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Following Kevin Costner’s success in the highly acclaimed series Yellowstone, great things were expected from the actor, especially since he ventured into Western filmmaking with his 2024 two-part franchise starter Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1. However, although the sprawling Western epic had promised to be something fresh and groundbreaking, the film suffered a catastrophic blow at the box office.

Kevin Costner in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 | image: Warner Bros.

This led netizens to express their disappointment in Kevin Costner, considering how the actor had previously created hype surrounding his Western epic. But surprisingly, when you look at the bigger picture, Horizon is far from an isolated failure. In the landscape of Hollywood cinema, where sequels and remakes are dominating the box office, there appeared several other original movies that sadly succumbed at the 2024 box office.

Kevin Costner’s Horizon Franchise Failed to Break Even in Theaters

Considering how Kevin...

Kris Kristofferson, a successful country singer-songwriter and Hollywood film and TV star, died Saturday at his home in Maui at the age of 88.

While no cause of death was given, he was described as passing away peacefully while surrounded by family.

In a statement given by Kristofferson’s family, his loved ones said, “It is with a heavy heart that we share the news our husband/father/grandfather, Kris Kristofferson, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Sept. 28 at home. We’re all so blessed for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all.”

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The music star was born in Brownsville, Texas on June 22, 1936. His father, Lars Henry Kristofferson, was a U.S. Army Air Corps officer and Air Force general.

Kris Kristofferson has died at the age of 88.

The Country Music Hall of Fame singer-songwriter and Golden Globe-winning actor passed away “peacefully in his home in Maui, Hawaii on Saturday, September 28th, surrounded by family,” according to a spokesperson.

“We’re all so blessed for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all,” his family said in a statement.

Kristofferson was best known for songs such as “Me and Bobby McGee”, his work in the supergroup The Highwaymen alongside Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson, and his starring roles in films like A Star Is Born, Blade, and Heaven’s Gate.

Hailing from the border town of Brownsville, Texas, Kristofferson was a true multi-dimensional talent. Prior to moving to Nashville to pursue songwriting, he was a star football player and Golden Gloves boxer,...

Kris Kristofferson has died at the age of 88.

The Country Music Hall of Fame singer-songwriter and Golden Globe-winning actor passed away “peacefully in his home in Maui, Hawaii on Saturday, September 28th, surrounded by family,” according to a spokesperson.

“We’re all so blessed for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all,” his family said in a statement.

Kristofferson was best known for songs such as “Me and Bobby McGee”, his work in the supergroup The Highwaymen alongside Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson, and his starring roles in films like A Star Is Born, Blade, and Heaven’s Gate.

Hailing from the border town of Brownsville, Texas, Kristofferson was a true multi-dimensional talent. Prior to moving to Nashville to pursue songwriting, he was a star football player and Golden Gloves boxer,...

Exclusive: Quiver Distribution has acquired North American rights to the upcoming erotic thriller, Love Bomb, directed by David Guglielmo and written by Kathy Charles.

Love Bomb centers on three strangers who are brought together by a mysterious dating app for one-night stands, which soon turns violent and deadly.

The film stars Jessie Andrews, the former adult film actress who had a supporting role in A24’s Hot Summer Nights, starring Timothée Chalamet, and a role in HBO’s Euphoria. Love Bomb will mark her first lead role.

Also starring are Zane Holtz (From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series) and Josh Caras (The Highwaymen), with Tom Williamson (Vfw), James Lorinz (Frankenhooker), Sienna Hubert-Ross (Terrifier 3), Grainger Hines (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs), Marc Senter (Starry Eyes) and Liana Wright-Mark (Old Man) rounding out the cast.

Quiver will release the movie on November 8, 2024. The deal was negotiated between Jordan Dykstra and Ellen Wander of Film Bridge International,...

Kevin Costner’s departure from Yellowstone marks a bittersweet end to an era defined by his dedication and star power. As the show’s leading man, Costner didn’t just act; he championed Yellowstone with relentless passion, promoting it in myriad ways that bolstered its success. His hands-on involvement extended beyond the screen, making his exit, following a rift with creator Taylor Sheridan, all the more poignant.

Kevin Costner as John Dutton in Yellowstone | Paramount

The heartbreak of his departure is felt deeply by fans and colleagues alike, underscoring the profound influence he had on making Yellowstone a television phenomenon.

