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Utopia has secured worldwide rights to Pedro Kos’ psychological thriller In Our Blood and will commence talks with buyers at the EFM in Berlin next week.

Brittany O’Grady from The White Lotus and It’s What’s Inside stars as filmmaker Emily Wyland who reconnects with her estranged mother tocollaborate on a documentary.

When her mother mysteriously disappears, Emily and her cinematographer Danny embark on a search, uncovering haunting remnants of her past struggles with addiction. E.J. Bonilla, Alanna Ubach, Krisha Fairchild, Steven Klein, Bianca Comparato, and Leo Marks round out the cast.

Mallory Westfall, known for her work in the genre...

Molly Gordon, best known for “The Bear” and “Theater Camp,” is writing, directing and starring in the upcoming comedy “Peaked” for A24.

According to the official logline, the film follows “the two girls who traumatized you in high school as they try to relive their glory days at their 10-year reunion.” Gordon is co-writing the screenplay with her friend Allie Levitan, who was recently hired as a writer on “Saturday Night Live.”

A24 will finance and produce “Peaked,” which is scheduled to shoot this year. David Hinojosa and Zach Nutman of 2Am will produce alongside Gordon and A24. Levitan will executive produce. Topic Studios, who previously collaborated with Gordon on “Theater Camp,” will co-finance the film.

Gordon and Levitan are also collaborating on the Searchlight Pictures film “Small Parts,” with Gordon attached to direct and co-write with Levitan. That movie, described as a new take on the 1987 Shelly Long and...

I didn’t watch The Recruit when it first came out because it was never on my radar. I’m not technically the target audience because I’m not a fan of action or comedy, and the combination often gives me the ick. However, the first season left me quite surprised. It is hard to admit, but I’m on board for this silliness because the pacing and good storytelling somehow make it work. The Recruit season 2 takes off straight after Max’s murder by her daughter Nichka. But here’s where it subverts expectations by taking us on something of an odyssey thanks to a new case, new graymail all the way from Seoul. This graymail somehow turns up at Owen’s desk, which means he has to open it and follow through. This season takes our guys to Seoul, where a man eager to save his wife has...

IMDb presented actress Molly Gordon with the "Fan Favorite" STARmeter Award at the IMDb Studio within the Acura House of Energy during the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Gordon produced and stars in 'Oh, Hi!,' premiering at this year’s festival, following her critically acclaimed directorial debut, 'Theater Camp.' IMDb STARmeter Awards recognize the stars who are fan favorites on the IMDbPro STARmeter chart, which is determined by the page views of the more than 250 million monthly visitors to IMDb worldwide.

Gordon’s standout performances in "The Bear," 'Shiva Baby,' and 'Booksmart' have made her a staple on the IMDbPro STARmeter chart. Additionally, IMDb recently named "The Bear" the most anticipated returning TV series of 2025, and fans are eagerly awaiting her return to the small screen as Claire. Previous IMDb STARmeter Award recipients at Sundance include Riley Keough, Jennifer Connelly, Nicholas Braun, Bill Skarsgård, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.

Learn more about IMDb STARmeter Awards at www.imdb.com/starmeterawardswww.imdb.com/starmeterawards.

Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang will announce the nominations for the 97th annual Academy Awards.

The announcement will take place starting at 5:30 a.m. Pt on Thursday in a live presentation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

The two actor-writer-comedians will announce nominees in all 24 Oscar categories. The announcement will also be live streamed globally on Oscar.com, Oscars.org and the Academy’s digital platforms (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook). It will also be broadcast on ABC’s Good Morning America and stream on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.

Sennott’s credits include Jason Reitman’s film Saturday Night, which goes behind the scenes of the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live in 1975. Yang, meanwhile, currently stars on NBC’s SNL.

Sennott’s credits also include Shiva Baby, Bodies Bodies Bodies and I Used to Be Funny.

After a delay due to the Los Angeles wildfires, the Oscar nominations are now set to go Thursday with Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang tapped to announce the nominees.

The Oscar nominations ceremony was previously rescheduled from January 17 to January 19 due to the fires. It was moved a second time to January 23. The voting period for nominations was also extended to January 17, and the Oscars nominees luncheon, previously scheduled for February 10, was canceled.

Bottoms actor Sennott and Wicked‘s Yang will announce all 23 Academy Award categories live from the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Thursday via global live stream on Oscar.com, Oscars.org and the Academy’s digital platforms, ABC’s Good Morning America and streaming on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.

Final voting will be held February 11-18. Conan O’Brien hosts the awards ceremony on March 2. Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan are producing.

After a slight postponement, the Oscars will get back on track on Thursday when Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott announce the nominees for the 97th Academy Awards.

Starting at 5:30 a.m. Pst, the “Wicked” actor and the “Bottoms” actress will reveal the nominees for all 23 categories via livestream and on social media. The nominations were originally supposed to be read on Jan. 17, but were postponed due to the Los Angeles wildfires.

