News

ABC News president Almin Karamehmedovic on Monday revealed a series of promotions in its New York and Washington, D.C. newsrooms.

Jennifer Metz has been named executive producer of special events and news specials planning, and will continue her role as senior producer at World News Tonight. She will lead all prearranged special reports and report to Seni Tienabeso, vice president of ABC News Live, and work closely with Karamehmedovic and World News Tonight executive producer Chris Dinan.

Jennifer Metz ABC/Heidi Gutman John Santucci

ABC/Heidi Gutman

Molly Shaker, who is executive producer of special events, will oversee breaking news special events.

“By dividing responsibilities under Seni’s leadership, Jenn and Molly will ensure we’re always at the top of our game when it comes to both breaking and pre-planned live coverage,” Karamehmedovic wrote in a memo to staffers today.

John Santucci will be senior executive producer and managing editor,...

The 2025 Palm Springs International ShortFest has unveiled its programming lineup, featuring panels, roundtable discussions and interactive sessions that include directors, filmmakers, executive producers, talent agents and other industry experts. This year’s 31st-anniversary ShortFest forum will be presented at the Renaissance Hotel in Palm Springs from June 27-29.

Among the industry experts participating in the event are Jesy Odio, Josh Margolin, Daniel Willis, Meera Menon, Sarah Carbiener Greta Fuentes, Andrew Carlberg and others.

Variety’s Michael Schneider will lead the Breaking into Television panel, while chief film critic Peter Debruge will moderate the Short to Feature panel on how filmmakers can take the next step in filmmaking.

The programs scheduled to take place include “Pitch Like A Pro,” “Going Viral: Lessons from the Creator Economy,” “Ask Me Anything: Festivals,” “One-on-Ones Session 1: Industry Executive Mentors,” “One-on-Ones Session: Filmmaker Mentors,” “​One-on-Ones Session: Collaborator Matchup,” “Roundtable Meet & Greet: Representatives & Episodic” and “Roundtable Meet & Greet: Development & Artist Support.

A hallmark of every Sundance Film Festival is the freezing temperatures, trudging through the snow and ice of Park City. But at the 2025 iteration of the festival, that bone-chilling weather has extended to the market, resulting in an unprecedented cold streak.

Six days in, only one film has been sold: Neon picked up the Alison Brie/Dave Franco body horror “Together” on Tuesday, following its rowdy debut Monday night at the Eccles.

“Together” generated the festival’s first real bidding war, as Neon ultimately won out over A24 and Mubi with a low eight-figure offer said to be north of $10 million. The buzz around the film, which stars and is produced by real-life married couple Franco and Brie, offered a brief reminder of the kind of heated market activity that used to be commonplace at Sundance.

But beyond that? Zilch. And it’s got the industry nervous.

Are the movies not good?...

A year ago, what were the odds that the top-grossing film out of Sundance 2024 would be one starring and executive produced by 93-year-old June Squibb?

Magnolia acquired Josh Margolin’s feature debut “Thelma” right at the end of the festival — one of a few acquisitions that closed during its run. Released in June, it’s grossed $9.1 million in the U.S./Canada. That makes it, for now, the top hit out of the 2024.

Why the “for now”? Steven Soderbergh’s “Presence,” a $5 million Neon acquisition also out of the Sundance 2024 Premiere section, debuts in wide release Friday. Although regarded as a niche title, it could pass $9 million.

“A Real Pain,” which Searchlight bought for worldwide release for $10 million out of the U.S. Dramatic section, stands at a $8.1 million domestic since its release November 1. Disney stopped reporting its grosses last weekend, suggesting it has topped out. (It has been available...

Exclusive: Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two leads the nominations at this year’s Online Film Critics Society Awards. Scroll down for the lists in full.

Dune: Part Two clocked nine noms. The haul includes nods in the Best Picture, Best Directing, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Chasing Villeneuve’s sci-fi sequel is Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist (8), Edward Berger’s Conclave (7) and Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance (7), while Anora, Nickel Boys, and Wicked each earned 6 nominations.

Comprised of nearly 300 voting members from around the world, the Online Film Critics Society was founded in 1997. Check out the nominations below.

Best Picture:

Anora

The Brutalist

Challengers

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

I Saw the TV Glow

Nickel Boys

Nosferatu

The Substance

Wicked

Best Animated Feature:

Flow

Inside Out 2

Memoir of a Snail

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The Wild Robot

Best Directing:

Sean Baker – Anora

Brady Corbet – The Brutalist

Coralie Fargeat – The...

Ever since her movie Thelma premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, June Squibb has gotten a kick out of the response that’s been repeated over and over again this year.

“People have really made a big deal about the fact that it was my first leading role,” says the veteran actress, who turned 95 in November, of Josh Margolin’s senior citizen dramedy. “Everybody has laughingly said it over and over. People are impressed with that, and as much as anything else, they’re impressed by the fact that I’m still going.”