Kevin Costner’s Unexpected Exit from Yellowstone Reveals His Deep Dedication to the Show Kevin Costner as John Dutton in Yellowstone | Paramount

Kevin Costner’s shocking exit from Yellowstone stings even more after learning how deeply he was dedicated to the show. Remember the drama series, Yellowstone that rocketed Costner back to the A-list?...

Netflix has tied up a deal in the $34M range for the John Lee Hancock-directed package Monsanto, we can reveal. The pic will star Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie and Oscar winner Laura Dern.

CAA Media Finance cut the presale after launching with Rocket Science last week. Netflix has been quieter at recent markets but is back at the table with the splashy deal.

This and Apple’s WW deal for Everest sherpa pic Tenzing are the two biggest deals to emerge from the Cannes market so far. The latter is understood to be in the $40M range.

Monsanto tells the true story of young, untried attorney Brent Wisner (Powell), who takes on a seemingly insurmountable case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie) who used Monsanto’s best-known product Roundup, a wildly financially successful weed and grass pesticide killer, as part...

Glen Powell’s newfound star power continues to fuel movie projects.

The Anyone But You actor will lead a cast that includes Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern to headline Monsanto, a legal drama from writer-director John Lee Hancock.

Rocket Science, the company that has been integral to the financing and producing of movies such as All Quiet on the Western Front and Ricky Stanicky, will launch international sales out of the Cannes Film Market later this month. CAA Media Finance is handling the domestic rights.

Adam McKay and Kevin Messick are producing via their HyperObject Industries banner. Moritz Borman, Eric Kopeloff, Philip Schulz-Deyle and Jon Levin are also producing.

Per the producers, Monsanto tells the true story of young, untried attorney Brent Wisner (Powell), who takes on a seemingly insurmountable case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie). Johnson used the company’s best-known product,...

Rocket Science and CAA Media Finance are launching foreign sales out of Cannes for the John Lee Hancock directed Monsanto starring Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie and Oscar winner Laura Dern.

Monsanto tells the true story of young, untried attorney Brent Wisner (Powell) who takes on a seemingly insurmountable case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie) who used Monsanto’s best-known product Roundup, a wildly financially successful weed and grass pesticide killer, as part of his job as a high school groundskeeper. During the trial, Dr Melinda Rogers (Dern), the chief toxicologist of the Monsanto Company, testifies with certainty that Roundup is safe.

Pic’s screenplay was developed in association with Karl Spoerri’s Zurich Avenue and penned by Michael Wisner, Alexandra Duparc, Ned Benson and Hancock. Producers are Moritz Borman, Eric Kopeloff, Philip Schulz-Deyle and Jon Levin alongside HyperObject Industries’ Adam McKay and Kevin Messick.

Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie, and Laura Dern will star in the drama Monsanto from writer-director John Lee Hancock, which Rocket Science and CAA Media Finance will introduce to Cannes buyers next week.

Powell, coming off the box office hit Anyone But You and star of Richard Linklater’s upcoming Hit Man, will play Brent Wisner, a young untested attorney who agrees to represent Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie) in a case against Monsanto after Johnson was diagnosed with cancer following years of he using the agrochemical giant’s weed killer in his job as a high school groundsman.

During the trial,...

Exclusive: After mounting the two-part Civil War epic Horizon: An American Saga for Warner Bros and New Line, Academy Award winner Kevin Costner has selected his next film to produce and star in, that being an as-yet-untitled picture that Ariel Vromen will direct from a script owned by the actor.

“I could not be more honored to be reunited with my friend and collaborator,” said Vromen in a statement to Deadline, “especially on Kevin’s longtime passion project.”

Pic’s plot is under wraps and further details are scarce, but production is expected to kick off in early 2025. This will be Costner and Vromen’s second film together, on the heels of the 2016 action thriller Criminal co-starring Gary Oldman and Tommy Lee Jones. News of the project comes as Vromen awaits the release of his latest, 1992 — a drama on the 1992 Los Angeles riots, starring Tyrese Gibson, Scott Eastwood and the late Ray Liotta,...

Howdy pardners! Today, we’re galloping back to 1988, when Christopher Cain and a band of rootin’ tootin’ outlaws shot up the silver screen for the American Western action film Young Guns. Presented as a retelling of the adventures of Billy the Kid during the Lincoln Couty War, Young Gun features a murderers’ row of talent, including Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen, Dermot Mulroney, Casey Siemaszko, Terence Stamp, Jack Palance, and Terry O’Quinn.

