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The Summer Book, the 2024 drama, revolves around nine-year old Sophia, who spends her summer with her father and grandmother on a Finnish island. The central focus of the story is on these two women—the little girl and her grandmother, both of whom, along with the father, are dealing with the same tragedy, the very recent death of Sophia’s mother. Adapted from Finnish author Tove Jansson’s 1972 novel of the same name, director Charlie McDowell’s very quiet film relies more on feelings than incidents. Not much happens story-wise, but it still manages to touch you. In this article, I am going to try to figure out what this movie (and the story) is really trying to say to us.

Spoilers Ahead

What Happens in the Movie?

Given the book came out more than half a century ago, there is no sign of technology such as smartphones. While the...

Music Box Films has picked up North American rights to The Summer Book starring Glenn Close following its 2024 world premiere at BFI London Film Festival.

Charlie McDowell adapted Tove Jansson’s novel about grief and the bond between nine-year-old Sophia, played by Emily Matthews, and her grandmother. The relatives and the girl’s father, played by Anders Danielsen Lie, spend time at the family’s summer home in the Gulf of Finland as storms gather.

Music Box Films will open The Summer Book theatrically on September 19 at the Angelika Film Center in New York.

The distributor is partnering with Kanopy...

Music Box Films has acquired the North American distribution rights to “The Summer Book,” starring eight-time Academy Award nominee Glenn Close.

Based on Tove Jansson’s beloved novel, “The Summer Book,” director Charlie McDowell’s film adaptation is a meditative and sensitive portrayal of grief and intergenerational bonds between nine-year-old Sophia and her grandmother, played by Close.

The film premiered at BFI London Film Festival and continued screening at AFI Film Festival, Santa Barbara Film Festival, and the Miami Film Festival. Music Box will open “The Summer Book” theatrically on Sept. 19, opening at the Angelika Film Center in New York.

Sophia (Emily Matthews) is growing up fast, and her grandmother (Close) is nearing the end of her life. Together with Sophia’s father, they spend time at their family’s summer home on a tiny, unspoiled island in the Gulf of Finland, exploring the islet, talking about life, and feeling...

Lily Collins is enjoying a day out with husband Charlie McDowell!

The married couple stepped out to attend Wimbledon in the Emirates suite on Sunday (July 6) in London, England.

Lily is currently taking a quick break from filming the upcoming fifth season of her Netflix series Emily in Paris. Check out all of the cast updates we know about!

Just a few days ago, Lily took to Instagram to talk about pride.

“Happy Pride from Paris! A few days late, but a great reminder that pride is more than one party, one day, one month of the year. Honored to celebrate my Lgbtqia+ family always and forever. While pride is a celebration, it’s also resistance, protest, advocacy and so much more. I will always use my voice and privilege to speak out for and alongside those whose rights are actively being threatened for simply being who they are. So...

Exploring The Current Status Of Emilia Clarke’s Love Life (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Emilia Clarke is one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood. She rose to fame after appearing in the globally acclaimed series Game of Thrones. Although the actress has been involved in many other prestigious projects, like Me Before You and Secret Invasion, she is mainly recognized as Daenerys Targaryen from GoT.

Clarke spent significant time under the spotlight, which also brought consistent scrutiny over her personal life. Over the years, she has sparked several dating and relationship rumors, even though the actress has mostly kept her private life under wraps.

Emilia Clarke reportedly dated Seth MacFarlane between 2012 and 2013 and was linked with Charlie McDowell in 2018. After breaking up with the latter, she was seen with DJ Sebastian ‘Bassi’ Fox in 2014. However, according to ComingSoon.Net, she has presumably been single since parting ways with DJ Fox.

The 2025 French Open is in full swing, and a ton of superstars are seated to watch the matches!

Celebrities like Natalie Portman, Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell turned out for the men’s final on Sunday (June 8) at Roland Garros in Paris, France.

Stars from film, fashion and the sports world gathered to watch the men’s championship match.

Pharrell Williams and wife Helen Lasichanh, François Civil, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Sacha Abitbol, Clovis Cornillac, Pierre Niney, Natasha Andrews, Natalia Vodianova, Dustin Hoffman, Lisa Gottsegen, Lilou Fogli, Stuart Zebrowski, Lilian Thuram, Kareen Guiock-Thuram, Laurent Lafitte, Kad Merad, Éric Judor, and Cooper Koch were among the attendees.

Laurent Wauquiez, Luka Karabatic, Jeny Priez, Jacques Essebag, Antoine Dupont, Iris Mittenaere, Ana Girardot, Oscar Louveau, Richard Orlinski, Marisa Abela, Jamie Bogyo, Stromae, Coralie Barbier, William Kalubi, Milla Lapidus, Guillaume Canet, Gilles Lellouche, Camille Cottin, and Benjamin Mahon were also in attendance.

Carlos Alcaraz fought back...

