News

Emma Mackey y Vicky Krieps protagonizan la película. © Caramel Films

Ya se han dado a conocer las películas que competirán por el Oso de Oro en el Festival Internacional de Cine de Berlín –más conocido como Berlinale– en su 75 edición, que se celebrará del 13 al 23 de febrero.

Entre las películas a concurso está Agua salada, el debut como directora de Rebecca Lenkiewicz, la guionista detrás de títulos como Ida, Al descubierto y Colette.

Esta ópera prima, basada en la aclamada novela Leche caliente de Deborah Levy, se traslada –o más o menos, porque la grabación fue en Grecia– al abrasador paisaje almeriense. Almería se convierte en un lienzo épico para una íntima exploración del sexo, el amor y los lazos que nos unen a todos.

El filme sigue a Sofía y su madre, Rose, en su viaje desde Gran Bretaña hasta la costa de Almería. Lejos de la rutina y el control de su madre,...

Kaley Cuoco is soaking up new-mom life to the fullest extent. The actor gushed about her and boyfriend Tom Pelphrey's 5-week-old daughter, Matilda, at a John Ritter Foundation fundraiser event in Los Angeles on May 4. "She's thriving. She's the best," Cuoco told "Entertainment Tonight" during a red carpet interview, adding that she's been documenting every little moment at home. "I've become that mom who posts every freaking thing. She does something, and I'm like, 'I have to post that!' I'm so obsessed." It sounds like Matilda's personality is already similar to that of her mom. "She was laughing today, full-on laughing, and I was like, 'This kid is hysterical!'" Cuoco said.

"She's thriving. She's the best."

In February, Cuoco opened up about her refreshingly laid-back approach to motherhood, admitting that she wasn't reading books about parenting before giving birth. That hasn't changed. "Still haven't read a damn thing,...

Based on a True Story is coming to Peacock next month. The streaming service has announced the premiere date for the new series, a satirical look at true crime shows, with the release of first-look images.

Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant) and Chris Messina (The Mindy Project) star in the new series from Craig Rosenberg, Jason Bateman, and Michael Costigan.

A dark comedic thriller, Based on a True Story tells the tale of a realtor, a former tennis star, and a plumber as they seize a unique opportunity to capitalize on America's obsession with true crime. Tom Bateman, Priscilla Quintana, Liana Liberato, Natalia Dyer, Alex Alomar Akpobome, Aisha Alfa, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, and Li Jun Li also star.

Read More…...

Still No. 1 on the Netflix charts, “The Diplomat” got a second season renewal from the world’s largest streaming service this week. The sophomore season is expected to arrive in 2024, WGA strike implications notwithstanding. Keri Russell stars as the American ambassador to the United Kingdom — who is also secretly being groomed to be the next vice president — when she finds herself having to prevent Wwiii. She’s always been great in war zones, now she’s dealing with critical issues on the world stage — all while dealing with a difficult husband (played by Rufus Sewell).

Sign Up $6.99+ / month netflix.com

“The Morning Show” has been renewed for a fourth season by Apple TV+ in advance of the Emmy-winning drama’s Season 3 premiere slated for this fall. The hit show stars Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston as TV anchors coping with scandals, rivalries, and potential takeovers. John Hamm joins season 3 alongside Julianna Marguiles,...

The world's obsession with true crime will come into focus, albeit with a comedic tone in Peacock's Based on a True Story.

On Tuesday, the streaming service announced that Kaley Cuoco's latest series will premiere Thursday, June 8.

All episodes will be made available on day one, so fans can watch the satire play out in one sitting.

Based on a True Story comes from Emmy Award-nominated creator, showrunner, executive producer, and writer Craig Rosenberg and Aggregate Films executive producers Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan.

It "follows a realtor, a former tennis star, and a plumber who seize a unique opportunity to capitalize on America's obsession with true crime," the logline teases.

Cuoco (The Flight Attendant) stars as 'Ava Bartlett,' alongside Chris Messina (Air) and Tom Bateman (Thirteen Lives).

"Over the last decade, a true crime phenomenon has swept over America," said Rosenberg in a statement.

"Podcasts, documentaries, fictional...

Did you catch “Cocaine Bear” in theaters? The film was one of 2023’s funniest and most ridiculous cinematic outings thus far, but it may have caught your attention when the “Based on a True Story” title card flashed across the screen. Now, you can learn the real history of the cocaine bear in “Cocaine Bear: The True Story,” a new documentary coming to Peacock on Friday, April 14. You can watch with a subscription to Peacock.