Final voting will begin on Feb. 11 through Feb. 18. Conan O’Brien will then host (for the first time) on March 2. Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan are producing.

In addition to postponing the initial nominations announcement, the 2025 Oscar Nominees Luncheon has been canceled altogether, per the AMPAS.

Yang is known for his work on “Saturday Night Live” as well as his “Las Culturistas” podcast with Matt Rogers, while Sennott has starred in “Shiva Baby,” “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” “I Used to Be Funny” and “Saturday Night.

Just as we were about to record this week’s “Screen Talk,” we found out that one of our favorite auteurs, David Lynch, had succumbed to emphysema at age 78. In this episode, we explore his legacy, catch up with awards news from the PGA and BAFTAs to the WGA, and report on a new development in the Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni case.

Plus, we each picked five must-see films at Sundance, which launches January 23, the same day as the Oscar nominations are announced, after some postponements. Co-host Ryan Lattanzio interviewed Robert Schwartzman, who runs Utopia distribution with Cole Harper. The company partnered with Lionsgate on “Megalopolis,” from Schwartzman’s uncle Francis Ford Coppola, and hawked sales for Gia Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl” back at Cannes. That movie is out now from Roadside Attractions. But Utopia has also released indies from rising directors we know now, including Jane Schoenbrun...

December is the perfect month to relax with a binge or two and Netflix is providing plenty of new options.

Leading the hype charge for the final month of 2024 is the hotly anticipated second season of “Squid Game.” The story of the runaway cultural phenomenon picks up where Season 1 left off. Also featured in December are the first two live NFL games on the streamer. Both the Chiefs/Steelers and Ravens/Texans games will stream back-to-back on Christmas Day.

Other notables are the “30 for 30” Collection, the latest season of “Virgin River,” the first “Transformers” film and Sabrina Carpenter’s Christmas special, “A Nonsense Christmas.”

See the full list of what’s coming to Netflix in December 2024 below.

Dec. 1

“A Different World” Season 1-6

“Faster”

“Run All Night”

“Transformers”

“The Dark Tower”

“Top Five”

Dec. 2

“30 for 30” Collection

Dec. 3

“Sleeping Princess”

“Fortune Feimster: Crushing It”

Dec. 4

“Churchill at War”

“That Christmas”

“The Children’s Train...

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This December, Netflix is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the highly anticipated second season of Squid Game to a thrilling action thriller film titled The Carry-On. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Netflix this month and have an 89% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the five best films that are coming to Netflix in December 2024 with an 89% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Zero Dark Thirty (December 1) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91% Credit – Sony Pictures

Zero Dark Thirty is a political action thriller film directed by Kathryn Bigelow from a screenplay by Mark Boal. The 2012 film follows a CIA analyst and her team as they try to track down an infamous terrorist leader responsible for a grave terror attack on the United States. Zero Dark Thirty stars Jessica Chastain,...

With new films added daily and a handpicked collection, Mubi is perfect for viewers who want a deeper connection to cinema.

About a month ago I stumbled on a movie store (remember those) just down the street from my house that rents Blu-rays and DVDs. It was like walking into the past in the best possible way. The walls are littered with thousands of carefully curated indie film titles categorized first by genre or country, and then by director or actor. I spent half an hour just bouncing from wall to wall, checking out the titles. The store was even complete with a knowledgeable film buff behind the counter to help me out. If you miss that experience, I have a streamer for you: Mubi – the best streamer for independent film and arthouse movie enthusiasts. Here’s why…

7-Day Free Trial $14.99+ / month via amazon.com Everything you need to know about Mubi

What is Mubi?...

The Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco has boarded a new HBO comedy series from the creators of Hacks amidst speculation about her return as Penny. New details on the long-gestating Big Bang Theory spinoff recently emerged, confirming that Kevin Sussman, Brian Posehn, and Lauren Lapkus would reprise their respective roles as Stuart, Bert, and Denise. The spinoff, from franchise co-creator Chuck Lorre, is intended for the Max streaming service. Though the project is still in its early stages, Cuoco has expressed an openness to appear.

Deadline confirms that HBO has won the bidding for Kanas City Star. Led by Cuoco, who also executive produces, the half-hour show is described as a comedy with heart. The story centers on a semi-famous actress who returns to her hometown to work with a regional theater troupe. Kanas City Star hails from Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, the trio behind the Emmy-winning Max comedy Hacks.

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Sanctuary is a psychological thriller directed by Zachary Wigon from a screenplay by Micah Bloomberg. Starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott in the lead role of a dominatrix and Hal, who is soon becoming the CEO of a large corporation and that’s why he wants to end his relationship with the dominatrix as he fears that it will come out later. This starts off a dark and twisted night that will leave you gasping for air. Sanctuary stars Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott. So, if you loved the intensely thrilling story, inappropriate relationships, and compelling characters in Sanctuary here are some similar movies you should check out next.

Secretary (Tubi & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Lions Gate Films

Secretary is an erotic romantic drama film directed by Steven Shainberg from a screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson. Based...