Earlier this year, JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray had the chance to watch Lurker, the boundary-pushing debut feature from writer/director Alex Russell, at the Sundance Film Festival. Describing the film as “a terrific blend of black comedy and psychological thriller” and “exactly the kind of movie I want to see when I hit Sundance,” Bumbray gave Lurker a 9/10 review that can be read at This Link. Recently, it was announced that film distributor Mubi (which is also a streaming service and production company) is planning to give Lurker a North American theatrical release on August 22nd – and now, with that date just two months away, a trailer for the film has dropped online. You can check it out in the embed above.

Here’s the official synopsis: When a twenty-something retail clerk encounters a rising pop star, he takes the opportunity to edge his way into the in-crowd. But...

Lily Collins and her husband Charlie McDowell look stylish while at a tennis match!

The 36-year-old actress and the 41-year-old director stepped out on Saturday (May 10) while attending the International Tennis Championships in Rome, Italy. There, they held hands while Lily wore a classy tweed blazer and a Chanel purse.

If you didn’t know, Lily and Charlie got married back in 2021, and welcomed their first child via surrogate this January. Shortly after their daughter Tove was born, Charlie responded to criticisms he and Lily faced for using a surrogate.

Keep reading to find out more…

Meanwhile, last week, Lily began filming season 5 of Emily in Paris with co-star Eugenio Franceschini in Rome.

Browse through the gallery to see the photos of Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell at the Rome International Tennis Championships…...

John Krasinski–Emily Blunt To Mike Flanagan–Kate Siegel ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

When directors cast their spouses in films, it’s usually a gamble. You’d think mixing business with pleasure might lead to some on-screen awkwardness, but sometimes, it sparks magic. From the cozy comfort of their personal relationships to the undeniable chemistry they already share, these director-spouse duos have proven that love and filmmaking can go hand in hand. John Krasinski to Mike Flanagan, these directors cast their real-life spouses & the results were pure cinematic gold.

Whether it’s a daring action sequence, a tear-jerking drama, or a quirky rom-com, these couples have shown that they’re not just partners in life but also in creating unforgettable cinema. So, grab your popcorn as we look at the directors who cast their spouses. Somehow, it actually worked out, turning their on-screen collaborations into true cinematic gems!

John Krasinski & Emily Blunt...

Earlier this year, JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray had the chance to watch Lurker, the boundary-pushing debut feature from writer/director Alex Russell, at the Sundance Film Festival. Describing the film as “a terrific blend of black comedy and psychological thriller” and “exactly the kind of movie I want to see when I hit Sundance,” Bumbray gave Lurker a 9/10 review that can be read at This Link. Now, it has been announced that film distributor Mubi (which is also a streaming service and production company) is planning to give Lurker a North American theatrical release on August 22nd. Hopefully we’ll be seeing a trailer for this one very soon.

Here’s the official synopsis: When a twenty-something retail clerk encounters a rising pop star, he takes the opportunity to edge his way into the in-crowd. But as the line between friend and fan blurs beyond recognition, access and proximity...

Exclusive: The Substance distributor Mubi has announced a North American release date for Lurker, its Sundance cat-and-mouse thriller starring Théodore Pellerin (Beau Is Afraid) and Archie Madekwe (Saltburn), also unveiling a pair of new stills, which you can view above and below.

The film is set to hit theaters on August 22, opening against Lionsgate’s indie Sydney Sweeney vehicle Americana and Vertical’s thriller Eden from Ron Howard.

World premiering to critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival, where it notched one of this year’s few deals, Lurker watches as a 20-something retail clerk encounters a rising pop star, taking the opportunity to edge his way into the in-crowd. As the line between friend and fan blurs beyond recognition, access and proximity become a matter of life and death.

Set to close out New Directors/New Films in New York City after making its international premiere at the Berlinale,...

The 15th Beijing International Film Festival has revealed that acclaimed Chinese director and actor Jiang Wen will preside over the Tiantian competition jury, with celebrated Chinese-American actor and filmmaker Joan Chen joining the panel.

The seven-member international jury brings together a cross-section of global film talent, including British director David Yates, Chinese actor Ni Ni, Finnish director Teemu Nikki, Swiss director and actor Vincent Perez, and Hong Kong art director Tim Yip.

Hungarian auteur Béla Tarr will lead the jury for the festival’s Forward Future strand.

The main competition lineup features a diverse slate of films vying for the award, including Hao Ming and Li Peiran’s “Better Me, Better You,” Li Yongyi’s “Deep in the Mountains” and Zhang Qi’s “Trapped,” all from China, and Emine Yildirim’s “Apollon by Day Athena by Night” (Turkey), Sora Hokimoto’s “Baus: The Ship’s Voyage Continues” (Japan), Maria Brendle...

Chinese actor-director Jiang Wen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Let the Bullets Fly) will serve as the head of the main competition jury at the 15th Beijing International Film Festival, which will hand out its Tiantan Awards.

