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Jon Watts is sharing a relatable truth: Sometimes directors get burnt out, too. The filmmaker, who singlehandedly revived the “Spider-Man” IP with his Tom Holland-led features, said during a recent masterclass at the Mediterrane Film Festival (via THR) that he exited fellow MCU project “The Fantastic Four” because he was just “out of gas.”

Watts was announced announced as the director of a new “Fantastic Four” movie in 2020. He parted ways with the project in 2022; Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said at the time that the studio was “supportive of his reasons for stepping away.”

Now, Watts is explaining why he dropped out of directing “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (Matt Shakman is helming the feature, which will be released in theaters on July 25). “I was out of gas,” Watts said. “The Covid layer on top of making a giant movie layer, I knew I didn’t have what...

Jon Watts made some news in Malta. The blockbuster filmmaker — responsible for the successful Spider-Man trilogy of Homecoming, Far From Home and No Way Home — touched down at the Mediterrane Film Festival to headline a storytelling masterclass held Thursday afternoon at the historic Fort Ricasoli, which has hosted such high-profile Hollywood productions as the Gladiator franchise and Napoleon. While Watts did reveal some script tips (be quick and not precious about a first draft, revise the third act more than the first two), the bulk of the conversation (moderated by Collider’s Steven Weintraub) covered the buzzy parts of Watts’ impressive résumé. Highlights from the 90-minute conversation are below.

Pandemic-Related Fatigue Led Watts to Drop Out of Fantastic Four

The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25 from director Matt Shakman. Watts had been on board to helm the Marvel Studios project but dropped out in 2022, after he had delivered the third Spider-Man film.

The Hollywood Reporter won 10 first-place awards at the 67th SoCal Journalism Awards, including two wins for best magazine feature, one for best entertainment commentary and a first-ever nod in the best headline category.

The Los Angeles Press Club handed out the awards at a ceremony held Sunday night inside the Crystal Ballroom at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

The news comes on the heels of The Hollywood Reporter’s award presented by the 2025 American Society of Magazine Editors in its best cover contest. THR was awarded the best local magazine cover for its 2024 “Work Issue,” which hit newsstands on Oct. 30, 2024.

Special honorees at the ceremony were Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times and ESPN, who was presented with the Joseph M. Quinn Award for Lifetime Achievement; CNN’s Clarissa Ward, who received the Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism; and actress Kim Fields,...

Actor Will Smith has given us some memorable movie characters: Agent J in Men in Black, post-apocalyptic survivor Robert Neville in I am a Legend, Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness, and his Oscar-winning turn as Richard Williams in King Richard. The man was considered a major box-office draw back in the 90s and is loved by his fans for showcasing a wide range on-screen. Now, just in time for the 4th of July, his iconic film Independence Day has found a new free home at Tubi.

The film, directed by Roland Emmerich, follows disparate groups of people: a geek, a pilot, the US President, and a group of ragtag survivors, who converge in the Nevada desert in the aftermath of a worldwide attack by a powerful extraterrestrial race with their advanced weaponry. With the other people of the world, they launch a counterattack on July 4—Independence Day in the United States.

Will Smith’s attempt at a comeback in the music world has met with criticism from all over. Fans have found his new song, Pretty Girls, and its music video pretty cringeworthy. In the song, Smith professes his love (some would say lust) for pretty girls, whether they are “vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, lemon”, or any other flavor. Yes, it’s that bad!

One of the biggest issues with the song was its tempo, which felt off for many fans. It’s truly surprising, given that he collaborated with DJ Jazzy Jeff. Smith and Jeff paired together for the ’90s hits, including Summertime and Boom! Shake the Room. However, fans on X found a way to make it sound much better.

Will Smith’s song Pretty Girls turns into a banger after fans fix it Will Smith in the music video of Pretty Girls | Credits: Slang

Will Smith‘s new song follows his fifth album,...

To close out a lively and, at times, heartfelt Q&a featuring a handful of actors and the key creative team responsible for Showtime’s Queer as Folk, moderator Frank DeCaro asked the panelists the night’s most profound question timed to the milestone anniversary: “Looking back over the last 25 years, what influence do you think Queer As Folk had on television and the world?”

Without missing a beat, Peter Paige, who starred as the flamboyant and beloved character Emmett Honeycutt, said, “Give me that goddamn microphone,” a demand that telegraphed a powerful statement was about to be dropped.

“I don’t think Queer as Folk gets nearly enough credit for being at the forefront of the golden age of television, and I mean that 100 percent,” said Paige, who graduated from the show to become a successful TV creator, writer and producer (The Fosters, Good Trouble). “Adding complicated, sexualized adult...

Alexander Skarsgard is overcome with emotion!

The 48-year-old actor gave Pedro Pascal a hug and kiss on the cheek during what was described by THR as an “electric seven-minute standing ovation” for the 2025 Cannes Film Festival premiere of his movie, Pillion, on Sunday (May 18).