Still going is one way to put it. Squibb has been churning out the work in 2024 with roles in Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, Velma, Inside Out 2, American Horror Stories and Lost & Found in Cleveland. There’s more to come in the new year.

“I do have some work that...

Manhunt: Luigi Mangione and the CEO Murder – A Special Edition of 20/20 is airing tonight.

A documentary special about Luigi Mangione, the alleged killer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson is airing at 10 p.m. Et on ABC.

The special will also be available to stream the next day on Hulu.

Keep reading to find out more…

Here’s the logline, via Variety: “The one-hour film takes a deep dive into a story that riveted the nation, providing a minute-by-minute investigation of the cold-blooded execution of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the shocking social media backlash that turned the alleged murderer into a folk hero for some. The special also reveals new details about the hunt for the suspect, examines what may have driven alleged killer Luigi Mangione to murder, and profiles new reporting on the writings found in Mangione’s backpack, what police are calling a handwritten confession criticizing the healthcare system,...

What To Watch This Weekend: Dec 20-22 ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

As we approach Christmas, we’ve selected three exciting films in theaters for you to enjoy this week. One is a Tamil period crime-action movie, another is an animated English film, and the third is a Hindi drama. On the Ott front, Apple TV+ offers a captivating wildlife documentary, while Netflix features an anime, a Hollywood film about World War II, and a documentary on an Indian music icon. Disney+ Hotstar also has a new season of an animated Marvel TV series. Explore all of these and more by scrolling down.

Prime Video Girls Will Be Girls (Hindi)

Written and directed by Shuchi Talati, this coming-of-age teen drama features Kani Kusruti, Preeti Panigrahi, and Kesav Binoy Kiron in pivotal roles. Set in a boarding school, the story revolves around a teenage schoolgirl who falls in love with a boy. While her protective mother initially disapproves,...

(This story was updated on Dec. 18 at 9:55 a.m.)

In the race to produce a documentary special about the killing of United Healthcare CEO and alleged shooter Luigi Mangione, ABC News may be first out of the gate. Variety has learned that ABC News Studios is crashing the one-hour special “Manhunt: Luigi Mangione and the CEO Murder — A Special Edition of 20/20,” which will air on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 10 p.m. Et on ABC.

The special will also be available to watch live with Hulu + Live TV and stream the next day on Hulu.

Per the logline, “The one-hour film takes a deep dive into a story that riveted the nation, providing a minute-by-minute investigation of the cold-blooded execution of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the shocking social media backlash that turned the alleged murderer into a folk hero for some. The special also reveals new details about the hunt for the suspect,...

Leonardo DiCaprio turned 50 in November and celebrated with a bash at L.A. hotspot San Vicente Bungalows. But he wasn’t the person whose party people were talking about.

That would be “Thelma” star June Squibb, who turned 95 on Nov. 6 and whose birthday blowout was a testament to how wide the actor’s appeal is. People from all generations packed the private residence to pay their respects; celebs from Kumail Nanjiani, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Kathryn Newton mingled about. A 16-minute video of well-wishers included everyone from Scarlett Johansson to John Goodman. It also included her “Glee” co-star Chris Colfer and his husband Will Sherrod pitching “Junerassic Park” — a theme destination dedicated to the actor that includes “Squibb Games.”

Colfer reveals he has long teased Squibb about silly birthday celebrations. “For her 90th, I threatened to take her to Magic Mike in Vegas and for her 95th, we planned a skydiving trip,...

Earlier this week, MPTF's fundraising telethon for entertainment industry members in need returned for its third year, raising $810,770 and exceeding the original goal of $750K.

Rob Morrow, Tom Bergeron and Lisa Loeb attend MPTF's Lights, Camera, Take Action! Telethon

Credit/Copyright: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for MPTF

Lights, Camera, Take Action! aired live on Ktla (Channel 5 in Los Angeles) on Sunday, December 8, with presenting sponsors City National Bank and UCLA Health leading the charge on the philanthropic endeavor. Yvette Nicole Brown and Tom Bergeron returned as hosts and served as two of the producers for this uplifting, entertaining evening of stories, songs, and celebrities. Ktla’s Dayna Devon returned to host the live Celebrity Lounge, and Tiffany Smith hosted the Tote Board throughout the evening.

During the telethon, co-host Tom Bergeron said, “We have met so many amazing people who both serve at MPTF and are served by MPTF.

The Motion Picture Television Fund telethon Lights, Camera, Take Action! returns for its third edition Sunday, airing live in Los Angeles on Ktla-Channel 5 from 7-9 p.m. Pt.