"Why make a tragedy of it?" is a later line in Anora's headlong rush. It's not quite a thesis, more a lens to examine an intoxicating and enchanting tale that reminds us for every happily ever after there's a never to be seen again. Comparison to Pretty Woman is perhaps a product of a lack of exposure to other films. The less obvious but more accurate comparisons are to The Girlfriend Experience and Uncut Gems and Shiva Baby. For a start Anora's a New York story, Coney Island and not Rodeo Drive.

That's from rabbits, not horses, and the running isn't freedom but fear. Plenty of another thing rabbits are famous for before then, as Anora, Ani, works off the books. Ivan, Vanya, is a child of wealth, and Ani, scarcely months older but much wiser, is not. Mikey Madison has had major film roles before but this is still an.

It’s true that queer representation in cinema has come a long way from what it used to be, and society has evolved enough to make way for important and timely conversations on the LGBTQ+ community. Now, if you take a look at the highest-rated queer movies of all time, you’ll come across titles like Bpm, Moonlight, God’s Own Country, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Shiva Baby, The Half of It, The Handmaiden, Dog Day Afternoon, Love Lies Bleeding, The Power of the Dog, Carol, and more. Upon closer examination, you’ll realize that a lot of these films are very White or they are centered around stories set in first-world countries because they are either more marketable and more accessible than queer tales from the disenfranchised sections of society. This phenomenon is not only hindering the queer discourse but also preventing the queer cinema of third-world countries from progressing.

Gen Z social media star Quenlin Blackwell has signed with CAA.

Also known as Quen Blackwell, she has 16 million followers across platforms, including 2.4 million followers on Instagram and another 10.6 million on TikTok. CAA will focus on boosting strategic brand partnerships and strategy around new intellectual property and business ventures for Blackwell, especially as an online influencer.

Having got her start with comedy skits on Vine, Blackwell was recently cast to guest star in Shiva Baby star Rachel Sennott’s upcoming HBO comedy pilot. The untitled series follows a group of codependent friends who reunite after some time apart, navigating how the separation, ambition, and new relationships have changed them.

Sennott wrote the show’s pilot and executive produced it with Emma Barrie, Aida Rodgers (both alums of Barry) and director Lorene Scafaria (Succession).

Blackwell also appeared in Charli Xcx’ music video “360” and others like “90s Baby” by Jt and...

It was no small feat to get “Saturday Night Live” off the ground at NBC, and as a result, the cast of “Saturday Night” is pretty huge. In many cases, the actors also look eerily similar to the people they’re playing.

Hitting theaters everywhere on Oct. 11 after a limited theatrical release in New York and Los Angeles, Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night” tells the story of the 90 minutes right before the first-ever episode of “SNL.” It’s chaotic and at the time, even Lorne Michaels couldn’t explain what the show was going to be.

Below, you’ll find the cast of “Saturday Night” alongside what their real-life counterparts looked like back then.

Sony/Getty Images Lorne Michaels (Gabriel Labelle)

Lorne Michaels is the creator and, to this day, producer of “Saturday Night Live.” He’s played in “Saturday Night” by Gabriel Labelle, who had his breakout role in Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans.

Plot: In the ninety minutes before the live airing of the first episode of Saturday Night Live, a young Lorne Michaels (Gabriel Labelle) desperately tries to keep NBC from pulling the plug while dealing with a cast, writers and crew in open rebellion.

Review: Comedy would be very different nowadays if not for Saturday Night Live‘s impact. Most noteworthy comedy film stars of the last four decades emerged from their ranks, and nearly fifty years since its premiere, it remains as vital as ever. Yet, the making of the show itself had become an almost mythological tale, with it a known fact that the young Lorne Michaels had to overcome overwhelming odds to make the show in the first place.

What Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night does is that it distills most of the big challenges Michaels had to overcome into one ninety-minute period. It’s a conceit that...

Rachel Sennott didn’t get into the premier sketch comedy group during her tenure at NYU. Now she’s playing one of the architects of the world’s most famous sketch comedy show in Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night. Co-written by the latter and Gil Kenan, the biographical comedy-drama chronicles the messy 90-minute period before the first episode of Saturday Night Live on Oct. 11, 1975. Sennott portrays writer Rosie Shuster, who’s also the first wife of SNL creator Lorne Michaels (Gabriel Labelle). And much like their ambitious attempt to shake up NBC’s Saturday night programming, their marriage, as depicted in the film, is in a similarly fragile, yet oddly collaborative, state.

In contrast with a lot of her castmates, Sennott didn’t have a great deal of existing material to reference during prep, but she did have the ultimate resource one phone call away.

“I spoke to Rosie, which was amazing.

The cast of The Bear especially Jeremy Allen White and Molly Gordon won big during the 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards. The success of the show has skyrocketed their careers into the stratosphere, especially for White who plays the lead role on the show.