The Bsdm-themed queer film marks the directorial debut of Harry Lighton.

The movie centers around Colin, a shy London lad (Harry Melling), who encounters the smoldering and charismatic leader of a motorcycle club named Ray (Skarsgard) on Christmas Eve at a local pub. After a steamy oral sex session in an alleyway, Ray takes Colin under his wing by making Colin his submissive as they get tangled up in a relationship built around power dynamics.

Keep reading to find out more…

Pedro Pascal on his feet for standing ovation for Pillion and gets a hug and kiss from Alex Skarsgaard him on the great film. pic.

Sealed with a kiss! Alexander Skarsgard felt the love during an electric seven-minute standing ovation for his Cannes film Pilion, and returned it two-fold with a warm embrace and by planting a wet one on the cheek of a smiling Pedro Pascal who was on his feet.

The directorial debut of Harry Lighton had its world premiere Sunday morning inside Salle Debussy, and the crowd — filled with guests like Eddington star Pascal, The Substance filmmaker Coralie Fargeat and Babygirl David Hinojosa — lapped up the sexy, Bdsm-themed dramedy. The Un Certain Regard selection centers on Colin, a shy London lad played by Harry Melling, who encounters the smoldering and charismatic leader of a motorcycle club named Ray, Skarsgard, on Christmas Eve at a local pub. After a steamy oral sex session in an alleyway, Ray takes Colin under his wing by making Colin his submissive as they get tangled up in...

It’s hard to imagine an American indie movie more suitable for a Cannes red-carpet premiere than Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague. The maverick director’s black-and-white love letter to the French New Wave premiered to a rapturous response Saturday night inside Cannes’ Palais des Festivals, drawing a 10-minute-plus standing ovation from the black-tie crowd.

“Cinema is magic,” Linklater said as the house lights came up inside the cinema and the applause finally began to dwindle.

The standing ovation even got started before the lights came on as the crowd began clapping in unison for Linklater’s moving tribute to French cinema.

Going into the night, there was considerable anticipation surrounding Linklater’s 23rd feature. The film wasn’t screened for critics in advance of the premiere, as the director was said to prefer that it be seen for the first time on the big screen at its French unveiling.

The wild, hydrated life of skincare guru to the stars Ole Henriksen is being prepped for the big screen.

The 74-year-old is the subject of a new biopic project mounted by frequent Martin Scorsese collaborator Niels Juul through his No Fat Ego along with author-turned-screenwriter James Wyllie. The news was announced during the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday morning at a press event aboard the Lady Jersey yacht docked on the Albert Edouard jetée in the city’s old port. Henriksen took a seat on a sofa on the yacht’s upper deck where he participated in a panel discussion about the vision for the project alongside his creative collaborators.

“It’s been two years in the making,” Juul told The Hollywood Reporter of the project which is in the early stages and does not have a director or talent attached but does have a finished screenplay from Wyllie reportedly titled The Glowing Man.

The Hollywood Reporter landed 58 nominations for the 67th SoCal Journalism Awards, including best website and three journalist of the year finalists.

For THR, Gary Baum was nominated for best print journalist (over 50,000 circulation), James Hibberd is up for best online journalist tied to an organization, and Mesfin Fekadu will compete for best entertainment journalist.

In addition, THR’s critics — Daniel Fienberg, Jon Frosch, Lovia Gyarkye, Angie Han and David Rooney — all received nominations.

The Los Angeles Press Club, which hands out the awards, said more than 2,500 entries were submitted this year, breaking last year’s record.

The winners will be announced June 22 at the SoCal Journalism Awards Gala, taking place at the Millennium Biltmore hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

Here are all of The Hollywood Reporter noms. See the full list of this year’s finalists.

Journalist Of The Year

Print Journalist (Over 50,000 Circulation)

Gary Baum

Online Journalist, Tied to...

Chappell Roan never thought she’d find her place in the fashion world.

”I thought that fashion was really exclusive and I felt like I could never really be a part of that because I didn’t even know what Urban Outfitters was or whatever,” the Grammy Award winner said from the podium on Thursday night during the Daily Front Row’s 9th annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Then she met stylist Genesis Webb on her first magazine shoot for V. The rest, as they say, is history.

“I was so drawn to her. I was kind of scared of her, and in the best way, I was like, oh, she has tattoos. This girl is not afraid of a neck tattoo. I love this, and her hair is so long and beautiful and black. I was just mesmerized by how sweet she was to...

How do you close an inaugural CinemaCon presentation featuring some of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars?