How to Watch 'Cocaine Bear: The True Story' When: Friday, April 14, 2023 Where: Peacock Stream: Watch with a subscription to Peacock. Sign Up$4.99+ / month peacocktv.com About 'Cocaine Bear: The True Story'

In the hit Hollywood movie “Cocaine Bear”, a huge bag full of cocaine drops out of the sky into the woods of North Georgia and is eaten by a black bear, who goes on an epic rampage. It all seems like fantasy, but it...

Florida is a state that’s constantly the butt of the joke, but it’s also been the inspiration for plenty of great TV: “Miami Vice!” “On Becoming a God in Central Florida!” All the Jacksonville jokes in “The Good Place!” Now, Netflix is hopefully adding to that canon with “Florida Man,” a new thriller show set to premiere April 13. In addition to announcing the date, the streamer also released the first teaser trailer for the upcoming limited series.

Per Netflix’s logline, the thriller stars Edgar Ramírez as struggling ex-cop Mike Valentine, who’s forced to return to his home state of Florida to find a Philadelphia mobster’s runaway girlfriend. The seemingly simple task spirals into a larger journey “into buried family secrets, and an increasingly futile attempt to do the right thing in a place where so much is wrong.” Abbey Lee stars as the mobster girlfriend Delly West,...

Comcast is ending Peacock’s free ride on Xfinity in the next few months.

Since the streaming service launched in 2020, the cable giant has provided access to the ad-supported version of Peacock Premium (regularly 4.99/month) to Xfinity TV and broadband customers for no extra charge ever. However, as of June 26, 2023, Peacock Premium will no longer be bundled in for free for Xfinity customers.

An NBCU spokesperson confirmed the change to Variety, some details of which were first posted on Reddit. Comcast is beginning to notify customers that in late June Peacock Premium will no longer be included as part of their existing Xfinity service, and that they will be able to purchase a subscription as an add-on at a discounted rate (the price for which is still Tbd). As of April 3, new Xfinity customers will be eligible to get Peacock Premium free for six months after which they also will...

Kaley Cuoco knows that she and partner Tom Pelphrey are going to be two different parents — and that’s Ok. During a chat with Et’s Deidre Behar, ahead of her latest Priceline Super Bowl spot, the mommy-to-be shared that unlike her man, she hasn’t prepped a thing.

“I have no plan and I’ve read zero books so that’s the type of mom I will be,” she tells Et. “All the ways I’m not like a prepper. I’m just not that way. It’s gonna be great, I trust the process. Tom has googled enough for the both of us. He could probably deliver this baby at this point.”

She adds, “I’m just like, ‘It’s gonna be great.’ But that’s how I’ve gone through life. I think nowadays we get so caught up, right? We didn’t even have all this...

Exclusive: Aggregate Films is developing and will produce a feature adaptation of the hit Off-Broadway play Amy and the Orphans, with Jamie Brewer set to reprise the title role, which earned her both a Theater World Award and a Drama Desk Award in 2018.

Lindsey Ferrentino will adapt her play for the screen, also here making her directorial debut. Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan are developing and producing for Aggregate, with Tracey Nyberg also on board to produce.

In Amy and the Orphans, three adult siblings come together in Montauk after the death of their father and confront the truths of their childhood. Amy has Down syndrome and has spent almost her entire life in group homes, and her older siblings Maggie and Jacob come to realize that she is perhaps a very different person than they had thought.

Edward Barbanell is set for a new role written for the screen,...

Since premiering his last film “An Officer and a Spy” in competition at Venice in 2019, Roman Polanski has fallen from grace in France. But he’s now back with a new movie called “The Palace” that could make a surprise splash on the festival circuit.

Polanski, who fled the U.S. in 1978 after pleading guilty to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl, was leading a pleasant life in France for decades until he came back into the global spotlight with the Lido premiere of “An Officer and a Spy” and scooped the Grand Jury Prize.

Shortly after the movie’s Venice bow, Polanski faced new allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies. When he went on to win best director at France’s Cesar Awards, the country’s equivalent of the Oscars, industry outcry prompted a complete overhaul of the leadership of the awards org. The scandal sparked the...

NBCUniversal once touted the free, ad-supported flavor of Peacock as a competitive advantage in the streaming wars when the service first took flight in 2020 — even debuting with the tagline “Free as a Bird.” But now, the media company will make anyone who wants to stream Peacock pay up.

As of Monday (Jan. 30), Peacock had stopped allowing new users to sign up for the free tier. To get Peacock, users will need to subscribe to the Premium plan (4.99/month) with ads or Premium Plus (9.99/month) without ads.

An NBCU spokesperson said that as part of its growth strategy for Peacock, the company is shifting focus to the paid plans. Peacock Premium, the rep said, better reflects the streaming platform’s brand and the “unique” experience it offers.