Yvette Nicole Brown and Tom Bergeron return to co-host the event, overseeing an evening of stories, songs and celebrity appearances to help raise funds for Hollywood crew workers in need. Also returning this year are producers Phil Rosenthal (Somebody Feed Phil) and writer-critic-producer David Wild.

In addition to Ktla, you can watch the telethon livestream on Deadline above.

The MPTF telethon’s first year raised more than $850,000 and scored an L.A. Area Emmy nomination. Last year, the show raised $750,000 at a time when workers were impacted by the summer-long WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Organizers have set a $750,000 goal for tonight’s event, which will feature Ktla’s Dayna Devon as host of the live Celebrity Lounge, and Tiffany Smith hosting the tote board.

MPTF's fundraising telethon for crew members in need will return for its third year. Lights, Camera, Take Action! will air live on Ktla (Channel 5 in Los Angeles) on December 8 from 7-9 pm Pt.

Yvette Nicole Brown and Tom Bergeron return as hosts and serve as two of the producers for this uplifting, entertaining evening of stories, songs, and celebrities – all to raise relief funds for workers in need. MPTF’s first telethon received an LA Area Emmy nomination and raised over $850K to provide for the entertainment industry’s most vulnerable community members, and last year’s telethon raised over $750K to meet the needs of tens of thousands of industry workers impacted by the two strikes in 2023. A goal of $750K has been set for this year’s two-hour broadcast.

Ktla’s Dayna Devon returns to host the live Celebrity Lounge, and Tiffany Smith hosts the Tote Board through the evening.

Go past the hut at the entrance to an apartment complex off a busy street in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles. Turn left at the Aloha Room and go past the little nook with a red waterfall and a sign that reads “Volcano Mauna Loa Falls.” Don’t worry about the black panther statue. Cross a little stream that signs call the Kauai River, look for the door on the left and you’ll find the modest kitchen table that served as Ground Zero for the movie “Thelma.”

First, though, June Squibb will have to invite you in, because the table is at the entrance to her kitchen, next to a formidable glassed-in bookcase that sports an impressive collection of carefully placed volumes dominated by mysteries and thrillers written by Scandinavian authors. It’s here, in this pleasantly kitschy midcentury complex, that Squibb first met with “Thelma...

Tom Bergeron and Yvette Nicole Brown are ready to say Lights, Camera, Take Action!

The two are back on board to host and produce MPTF’s fundraising telethon as it returns for a third straight year to help Hollywood crew members in need of assistance. The two-hour telecast — set to air live on Ktla in Los Angeles from 7-9 p.m. on Dec. 8 — will feature stories, songs and celebrity guests in a quest to raise emergency funds for entertainment workers.

The inaugural telecast garnered more than $850,000, while last year’s raised more than $750,000. The MPTF team has set a goal of $750,000 for the December outing.

“I can truly say the industry is in a unique and challenging position right now as we find our footing for the future, and it’s up to all of us to band together and help those who might be hurting along the way,” Brown said in a statement,...

June Squibb is a legend. She’s a legend with a slew of stage experience, dozens and dozens of film and TV credits to her name, and an Academy Award nomination for her performance in Nebraska. However, it wasn’t until just now, in her 90s, that she finally scored her first lead role in a film, Josh Margolin’s feature directorial debut, Thelma. An absurdity, in my opinion. But, that’s not how Squibb looks at it. As she noted during our Collider Ladies Night conversation, “It's never occurred to me that what I was doing was not the most important role in the film.” This year, however, the most important role in the film put her at #1 on the call sheet.

Warning: Spoilers for Thelma.Thelma is a heartwarming comedy inspired by true events. Just like in the film, writer/director Josh Margolins grandmother Thelma was once nearly scammed into sending money to someone pretending to be her grandson. The director took that experience, his relationship with his grandmother, a healthy dose of creative license and blended them into what would quickly become a surprise hit.

To portray the fictionalized version of his grandmother, Margolin tapped veteran theater character actor June Squibb. Thelma is the first leading role for Squibb, 94, who is otherwise known for her work on projects including Inside Out 2, Nebraska, and About Schmidt. Screen Rants Thelma review called Squibb truly excellent in the role and highlighted how her performance grounds a story about a woman determined to get her money back, even as she is counted out due to her age.

2:35

Related Tom Cruise Approved Mission...

Since Mission: Impossible‘s inception, the iconic action franchise has continued to influence the genre, even to this day. Josh Margolin’s recent action flick, Thelma, starring June Squibb, also takes heavy inspiration from the Tom Cruise-led IP, which not only is the 93-year-old’s first leading role but also serves as her foray into the realm of action.