If you’re the executives at Amazon MGM Studios, you ask them to close the show with an epic group selfie. Vivica A. Fox had the honors of hoisting a selfie stick to capture the talent that had appeared on the Colosseum stage inside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas during the two-hour show to cap a packed convention schedule Wednesday night just before 10 p.m. It was a rare group gathering on the big stage at CinemaCon where stars usually come out in clusters to promote their respective films.

Among those seen below (with links to coverage from inside the event): Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Daniella Pineda, Cynthia Addai-Robinson and filmmaker Gavin O’Connor from The Accountant 2; Ryan Gosling and filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller from Project Hail Mary; filmmaker Bart Layton,...

The devastation brought by Los Angeles wildfires that tore through the city in January, destroying thousands of structures and tens of thousands of acres of L.A., is still centered in the minds of millions, and the impact on everyday Angelenos was a topic that burned from the stage during the 2025 Academy Awards.

At the end of his opening monologue and performance, host Conan O’Brien opted to eschew a generalized tribute to the city where attendees live and were situated within on Sunday night. Instead, the comedian and longtime late-night talk show host delivered a heartfelt shoutout at the glamourous ceremony to the movie industry’s thousands upon thousands of behind-the-scenes workers and craftspeople who make cinema magic happen who make up the fabric of the city synonymous with the U.S. film industry.

“The people of Los Angeles have clearly been through a devastating ordeal, and this needs to...

Before Hollywood’s biggest night gets underway, The Hollywood Reporter is counting down to the 2025 Oscars with a streaming preshow that will deliver expert analysis, insider predictions and behind-the-scenes coverage viewers can’t see anywhere else.

THR‘s Awards Countdown: Oscars Edition at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood starts streaming at 9 a.m. Pt / 12 p.m. Et on Sunday before the ceremony, hosted by Conan O’Brien, kicks off live on ABC at 4 p.m. Pt / 7 p.m. Et.

Watch the stream below and continue to follow The Hollywood Reporter throughout the night to see which movies and actors take home the golden trophies.

Emilia Pérez leads this year’s Oscar nominations with 13 nods, followed by The Brutalist and Wicked, which tied with 10 noms apiece. A Complete Unknown and Conclave both received eight mentions each.

All five of those films will compete for best picture with Anora, Dune: Part Two,...

The Hollywood Reporter is counting down to the 2025 Oscars with a streaming preshow on Sunday that will deliver expert analysis, insider predictions and behind-the-scenes coverage ahead of Hollywood’s biggest night.

Straight from the iconic El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, right across the street from the home of the Academy Awards, the Dolby Theatre, THR’s film and awards experts will weigh in on the ceremony’s top categories, including best actor, best actress and best picture, ultimately revealing their final predictions for who will take home the honors on Sunday night.

Will Demi Moore win best actress and give an emotional, inspiring speech? Could Timothée Chalamet become the youngest person to be named best actor? And which film will receive the top prize of best picture? THR’s experts will explore these questions and more during Awards Countdown: Oscars Edition.

The preshow will also feature a deep dive into...

Film Independent assumed its regular position on Santa Monica Beach on Saturday to present its annual Spirit Awards, the biggest party for the independent film scene. While cameras captured the live show for a stream on YouTube, The Hollywood Reporter was inside the iconic white tent on the beach to bring you all the action you might’ve missed.

Patti LuPone’s Peek-a-Boo While Presenting With Natasha Lyonne

The iconic New Yorkers made the trek to the West Coast for Saturday’s ceremony at which LuPone was nominated for her work in Agatha All Along while Lyonne was honored with the Robert Altman prize for Azazel Jacobs’ His Three Daughters. While in the tent, they made the most of their time by teaming up to present the John Cassavetes Award in what turned out to be one of the liveliest segments of the day thanks to their witty banter (and...

The private security company sued by Michael Render, also known as Killer Mike of Run the Jewels, is denying allegations that its guards illegally detained the Atlanta rapper, who was arrested at the 2024 Grammys, and is considering suing for defamation.

S&s Labor Force, in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday, said that it “can unequivocally state that we had zero involvement in the incident” described in Render’s lawsuit, which it said is “based on misinformation” and “lacks credible evidence.” It added, “We are currently investigating the source of these allegations and are prepared to take appropriate legal action to address any defamation.”

THR broke the story last year that Render, fresh off of sweeping the rap category at the awards show, was detained inside Crypto dot com Arena following a scuffle with a security guard. Rolling Stone later cited a source who claimed that Render pushed...

It’s hard to imagine an occasion that would make Sara Bareilles nervous, considering that the Grammy Award winner is a veteran of stages far and wide. But Friday night’s Celebrating Sundance Institute fundraiser at Park City’s Grand Hyatt Deer Valley proved to be such an event.