Jeremy Allen White and Molly Gordon as Carmy and Claire on The Bear | Credits: FX Productions

Before his successful stint with The Bear, White was famously known for his role as Lip Gallagher on Shameless, which ran for 11 successful seasons before running its course in 2021. Gordon also starred in a couple of critically acclaimed projects over the years since debuting on the silver screen at the age of 7.

Jeremy Allen White and Molly Gordon share a kiss in Los Angeles

Jeremy Allen White and Molly Gordon built great chemistry on the set of The Bear, a series that kicked off in 2022. White played the lead character, Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto,...

Writer and director Ally Pankiw's I Used To Be Funny features a cast of new and notable names in the entertainment industry who show new sides of their abilities in the Canadian comedy-drama. I Used To Be Funny focuses on a young comedian with Ptsd, who debates whether to help search for a missing teenager she used to babysit. Premiering in 2023 at SXSW before being released in theaters on June 7, 2024, reviews of I Used To Be Funny have commended the cast's emotional performances.

From completely new faces in the industry to ones that are familiar to keen comedy fans, I Used To Be Funny utilizes its cast's comedic background to deliver an emotionally deep story with moments of comedic flair. As such, many of these actors show a completely new side of their acting abilities as comedy actors who nail dramatic roles. This fresh-faced cast brings I Used To Be Funny...

Nothing like a little decapitation to ring in the spooky season! Expanding on one of its most beloved showcases, “Mind F*ck Night” the Lower East Side Film Festival is unveiling a new, three-day pop-up festival called “Off/Season.” The series will focus on terrifying, mind-altering, genre-defying cinema and feature a curated selection of advanced screenings, retrospectives, short films, as well as filmmaker Q&As and receptions, all held at the Alamo Drafthouse, Lower Manhattan location from October 2-4.

In honor of the film’s 60th anniversary, “Off/Season” is proud to present “Strait-Jacket” from B-Movie horror master William Castle. Featuring screen legend Joan Crawford, this “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” follow-up continued the star’s decent into hagsploitation, but has become a cult classic in its own right, with her madly swinging an axe becoming one of cinema’s most iconic images. Castle’s daughter, Terry Castle, will be...

HBO has ordered a new comedy series starring, written, and executive produced by Rachel Sennott, the breakout star of the critically acclaimed “Shiva Baby”. Sennott also received praise for her work in the summer hit “Bottoms”, which she co-wrote and executive produced. The pilot episode was directed by Lorene Scafaria (HBO’s “Succession”) and executive produced […]

HBO Orders Rachel Sennott Comedy Series...

Rachel Sennott’s untitled comedy has been picked up to series at HBO, Variety has learned.

The show was ordered to pilot at the premium cabler back in March. Sennott created and stars in the series and also serves as an executive producer. Emma Barrie, Aida Rodgers, and Lorene Scafaria also executive produce, with Scafaria having directed the pilot.

“Rachel is as hilarious as she is charming,” said Amy Gravitt, executive vice president of HBO and Max comedy programming. “With Lorene and Emma, she has captured the comedy and the beauty that happens when friendships collide with our best laid plans. We’re thrilled to be continuing our collaboration with this talented team and this exquisite cast.”

The official logline for the series states, “A codependent friend group reunites, navigating how the time apart, ambition, and new relationships have changed them.” Along with Sennott, the cast includes Odessa A’zion, Jordan Firstman,...

HBO has given a series order to a new untitled comedy from Rachel Sennott.

The project, which stars and is written and executive produced by the “Shiva Baby” actress, follows a codependent friend group that reunites, navigating how the time apart, ambition, and new relationships have changed them.

In addition to Sennott, the show’s cast includes Odessa A’zion, Jordan Firstman, Miles Robbins and True Whitaker (“Godfather of Harlem”).

The half-hour pilot, which received an order from the network back in March, is executive produced by Sennott, Emma Barrie (“Barry”), Aida Rodgers (“Barry”), and Lorene Scafaria (“Succession”), who directed.

“Rachel is as hilarious as she is charming,” HBO and Max Comedy programming executive vice president Amy Gravitt said in a statement. “With Lorene and Emma, she has captured the comedy and the beauty that happens when friendships collide with our best laid plans. We’re thrilled to be continuing our...

HBO has ordered an ensemble comedy series starring, written and executive produced by Rachel Sennott.

The project, about a codependent friend group that reunites, navigating how the time apart, ambition, and new relationships have changed them, originated as a pilot, which Sennott executive produced with Emma Barrie (HBO’s Barry), Aida Rodgers (HBO’s Barry), and Lorene Scafaria (HBO’s Succession), who directed it.

“Rachel is as hilarious as she is charming,” said Amy Gravitt, EVP HBO and Max Comedy Programming. “With Lorene and Emma, she has captured the comedy and the beauty that happens when friendships collide with our best laid plans. We’re thrilled to be continuing our collaboration with this talented team and this exquisite cast.”

Sennott stars alongside Odessa A’zion (Sitting in Bars with Cake), Jordan Firstman (Rotting in the Sun), Miles Robbins (Blockers) and True Whitaker (Godfather of Harlem). Just like it was at the pilot stage,...