Cain directs from a script by John Fusco. Young Guns revolves around a group of young gunmen, led by Billy the Kid, who become deputies to avenge the murder of the rancher who became their benefactor. However, when Billy takes their authority too far, they become the hunted.

Historian Paul Hutton once called Young Guns the most historically accurate of all films focusing on the dirty deeds of Billy the Kid as of its year of release.

Jessie Andrews stars in Love Bomb, an erotic thriller about a mysterious dating app that links three strangers together with deadly consequences.

David Guglielmo directed the picture from a script by Kathy Charles (Jacob’s Wife).

In addition to Andrews, Love Bomb also stars Josh Caras (The Highway Men) and Zane Holtz (“From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series”) and is produced by Bobby Campbell (Blood for Dust), Lillian Campbell (An Autumn Summer), and Jordan Dykstra (Assassin Club).

Love Bomb will play festivals in the fall. A release date is still to be determined.

Bloody Disgusting has a first look at the film and its poster designed by Sarah Ford of Yippee.

The post ‘Love Bomb’ Poster Swipes Left For Thrills [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Exclusive: Lbi Entertainment has signed BAFTA Award-nominated writer, director and producer John Lee Hancock for management, Deadline has learned.

Best known for such his gift for guiding big-name stars like Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks and Michael Keaton toward major critical and commercial success with films like The Blindside, Saving Mr. Banks and The Founder, Hancock’s titles as a director have collectively grossed nearly $600M worldwide.

A sports drama written and directed by Hancock, which brought Bullock her first Oscar, The Blind Side adapted Michael Lewis’ 2006 book of the same name, which told the story of Michael Oher, a homeless youth who rose to NFL glory with the help of the caring family that took him in as their own.

The Hancock-helmed The Founder starred Keaton as ruthless McDonald’s empire builder Ray Kroc, while the director’s Disney drama Saving Mr. Banks told the story of author P.L.

AMC is developing a third series set in what they have dubbed the Anne Rice Immortal Universe, with the new show set to focus on the Talamasca.

Per the official description from AMC, the series “is set in the world of the Talamasca, a secretive organization featured in a number of Rice’s iconic novels that is devoted to studying the supernatural world and keeping mortals safe from its darkest elements.” John Lee Hancock will serve as writer and showrunner. His past credits include co-writing the films “The Blind Side” and “The Alamo” and directing films like “The Highwaymen” and “The Founder.”

The announcement was made by Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks, during the AMC Networks upfront presentation in New York on Tuesday.

“The enthusiastic critical and fan reception to ‘Interview’ and ‘Mayfair’ is a great sign of what is yet to come in...

Exclusive: Prime Video’s Hitchcockian thriller Holland, Michigan continues to round out its cast with the addition of Rachel Sennott (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Lennon Parham (Minx), Isaac Krasner (Power Book III: Raising Kanan) and Jeff Pope (Interview with the Vampire).

The quartet joins an ensemble that also includes Nicole Kidman, Gael García Bernal, Matthew Macfadyen and Jude Hill, as we told you first.

The film helmed by Mimi Cave (Fresh) stems from a script by Andrew Sodroski which topped the Black List in 2013. It tells the story of a Midwestern housewife who uncovers a dark secret on the part of her husband, after coming to suspect that he’s having an affair.

Kidman and Per Saari are producing for Blossom Films, alongside 42’s Peter Dealbert, and Churchill Films’ Kate Churchill. The forthcoming film will stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Sennott broke out with her...

The Hulu series adaptation of Rebecca Godfrey’s book “Under the Bridge” has added three series regulars to its cast, Variety has learned exclusively.

Chloe Guidry, Izzy G, and Ezra Faroque Khan will all star in the series alongside previously announced lead Riley Keough, who will play Godfrey.

Per the official logline, the series is “about the 1997 true story of fourteen-year-old Reena Virk who went to join friends at a party and never returned home. Godfrey takes us into the hidden world of the seven teenage girls and a boy accused of the savage murder, revealing startling truths about the unlikely killer.”

Guidry will star as Josephine Bell, described as “a striking ice-queen with a razor-sharp tongue. As a ward of the state, she’s the girl in charge at Seven Oaks Youth Home. She is leader of the Cmc and dreams of growing up to be a hitman for New York mobster John Gotti.

Exclusive: Richie Kern and Alysia Cotter Thomas have joined Paradigm Talent Agency as agents.