Upon taking her place in the ballroom lights to close out the starry event, Bareilles admitted that it was the “fancy room” that sent her nerves into overdrive. The fundraiser saw a long list of honorees and presenters take the stage including A Complete Unknown filmmaker James Mangold, Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, Sundance Institute’s Michelle Satter, Glenn Close, Joel Edgerton, Marielle Heller, R.J. Cutler and Tessa Thompson. Guests making the rounds included Jon Hamm, Boots Riley, Kimberly Peirce, Roger Ross Williams and more.

Or maybe it was because the film that brought her to Sundance this year means so much to her.

Like so many great stories, Michelle Satter’s Sundance backstory started with a phone call and ended with the boldest of propositions.

More than 40 years ago, Satter, a recent college graduate who had just co-founded a performing arts organization in Boston, answered a call and a question from a close friend that would forever change her life. “Would I consider coming to the Sundance Institute in Utah for the first monthlong filmmakers lab that Robert Redford was starting up? How can you say no to that?” Satter recalled from a ballroom stage inside the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley during the Celebrating Sundance Institute gala on Friday. “There was an immediate yes.”

Satter arrived that following summer during which time Redford laid out his vision for the Sundance Institute, blueprints that called for “well-established screenwriters, directors and actors to share their decades of experience with filmmakers early in their careers with...

It's time for another adventure! The English dub of I Left my A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths! begins streaming on Crunchyroll from Saturday, January 25 with the below cast and crew for Episode 1. I Left my A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths! English Dub Cast Yuke voiced by Drew Breedlove Marina voiced by Lindsay Seidel Rain voiced by Bryn Apprill Silk voiced by Marisa Duran Jamie voiced by Celeste Perez Benwood voiced by Demetrious Murray Barry voiced by Marcus D. Stimac Camilla voiced by Taylor Murphy Mamar voiced by Brianna Roberts Simon voiced by Stephen E. Moellering Saga voiced by Ethan Gallardo Camerat voiced by Rebecca Chiara Marano Gato voiced by Chris Gardner Sho voiced by Kiba Walker I Left my A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths! English Dub Crew Voice Director: Manuel Aragon Producer:...

Meghan Markle’s Last Stand: The Kitchen

To paraphrase Winston Churchill, never in the history of streaming has so much been paid to so few for so little. But with the debut of the much anticipated With Love, Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will have perhaps one last chance to prove they’re really worth the $100 million Netflix ponied up in that 2020 five-year deal to produce and appear in shows and movies. (Update: The series was supposed to release Jan. 15, but was pushed at Markle’s request to March 4 due to the L.A. wildfires.) So far, the couple’s output has been less than majestic. Yes, their initial 2022 domestic life docuseries, Harry & Meghan, was a hit, even if critics roasted it back at home (“So sickening I almost brought up my breakfast,” The Guardian sneered). But everything the Duke and Duchess have churned out since — their social justice series,...

New Year’s Eve is finally here, and there’s no better way to kick it off than to watch a feel-good movie with your loved ones. Entering 2025, you want to feel hopeful, warm, and inspired, so whether you intend to have some quiet time or a blast with your friends and family, a great movie can really elevate the experience.

Wil and Jaden Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness | Columbia Pictures

But it’s such a drag to go on Netflix and browse through thousands of options for God knows how long. So, save yourself some time and go through this curated list of movies that would be perfect to stream this New Year, trust us!

5. Klaus: a heartwarming animation for the holidays Klaus | Netflix

Klaus is a stunning animated film that chronicles the origins of Santa Claus. Even though Christmas is gone, the spirit of the festival...

Elon Musk rose to his own defense after “Saturday Night Live” cast member Chloe Fineman revealed he was the guest who made “multiple” people at the show cry.

He said on X (formerly Twitter) that his behavior was due to his worries about the Season 46 episode. “I was like damn my ‘SNL’ appearance is going to be so f–king unfunny that it will make a crackhead sober!!” Musk wrote on Tuesday.

The X boss offered his explanation in response a tweet from The Hollywood Reporter’s Chris Gardner, who shared Fineman’s video after she deleted it. “Frankly, it was only on the Thursday before the Saturday that Any of the sketches generated laughs,” Musk wrote. “I was worried … But then it worked out in the end.”

Musk also shared a link to his appearance at the September All-In Summit, during which he explained in more detail his perspective...

Elon Musk has responded to “Saturday Night Live” cast member Chloe Fineman revealing that he made her cry in the days leading up to his appearance on the show. And he’s taken a relatively diplomatic tone, though stopping short of actually issuing an apology.

Let’s back up a sec. After Dana Carvey made his debut as Musk on “SNL” November 9, the Tesla CEO was not happy. “‘SNL’ has been dying slowly for years, as they become increasingly out of touch with reality,” he posted on X. He also criticized Carvey by saying “Dana Carvey just sounds like Dana Carvey.”

Fineman was not pleased about his remarks. So she took to TikTok to deliver a full-on rebuttal. She has since deleted the post.