There was a noticeable energy inside the Palm Theater on Saturday night at the Telluride Film Festival before the world premiere of Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night.” In a lineup of several heavy dramas and art house titles – some of which, at least anecdotally, have left attendees disappointed despite pre-festival buzz – the Oscar-nominated filmmaker’s new film about the launch of “Saturday Night Live” felt like something of a unicorn: a mainstream studio movie about one of the most important comedy institutions ever created. So when Reitman – who has been coming to Telluride for years – took the stage to introduce the film, the crowd was already primed to erupt. And when Reitman brought “SNL” legend Bill Murray, in town to support “The Friend,” up to the stage to surprise the audience, they did to the tune of a standing ovation.

But that all happened before the movie started. So in some ways,...

Exclusive: Molly Gordon (Theater Camp), Logan Lerman (We Were the Lucky Ones), Geraldine Viswanathan (Drive-Away Dolls) and John Reynolds (Search Party) are set to star in Oh, Hi!, an indie comedy written and to be directed by Sophie Brooks (The Boy Downstairs), who conceived the story with Gordon.

Entering production in New York this month, the film centers on Iris (Gordon) and Isaac (Lerman), whose first weekend away as a couple is going so well — until Isaac mentions he didn’t know they were a couple. Iris is sure he’s just confused….so she decides to hold him captive until they get on the same page.

Brooks and Gordon developed the project alongside producers David Brooks and Dan Clifton. Julie Waters will also produce for Watermark Media, which is financing with QWGmire, AmorFortuna, and Bespoke Production Capital. The executive producers are Evan Dyal, Molly C. Quinn, Matthew M. Welty,...

Exclusive: Utopia will be teaming with Lionsgate on the stateside theatrical release of Francis Ford Coppola’s dystopian epic, Megalopolis when it hits theatres on Sept. 27.

Utopia will create and implement specialty marketing, word-of-mouth, and non-traditional theatrical distribution initiatives targeting moviegoers.

Utopia as behind such movies as the critically acclaimed Shiva Baby and the Oscar shortlisted Holy Spider.

Said Coppola: “I am confident we are in great hands with Lionsgate, and Robert and his team at Utopia will be a tremendous addition. They have proven that there is success in an artist-first approach while also making bold moves, especially at a time when our film business often shies away from daring endeavors. I know Utopia will help Megalopolis discover untapped audiences and opportunities for its theatrical launch alongside Lionsgate.”

Added co-founder Robert Schwartzman: “The visionary, inventive, and cinematic epic that is Megalopolis is exactly the kind of film that excites us at Utopia.

Bottoms is a satirical comedy from director Emma Seligman that follows two lesbian teens who form an all-girls fight club at their school to get closer to their crushes. The movie shares similarities with Plan B, another film that explores the themes of female friendship and the challenges of growing up in a rapidly changing world. Like Heathers did for Gen X and Mean Girls for millennials, Bottoms is a defining teen comedy for Gen Z.

Viewers looking for more movies like Bottoms will be glad to know there is a long tradition of satirical teen comedies to pick from. Many teen LGBTQ+ movies are rom-coms, Bottoms sets itself apart by being a biting black comedy that skewers teen movie ropes. Directed by Emma Seligman in her debut, Bottoms follows two lesbian high school girls, Pj (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) who begin an underground fight club to meet girls.

After making a splash last fall with her debut album Snow Angel, Reneé Rapp has revealed that she’s back to work on a new album.

“Are you currently working on a new album?” actress Rachel Sennott asks Rapp in a new installment of Instagram’s Close Friends Only podcast. Rapp, who recently graced the big-screen in the musical adaptation of Mean Girls, confirms that she is in the studio working on new material and goes on to explain the inspiration.

“[Age] 23 to 24 has been a massive difference for me,” Rapp tells the actress, star of such films as Shiva Baby, Bottoms and I Used to Be Funny. “It’s also about, like, a reflection on my, like, 23rd year specifically.”

Sennott then jumps in to offer her experience on her early 20s as someone who is now 28. “23 is fucking crazy,” she says. “It was like the most insane year of my life.

During her time in journalism school, writer-director Ally Pankiw discovered documentary studies and broadcast news, and immediately fell in love with video editing and production.

Although she didn’t attend traditional film school, she taught herself the basics of Final Draft after graduating and started writing. After directing Season 1 of Netflix’s “Feel Good,” the “Joan Is Awful” episode of “Black Mirror” and more, Pankiw finally got funding for her first feature film: “I Used to Be Funny,” starring “Shiva Baby” breakout Rachel Sennott.

The film is in select theaters via Utopia and was released digitally on June 18. Sennott stars as Sam, a stand-up comedian struggling with Ptsd after being sexually assaulted. She tries to decide whether or not to look for Brooke (Olga Petsa), a missing teenage girl she used to nanny. The story swaps between past and present, where Sam navigates her trauma.