The jury will also include Chinese American director and actor Joan Chen (The Last Emperor), British director David Yates (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), Chinese actor Ni Ni, Finnish director Teemu Nikki, Swiss director and actor Vincent Perez, and art director Tim Yip from Hong Kong. The panel will select the winners across 10 award categories, including best feature film, best director and best screenplay.

The festival also unveiled its 15 main competition films, with organizers saying they received a record 1,794 feature film submissions from 103 countries and regions, marking a 19 percent increase over last year.

The three Chinese films in the main competition lineup are Hao Ming and Li Peiran’s Better Me,...

Focus Features has bought international rights to “Lurker,” Alex Russell’s directorial debut about clout-chasing and the dark side of fame that became one of the standouts hits from this year’s Sundance, Variety has learned.

Arthouse distributor Mubi had already picked up the film for the U.S. out of the festival in a rumored mid-seven-figure deal, as Variety reported.

A tense feature about an ambitious hipster and the rising pop star he exploits, “Lurker” stars Théodore Pellerin as Matty, a lowly clerk at a high-end sneaker and apparel store in Los Angeles. When his favorite singer (“Saltburn” star Archie Madekwe) saunters in, Matty starts cozying up to the social media star. Before long, he’s installed himself in a world of hedonism and opportunity — and he can stay, as long as he manages the pecking order of the entourage and the fickle demands of celebrity. Everything that can go wrong does,...

Lily Collins celebrated Valentine’s Day by sharing an adorable new family photo!

On Friday (February 14), the 35-year-old Emily in Paris actress and new mom took to social media to post a new photo of herself with husband Charlie McDowell and their daughter Tove.

Keep reading to find out more…

In the picture, Lily, Charlie and Tove are cuddled up in bed while the actress snaps a selfie.

“I truly can’t imagine feeling more love. Valentine’s Day (and every day) just got a whole lot sweeter,” she wrote in the accompanying caption.

Lily and Charlie welcomed Tove via surrogate earlier this year. They announced the happy news in January.

If you were unaware, Lily and Charlie started dating in 2019 and got married in 2021. Tove is their first child.

Charlie recently took to social media to shut down criticism that the couple received for using a surrogate to grow their family.

If you have been missing Emily in Paris and have been feeding your craving by watching Younger on Netflix, or any of the other romantic comedy series like Younger that we recommended, your ancillary binge-watches will eventually lead to Emily's return later this year. Netflix has officially confirmed that Emily in Paris season 5 will be released sometime in 2025!

The streaming service made the announcement in late January 2025 with the reveal of its 2025 programming slate, which included a number of fan-favorite Netflix original series like Stranger Things, Nobody Wants This, The Diplomat, Squid Game, and many more. Most of the series didn't receive release dates but were confirmed to drop at some point in 2025.

Emily in Paris season 5 hasn't yet started production as of February 2025. Back in November 2024, shortly after the release of season 4 part 2 in September, Variety shared that filming on season 5 would begin in May 2025, during the first week of the month.

Riding momentum from its five Academy Award nominations for “The Substance,” boutique movie distributor Mubi has picked up another buzzy indie film for the U.S. market.

“Lurker,” a tense feature about an ambitious hipster and the rising pop star he exploits for fame and community, has been snapped up by Mubi following this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Screening in the fest’s premiere section, Mubi took “Lurker,” written and directed by Alex Russell, in a competitive situation for a mid-seven-figure price tag.

Exact numbers weren’t disclosed but one person with knowledge of the deal told Variety that the sale represents a significant domestic theatrical release commitment from Mubi. The indie distributor previously released “The Substance” and “Decision to Leave.”

Rising star Théodore Pellerin plays Matty, a lowly clerk at a high-end sneaker and apparel store in Los Angeles. When his favorite singer (Archie Madekwe of “Saltburn”) saunters in,...

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Wait, when was Lily Collins pregnant?

Emily In Paris star Lily Collins and director Charlie McDowell are a successful entertainment industry couple.

Now, this pair of married nepo babies has welcomed a baby of their own.

Congratulations!

Director Charlie McDowell and Lily Collins attend the “The Summer Book” Special Presentation during the 68th BFI London Film Festival at The Curzon Mayfair on October 12, 2024. (Photo Credit: Joe Maher/Getty Images for BFI) Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell are parents!

On Friday, January 31, actor Lily Collins and director Charlie McDowell shared the happy news with their Instagram followers.

“Welcome to the center of our world Tove Jane McDowell,” 35-year-old Collins wrote in a caption, as you can see below.

“Words will never express our endless gratitude for our incredible surrogate and everyone who helped us along the way,” she affirmed. Collins then expressed: “We love you to the moon...

New dad Charlie McDowell is hitting back at the haters.