“Okay, I just saw some news article about Elon Musk being like butthurt about SNL and his impression, but I’m like ‘You’re clearly watching the show!

After Dana Carvey debuted his new Elon Musk impression on this past weekends episode of Saturday Night Live, the X owner had some choice words for the series, claiming that the sketch comedy show has been "dying slowly for years." This prompted SNL star Chloe Fineman to fire some shots yesterday in a now-deleted TikTok video that backed up reports from earlier this year that Musk made people cry when he hosted in 2021. One of the people he brought to tears, Fineman admitted, was herself.

"Im gonna come out and say at long last that Im the cast member he made cry," Fineman said in her TikTok video (seen below). This backs up fellow SNL co-star Bowen Yangs comments he made back in August during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. At the time, Yang didnt name names, but said:

This man whothis person, this host...

Chloe Fineman has accused Elon Musk of having been a terror when he hosted SNL.

Saturday Night Live‘s return for the sketch comedy show’s 50 year anniversary comes at a pivotal, deeply depressing time.

SNL is a cultural touchstone. It has seen many highs and lows over the years.

One of the recent lows saw notorious billionaire Elon Musk hosting. According to Chloe Fineman, his hostility backstage brought her to tears.

Chloe Fineman attends the 2024 Cfda Awards at American Museum of Natural History on October 28, 2024. (Photo Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images) What did Chloe Fineman say about Elon Musk? Nothing good

At least he didn’t “offer” to buy her a horse.

Before Chloe Fineman said anything about Elon Musk, her beloved castmate Bowen Yang dropped hints on the topic.

In August, Bowen took a break from kissing every famously beautiful SNL host to appear as a guest on Watch What Happens Live.

Chloe Fineman, who plays Rachel on Saturday Night Live, talked about a tense exchange with Elon Musk when he was the host in 2021. She confirmed that she was the cast member who was moved to tears during the show’s preparation week.

Fineman talked about a personal time when Musk gave her feedback on a sketch she had worked on all night in an honest TikTok video that came out on Monday. “You stared at me like you were firing me from Tesla and were like, ‘It’s not funny,'” she said. Musk is said to have read her writing and said, “I didn’t laugh, not once.”

The shocking news comes after hints from cast member Bowen Yang, who said that an unknown host made several cast members cry before the show’s table read. The video of Fineman proved that she was the artist who caused the problem.

October has been a good month for Will Smith fans as the Oscar winner's latest film, Bad Boys: Ride or Die not only landed on Netflix but went on to dominate the charts. His animated film, Shark Tale also recently found success on the streamer, and now the party is continuing to next month as one of Smith's most rewatchable titles is on its way to a free streaming service. The Pursuit of Happyness, considered by many to be Smith's best performance, will arrive on Tubi next month. The 2006 film based on the inspirational true story of stockbroker Chris Gardner earned Smith both a Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Actor.

The movie for which Will Smith was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2007, The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), is coming to the free streaming service Tubi on November 1. Smith called the film the best movie hes ever made.

I think the best individual movie, all around, that Ive ever made is The Pursuit of Happyness, Smith said during a Hot Ones challenge in the summer of 2024. Right behind that is the first Men In Black. The direction, cinematography, and music, said Smith, who would win a Best Actor Academy Award in 2022 for 2021s King Richard.

Related 'A Brutal Decision': David Schwimmer Reflects on Turning Down Will Smith's 1997 Blockbuster

David Schwimmer explains why he turned down a Will Smith movie that became a major blockbuster.

Smith added, If I had to put four of them in a time capsule, it would be The Pursuit of Happyness,...

Hugh Grant spent less than a minute at the podium Thursday night to introduce his new film Heretic, but he made the most of 57 seconds in the spotlight.

The veteran movie star was welcomed to the microphone by his directors, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who explained the inspiration for their religious horror thriller about two young Mormon missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (Grant), who taunts them in a game of cat and mouse. The filmmaking team first took turns honoring the occasion (AFI Fest) and the location (Hollywood’s iconic Tcl Chinese Theatre).

“This movie theater is absolutely magical to us. I’m sure it is to many of you in the audience,” Beck said. “It’s a beautiful thing that there’s hundreds of us here, many of us are strangers,...

Michael “Newmie” Newman, the real-life lifeguard who appeared for 10 seasons on Baywatch as one of action show’s most popular characters, has died after his long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 67.

Newman died Sunday at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Matthew Felker, the writer, director and producer behind the new Hulu docuseries After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun, told The Hollywood Reporter. He was diagnosed in 2006.

“This terminal disease has allowed me a lot of thinking time, which I maybe didn’t want, but it’s brought me wisdom,” Newman told People magazine two months ago.

A onetime Iron Man competitor and firefighter who was 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds in his prime, Newman was the only Baywatch castmember who actually worked as a Los Angeles County lifeguard, having started out as a junior lifeguard in the shadow of the Santa Monica Pier when he was 10.