Pankiw tells Variety that the...

Rachel Sennott shines in a nuanced role. I Used to Be Funny balances comedy and drama effectively. The film's ending feels rushed despite strong filmmaking.

For a movie about Ptsd, I Used to Be Funny is anything but "used to." The film is funny in the here and now, constantly reminding the audience that, while laughter isn't the best medicine, sometimes it's the only way to move forward in the wake of the unimaginable. Starring Rachel Sennott, best known for her comedic turn in Bottoms, I Used to Be Funny gets the actress to flex the dramatic muscles she used in her earlier project, Shiva Baby. She plays Sam, the stand-up comedian who can't seem to shake her past with the family she nannied for.

I Used to Be Funny (2024)

DirectorAlly PankiwRelease DateJune 7, 2024CastCaleb Hearon, Sabrina Jalees, Olga Petsa, Rachel Sennott, Jason JonesRatingNRRuntime105 MinutesGenresDrama, Comedy Expand

It's not difficult to guess what happened to Sam,...

Cardio is good. Sony Pictures Classics’ 4k rerelease of Run Lola Run had a healthy weekend, opening to an estimated $154k on 275 screens. This is the 25th anniversary of the U.S. debut of Tom Tykwer’s German experimental thriller that sees flame-haired Lola (Franka Potente) on the move in Berlin, pounding the pavement to come up with 100,000 Deutschmarks in 20 minutes to save her boyfriend’s life. (This was before the euro arrived). See Deadline interview here. A handful of rereleases/restorations have been box office stars post-Covid and this is another indie win.

A24’s Tuesday, a modern-day fairy tale with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, launched to $26k on two screens. Daina O. Pusic’s directorial debut premiered at Telluride. The modern-day fairy tale had sold out Q&As shows throughout the weekend and expands to a moderate nationwide footprint next week.

Utopia reunited with Shiva Baby (and Bottoms) star Rachel Sennott...

Kanopy – the no-fee, ad-free film and TV show streaming service that’s available to some 45 million people in the United States with a library card and through more than 85% of large American colleges and universities – is featuring movies selected by GLAAD in celebration of Pride Month in June. The GLAAD Pride Month Picks include films that feature “fair, accurate and inclusive LGBTQ+ representation” as part of the service’s full Pride Month collection of 107 movies and documentaries.

GLAAD is the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer media advocacy organization. Its Pride Month choices (including the 2023 Oscar Best Picture winner “Everything Everywhere All at Once”) are below:

“The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” (1994) “The Aggressives: The World of Lesbian Subculture” (2005) “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” (2022) “Bodies Bodies Bodies” (2022) “The Blue Caftan” (2022) “But I’m a Cheerleader” (1999) “Call Her Ganda” (2018) “Changing the Game” (2019) “Everything Everywhere All at Once...

Theaters will live to fight another day. “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” (Sony) provided more than half of the gross this weekend, taking #1 with $56 million. That isn’t a record for the franchise (with previous films at lower ticket prices), but it is a critical victory for the industry at a time it desperately needs them.

Will Smith’s first wide release since his catastrophic Oscar behavior in 2022 represents a triumph for star power, franchise filmmaking, action titles, and titles that draw from minority audiences (over two thirds for the weekend were Black and Latino). Most of all, it was a vital sign that underperformance for highly touted summer films isn’t a given.

In the face of rising industry panic, an under-$40 million opening for “Ride or Die” (its 2020 predecessor opened to $62 million) could have ratched the doom and despair to toxic levels. Instead, it blew past tracking projections...

It’s a big weekend for critically acclaimed indies in limited release as well as a handful of moderate openings, including Richard Gere’s latest film Longing. The provenance of that is unusual as the film from Lionsgate/Grindstone is a Canada-set remake of a 2017 Israeli drama. The original was quite well received, but the film opening this weekend has been thoroughly skewered by critics.

After winning screenplay and audience awards in Israel, the original film premiered in Venice, taking the Bnl People’s Choice Award, then played Toronto.

Both versions are written and directed by Savi Gabizon. Characters and story are identical: a successful single American businessman (Gere) meets up with a 20-year-old old flame (Suzanne Clément) and learns that he has a son, and, a beat later, that the young man has just died in a car accident. Trying to process that and find a connection,...

It’s not a joke: Ally Pankiw spent 10 years making “I Used to Be Funny” into the dog whistle of a dark comedy for millennial women.

As Pankiw told IndieWire, the film is a “nightmare of what it is to be a young woman in the world,” with Rachel Sennott playing Sam Cowell, an aspiring stand-up comedian grappling with Ptsd after an assault. Sam is haunted by the memories of working as an au pair for teen girl Brooke (Olga Petsa), who recently disappeared. The film premiered at the 2023 SXSW Festival.

Writer/director Pankiw’s debut feature, which already landed her among IndieWire’s female filmmakers to watch list, has topped IndieWire’s must-see films of the summer in part due to the “no-brainer” casting of buzzy star Sennott in the lead role.