Thelma | Credit: Magnolia Pictures

Moreover, per the filmmaker, the Top Gun: Maverick star himself gave his blessing to the new film by allowing them to use the footage of his beloved action franchise,

Tom Cruise Immediately Gave Josh Margolin’s Proposition the Thumbs-up Mission: Impossible – Fallout | Credit: Paramount Pictures

Apart from engaging in death-defying stunts on a regular for the Mi movies, the actor has also been a vocal advocate for original and theatrical releases, which explains his new deal with WB. So it’s not hard to see why...

The 94-year-old June Squibb's new action movie with a 98% Rotten Tomatoes score has become a streaming success. Beginning her career on Broadway in 1959, Squibb's first film role didn't come until the age of 61 in Woody Allen's Alice. During the 1990s and early 2000s, she went on to have supporting roles, but never starring, in Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence, Frank Oz' In & Out, Martin Brest's Meet Joe Black, Alexander Panye's About Schmidt, and Todd Haynes' Far from Heaven.

In 2013, Squibb reunited with director Alexander Payne for Nebraska and broke through in a big way, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. For the remainder of the 2010s and into the early 2020s, Squibb continued to appear in movies such as I'll See You in My Dreams, Love the Coopers, Other People, Father Figures, Blow the Man Down,...

Thelma, an indie hit that made waves at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024, is currently one of the top ten movies streaming on Hulu, and for good reason. The charming film about a 93-year-old woman out for revenge is as hilarious as it is due to how seriously the titular character takes her mission. Despite a limited theatrical release, the film made $12 million worldwide alongside positive reviews, with a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. The team behind the film's production is also special, in no small part thanks to the actor in the role of Thelma.

What's most fascinating about Thelma is that it is the first leading role for the then 93-year-old actor June Squibb. She has had several more minor supporting roles in well-known films, such as Hubie Halloween, Toy Story 4, and Inside Out 2. However, Thelma is the first time Squibb has been given the title character role,...

With every awards season comes something new: emerging talent, groundbreaking technology, fresh storylines. This season, at least six new directors hit the ground running. Actor Embeth Davidtz (Schindler’s List, Matilda and The Morning Show) wrote and made her feature directorial debut, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, about a white Zimbabwean family following the Rhodesian Bush War; actor Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire, Fargo, American Hustle), a grandson of John Huston, wrote and helmed the boxing drama Day of the Fight; Malcolm Washington, son of Denzel Washington, co-wrote and directed The Piano Lesson, based on the August Wilson play; cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Black Panther, Mudbound) jumped behind the camera for The Fire Inside,another boxing movie; Josh Margolin wrote and directed Thelma, based on something that happened to his grandmother; and film editor William Goldenberg (Argo, Zero Dark Thirty) helmed Unstoppable, about a boxer born with one leg.

In...

Contenders Film: Los Angeles photo studio hosted talent on November 16 at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles as cast members of films stopped by including Brian Tyree Henry, Ryan Destiny, and Rachel Morrison from The Fire Inside; Maisy Stella from My Old Ass; Jharrel Jerome, Judy Robles and William Goldenberg from Unstoppable; Josh O’Connor and Luca Guadagnino from Challengers; Mikey Madison and Mark Eydelshteyn and Sean Baker from Anora; Kevin Costner from Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1; Saoirse Ronan and Steve McQueen from Blitz and Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton and Pedro Almodóvar from The Room Next Door.

Related: Deadline Contenders Film Los Angeles Arrivals And Panels Gallery: Kevin Costner, Brian Tyree Henry, Mikey Madison, Luca Guadagnino, Maisy Stella And More

Talent that attended the afternoon panels included June Squibb and Josh Margolin from Thelma, Jason Reitman for Saturday Night; Mark Hamill and Lupita Nyong’o from The Wild Robot...

Thelma filmmaker Josh Margolin pointed the film’s 95-year-old leading lady June Squibb to the same source of inspiration that sparked the movie itself: his grandmother, who shares the name of the title character.

“Josh gave me some little films that he’d made, like of Thelma going to the store or Thelma celebrating her birthday, just to get an idea of who she was and what she was like,” Squibb explained during a panel with Margolin at the Deadline Contenders Film event on Saturday.

“She’d always just been a huge figure in my life and sort of an inspiration to me and someone I always looked up to,” Margolin said of the real-life Thelma Post. “I had been making these little documentaries about my grandma when she was living alone in her nineties for the first time ever,” recalled Margolin. “And it was just an interesting time because...

June Squibb’s star turn as a ninetysomething gran, scammed and out for justice, joins a club of indomitable seniors in the movies, from Anne Reid to Jack Nicholson

June Squibb’s career has run on a different timeline to that of most movie stars: she made her film debut, in Woody Allen’s Alice, at the age of 60, and it was another 23 years before she landed her breakthrough role in Alexander Payne’s Nebraska. Her performance as an embittered pensioner who saltily badmouths past acquaintances and flashes the gravestone of an ex got her an Oscar nomination. It also got her a run of progressively less amusing naughty-granny roles. In Hollywood, older people can be blandly comforting support or quirky joke fodder but not much more.