As Newmie, he appeared...

Will Smith is one of the most recognized actors in Hollywood. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star began his career as a rapper and then went on to star in his own sitcom. Smith graduated to the movies and had his breakout as an action star with films like Bad Boys, Independence Day, and Men in Black.

Smith’s son Jaden Smith has also made his mark as an actor and a musician. The Grammy-nominated rapper is probably best known for his role in 2010’s The Karate Kid, a loose remake of the original that starred Jackie Chan in the lead role. He has worked with his father, Will Smith, on multiple occasions. Here are the duo’s appearances ranked from worst to best.

3. After Earth Will Smith and Jaden Smith in After Earth | Credits: Sony Pictures

Starting with the father-son duo’s last appearance on the big screen...

Personal growth is a crucial part of the student experience. While academic success often takes the forefront, personal development is equally important in shaping individuals’ futures. One of the most accessible ways for students to gain valuable life lessons is through cinema. Certain films carry powerful messages about resilience, ambition, and self-discovery—traits that can significantly benefit students on their journey to adulthood. Below are five films every student should watch to inspire personal growth and new perspectives.

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

The Pursuit of Happyness tells the moving story of Chris Gardner, played by Will Smith, who battles homelessness while caring for his young son. Through relentless determination and hard work, Gardner ultimately secures a better future for his family, highlighting the themes of perseverance and self-belief. This film is an essential watch for students, as it demonstrates that even in the most challenging times, it’s possible to rise above adversity.

Starring alongside his father Will Smith, Jaden Smith made his acting debut with the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness. The film, following the story of a father and a struggling salesman who overcomes numerous hardships to provide a better life for his son, was a major success and even earned Smith his second Best Actor Oscar nomination.

The Pursuit of Happyness | Credit: Columbia Pictures

However, the fate of the movie and how it turned out could have been significantly affected by the studio’s initial hesitation about casting Will Smith’s son alongside him, primarily due to the concerns surrounding nepotism.

How Jaden Smith’s Casting Almost Changed The Pursuit of Happyness

Directed by Gabriele Muccino and starring Will Smith alongside his son Jaden Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness follows the inspirational real-life story of Chris Gardner, a businessman who became a stockbroker and founded his own brokerage firm.

Will...

George Clooney is clearing up the reports.

The 63-year-old actor appeared alongside Wolfs co-star Brad Pitt at the 2024 Venice Film Festival for the movie’s premiere Sunday (September 1) in Venice, Italy.

During the press conference for the film, he spoke to reports that the two were paid around $35 million each for the film, via the New York Times.

Keep reading to find out more…

At one point, George explained that the duo gave portions of their salaries back after a theatrical deal fell through for the film, meaning it gets a limited release in “a couple of hundred theaters,” and brought up the article published last week claiming they were paid more than $35 million each.

“[It was] an interesting article and whatever her source was for our salary, it is millions and millions and millions of dollars less than what was reported. And I am only saying that because I think it...

George Clooney has set right a claim that he and Wolfs co-star Brad Pitt were paid around $35 million each for the film, as reported in a New York Times article.

The duo brought their banter and riffing to the Venice Film Festival for the world premiere of Jon Watt’s action comedy, in which they play competing criminal fixers accidentally assigned to the same job. The two movie stars and real-world pals traded friendly jabs, praise and filmmaking insights in Italy at a press conference for Wolfs.

At one point, Clooney explained that the pair gave portions of their salaries back after a theatrical deal fell through for the film, meaning it gets a limited release in “a couple of hundred theaters,” and brought up a New York Times article published last week by Nicole Sperling that said he and Pitt were paid more than $35 million each.

“[It was] an interesting article...

A heartwarming scene unfolded on Thursday night at Palazzo del Cinema ahead of the world premiere of Pablo Larraín’s Maria during the Venice Film Festival. Angelina Jolie, who toplines the biopic, newly acquired by Netflix, as the famed opera star Maria Callas, paused during her red carpet duties to bend down and greet a bed-ridden fan.

They shared a brief conversation while throngs of adoring fans and festival photographers looked on at their encounter.

According to sources, Italian writer Pasqualino Esposito has become a Venice Film Festival regular over the past few years and has secured a place on the red carpet to greet Hollywood stars. He suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder also known as “brittle bone disease.”

Esposito with Jolie, who bent down in her Tamara Ralph gown and faux fur stole to have an intimate conversation.

It is typically diagnosed at birth and its severity...

Angelina Jolie was moved to tears by the incredible response to her new movie Maria during the 2024 Venice Film Festival premiere.

The Oscar-winning actress was seen turning away from the crowd to wipe her tears away during an eight-minute standing ovation after the movie premiere on Thursday (August 29) in Venice, Italy.

Angelina has revealed that making this movie felt like therapy for her.