“Rachel is such an exceptional talent because she makes everything feel like it’s her, [and] like it’s effortless,...

The Shiva Baby and Bodies, Bodies, Bodies standout goes serious in an uneven and at times frustrating combination of disparate tones and genre

There’s a particular, distinctly online note – dead-eyed, chaotic, teetering between hyper self-consciousness and delusional confidence – that comedian Rachel Sennott can hit so effectively it will temporarily and memorably spark its container: Twitter, where she rose to prominence as a self-aware zillennial comedy It Girl; Bodies Bodies Bodies, where she provided the bulk of the horror comedy’s actual zingers; The Idol, where her bit part as a pop star’s assistant was one of the misbegotten HBO series’ few highlights. As a lead – in Emma Seligman’s claustrophobic feature Shiva Baby and, less successfully, in Seligmans’ follow-up comedy Bottoms – Sennott stretched her shtick but remained most successful in this familiar, self-deprecating zone, though she has hinted at something darker and less irony-pilled.

I Used to Be Funny,...

Kit Zauhar will adapt “How Should a Person Be?,” the 2010 novel from acclaimed Canadian author Sheila Heti, for the screen. Neon Heart Productions, which previously worked with Zauhar on her second feature “This Closeness,” is developing the book. According to the logline, the film adaptation will focus on “a young artist [who] faces an early mid-life crisis when a new friendship makes her question her marriage and everything else about her current life path.”

Heti is the author of eleven books to date including “Pure Colour,” “Alphabetical Diaries” and “Motherhood,” which was shortlisted for the Giller Prize. “How Should a Person Be? will be the first film adaptation of her work.

Zauhar’s most recent film, “This Closeness,” is a relationship drama that she directed and wrote. It premiered in theaters this week after debuting at SXSW to critical acclaim. Her feature directorial debut, “Actual People,” premiered at Locarno Film Festival...

For many viewers, the scenes hardest to take in viral streaming cringefest “Baby Reindeer” weren’t the ones of overt stalking or abuse, but those depicting the Doa stand-up comedy of Richard Gadd’s alter ego — moments whose flop-sweating public failure seemed to stretch into tortuous infinity. Canadian feature “I Used to Be Funny” likewise hinges on a paralyzing intersection between stand-up, anxiety and depression. Mercifully, however, here it’s not the protagonist’s stage act that is the cause of massive self-doubt. Instead, it’s a host of external problems that conspire to make her incapable of performing …as well as eating, sleeping and leaving her apartment.

Ally Pankiw’s big-screen debut recalls such prior indie features as “The Big Sick,” “Sleepwalk With Me” and “Obvious Child” in successfully using a comedy milieu to place a leavening frame around some very serious issues. In this case, an aspiring comedian...

Rachel Sennott’s upcoming HBO comedy pilot has added four cast members, Variety has learned.

Odessa A’zion, Jordan Firstman, Miles Robbins, and True Whitaker (“Godfather of Harlem”) are all set to star in project, which was picked up to pilot at HBO in March. Sennot will also star in the series.

The official logline states, “A codependent friend group reunites, navigating how the time apart, ambition, and new relationships have changed them.”

A’zion has also appeared in multiple episodes of the CBS comedy “Ghosts” as well as shows like “Fam” and features such as 2022’s “Hellraiser.” Firstman recently appeared in the Marvel series “Ms. Marvel” at Disney+. Robbins appeared in multiple episodes of the award-winning Amazon series “Mozart in the Jungle.” Whitaker appeared alongside her father, Academy Award winner Forrest Whitaker, in “Godfather of Harlem.”

A’zion is repped by UTA, Luber Roklin, Granderson Des Rochers. Firstman is repped by UTA and Frankfurt Kurnit.

Molly Gordon makes everything better. She was a stand-out among stand-outs in films like Good Boys, Booksmart, and Shiva Baby. Then she showed her talents on the other side of the camera, co-writing/directing the hilarious indie hit Theater Camp. Now she plays Claire on the beloved series The Bear, which is about to drop its third season. On this episode she talks about why she loves improv, how her parents unintentionally formed her comedy sensibilities, getting “buzzed” from in-person auditions, “locking in” with Jeremy Allen White, why she’s always aspiring to a child-like lack of self consciousness, and much more. […]

The post “I Want To Get Back To That Lack of Self-Consciousness I Had as a Kid” Molly Gordon, Back To One, Episode 293 first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Molly Gordon makes everything better. She was a stand-out among stand-outs in films like Good Boys, Booksmart, and Shiva Baby. Then she showed her talents on the other side of the camera, co-writing/directing the hilarious indie hit Theater Camp. Now she plays Claire on the beloved series The Bear, which is about to drop its third season. On this episode she talks about why she loves improv, how her parents unintentionally formed her comedy sensibilities, getting “buzzed” from in-person auditions, “locking in” with Jeremy Allen White, why she’s always aspiring to a child-like lack of self consciousness, and much more. […]

The post “I Want To Get Back To That Lack of Self-Consciousness I Had as a Kid” Molly Gordon, Back To One, Episode 293 first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Theater Camp director Molly Gordon is on board to helm Small Parts, a reimagining for Searchlight Pictures of Outrageous Fortune, which starred Bette Midler and Shelley Long as rivals.

