat of a cult favorite, particularly among Spears’ worldwide fans.

“Crossroads,” which also starred Zoe Saldana, Taryn Manning, Dan Akroyd, Beverly Johnson and Kim Cattrall, was written by Shonda Rhimes, who would go on to create “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal,” becoming one of the most powerful creators in television history. Rare for its time, the low-budget film was also directed by a woman, Tamra Davis, resulting in a mostly-female production that supported its young, central superstar.

At the time Spears filmed “Crossroads” — which came out on Feb. 15, 2002 — she was in the midst of recording her third album and had become the best-selling teenage artist of all time,...

Sophia Bush is putting the One Tree Hill gang back together.

Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz will appear in an upcoming episode of Bush’s new CBS medical drama Good Sam. The pair will portray sisters Gretchen and Amy Taylor, respectively, who cross paths with Dr. Sam Griffith (Bush) when Amy is admitted as a patient at Detroit’s Lakeshore Sentinel Hospital.

The network will release airdate info and further details about their roles at a later date, but a photo of Bush, Burton and Lenz together on set in Toronto can be seen above.

Written by Katie Wech and directed by Tamra Davis, Good Sam centers on Sam, a talented yet stifled heart surgeon who embraces her leadership role after her renowned and pompous boss Dr. Rob “Griff” Griffith falls into a coma.

When he awakens and wants to resume surgery, however, it falls to her to supervise...

Next month’s Criterion Channel selection is here, and as 2021 winds down further cements their status as our single greatest streaming service. Off the top I took note of their eight-film Jia Zhangke retro as well as the streaming premieres of Center Stage and Malni. And, yes, Margaret has been on HBO Max for a while, but we can hope Criterion Channel’s addition—as part of the 63(!)-film “New York Stories”—opens doors to a more deserving home-video treatment.

Aki Kaurismäki’s Finland Trilogy, Bruno Dumont’s Joan of Arc duology, and Criterion’s editions of Irma Vep and Flowers of Shanghai also mark major inclusions—just a few years ago the thought of Hou’s masterpiece streaming in HD was absurd.

I could implore you not to sleep on The Hottest August and Point Blank and Variety and In the Cut or, look, so many Ernst Lubitsch movies,...

Watch the Short Film Sleep Tight: "Josh is a young gamer confined to a wheelchair. He is also a teenager craving a bit more independence and wants to assert himself, especially with his father Frank, who is having a bit of a mid-life crisis himself.

One night Josh asks to keep the light on as his father helps him get to bed. Josh hopes to exercise a little autonomy in his life, but Frank resists, seeing the request as proof that Josh is still a young child in need. But as it turns out, when the lights go out, Josh discovers he's not alone -- and needs his dad more than ever.

Written and directed by Lewis Taylor, this horror-comedy is as much about a transition in a father-son relationship as it is about things that go bump in the night. But these weighty themes are offset by a stream of cheeky British wit,...