Existing users who have signed up for Peacock Free will continue to be able to access the service for no charge, with ads, for now,...

“Meet Cute,” the romantic comedy starring Pete Davidson and Kaley Cuoco, has landed at Peacock, where it will premiere Sept. 21.

The “SNL” alum and “The Flight Attendant” star play Gary and Sheila, who fall in love at first sight and spend a perfect evening together. If their meet-cute sounds too good to be true, that’s because it is: it turns out Sheila has a time machine, and she’s been using it to relive the night over and over again. When their first date leaves them wanting more, Sheila travels back into Gary’s past to try to change him into the perfect man.

Alex Lehmann (“Paddleton”) directed from a script by Noga Pnueli (“Deborah”), who also executive produces alongside Davidson and Cuoco.

Also Read:

Kaley Cuoco to Star in Craig Rosenberg’s Comedic Thriller ‘Based on a True Story’

Akiva Goldsman, Rachel Reznick Wizenberg, Gregory Lessans produced on behalf of Weed Road Pictures.

Kaley Cuoco is set to star in Peacock’s comedy thriller series ‘Based on a True Story.’

Written by ‘The Boys’ executive producer Craig Rosenberg, the series is about a realtor, a plumber and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide, exposing America’s obsession with true crime, murder and the slow close toilet seat.

Cuoco will play a married woman named Ava Bartlett. All other details are being kept under wraps, but it is rumoured that Ava is the realtor character.

Also in news – Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer, Austin Butler to head Jeff Nichols’ ‘The Bikeriders’

‘Ozark’ star/executive producer Jason Bateman executive produces alongside Rosenberg who also serves as showrunner. Michael Costigan for Aggregate Films, Roxie Rodriguez serves as co-executive producer for Aggregate Films. The series is produced by UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Cuoco is currently shooting an action-thriller feature ‘Role Play’ for director Thomas Vincent,...

Kaley Cuoco is returning to the small screen. Cuoco (The Flight Attendant) is set to star in a new series for Peacock called Based on a True Story. A dark comedy thriller, the series follows “a realtor, a plumber, and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide.”

revealed more about the upcoming series in a press release.

Peacock announced today that two-time Emmy Award-nominee Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant) will star in the leading role of the highly-anticipated dark comedic thriller Based On A True Story, from Emmy Award-nominated Craig Rosenberg.

Cuoco will play a married woman named Ava Bartlett. All other details are being kept under wraps.

A dark comedic thriller inspired by a bizarre true event, Based On A True Story is about a realtor, a plumber and a...

Kaley Cuoco's next role will have true crime fans buzzing. The actress will star in Peacock's upcoming dark comedy thriller Based on a True Story, NBCU's streaming service announced on Aug. 8. According to Peacock, the series is inspired by a bizarre real-life event "about a realtor, a plumber and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide, exposing America's obsession with true crime, murder and the slow close toilet seat." Kaley will play a married woman named Ava Bartlett. All other plot details are currently being kept under wraps. Emmy Award-nominated Craig Rosenberg will serve as writer and executive producer with Ozark's Jason...

After a brief layover, The Flight Attendant‘s Kaley Cuoco has lined up her next TV gig.

The two-time Emmy nominee has inked a two-season deal for Peacock’s Based On a True Story, a comedic thriller from executive producers Craig Rosenberg (The Boys) and Jason Bateman (Ozark), our sister site Deadline reports.

More from TVLineDays of Our Lives Moving to Peacock, Will No Longer Air on NBCThe Resort Premiere Recap: 2 Missing Teens and a Mutilated Corpse at Center of Peacock Mystery -- Grade It!Gladiator Epic Those About to Die Ordered to Series at Peacock

The forthcoming series revolves around “a realtor,...

Kaley Cuoco has another thriller lined up. “The Flight Attendant” star will lead the upcoming Peacock series “Based on a True Story.”

The comedic thriller, from creator Craig Rosenberg, follows a realtor, a plumber and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide, exposing America’s obsession with true crime, murder and the slow close toilet seat. It’s based on a “bizarre true event,” per the streamer.

Cuoco will play a married woman named Ava Bartlett. All other details are being kept under wraps.

Also Read:

‘The Flight Attendant’ Season 2’s Multiple Cassies Were a Major Acting Challenge for Kaley Cuoco

Rosenberg will serve as writer, showrunner and executive producer. Jason Bateman will also executive produce alongside Michael Costigan for Aggregate Films. Roxie Rodriguez serves as co-executive producer for Aggregate Films. The series will be produced by UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Cuoco was nominated for an...