“I had no idea how much I was holding in and not letting out,” she said (via THR). “So the challenge wasn’t the technical, it was an emotional experience to find my voice, to be in my body, to express. You have to give every single part of yourself.”

Watch a video from the standing ovation below.

Angelina Jolie brought to tears at one point during electric standing ovation for Maria following world premiere of Pablo Larrain film here at #Venezia81 pic.twitter.com/vxhBvdIyMB

— Chris Gardner...

Pablo Larraín’s Maria, with Angelina Jolie as the famed opera singer Maria Callas, was music to the ears of the audience seated inside Sala Grande on Thursday night. The Venice Film Festival crowd responded to the world premiere with an electric eight-minute standing ovation that saw its star in tears at one point.

It’s been a busy week on the Maria front. On Wednesday, Netflix confirmed that it had acquired distribution rights to the film. “I’m excited to partner again with the Netflix team who care so passionately about movies,” the filmmaker said in a statement regarding the deal. “This film is my most personal work yet. It is a creative imagining and psychological portrait of Maria Callas, who, after dedicating her life to performing for audiences around the world, decides finally to find her own voice, her own identity, and sing for herself.”

Angelina Jolie brought...

Tim Burton couldn’t have wished for a better return from the dead.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the 36-years-in-the-waiting sequel to Burton’s 1988 cult horror-comedy hit, was greeted with a warm standing ovation at this year’s Venice Film Festival from the crowd upon its world premiere on Wednesday night.

As the audience applauded for a nearly four-minute standing ovation, the cast joined together in the balcony for bows as Burton clutched his girlfriend, Monica Bellucci. He then led the team to exit the theater together. Dafoe and Theroux went to the stairs first, followed by Ryder and Ortega who sat next to one another. As Warner Bros. chiefs Pam Abdy and Michael DeLuca exited behind the cast, they accepted congratulations and Abdy was overheard telling festival director Alberto Balbero “thank you for having us.”

Warm reception for Beetlejuice here at #Venezia81 as Tim Burton and crew receive nearly 4-minute standing ovation for the Warner Bros.

The Pursuit of Happyness pays homage to Italian Neorealism, exploring poverty and father-son relationships. Hollywood's adaptation of Chris Gardner's story adds dramatic flair compared to Bicycle Thieves' realism. Both films reflect different national identities and views on poverty, showcasing thematic differences.

Although criticisms of the films romanticization of the American Dream remain valid, Will Smiths 2006 biopic drama The Pursuit of Happyness takes on a different meaning when understood as an unofficial remake of Vittorio de Sicas classic, Bicycle Thieves. The films portrayal of poverty, its adherence to San Francisco history, and its focus on a father-son relationship all speak to the traditions of Italian Neorealism. This postwar film movement saw Italian filmmakers eschew studio standards for a visual aesthetic and life philosophy that better reflected Italy's reality under economic duress. Smiths The Pursuit of Happyness speaks to similar themes.

Bicycle Thieves is available to stream on Max.

Vittorio de Sicas Bicycle Thieves,...

Hollywood is home to many experts on counter-programming but insiders behind the new film Reagan, which had its world premiere Tuesday at the town’s most iconic theater, insist that it was merely a coincidence that the event bumped up against the Democratic National Convention.

“It wasn’t intended but what the heck, that’s awesome,” offered filmmaker Sean McNamara with a smile, adding that despite missing the night’s program that featured onetime White House residents Barack and Michelle Obama, he would be watching clips once he got home. “I always watch it all day if I’m not working to try and get a sense of what everybody is saying, both Republicans and Democrats.”

McNamara, who pointed out that he’s a registered Democrat, said people are sometimes too quick to link politics to movies when sometimes those ties don’t tell the full story. “Look at the movie Lincoln,...

The Intuit Dome, Inglewood’s newest $2 billion sports venue, will be home to the Los Angeles Clippers but the doors swung wide Thursday night for an official opening that hosted two music superstars.

Headliner Bruno Mars helped christen the stage by drawing a capacity crowd for the first night of back-to-back shows backed by his band, the Hooligans. The electric two-hour concert closed with two encores, the first of which delivered a slam dunk courtesy of Lady Gaga who shocked the crowd by hitting the stage close to 11:30 p.m. for a world premiere performance of their new duet, “Die With a Smile,” which dropped at 9 p.m. Pt after being announced Thursday morning.

“How you feeling, L.A.?” asked Gaga as she was seated behind a keyboard with an oversize blonde wig, white tights, and a shiny, pink-and-white minidress. As the crowd went wild, Mars took the mic with an introduction: “Ladies and gentlemen,...