On Friday (January 31), the 41-year-old filmmaker and wife Lily Collins announced the birth of their first child, a baby girl named Tove, whom they welcomed via surrogate.

In a new Instagram comment, Charlie responded to criticism of using a surrogate to welcome their daughter.

Keep reading to find out more…“Thank you for all the kind messages and love. We are overjoyed and very grateful,” Charlie started. “In regards to the unkind messages about surrogacy and our path to having a baby— it’s ok to not be an expert on surrogacy. It’s ok to not know why someone might need a surrogate to have a child. It’s ok to not know the motivations of a surrogate regardless of what you assume.

“And it’s ok to spend less time spewing hateful words into the world, especially in...

Known for starring in the Netflix romantic comedy-drama, Emily in Paris, Lily Collins and her husband, Charlie McDowell, have recently welcomed a baby daughter via surrogate. The couple shared the news with the world through a heartfelt Instagram post.

A still from Emily in Paris | Credit: Netflix

And Collins’ journey to motherhood is a deeply personal one, marked by both triumph and vulnerability, as the actress has opened up about how it has been the driving force that inspired her to confront and overcome her eating disorder.

Content Warning: The following discussion includes topics related to eating disorders. Please proceed with caution if this may be triggering for you.

Emily in Paris star Lily Collins welcomes daughter via surrogate

Lily Collins and her husband Charlie McDowell recently shared the joyful news of the newest addition to their family — their daughter, Tove Jane McDowell, whom they welcomed through surrogacy.

Lily Collins...

Actress Lily Collins is a mom! The Emily in Paris star announced the arrival of her first baby with her husband Charlie McDowell. The couple welcomed their little one via surrogate and hadn’t previously shared they were growing their family.

The actress, who is the daughter of musician Phil Collins, shared a picture of her newborn baby on Instagram lying in a bassinet and what appeared to be Lily’s handing on the baby’s chest. The couple welcomed a baby girl and chose to name her Tove Jane McDowell. Tove shares a middle name with her mom. “Welcome to the center of our world,” the MaXXXine star wrote. The actress went on to express her gratitude for her surrogate and her journey to motherhood. “Words will never express our endless gratitude for our incredible surrogate and everyone who helped us along the way. We love you to the moon and back again…...

Lily Collins is a mom!

The 35-year-old Emily in Paris actress just announced that she welcomed her first child, a baby girl, via a surrogate.

Lily and her husband Charlie McDowell shared the news in a joint Instagram post in which they shared the first photo of their daughter and revealed her sweet name.

Keep reading to find out more…

“Welcome to the center of our world Tove Jane McDowell. Words will never express our endless gratitude for our incredible surrogate and everyone who helped us along the way. We love you to the moon and back again…” Lily captioned the post.

Lily welcomed her daughter just days after wrapping her run in the West End play Barcelona.

Stars like Amanda Seyfried, Billie Lourd, Sarah Hyland, Jordana Brewster, and Riley Keough all shared their love in the comments section with the first 10 minutes of the post going up!

For those who don’t know,...

Charlie McDowell turned Tove Jansson’s beloved book, The Summer Book, into a movie. The Summer Book is full of the subtleties of youth and the bittersweet essence of memory. Jansson, best known for her Moomin stories, captures the ephemeral beauty of life and loss in 22 short stories set on a remote island and heavily laden with the weight of Sophia’s recent death.

Making such complex themes work on the big screen is very hard for McDowell. Children’s books often have an emotional depth that is hard to capture in movies. The narrative contrasts innocence and mortality, echoing how difficult it is for people to deal with grief today.

The characters’ emotional states are reflected in nature as they become living things. Both solace and decay are present in the Gulf of Finland. McDowell wants to capture Jansson’s spirit, but the film’s slow pacing runs the risk of veering off course.

Vanessa Williams glams up for the after party following the official opening night of the new musical The Devil Wears Prada held at The British Museum on Sunday night (December 1) in London.

The 61-year-old entertainer and her co-stars have been in previews, but the new musical production just had it’s opening. She stars as Miranda Priestly in the show, which features music by Elton John.

Also in attendance were the cast of the show, including Matt Henry, pictured here with Vanessa, and the rest of the main cast – Georgie Buckland, Amy Di Bartolomeo, Rhys Whitfield and James Darch.

Other stars attending the opening night were Luke Evans and beau Fran Tomas, Dylan Mulvaney, Donatella Versace, Anna Wintour, Michelle Visage, Lily Collins and husband Charlie McDowell, and Elizabeth Hurley, with son Damian.

Keep reading to find out more…

The Devil Wears Prada, based on the hit movie and the Lauren Weisberger novel,...

Charlie McDowell’s The Summer Book starring Glenn Close and Pedro Almodóvar’s English-language Venice Golden Lion winner The Room Next Door starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton bookend the 37th AFI European Union Film Showcase.

Running December 4-22 at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Maryland, the showcase presents 54 features representing all 27 European Union member states including 12 international feature film Oscar submissions and six US premieres.