Gordon, who also stars in The Bear, and co-writer Allie Levitan will do a new take on the 1987 comedy directed by Arther Hiller. Small Parts will center on rival actors who clash on a scrappy indie film set and accidentally find themselves entangled in a game of cat-and-mouse more outrageous than any movie, according to a synopsis from the producers.

The Small Parts project is in development, with Searchlight senior vp of production Taylor Friedman overseeing. For Searchlight, Gordon recently co-directed, co-wrote and starred in Theater Camp, which earned the Sundance U.S. dramatic special jury award for ensemble.

Gordon plays Claire in the second season of The Bear series, opposite Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri. Gordon earned a Screen...

After acquiring Molly Gordon’s Sundance movie Theater Camp for $8M, Searchlight Pictures is back in business with the filmmaker again on the movie Small Parts. The movie is currently in development.

The pic is a new take on the 1987 Shelly Long and Bette Midler blockbuster comedy Outrageous Fortune. In the pic, co-written by Gordon and Allie Levitan, two actresses clash on a scrappy indie movie set accidentally find themselves entangled in a game of cat-and-mouse more outrageous than any movie.

Searchlight SVP of Production Taylor Friedman is overseeing Small Parts, reporting into Searchlight Production Heads Dan Tram Nguyen and Katie Goodson-Thomas.

Gordon co-directed, co-wrote, and starred in Theater Camp, which won the Sundance U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Ensemble and was one of 2023’s Top Ten Independent Films by the National Board of Review. Gordon and her co-writers were nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay.

Kit Zauhar’s sophomore feature “This Closeness” follows the promise of her 2021 debut “Actual People,” which demonstrated she could tell an immersive story with few resources. Her microbudget feature “This Closeness,” a Narrative Spotlight premiere of SXSW 2023, is now about to open from Factory 25 on June 7, followed by a Mubi streaming premiere on July 3. Watch the trailer, an IndieWire exclusive, below.

Per IndieWire’s 2023 SXSW preview, “This Closeness” “wields its lo-fi constraints with tremendous sophistication and insight. The entire story takes place within the constraints of a Philadelphia apartment, booked by a young couple (Zauhar and Zane Pais) for a high school reunion weekend; once there, they find themselves dealing with the awkward loner (Ian Edlund) who lives there. As tensions mount, the movie dances an elegant line between cringe-comedy and erotic thriller, with Zauhar’s character, an Asmr YouTuber, developing an enigmatic bond with their temporary roommate while...

Exclusive: Brooklyn-based indie film distribution and production company Factory 25 has acquired North American theatrical rights on writer-director Kit Zauhar’s sophomore feature This Closeness, which debuted at SXSW 2023.

The film will begin its theatrical run at the IFC Center in New York City on June 7, with further engagements and a worldwide digital release on Mubi on July 3.

The film stars Zane Pais (Margot At The Wedding) and Ian Edlund with Zauhar also starring as she did on her first feature Actual People, which debuted at Locarno in 2021. Factory 25 also released that film. Actress and singer Jessie Pinnick (Princess Cyd) and multimedia artist Kate Williams round out the cast.

Following SXSW, This Closeness screened at the Philadelphia Film Festival, the Champs-Élysées Film Festival, and the Seattle International Film Festival, where it received a special jury mention for best ensemble cast in the New American Cinema Competition.

This Closeness is produced...

Rachel Sennott always has her finger on the pulse of indie films, and her latest feature “I Used to Be Funny” is no exception.

The “Shiva Baby,” “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” and “Bottoms” star leads highly anticipated dark dramedy “I Used To Be Funny,” directed by rising talent Ally Pankiw who has helmed episodes of “Black Mirror” and “The Great,” plus a recent short film titled “Decades of Confusion” for fashion brand Loewe.

Sennott stars as aspiring stand-up comedian Sam Cowell who works as an au pair by day. Yet after the disappearance of Brooke (Olga Petsa), a teen girl she used to nanny, Sam begins to struggle with Ptsd and grapples with whether or not to join the search. The film is split between two timelines as Sam tries to recover from her past trauma and get back on stage while also reliving memories of Brooke.

Writer/director Pankiw marks...

Is anyone’s star rising faster right now than Rachel Sennott‘s? Thanks to the success of “Shiva Baby” and “Bottoms,” the comedic actress is attached to several buzzy projects, including “SNL 1975” and Mimi Cave‘s sophomore feature “Holland, Michigan.” But before those, Sennott stars in what could be a star-making vehicle for her, or at least a movie that showcases her singular range and versatility.

Continue reading ‘I Used To Be Funny’ Trailer: Rachel Sennott Is A Comic Grappling With Trauma In New Indie at The Playlist.