In Thelma, however, the now 95-year-old Squibb gets her first leading role, as a phone-scam victim tracking down those who robbed her, and...

After first being released theatrically in the United States on June 21, 2024, “Thelma” is now available to stream on Hulu, as of Friday, Nov. 15. Non-Hulu subscribers can buy or rent the movie for a fee on Amazon Prime.

The Magnolia Pictures comedy-drama stars June Squibb as the titular 93-year-old sassy character whose family members become more and more concerned about her wellbeing. After being scammed out of $10K, Thelma goes after the people who stole from her, with Richard Roundtree playing her trusty sidekick and Malcolm McDowell taking on the role of the villainous scammer.

Josh Margolin wrote and directed “Thelma” in his feature directorial debut. The character of Thelma Post is inspired by a real-life experience of Margolin’s own grandmother. The running time is 97 minutes and it’s rated PG-13.

See our video interview with ‘Thelma’ director-writer Josh Margolin

Gold Derby spoke with Squibb earlier this awards season about “Thelma,...

One of the best surprise movies of the year so far has been Thelma, by writer and director Josh Margolin in his feature film debut. Starring 94-year-old June Squibb and Richard Roundtree in his last film role, Thelma is one of the funniest comedies of 2024, as it takes an elderly woman who doesn't understand technology, but who becomes the hero of the story as she sets out to get her money back from the scammers that tricked her and stole her life savings. Squibb plays Thelma Post, a woman who is not just a character invented by Margolin, but who is based on his grandmother of the same name. It's not only a loving tribute either, but a dramatization of a real event that happened to Post, a woman who is still with us at the age of 103.

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This November, Hulu is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the surreal action comedy-drama series Interior Chinatown to the Christmas comedy-drama film Nutcrackers. However, for this article, we only included the films that are coming to Hulu this month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the 7 best films that are coming to Hulu in November 2024 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Aliens (November 1) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94% Credit – 20th Century Fox

Aliens is a sci-fi action thriller drama film written and directed by James Cameron. The 1986 film is set in a dystopian future and it follows Ellen Ripley who is sent back to the planet Lv-426 to establish communication with a terraforming colony but when she gets there she is hunted by an Alien Queen who is out for her life. Aliens stars Sigourney Weaver,...

“Thelma, the new action-comedy feature, written and directed by Josh Margolin, stars June Squibb as an 93-year old action hero, with Clark Gregg, Nicole Byer, Malcolm McDowell, Parker Posey and Richard Rowntree, streaming November 15, 2024 on Hulu:

“…’Thelma Post’ is a feisty grandmother who gets conned by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson…

“…and sets out on a treacherous quest across Los Angeles, accompanied by an aging friend and his motorized scooter…

“…to reclaim what was taken from her…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Glen Powell took on bad guys and tornados this year, but that’s nothing compared to the threat of an ass-kicking from 94-year-old June Squibb. Earlier this year Squibb starred in “Thelma,” her first lead role in a film, playing a grandmother who tracks down her swindlers. While promoting the film, the dumpling-faced Oscar nominee posted short videos in which she warned other action stars: “I can kick your ass!”

The question is – did she get any responses from her targets? Squibb laughs good-naturedly. “I don’t think we did, but we got a lot of laughs,” she admits. She also cites a clip she saw of Austin Butler and his costars from “The Bikeriders” watching her video, noting: “They all laughed about it.”

@foodfollowsme

June Squibb is coming for Ryan Reynolds...

When Josh Margolin first heard that his grandmother had nearly become the victim of a phone scam — in which someone pretending to be Margolin attempted to score thousands of dollars from the elder — he immediately felt ill at ease and violated on her behalf. But it didn’t take long for the writer-director to recognize a great story: What if his grandmother had given away her money and, upon realizing the scam, set out to get revenge? The result is Margolin’s feature debut Thelma, starring June Squibb in the eponymous role as a 93-year-old Los Angeles resident who doesn’t […]

The post “There’s an Inherent Absurdity to the Lengths She Goes”: Josh Margolin on Thelma first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

When Josh Margolin first heard that his grandmother had nearly become the victim of a phone scam — in which someone pretending to be Margolin attempted to score thousands of dollars from the elder — he immediately felt ill at ease and violated on her behalf. But it didn’t take long for the writer-director to recognize a great story: What if his grandmother had given away her money and, upon realizing the scam, set out to get revenge? The result is Margolin’s feature debut Thelma, starring June Squibb in the eponymous role as a 93-year-old Los Angeles resident who doesn’t […]

The post “There’s an Inherent Absurdity to the Lengths She Goes”: Josh Margolin on Thelma first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Exclusive: Talia Ryder has boarded Rob Burnett’s comedy film In Memoriam alongside Marc Maron.