Besides the festival’s Finnish opener The Summer Book and Spanish closing night selection The Room Next Door, Brady Corbet’s Venice Silver Lion winner The Brutalist from Hungary starring Adrien Brody is the centrepiece selection.

"On an island everything is complete..." There's a little film playing on the festival circuit this fall (including at AFI Fest) that quietly sneaks its way into the hearts of anyone who watches it. This lovely story set on a Finnish island is the kind of wholesome, healing work of art that can provide real comfort to viewers of any age. The Summer Book is the latest feature film from American filmmaker Charlie McDowell, director of the films The One I Love, The Discovery, and Windfall before this. It's rare to come across a film that is so peaceful and sublime, never grating or meandering, so deeply in love with the magnificence of life on this planet. It's cliche to say, but it's absolutely true for this film – it feels like a really warm, nourishing hug of a film from a grandma that loves you dearly no matter what shenanigans one might get into.

Eight-time Academy Award nominee Glenn Close’s latest project, The Summer Book, had its US premiere at the AFI Film Festival. Robert Jones adapted the film based on Tove Jansson’s 1972 novel of the same name. Charlie McDowell directed the film that explores the process of grief and finding life after the loss of a loved one.

The Summer Book Movie Review

The Summer Book follows the story of a young girl named Sofia, who spends the summer with her grandmother on a small, uninhabited island. I love the idea and concept of exploring grief in a fresh and unique way. McDowell brought the script to life and showcased a raw and authentic look at grief through the eyes of two different generations of people.

Although McDowell captures the relationship well, the rest of The Summer Book is quite exhausting. Slow-burn movies aren’t for everyone, but when done right,...

At roughly the two-thirds mark of Charlie McDowell’s ultra gentle, nature-mediated fourth feature “The Summer Book,” one of the main characters, nine-year-old Sophia (newcomer Emily Matthews), prays as her father (Anders Danielsen Lie) steers her and her octogenarian grandmother (Glenn Close) on a motor boat in the open waters of the Gulf of Finland. Sophia pleads, “Dear God, I’m bored as beef. Please let something happen. A storm! Anything!”

Curiously, audiences might be making the same request, as there is precious little plot or overt characterization in this tepid, languorous adaptation of beloved Finnish author Tove Jansson’s classic 1972 novel of the same name. This isn’t to say that the film lacks in hardy character or gorgeous idyllic cinematography. In fact, a grounded meditative island beauty — lent by silken picturization of reeds, moss, rocks, and dappled sunlight on ripples of ocean, as well as by a soundscape...

Exclusive: Charades has acquired international sales rights to glam gore zombie comedy Queens of the Dead by Tina Romero, daughter of legendary director George A. Romero, ahead of the AFM.

The cast, revealed by Deadline earlier this year, features Jaquel Spivey (Mean Girls), Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding), Margaret Cho (Fire Island), Brigette Lundy-Paine (I Saw The TV Glow) and Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story).

Co-written by Erin Judge and Romero, the movie follows a group of drag queens, club kids, and frenemies who must put aside their personal dramas and use their unique skills to fight the brain-thirsty undead when a zombie apocalypse breaks out on the night of a giant warehouse party.

Others featuring in the cast of the film from Vanishing Angle include Nina West (Rupaul’s Drag Race), Tomas Matos (Fire Island), Quincy Dunn-Baker (No Hard Feelings), Becca Blackwell (Bros), Shaunette Renée Wilson (Black Panther), Dominique Jackson...

In Charlie McDowell’s last feature, Windfall, the ambitious (though largely unsuccessful) idea was to put the audience in a stressful situation (à la Hitchcock) and then quickly vent the pressure with a few violent set pieces (à la Tarantino). By contrast, his latest feature, The Summer Book, is based entirely on what we might call “scenic exhalation”: those moments of repose in which a character stares at a landscape while the cogs of reflection work away, revealing at last the bittersweet unity of all things. When used sparingly, the exhalation can be a highly effective tool capable of immense lyricism (as in Tarkovsky’s The Sacrifice) and of subtle characterization (as in Mia Hansen-Løve’s Bergman Island). When used excessively, however, as it is in The Summer Book, the world of the movie starts to look suspiciously neat and Edenic, and the director’s benevolent hand becomes visible for all to see.

At one point in The Summer Book, Charlie McDowell’s infinitely gentle adaptation of Tove Jansson’s novel about a small girl, her father and grandmother spending the short Finnish summer on one of the country’s thousands of islands, nine-year-old Sophia looks at a tapestry on the wall showing a rampant lion. “Is the lion going to eat the man in the tent?,” she asks her redoubtable grandmother, played by a suitably sun-gnarled Glenn Close. “No,” Grandmother says firmly, “He is there to protect him.”