Get ready to meet (your) Fate. The English dub of Berserk of Gluttony comes to Crunchyroll with weekly episodes from Wednesday, July 31 ! Here's the cast and crew for Episode 1: Berserk of Gluttony English Dub Cast Fate voiced by Garret Storms Greed voiced by Chris Gardner Roxy voiced by Emily Hornsby Rafale voiced by Landon McDonald Hado voiced by Chris Rager Memil voiced by Emily Ernst Kasim voiced by Matthew Elkins Sahara voiced by Hollis Beck Bartender voiced by Matt Thurston Berserk of Gluttony English Dub Crew Voice Director: Jeremy Inman Producer: Samantha Herek Adaptation: Jessica Sluys Mixer: Neal Malley Engineer: Zachary Davis Related: Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World? English Dub Reveals Cast & Crew, Release Date Key Art Related: Crunchyroll Summer 2024 Dubs Include Tower of God Season 2 and More Based on the light novels by Ichika Isshiki and Fame, Berserk of Gluttony is directed by Tetsuya Yanagisawa ( Orient ) at studio Acgt,...

Marvel and Disney’s Deadpool & Wolverine is poised to break box office records this weekend, and the raunchy, expletive-filled R-rated superhero mashup received a ringing endorsement from none other than … Taylor Swift!

“Over the past few years I have watched one of my best friends on this planet pour every bit of his heart, soul, sweat, time, energy, jokes, pain, joy, rebellion, darkness, and magic into this film,” Swift said in opening to her post that was shared on Instagram Stories to her 284 million followers. “He’s created the best work of his life, and this film feels like an actual joy portal, a wild escape from reality, and an abs sandwich. I don’t know how he did it.”

Then came the good-natured trolling: “But that’s Hugh for you!” A dig worthy of Wade Wilson, aka Reynolds’ character in the Deadpool franchise. “These other randoms crashed the photo...

Nicholas Galitzine: The Artist Formerly Known as a Prince?

He’s played Cinderella’s Prince opposite Camila Cabello, the Prince of England in Red, White & Royal Blue and next will play He-Man, Prince Adam of Eternia, in Masters of the Universe. But is Hollywood’s latest “It” boy an actual prince? There has been a ton of speculation in the press that Nicholas Galitzine, 29, descends from a royal bloodline — specifically Russia’s House of Golitsyn (an alternate spelling of his surname), a noble family whose members were executed and exiled during the Russian Revolution. And many Galitzines did wind up in London, where Nick was eventually born in 1994. Unfortunately, that’s where the fairy tale ends. THR has unearthed documentation confirming that Nick’s paternal grandfather legally changed his name to Edward Ralph Alexander Galitzine on April 9, 1956. His birth name? Edward Ralph Alexander Tier. And while Nick’s financier father,...

Kim Kardashian was met with a mixed reaction from the crowd at the Tom Brady roast Sunday night.

The reality star and businesswoman took the stage with a glass of champagne in hand. She was first met with applause, saying “thank you” in response. But then the boos overtook the cheers, and Kardashian paused to give a look. “All right, all right, all right,” she said, with a little laugh.

Offscreen, Kevin Hart could be heard saying, “Whoa, whoa.”

The boos subsided, and Kardashian kicked off her jokes.

The boos for Kim Kardashian were real and pretty intense, fyi. #TomBradyRoast

— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) May 6, 2024

She noted the rumors that once swirled that she and Brady were dating. “I know there were some rumors that we were, and I’d never say if we did or not,” she said. “I’d just release a tape.”

She went on: “But I do...

Shia Labeouf and his Slauson Rec. Theater Company seemed to have cracked the code for putting on a live theatrical production during a global pandemic by mounting a play about a Covid-19 testing site.

It’s called 5711 Avalon and the title is taken from the address where the production takes place, inside a gated parking structure in South Los Angeles. All of the performers are masked and outfitted in personal protective equipment, or PPE, as they navigate through a drive-in testing facility, either playing staffers on site or patients rolling through as they get tested for the novel coronavirus.

5711 Avalon kicks off with a message onscreen that details the storyline and its inspiration, taken in part from the work of Sean Penn and Ann Lee’s Core organization: “This play draws on interviews conducted by the theatre company with frontline workers, Core volunteers, company members’ journal entries and published news...

It’s been a couple months since the last edition of What’s Up Doc? placed Michael Moore’s surprise world premiere of Where To Invade Next at the top of this list and in the meantime much shuffling has taken place and much time has been spent on various new endeavors (namely my Buffalo-based film series, Cultivate Cinema Circle). Finally taking its rightful place at the top, D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hagedus’ Unlocking the Cage is in the midst of being scored by composer James Lavino, according to Lavino’s own personal site. Though the project has been taking shape at its own leisurely pace, I’d expect to see the film making its festival debut in early 2016.

Right behind, the American direct cinema masters is a Texan soon to make his non-fiction debut with Voyage of Time. Just two weeks ago indieWIRE reported that Ennio Morricone, who scored...