Kaley Cuoco is moving from one streaming service to another.

Peacock announced today that two-time Emmy Award-nominee will star in the leading role of the highly-anticipated dark comedic thriller Based on a True Story, from Emmy Award-nominated Craig Rosenberg.  

Cuoco will play a married woman named Ava Bartlett.

All other details are being kept under wraps.

Sounds ominous, right?

"A dark comedic thriller inspired by a bizarre true event, Based On A True Story is about a realtor, a plumber and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide, exposing America's obsession with true crime, murder and the slow close toilet seat," Peacock teases.

Rosenberg will serve as writer, showrunner and executive producer.     

Jason Bateman will executive produce alongside Michael Costigan for  Aggregate Films.

Roxie Rodriguez serves as co-executive producer for Aggregate Films.

The series will be produced by UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Cuoco was nominated for...

Kaley Cuoco has been cast in a leading role in “Based on a True Story,” Peacock’s upcoming comedic thriller series from Craig Rosenberg.

Inspired by an actual event, “Based on a True Story” is about a realtor, a plumber and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide, exposing America’s obsession with true crime, murder and the slow close toilet seat.

Cuoco will play a married woman named Ava Bartlett. All other details are being kept under wraps.

Most recently, Cuoco has starred in HBO Max’s “The Flight Attendant,” earning an Emmy nomination for lead comedy actress for Season 2, which concluded in May. Up next, she will star in the thriller film “Role Play” directed by Thomas Vincent. She is repped by Sdb Partners, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman, Meigs & Fox.

“Based on a True Story” was given a straight-to-series order in April.

Exclusive: Kaley Cuoco, a two-time Emmy nominee for The Flight Attendant, has been tapped for a lead in Peacock’s dark comedic thriller Based On a True Story, from Emmy-nominated The Boys executive producer Craig Rosenberg, Ozark star/executive producer Jason Bateman and his Aggregate Films and UCP.

I hear Cuoco has a two-season deal for Based On a True Story. There has been no Season 3 pickup for The Flight Attendant yet as creator Steve Yockey is bouncing around potential ideas but it appears likely; Cuoco’s Based On a True Story deal allows her to return to the HBO Max hit if the right premise comes along.

Written by Rosenberg Inspired by a bizarre true event, Based On a True Story is about a realtor, a plumber and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide, exposing America’s obsession with true crime, murder and the slow close toilet seat.

ABC has ordered “Will Trent” (working title) to series for the 2022-23 midseason. Produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios, it is based on Karin Slaughter’s New York Times bestselling series of the same name.

“Will Trent” will star Ramón Rodríguez as the titular special agent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, who was abandoned at birth and endured a harsh coming-of-age in Atlanta’s overwhelmed foster care system. But now, determined to use his unique point of view to make sure no one else faces abandonment, Trent excels with the highest clearance rate in the Gbi. The series also stars Erika Christensen as Angie Polaski, Iantha Richardson as Faith Mitchell, Jake McLaughlin as Michael Ormewood and Sonja Sohn as Amanda Wagner.

Liz Heldens, Dan Thomsen, Oly Obst and Slaughter are attached to executive produce. The pilot episode is written by Liz Heldens and Dan Thomsen...

A miner in Germany’s last coal mine undergoing a gender change, a prima ballerina fighting to keep her status after becoming a mother, a repentant hooligan turned kickboxing champion, a father who fled the former Uruguayan dictatorship, rejected refugees awaiting deportation, and stuntwomen taking hit after hit for the film industry: to say that the 5th Swiss Films Previews at doc film fest Visions du Réel introduced us to strong characters is an understatement.

Six promising films soon to be launched on the festival circuit and the international market were selected for the event and pitched at VdR-Industry. Five of them were directed (co-directed for “Red”) by women. Four of them are first features. By the quality of the excerpts and the originality of the themes that fit the times, all of them demand to be seen as finished film.

Here’s an overview of what’s coming up...

Glamorous, a former CW pilot that failed to get a series pickup for the 2019-20 TV season, has found new life at Netflix.

The streamer has given a 10-episode order to the drama, which follows Marco Mejia (played by Miss Benny, Fuller House), “a young gender non-conforming queer man whose life seems to be stuck in place until he lands a job working for legendary makeup mogul Madolyn Addison (to be cast),” per the official synopsis. “It’s Marco’s first chance to figure out what he wants out of life, who he actually is, and what it really means for him to be queer.

Peacock is exploring more stories ripped from the headlines.

The NBCU streamer has handed a straight-to-series order to Based on a True Story, a comedic thriller from The Boys exec producer Craig Rosenberg and Ozark‘s Jason Bateman.