The embrace of nature, even when nature presents as a ferocious storm or the cruel predations of old age, is the guiding spirit of both Jansson’s novel, published in 1972 and drawing on her own long summers spent with a niece, and this faithfully rendered adaptation. Jansson spent much of her life living in a cottage like this one – all wooden planks and questionable plumbing – where,...

Tove Jansson’s 1972 novel “The Summer Book” wasn’t a memoir, but it was a memory piece of sorts — its slender narrative of largely unspoken grief and healing imbued with, and enriched by, the author’s palpable feeling for its remote Gulf of Finland island setting, where she herself maintained a rustic holiday house. That it’s taken over half a century for this well-loved book to reach the screen isn’t altogether surprising: That level of subtextual authorial attachment makes it a challenge to film, as does its spare, outwardly low-stakes storytelling. In his fourth feature, American filmmaker Charlie McDowell makes an equally respectful and respectable stab at the task, capturing some of the wistful, soft-sun warmth of Jansson’s writing — though not quite matching its unassuming poetic depths.

The presence of Glenn Close — radiating creased, quiet benevolence as a weary grandmother anchoring a potentially pained family vacation — will...

The stars of Emily in Paris are hitting the red carpet with their men at the 2024 BFI London Film Festival!

Lily Collins and husband Charlie McDowell joined Ashley Park and boyfriend Paul Forman on the red carpet at a special presentation of Charlie‘s new movie The Summer Book on Saturday (October 12) held at The Curzon Mayfair in London, England.

Charlie directed the movie, which is an adaption of Tove Jansson’s classic novel of the same name, and stars Glenn Close, Emily Matthews, and Anders Danielsen Lie.

Here’s the synopsis from BFI: “In the wake of her mother’s death, Sophia (impressive newcomer Emily Matthews), her grandmother and father spend a summer on an island off the gulf of Finland. With fantastic performances from Close, Danielsen Lie and Matthews, The Summer Book celebrates the adventures of everyday life. McDowell’s stunningly shot film vividly brings to life some...

We present our red carpet interviews for The Summer Book at the 2024 Lff Premiere. It was directed by Charlie McDowell, written by Robert Jones, and starring Emily Matthews, Glenn Close, and Anders Danielsen Lie. It is based on Tove Jansson’s novel of the same title.

Colin Hart and Ethan Hart were on the red carpet, here are their interviews.

The Summer Book Lff Premiere Interviews

Plot:

Follows the inspirational tale of a young girl and her grandmother spending a summer on a small, uninhabited island in the Gulf of Finland.

The post The Summer Book Lff Premiere Interviews: Charlie McDowell & Emily Matthews, & more appeared first on HeyUGuys.

A lovely intergenerational moment toward the end of Charlie McDowell’s The Summer Book captures the restorative magic of its atmospheric setting on a tiny island in the Gulf of Finland.

Glenn Close, playing a grandmother nearing the end of her life, acknowledges that once-vivid memories are slipping away from her when she can no longer recall the feeling of sleeping in a tent under the stars as a girl. Her 9-year-old granddaughter describes the experience for her, bringing a smile to the old woman’s face: “I remember that … It’s like the whole island shrinks up around you until you and it are like a raft in the sea.”

Adapted by Robert Jones from the novel by Tove Jansson — the beloved Finnish writer and illustrator of the enduringly popular Moomin books and comic strips — McDowell’s screen version remains true to the source material by sharing its attention...

AFI Fest is primed and ready to roll out.

The American Film Institute revealed the full lineup for this month’s festival, scheduled to take place in Los Angeles from Oct. 23-27. Joining the previously announced roster of films will be Tim Fehlbaum’s September 5, Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light, Samir Oliveros’ The Luckiest Man in America, Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault’s abortion rights documentary Zurawski v Texas (executive produced by Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and Jennifer Lawrence), and Paul Schrader’s Oh, Canada, among many others.

The lineup includes six red carpet premieres, 12 special screenings, 13 luminaries picks, 15 discovery films, 12 world cinema films, 14 documentaries, four after-dark titles, 54 films in the short film competition and 28 films from the AFI Conservatory Showcase presented by AMC Networks. Other notable titles include Durga Chew-Bose’s Bonjour Tristesse with Chloë Sevigny; Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste; Paolo Sorrentino...

Exclusive: Black Bear’s management arm has signed writer, director, actor, and producer Jordan Firstman, whose credits include Sundance 2023 black comedy Rotting in the Sun.

Firstman first rose to prominence by sharing short skits, impressions, and impersonations on Instagram Live during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He is also known for writing for Alia Shawkat’s Search Party and he was a consulting producer on Netflix’s animated series Big Mouth. As a filmmaker, Firstman directed the narrative short Men Don’t Whisper, which was shortlisted for the Grand Jury Prize at both Sundance and SXSW in 2018. He has also written for Comedy Central’s The Other Two and directed multiple episodes of the Peabody-nominated Sundance TV series This Close.