Burnett (The Fundamentals of Caring) wrote the script, and he will direct the film for Invention Studios (Thelma).

In Memoriam will begin shooting in Los Angeles on Monday, telling the story of a veteran Hollywood actor (Maron) who becomes obsessed with securing a spot in the Oscars’ “In Memoriam” montage after he receives a terminal cancer diagnosis. This leads to a heartfelt journey of self-exploration as well as ego, humility and legacy.

Ryder has appeared in films like Little Death (2024), The American (2023), The Sweet East (2023), Dumb Money (2023), Do Revenge (2022), Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between (2022), Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (2021) and Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020). She can next be seen in Ethan Coen’s Honey Don’t! for Focus Features.

Aside from The Fundamentals of Caring starring Paul Rudd,...

Since the academy expanded the Best Picture category at the Oscars in 2010, Best Original Screenplay has gone to writers of a wide-range of genres: dramas; comedies (“Midnight in Paris”); biopics; true-life stories (“Spotlight”); memoirs (“Belfast”); period pictures (“Django Unchained”); war movies (“The Hurt Locker”); sci-fi (“Her”), thrillers horror (“Get Out”) and fantasies (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) . (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2025 Oscar predictions for Best Original Screenplay.)

Of this year’s top 10 contenders for Best Original Screenplay, nine were written, at least in part, by the directors. The exception is “Challengers,” which Justin Kuritzkes wrote for director Luca Guadagnino. He also adapted the William S. Burroughs novel “Queer” for this busy helmer and he could well contend over in Best Adapted Screenplay for that.

“Challengers” is, at its heart, a romance. Love, albeit short-lived, is also the subject of the frontrunner in this race, Sean Baker‘s “Anora.

At the most recent Oscars, Emma Stone became the lucky 13th winner of two Best Actress awards when she picked up the prize for “Poor Things”; she had prevailed seven years earlier for “La La Land.” Stone is back in the race this year with “Kinds of Kindness,” which reunites her with “Poor Things” director Yorgos Lanthimos. However that trippy trilogy is unlikely to bring them back to the Oscars. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2025 Oscar predictions for Best Actress.)

Leading the race are the leads from two of the hottest Best Picture contenders: Mikey Madison, the scene-stealing breakout star of Sean Baker‘s serio-comic “Anora” and Karla Sofia Gascon, the stand-out in the ensemble of Jacques Audiard’s genre-blending “Emilia Perez.”

Ranking right behind them in our Best Actress predictions are a pair of past Oscar champs. Angelina Jolie, who picked up the supporting award in 2000 for “Girl, Interrupted,...

The art-house hit of the summer wasn’t an A24, Focus Features, Neon, or Searchlight Pictures release. In a surprise to anyone who didn’t see it at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, this year’s box office breakout was Josh Margolin’s directorial debut, “Thelma.” The Magnolia Films pickup centers on the title character, an elderly woman who travels across the San Fernando Valley on a mission to find out who scammed her out of a chunk of money.

Continue reading June Squibb Is Ready For Another Awards Season Spotlight at The Playlist.

One of the surprise hits of the summer was undoubtedly Thelma, an action comedy that showed at age 94, June Squibb could still kick some serious ass. Josh Margolin's acclaimed film managed to defy the odds and gross an impressive $10.8 million at the box office in the shadow of blockbusters and critical darlings like Inside Out 2 and Kinds of Kindness. Now, it's coming home on Blu-ray and DVD next week and Magnolia Pictures and the cast have a message for any scammers out there ahead of its release: "Don't f with June." Collider is excited to exclusively share the new PSA that once again features a very threatening Squibb who's not afraid to kill anyone who crosses her path.

Zurich Film Festival (October 3-13) has added 11 titles to its line-up of gala premieres, including world premieres of Der Spitzname and Landesverräter.

Der Spitzname is a German comedy directed by Sönke Wortmann, who has previously premiered at Zurich with Family Affairs, Contra and How About Adolf? Janina Uhse and Florian David Fitz play a couple who invite their family to the Alps ahead of their impending wedding, only for familial bonds to quickly unravel.

Michael Krummenacher’s Swiss-German co-production Landesverräter will also world premiere. Set during the Second World War and based on a true story, a wannabe singer sells...

New films from Steve McQueen, Sean Baker, Edward Berger and Gia Coppola will get the red carpet treatment at the 20th Zurich Film Festival as part of Zff’s gala lineup.