Inspired by a bizarre true event, the series is about a realtor, a plumber and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide, exposing America’s obsession with true crime, murder and the slow-close toilet seat.

2022 Peacock Series & Pilot Orders

Rosenberg, who has also worked on Lost and Preacher, will write, exec produce and serve as showrunner. Ozark star Bateman will exec produce via his Aggregate Films alongside his production partner Michael Costigan. Roxie Rodriguez also serves as co-executive producer for Aggregate Films.

The series is produced by UCP.

It is the latest series based on real events for the fledgling streamer after the launch of Dr. Death and Joe vs. Carole.

Peacock has given a straight-to-series order to the comedic thriller “Based on a True Story.”

The series hails from writer, executive producer, and showrunner Craig Rosenberg. Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan of Aggregate Films will also executive produce, with Roxie Rodriguez of Aggregate co-executive producing. UCP will serve as the studio.

Inspired by an actual event, “Based on a True Story” is about a realtor, a plumber and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide, exposing America’s obsession with true crime, murder and the slow close toilet seat.\

“There are some true stories that are stranger than fiction as is the case for the events that inspire this show,” said Beatrice Springborn, president of UCP. “It is a twisted, thrilling and incredibly funny series that combines the comic and suspense talents of the dream team of Craig Rosenberg, Jason Bateman, Michael Costigan and Roxie Rodriguez to create the perfect show for Peacock.

Peacock is peeling away the layers of America’s fixation on true crime.

The streamer announced a straight-to-series order Monday for “Based on a True Story,” a dark comedy about about a realtor, a plumber and a former tennis star whose lives unexpectedly collide to expose America’s obsession with true crime and murder.

Craig Rosenberg will serve as writer, showrunner and executive producer. Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan will executive produce for Aggregate Films.

Roxie Rodriguez serves as co-executive producer for Aggregate Films. The series will be produced by UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group.

“Inspired by real events, ‘Based on a True Story’ explores America’s obsession with true-crime and serial killers,” Lisa Katz, president scripted content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said in a statement. “Along with our colleagues at UCP, we’re thrilled Craig Rosenberg, Jason Bateman, Michael Costigan and Roxie Rodriguez have partnered with Peacock...

Rwandan director Kivu Ruhorahoza’s “Father’s Day,” which bows in the competitive Encounters strand of the Berlin Film Festival, is a timely story of fatherhood in a country that saw a generation orphaned by one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.

The film presents a trio of interwoven stories set in the East African nation. A mother tries to cope with the loss of her only son. A young woman prepares for an organ donation that could save the life of a father who she never truly loved. And a young boy roams the city with his father, a small-time crook with anger management issues, who introduces him to a hustler’s life.

Though “Father’s Day” is not a film about the Rwandan genocide, as is so often the case in a country still reeling from that bloody period, the genocide and its lingering trauma provide...

Norm Macdonald, the revered stand-up comic, actor, writer and former “Weekend Update” anchor on Saturday Night Live, has died after a nine-year battle with cancer. He was 61. Launch a photo gallery of his career by clicking on the image above.

Macdonald began his career in show business by starting in the comedy clubs of Canada. Influenced by the likes of David Letterman, Bob Hope and Sam Kinison, he developed his trademark style that became highly influential for a generation of comics.

After competing on 1990’s Star Search, Macdonald landed a writing job on The Dennis Miller Show. He later was hired to write for Roseanne Barr’s sitcom Roseanne for the 1992-93 season before landing at NBC’s Saturday Night Live.

At SNL, beyond his popular impressions of Burt Reynolds, Larry King and Quentin Tarantino, Macdonald was most known for his acerbic wit and deadpan delivery on the “Weekend Update” desk,...

“Based on a true story” is the hook that the Conjuring universe was built on. A franchise where the main entries feature events from the case files of real life paranormal investigating couple Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), it’s a good gimmick that has served the series well so far – if you want to believe the Perron family were haunted by a ghost witch and that there was a poltergeist in North London in the 1970s, have at it. If not, you’ve still got a fun film with two likable leads and plenty of good jumps.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It treads thornier ground. Billed as the Warrens’ darkest case yet, it’s the story of Arne Johnson, a young man who murdered his landlord and claimed he was possessed by a demon at the time. A true crime version of...

The ACM nominations came out recently, so you know what time it is. Can Maren Morris yet again dominate the country award shows? Will we have a historic Brothers Osborne Album of the Year win? Will Miranda Lambert be snubbed? Let’s take a close look at the races for Album, Single, and Song of the Year.