On the acting side, Firstman joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2022 via Ms. Marvel on Disney+. He also recently appeared in FX’s Dave and the Netflix comedy You People with Jonah Hill and Eddie Murphy.

Charades has taken on international sales to Charlie McDowell’s family drama The Summer Book starring Glenn Close ahead of the world premiere as a special presentation at BFI London Film Festival on October 12.

The English-language adaptation of Tove Jansson’s titular Finnish novel Sommarboken (The Summer Book) is about a young girl who spends a summer on a tiny island off the gulf of Finland with her grandmother and father after her mother’s death as they deepen bonds and work to heal emotional wounds.

Anders Danielsen Lie of Joachim Trier’s Oslo Trilogy and newcomer Emily Matthews also star.

AFI Fest continues to roll out selections for next month’s festival ahead of the reveal of the full lineup.

The latest additions, billed as red carpet premieres, include the Hugh Grant-starrer Heretic from Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, and Pablo Larraín’s Maria starring Angelina Jolie as the famed opera singer.

Heretic comes first, with its L.A. premiere scheduled for Oct. 24, while Maria will hit the big screen on Oct. 26. Both will screen at Hollywood’s historic Tcl Chinese Theatre. Heretic, to be released by A24 on Nov. 8, follows two missionaries (Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical man. Larraín’s Maria casts Jolie as Callas and follows her on her final days in Paris. The film, released by Netflix this fall, also stars Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

AFI Fest has booked Netflix’s Maria and A24 genre movie Heretic as part of its lineup next month.

The gala screening for Heretic directed by A Quiet Place scribes Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, which stars Hugh Grant, will be on Thursday, Oct. 24, while the Pablo Larraín directed, Angelina Jolie starring Maria will hold its gala screening on Saturday, Oct. 26. Heretic made its world premiere at TIFF and hits theaters on Nov. 8. Maria, about the final days of opera singer Maria Callas during the ’70s, made its world premiere at Venice where Netflix picked up the pic.

Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. Pic is produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno.

The fourth season of Netflix’s mega-corny romance drama has arrived and with it, the returning trio of Lily Collins, Lucas Bravo, and a new third wheel. Emily in Paris keeps refueling the fans’ yearly dosage of love caffeine with the will-they-won’t-they status between the star-crossed lovers as wrong timing and misunderstandings keep getting in their way.

Emily in Paris [Credit: Netflix]

In the meantime, fans have kept their curiosity alive by conducting a deep dive into the real-life history of the actors. Despite the flaws in her on-screen romance, Lily Collins has found her endgame with Charlie McDowell, her husband. Bravo’s search, however, continues after a brief rumor about his possible fling in the past with a certain Avengers actor’s current wife.

Uncovering the Secret Behind Lucas Bravo and Alba Baptista

Not every love story is meant to be as elaborately tangled and messy as Emily in Paris.

Lily Collins steps out with husband Charlie McDowell to promote her hit series Emily in Paris at a photocall in Paris, France on Thursday (September 12).

The 35-year-old actress wowed in a sheer net dress with a long fringe while posing for photos at La Samaritaine. She paired the daring dress with a black blazer and heels. Charlie complemented her in a black suit during their rare red carpet event.

Keep reading to find out more…

Costars Ashley Park, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu and Camille Razat were also in attendance as were series creator Darren Star, director and executive producer Andrew Fleming and costume designer Marylin Fitoussi. We’ve got photos of everyone in the gallery!

The second half of Season 4 of Emily in Paris premieres on Netflix on September 12! Check out a trailer to get an idea of what to expect.

Fyi: Lily is wearing Dior.

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The 68th BFI London Film Festival has unveiled additional titles for its 2024 program. The new slate includes one world premiere, one international premiere, one European premiere, and four U.K. premieres.

Charlie McDowell’s “The Summer Book,” starring Glenn Close, Emily Matthews and Anders Danielsen Lie, will have its world premiere as a special presentation. The film adapts Tove Jansson’s novel about a family’s summer on a Finnish island.

Justin Kurzel’s documentary “Ellis Park,” focusing on musician Warren Ellis, is set for its international premiere. The European premiere goes to Fleur Fortuné’s sci-fi feature debut “The Assessment,” with Elizabeth Olsen, Alicia Vikander and Himesh Patel.

U.K. premieres include Joshua Oppenheimer’s post-apocalyptic drama “The End,” featuring Tilda Swinton, George MacKay, Moses Ingram and Michael Shannon; Marco Dutra’s genre-bending “Bury Your Dead,” starring Selton Mello, Marjorie Estiano and Danilo Grangheia; Giovanni Tortorici’s coming-of-age tale “Dicianovve,...

The world premiere of Charlie McDowell’s The Summer Book, starring Glenn Close, has joined the line-up at the BFI London Film Festival, along with six other additional films.