Steve McQueen‘s Blitz, starring Saoirse Ronan and Harris Dickinson, which will open 2024’s BFI London Film Festival (Lff), will have its international premiere in Zurich. Berger’s hotly anticipated Conclave, a Vatican conspiracy thriller featuring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow, and the follow-up to the German director’s multi-Oscar winner All Quiet on the Western Front, will screen at Zff following bows at Toronto and San Sebastian. And Baker’s Palme d’Or Winner Anora starring Mikey Madison in a star-making performance as a Brighton Beach sex worker who gets romantically entangled with the son of a Russian oligarch, will touch down at the Swiss festival after screening at TIFF.

Sönke Wortmann’s Der Spitzname, the...

The Zurich Film Festival has revealed the first titles in their Gala section, which includes several films that will bring star power to the red carpet and directors with award-winning credentials.

Among the first 11 titles to be announced are “Conclave,” by the director of Oscar winner “All Quiet on the Western Front,” Edward Berger, with Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow heading the cast.

Also selected is Tim Fehlbaum’s “September 5,” starring Peter Sarsgaard, and Gia Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl,” which is toplined by Pamela Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Steve McQueen, an Oscar winner with “12 Years a Slave,” delivers “Blitz,” starring Saoirse Ronan and rock star Paul Weller, and Nick Hamm presents “William Tell,” starring Claes Bang and Ben Kingsley.

Sean Baker’s “Anora,” the winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, also joins the selection, as does Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain,” featuring...

Independents look solid this weekend with Vertical’s Widow Clicquot nice alternative programming amid summer blockbuster season, IFC Film horror Oddity off to a fine start, and Thelma, one of the year’s biggest specialty hits, passing $8 million. New films and holdovers in limited release did business.

Thomas Napper’s Widow Clicquot is looking at an estimated 3-day box-office gross of $190k on about 100 screens. Haley Bennett stars as Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot in the true story of a 20-year-old woman who flouts convention by — after her husband dies — taking the reins of their wine business. Clicquot (1777–1866) defied her critics and ultimately revolutionized the champagne industry one of the world’s early, great businesswomen. (‘Veuve’ is French for widow.)

The R-rated drama, screenplay by Erin Dignam, is 88% with critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, a good sign for an extended run. Top five opening markets include LA, NY, San Francisco, Washington D.

Written and directed by Josh Margolin, Thelma is the story of a resilient 93-year-old grandma who embarks on an adventure to get her stolen money back from scammers. She was really close to her grandson, Daniel. Thelma looked forward to their time together; he helped her with her emails, and they often ended up watching Mission Impossible and admiring Tom Cruise. Daniel encouraged his grandma to always put on her Gps tracker, though she complained.

Living alone was not easy, but Thelma loved her independence, and she could imagine relying on a stranger to help her with her chores. She lived her life at her own pace, but things drastically changed after she received a call from a scammer. They lied about her grandson accidentally killing a pregnant woman and demanded money to pay for his bail. Thelma called her daughter, Gail, and her husband, Alan, but they were both busy.

Josh Margolin’s Thelma is a heartfelt drama-comedy that offers a fun and nuanced exploration of aging. Elevated by an exceptional performance from legendary Hollywood actor June Squibb, the film also features a terrific performance from the late Richard Roundtree – star of the American blaxploitation crime action thriller Shaft – in his last ever role.

The story centres on Thelma (Squibb), a 93 year-old widow living a quiet, solitary life in LA. Her days are filled with frequent visits from her aimless, yet adoring grandson, Danny (Fred Hechinger). When a phone scammer posing as Danny tricks her out of $10,000, Thelma is determined to retrieve her money. Despite her family’s concerns, she enlists the help of Ben (Roundtree), a widower from a neighbouring assisted living community, and together they set out on an adventure.

Writer-director Josh Margolin draws inspiration from his own grandmother’s near-experience with a scam, infusing the film with heartfelt affection.

Warner Bros’ Twisters is the leading title at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office, opening in 675 cinemas 28 years after the original film was a hit in the territory.

Twisters stars 2020 Screen Star of Tomorrow Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell, as a meteorologist and social media tornado chaser who team up with a new team and new technologies. The film has over £1m banked already from previews on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18.

Jan de Bont’s Twister opened to over £3m in July 1996, ending on an impressive £15m total – equivalent to £29.3m today. This new film is not a direct sequel, although...

[Editor’s note: This list was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated many times.]

With everything going the way it is in the world right now, we’re laughing to keep less cheery emotions at bay. At least this bizarre, still-very-much-in-progress century has already produced a slew of spectacular, silly, snarky, and cynical comedies: ready to fire up whenever you need a serotonin burst or distraction thanks to the ever-growing cadre of streaming services.

The pandemic may be in the rearview for the U.S. federal government, but the specter of war, a tortured economy, and human rights issues across the globe have occupied the minds of many instead. So, in desperate need of some humor, we thought it was more important than ever to give our Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century list, originally published in 2017, yet another rethink. Since the list was originally published, we’ve expanded it to 90 entries, including titles released since then that deserved including and other titles we somehow overlooked the first time.