SEE2021 ACM Awards snub women for Entertainer of the Year (again!) after Carrie Underwood won last year (tied with a man)

Album of the Year

The Aoty category is less predictable than you might think. A lot of people might just go with Chris Stapleton because, well, he’s Chris Stapleton, but look deeper. His album “Starting Over” somewhat underperformed, which might prompt voters to go for a more passionate pick. In comes Ashley McBryde, whose “Never Will” was up at the CMAs last year but lost to Luke Combs (“What You See...

Despite winning three César Film Awards last week, Roman Polanski’s critically acclaimed new film “An Officer and a Spy” is unlikely to reach American audiences anytime soon.

The film has debuted in European countries such as Italy (at last August’s Venice Film Festival), Belgium (Nov. 13) and Spain in January — but there is no North American release date in sight.

Not only has no U.S. distributor stepped up for domestic rights to the film, but five who had previously worked with the director would not comment on even the possibility of picking up the Polanski project. That includes Sony Pictures Classics, which distributed the Polish-born director’s last film, “Based on a True Story,” in 2017.

Also Read: Roman Polanski Draws Protests, Wins Prizes at Stormy Cesar Awards

Polanski, long a polarizing figure since he fled the U.S. in 1978 after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl,...

Add Willie Nelson to the list of people that have beaten Blake Shelton at the Grammys. With his loss at Sunday’s 62nd Grammy Awards, the country superstar (and winningest coach in “The Voice” history) has now gone 0-for-8 with the recording academy. Shelton’s latest nomination came for Best Country Solo Performance for his hit song “God’s Country,” which lost to Nelson’s “Ride Me Back Home.” (See the complete list of Grammy winners.) During CBS’s live ceremony, Shelton and girlfriend Gwen Stefani performed an emotional rendition of their duet “Nobody But You.”

SEEGrammys Premiere Ceremony live blog: Gary Clark Jr., Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Lady Gaga were big winners, Billie Eilish sitting pretty

Shelton brought up his unfortunate Grammy losing streak during an October episode of “The Voice” Season 17. “I haven’t been nominated for a Grammy very many times, but the one time I thought...

Valentine Monnier, the former actor who recently went public with her accusation that Roman Polanski raped her 44 years ago, sent an anonymous letter to L.A. prosecutors in early 2017 detailing those allegations, sources tell Variety. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has confirmed that it received such a letter in February 2017 and has kept it in its files, but declined to comment further.

Monnier lives in Paris and now works as a photographer. A source close to her said she sent the letter anonymously to L.A. prosecutors in early 2017 out of anger upon hearing that Polanski was to be named the honorary president of the Cesar Awards, France’s highest film prizes. At the time, Polanski’s attorneys were making various requests of the L.A. Superior Court, including that he be sentenced in absentia for his 1977 statutory rape conviction and allowed to return to the U.S.

It was the third biggest French-language opener of the year.

Roman Polanski’s An Officer And A Spy was the biggest opening film in France on Wednesday (November 13) as it launched theatrically amid controversy following a fresh allegation of rape against the director on the eve of its 550-screen release.

Jérôme Hilal, head of theatrical at distributor Gaumont, tweeted on Wednesday evening the film had garnered 46,412 admissions on its opening day, equivalent to a gross of roughly $338,000. Of this total,18,313 admissions were generated in Paris.

Added together with the 10,268 tickets sold for preview screenings, the film had drawn 56,580 spectators to date,...

In a report published Friday by French daily newspaper Le Parisien, French actress Valentine Monnier accused director Roman Polanski of raping her at Polanksi’s ski chalet in Switzerland in 1975 when she was 18.

Monnier told Le Parisien that the director violently raped her. The newspaper reported that it spoke with several people, who said Monnier told them of the incident shortly after it occurred.

“Rape is a time bomb,” she told the publication. “The memory does not fade. It becomes a ghost and it follows you, and it changes you insidiously.”

IndieWire has reached out to Polanski’s U.S. lawyers for comment.

Monnier said she was moved to speak some four decades after the incident due to the release of Polanski’s latest film, “J’Accuse” (“An Officer and a Spy”), due out in France next week.

The movie won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize and earned mostly...

Shoring up artistic director Orwa Nyrabia’s commitment to showcasing more women’s stories and platforming more women’s voices, Idfa has announced that this year’s festival features the highest percentage of female filmmakers in the event’s 31-year history: 64% of competition titles and 47% of the total program.

“Reaching a fairer representation was much easier than it seemed to be,” noted Nyrabia. “We only had to keep our goal in mind. The outstanding films that found their way to us this year was a humble reminder that we are in the presence of exceptional female filmmakers.”