US filmmaker McDowell’s feature is an English-language adaptation of Moomins creator Tove Jansson’s novel Sommarboken, also starring The Worst Person In The World actor Anders Danielsen Lie and newcomer Emily Matthews. In the wake of her mother’s death, a family spend a summer on an island off the Gulf of Finland. It will play as a Special Presentation.

Also joining the line-up is the international premiere of Macbeth...

The London Film Festival has added multiple titles to this year’s lineup including Charlie McDowell’s The Summer Book, which will screen as a world premiere. Scroll down for the full list.

The Summer Book is an adaptation of Moomins creator Tove Jansson’s classic novel and stars Glenn Close and Anders Danielsen Lie. Also joining today is Joshua Oppenheimer’s narrative feature debut The End. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where a family and their companions live in harmony until the arrival of a stranger cracks their strictly organized world wide open, starring Tilda Swinton, George MacKay, Moses Ingram, and Michael Shannon. The film travels to London after debuting in Telluride.

Other titles include Justin Kurzel’s first non-fiction film, Ellis Park, and Fleur Fortuné’s feature debut The Assessment, a sci-fi chamber piece featuring Elizabeth Olsen, Himesh Patel, and Alicia Vikander.

This year’s London Film Festival...

The cast of Emily in Paris brought their fashion A-game to the red carpet in Los Angeles, celebrating the highly anticipated premiere of Season 4, Part One of the popular Netflix series.

Lily Collins, who stars as Emily Cooper, wowed the crowd with a custom Armani Privé ensemble that shimmered under the lights. Her outfit featured a striking peplum corset top paired with a sheer skirt, creating a sophisticated yet daring look. Collins completed her outfit with black pumps, a chic short bob and understated drop earrings. Her makeup was kept neutral, allowing the outfit to take center stage.

Season 4 of Emily in Paris, picks up after the dramatic fallout from Camille and Gabriel’s ill-fated wedding. In an interview with InStyle, Collins reflected on the growth of her character, highlighting how Emily’s evolving sense of style mirrors her growing confidence at work.

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Lily Collins is opening up about how, despite finding some similarities between herself and her Emily in Paris character, Emily Cooper, she’s found a way to separate herself from the character.

The actress sat down with InStyle for its recent cover, which published online Tuesday, a week before season four of the hit Netflix series releases. In the conversation, she got candid about Emily’s need to be perfect, how the character helped her find her sense of fashion again and plans beyond Paris.

When filming Emily in Paris season one, Collins recalled talking to her now-husband, Charlie McDowell, about the how she and her character were similar, and she wanted to find a way to differentiate them. She explained that she struggled with Emily’s desire to be perfect, which she was also going through.

“This idea of perfection, needing to just always feel ready to go, always feeling like your perfect self.

Romantic comedies typically rely on familiar tropes like meet-cutes, grand gestures, and the warm satisfaction of happily ever afters. But what if the journey to love wasn't paved with roses, but with a twisted blend of confusion, dark humor, and a whole lot of "what the heck?" That's what Charlie McDowell explores in his directorial debut, the mind-bending 2014 romantic thriller The One I Love. The acclaimed feature defies categorization it crisscrosses genres with hints of romance, comedy, surrealism, and drama.

Black Bear’s management arm has signed Swedish creator, writer and showrunner Oskar Söderlund for international representation.

Söderlund is best known for creating the Swedish crime thriller, “Snabba Cash,” which was a hit series for Netflix. He was recently tapped to write and showrun a television adaptation of the John Le Carré spy novel “A Most Wanted Man” from production companies The Ink Factory, founded by Le Carré’s sons Stephen and Simon Cornwell, and Amusement Park, which produced “All Quiet on the Western Front.”

Söderlund currently serves as the head writer on TV4’s “Cry Wolf,” a thriller based on Hans Rosenfeldt’s novel of the same name, and on Netflix’s series “The Breakthrough” — both of which are set to premiere early next year. His previous work includes award-winning television series “The Fat and the Angry” directed by Johan Renck; thriller series “Greyzone”; and the five-part psychological drama series “The Dark Heart,...

Netflix’s new Hitchcockian thriller Windfallstars three actors you’ve definitely seen before — and perhaps even in the same movie together. But first, the scene: The film follows a series of (unfortunate) events that transpire when a robber is caught burgling a billionaire CEO’s idyllic vacation home. When the tech mogul and his wife show up unexpectedly for a weekend away, the robber’s plan goes awry. Windfallwas directed by Charlie McDowell and based on a story by McDowell and his leading actor, Jason Segel, and screenwriters Andrew Kevin Walker and Justin Lader.

Segel stars alongside The Power of the Dog’s Jesse Plemons in their second Charlie McDowell film — the two appear in his 2017 sci-fi thriller The Discovery — and Netflix leading lady Lily Collins, aka Emily in Paris herself. Read on to find out more about the film, which, in a taut 90 minutes, explores class, power and the...