If she hasn’t earned it already by now, June Squibb certainly deserves American-national-treasure status for her performance as the indomitable Thelma. Having played supporting roles for decades in films like The Age Of Innocence, Far From Heaven and About Schmidt, in 2013 she was nominated for an Oscar for Alexander Payne’s Nebraska. But, perhaps unsurprisingly for an industry that’s not very interested in women over 40, let alone over 90, this Sundance hit is her first-ever leading role.

And thankfully this indie comedy/road movie/nonagenarian revenge story serves Squibb extremely well. Thelma lives a quiet life after the passing of her husband, enjoying visits from her affable but aimless grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger) who helps her with emails and watches Mission: Impossible with her. In a sequence that will have you cringing in horror, she falls for a phone scam, posting $10,000 in cash to a Po box. She’s...

The Oscar-nominated character actor has landed her first leading role in the action comedy Thelma – she looks back on a career beside the likes of Nicholson, Scorsese and Pacino

Park up the rig, Furiosa; ditch the rubber suit, Deadpool: there’s a new action hero in town. In Josh Margolin’s wildly entertaining Thelma, an elderly widow is duped out of $10,000 by a scammer masquerading as her grandson. Realising her error, she resolves to track him down, retrieve her cash and dispense some rough justice. If summer blockbusters are about the action, then Thelma has it all: guns, explosions and mobility scooter-based stunts.

When the 94-year-old actor June Squibb read the script, with its mischievous nods to Mission: Impossible, she knew she had to do it. She also knew she would do lots of the stunts herself. “I have more security in my physicality than a lot of people do,...

“Thelma” (Magnolia), an unlikely action-comedy starring June Squibb as a nonagenarian grandmother who becomes a phone scam victim, has grossed about $7.3 million through its third week. Though not a blockbuster by summer standards, in the specialized world, and particularly outside awards season, “Thelma” is a blockbuster, headed for between $9-10 million domestic, theatrically. And at a time of challenge for this sector. How it got there suggests some lessons for distributors.

Something clicked here. “Thelma” debuted last January at Sundance with immediate acquisition interest, selling to Magnolia, which isn’t normally known for mid-wide-level releases.

By all indications, the plan has worked. “Thelma” is already Magnolia’s highest-grossing narrative feature in the company’s 23-year history. Adjusted, “Woman Thou Art Loosed” and “The World’s Fastest Indian” ended up slightly bigger, but both were around 20 years ago.

What happened was by design. Magnolia releases a lot of films, usually of a...

G2Go Entertainment and Sundance Institute have announced the line-up of 10 features and a curated programme of shorts for Sundance Film Festival: Asia in Taipei, Taiwan, running August 21-25 at Spot-Huashan.

The event will open with the Taiwan premiere of Taiwanese-American Sean Wang’s coming-of-age film Dìdi (弟弟); and includes Rich Peppiatt’s Irish-language romp Kneecap; winner of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award: Next, and Josh Margolin’s action-packed Thelma starring June Squibb.

Among the roster are: India Donaldson’s feature debut Good One; Caroline Lindy’s Your Monster, winner of the Sundance Film Festival: London 2024 Audience Favorite Award...

There wasn’t a lot new opening this weekend specialty-wise but few notable holdovers continued to crank in moderate release, namely Kalki 2898 Ad, which is on fire, as well as Thelma and Kinds of Kindness.

Kalki will end at No. 8 on 925 screens in week two, the second weekend in the top 10 for the Telugu sci-fi epic from Prathyangira Cinemas, which was No. 5 a week ago. That’s unusual, as Indian films tend to do most of their business opening weekend. Kalki, also outgrossed Kill, a Hindi action film that debuted this weekend.

With a $1.79 million gross and a cume of $16 million, Kalki is one of the highest grossing Indian film in North America in well over a year, according to data provided by Comscore. Hugely popular Rrr in 2022 and Animal last year both ended their runs with about $15 million domestic. Paathan hit $17.5 million in 2023. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion took in $20 million in 2017.

Kill,...

Gory Hindi action film Kill opens on 827 screens via Roadside Attractions this weekend. It’s the distributor’s first foray into Indian film, which is having another moment after two pics hit the top 10 in North America last week. This is a crowded theatrical market with wide releases piling in and some high-profile indie holdovers. New indie debuts include Mother Couch and The Nature of Love in NYC.

Kill isn’t traditional Bollywood, shorter at an hour forty five minutes and without song and dance numbers in between the action. It debuted at the Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness section, also screening at Fantastic Fest, Beyond Fest and last month at Tribeca.

The R-rated film is being marketed to the reliable Indian diaspora — Roadside marketed the film heavily at the Cricket T20 World Cup held in the U.S. for first time in June, and won by India — but...