The festival opens with the world premiere of Mehrdad Oskouei’s “Sunless Shadows,” which depicts five young Iranian women complicit in the murders of abusive husbands, fathers, or brothers-in-law. Oskouei’s film competes in the Feature-Length Documentary Competition alongside Jørgen Leth’s “I Walk”; Heidi Hassan and Patricia Pérez Fernández’s “In a...

Festival brass say 64% of competition titles directed by women, representing record 47% of total programme.

The International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (Idfa) has unveiled the line-up for its 32nd edition, which is set to take place from Nov 20-Dec 1.

At present, 64% of the festival’s competition titles are directed by women, representing 47% of the total programme - the highest in the festival’s history.

Idfa will open with the world premiere of Mehrdad Oskouei’s Sunless Shadows, about five young Iranian women who are all accomplices in the murder of their abusive husbands, fathers, or brothers-in-law.

The flagship 12-strong Best Feature-Length Documentary competition line-up includes I Walk,...

Festival brass say 64% of competition titles directed by women, representing record 47% of total programme.

The International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (Idfa) has unveiled the line-up for its 32nd edition, which is set to take place from Nov 20-Dec 1.

At present, 64% of the festival’s competition titles are directed by women, representing 47% of the total programme - the highest in the festival’s history.

Idfa will open with the world premiere of Mehrdad Oskouei’s Sunless Shadows, about five young Iranian women who are all accomplices in the murder of their abusive husbands, fathers, or brothers-in-law.

The flagship 12-strong Best Feature-Length Documentary competition line-up includes I Walk,...

Festival brass say 64% of competition titles directed by women, representing record 47% of total programme.

The International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (Idfa) has unveiled the line-up for its 32nd edition, which is set to take place from Nov 20-Dec 1.

At present, 64% of the festival’s competition titles are directed by women, representing 47% of the total programme - the highest in the festival’s history.

Idfa will open with the world premiere of Mehrdad Oskouei’s Sunless Shadows, about five young Iranian women who are all accomplices in the murder of their abusive husbands, fathers, or brothers-in-law.

The flagship 12-strong Best Feature-Length Documentary competition line-up includes I Walk,...

When Darius Rucker stopped by “The Voice” on Monday night to help Blake Shelton mentor his young artists for the upcoming battle rounds, an old rivalry was reignited. As it turns out, Shelton lost the 2013 Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance to Rucker, a category Shelton thought he had a good chance of winning. “I haven’t been nominated for a Grammy very many times, but the one time I thought I had a shot was the freaking ‘Wagon Wheel’ year,” Shelton told his young country artists Kat Hammock and Josie Jones. “Darius won his 50th Grammy and I still have an empty spot in my house.”

SEEGwen Stefani completes her ‘The Voice’ Season 17 team with rock singer Caroline Reilly: ‘Dreams do come true!’ [Watch]

Rucker quickly corrected him, saying it was only his third Grammy. The other two were for Best New Artist for Hootie & the Blowfish (1995) and Best...

The fall movie season often means a lot of movies “Based on a True Story,” that opening moniker that gives certain stories added weight. Sometimes the subjects are famous (or infamous), but in the case of the real-life strippers-turned-robbers in “Hustlers,” some unknown figures found their lives thrust into the public consciousness in the form of a box-office hit.

Samantha Barbash — whose character inspired Jennifer Lopez’s performance in the film — has threatened to sue distributor Stx, claiming the film is a violation of her rights. She has also stated that she originally rejected the producers’ offer to buy the rights to her story because the dollar amount offered was too low.

The main issue here is the concept of “life rights,” which Hollywood studios commonly acquire prior to making any form of biopic. The “Hustlers” case poses a big question for anyone looking to adapt true stories: When does...

There are only two films by female directors in competition.

The line-up of the 76th Venice Film Festival (August 28 – September 7) has been announced.

Scroll down for the full line-up

This year features some high-profile projects including Todd Phillips’ Joker and James Gray’s Ad Astra, a lack of female directors in competition once again, and the controversial selection of Roman Polanski’s latest film.

Australian title Babyteeth, from first-time director Shannon Murphy, and Saudi filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour’s The Perfect Candidate are the two films in the 21-strong competition from female filmmakers. Last year festival chief Alberto Barbera was heavily...

You would be forgiven for thinking the only chatter about Roman Polanski this year at the Croisette was about his brief depiction in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” — and the unhappiness about it expressed by his wife Emmanuelle Seigner. But it so happens Polanski turned to the Cannes Film Festival himself to look for a U.S. distributor for his latest film.

Paris-based sales agency Playtime held an unpublicized meeting on May 18 for around 40 potential U.S. buyers to screen Polanski’s film “An Officer and a Spy.” Polanski did not attend but star Jean Dujardin did, along with producer Alain Goldman. A week and a half later, no U.S. buyer has been announced — though the film already has European distribution set for the fall.

Vanity Fair‘s Nicole Sperling spoke to one of the attendees of the under-wraps meeting, Roadside Attractions co-president Howard Cohen,...

French sales agency Playtime has come on board director Roman Polanski’s just-wrapped “An Officer and a Spy,” an historical espionage thriller based on Robert Harris’s novel and headlined by Oscar-winning actor Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”) and Mathieu Amalric (“At Eternity’s Gate”).

Re-teaming Harris (“The Ghost Writer”) and Polanski, the movie tells the true story of counter-espionage officer Georges Picquart, who defied orders and embarked on a compromising mission to clear the name of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a promising French-Jewish officer who was unfairly accused of spying for Germany and imprisoned on Devil’s Island in the late 1890s. Drawn into a dangerous labyrinth of deceit and corruption, Picquart eventually succeeded in getting Dreyfus exonerated of any wrongdoing years later. The Dreyfus Affair has long been an obsession for the Oscar-winning director, who has tried to tell the story at various points in his career.

Produced by Alain Goldman...

Roman Polanski’s lawyer, Harland Braun, has filed a petition asking a Los Angeles judge to force the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to reinstate the director as a member of the organization in good standing (via Variety). The Academy announced May 3, 2018 that it had voted to expel Polanski and Bill Cosby for not meeting its standards of conduct. Polanski and Braun fought against the decision at the time but the filmmaker was expelled nonetheless.

In the petition sent April 21, Braun notes the Academy let Polanski petition for reconsideration but failed to give the director an opportunity to be heard on the issue of his expulsion. Braun said this decision is a violation of the Academy’s policies.

“The Academy committed a prejudicial abuse of discretion in that the Academy failed to proceed in a manner required by law, the Academy’s expulsion decision is not supported by the findings,...

J’accuse

Controversial director Roman Polanski embarks on his 22nd film production J’accuse this fall, a recuperation of the infamous Dreyfus Affair which he’s been working on for the past several years, previously known as the title D. While his last film, Based on a True Story (read review), penned by Olivier Assayas, closed out-of-competition at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival to lackluster reviews, his approximation of the infamous Dreyfus Affair, which became a lynchpin in the developing anti-Semitism in turn of the century France, promises to be something more impassioned from Polanski (as well as his potential swan song as the director is now in his mid-80s).…...

He’s been expelled from the Academy, and his last film, “Based on a True Story,” flopped at the box office. But the recent announcement of Roman Polanski’s new movie offers proof that, even after the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the birth of the #MeToo movement, the controversial director can still muster support – at least, in places where #MeToo has been slow to take hold.

The Oscar-winning director, who pleaded guilty to having sex with a minor in 1977 and has been a fugitive of U.S. justice ever since, has managed to raise about €22 million ($25.3 million) for his long-gestating passion project, “J’Accuse,” from backers in France and Italy – two countries where #MeToo has been heavily criticized. (Polanski himself has called the movement “collective hysteria.”) “J’Accuse” now ranks among the biggest-budgeted local movies slated for either 2019 or 2020 in either territory.

Polanski has been able to recruit well-established players and talent for the film,...

Summer is winding down, but the comedy scene in New York City is in full swing. With so many performances, events, and casting calls happening, it can be hard to know what you can’t miss. Here are Backstage’s picks for the best comedy to see and audition for in September. PerformancesTom Green exploded on the comedy scene with his MTV show “The Tom Green Show,” where the host subjected random strangers on the street to pranks and hilarity. Since the show premiered in 1999, Green has continued to perform his person-on-the-street style comedy for TV and internet viewers alike. The comedian can be seen at Carolines on Broadway from Sept. 21–22. (Tickets $38.25–$114.50) Norm Macdonald has been on “Saturday Night Live” as a Weekend Update anchor, written fake memoir “Based on a True Story,” and been in countless TV shows and films. Known for his dry humor and love of New York City,...

Norm Macdonald is giving TV another shot.

Despite having one of the most dedicated fanbases in comedy, he hasn't had a lot of success in the medium. After being famously fired from Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" desk in 1998 and failing to launch two early-2000s sitcoms (Norm, A Minute With Stan Hooper), the Canadian stand-up's career has taken some haphazard detours. He's popped up as judge on NBC's Last Comic Standing; as Colonel Sanders in a series of KFC ads; and on talk shows plugging his (semifictionalized) memoir, Based on a True Story.

It'...