Kern comes to Paradigm as a media rights agent after seven years in New York as Head of Filmed Entertainment for Foundry Literary + Media. A veteran studio executive and producer most recently based in London, Thomas joins as a motion picture lit agent. Both new additions to Paradigm will be based out of its Los Angeles office.

“Alysia and Richie are both invaluable additions to our expanding roster of smart, entrepreneurial representatives,” said Paradigm Managing Partner Andrew Ruf. “As we launch our partnership with Paradigm Media Entertainment’s broadcast news, sportscaster, and culinary talent businesses, Richie’s wealth of experience in the world of book-to-screen adaptations enables him to identify unique, lucrative opportunities for our clients’ intellectual properties across all media. Alysia has served in key roles on award-winning and blockbuster feature films, with long-standing relationships...

At first, "Netflix & Chills" was very much a try-hard, "How do you do, fellow kids?" style of marketing line intended to promote Netflix's exclusive films and TV shows arriving in the annual lead-up to Halloween, be they horror-related or not. Since then, however, spooky season has become serious business for the streaming service.

Case in point: Halloween 2022 will see brand-new projects from the likes of horror extraordinaires Jordan Peele, Henry Selick, and Guillermo del Toro make their way onto Netflix in October, along with the latest spine-chilling series from "The Haunting" and "Midnight Mass" creator Mike Flanagan. That's on top of a slathering of docuseries covering (allegedly) paranormal activity, baffling unsolve mysteries, and supposedly haunted locations in the real-world. Really, whatever your preferred flavor of spookiness, Netflix is hoping to quench your thirst.

Should you find yourself in more of a throwback mood, Netflix will also make the James Gunn...

The Stephen King adaptation renaissance is showing no signs of slowing down, in large part thanks to Netflix, which has recently brought three of the author's short stories to our screens. Joining the streamer's library alongside Mike Flanagan's "Gerald's Game," Zak Hilditch's "1922," and Vincenzo Natali's "In The Tall Grass," Netflix has finally released a trailer for the upcoming film, "Mr. Harrigan's Phone," another movie based on a chilling story from the famed horror writer. This time around, the supernatural is clashing with one of the scariest concepts of all: growing up. The film comes from writer-director John Lee Hancock and stars Jaeden Martell and Donald Sutherland in the lead roles.

Coming-of-age drama takes center stage in this story about Craig (Martell), a teenage boy befriending a reclusive billionaire (Sutherland as the titular Mr. Harrigan). They form a bond so strong that not even death can split them...

Misery Oscar winner Kathy Bates and Liza on Demand actress Liza Koshy are joining the untitled Netflix romantic comedy which stars Oscar winner Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron and Joey King.

The Fisher King Oscar nominee Richard Lagravenese is directing off a screenplay he co-wrote with Carrie Solomon.

The story is set following a surprising romance which kicks off comic consequences for a young woman, her mother and her movie star boss as they face the complications of love, sex, and identity.

Producers for the pic are Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum for Roth/Kirschenbaum Films. EP is Alyssa Altman for Roth/Kirschenbaum.

Bates, who is repped by CAA, is starring in the upcoming Lionsgate adaptation of the Judy Blume classic, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Ken Kwapis’ Thelma and The Miracle Club opposite Maggie Smith and Laura Linney. Other feature credits include The Highwaymen, Richard Jewell, Titanic,...

Exclusive: Courtney Eaton (Yellowjackets) and Thomas Mann (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) will lead actor Brittany Snow’s feature directorial debut, September 17th, for Yale Entertainment. Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin) and Joel McHale (Community) are also set, joining the previously announced Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi) as part of the supporting cast.

The recently-wrapped September 17th centers around Riley (Eaton), who has recently been released from rehab after struggling with her addictions to food and body image. She soon meets Ethan (Mann) and finds herself navigating the line between unconditional love and a new addiction. Francesca Reale (Stranger Things), Jennifer Westfeldt (Younger), Ekaterina Baker (The Card Counter) and Kathryn Gallagher (You) round out the cast of the pic based on an original story by Snow, who wrote the script alongside Becca Gleason.

Jordan Yale Levine and Jordan Beckerman are producing under their Yale Entertainment banner, alongside Lizzie Shapiro...

Exclusive: Billy Slaughter (The Card Counter) has boarded Amazon Studios’ film The Burial, which is currently in production in New Orleans.

He joins an ensemble that also includes Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, Bill Camp, Dorian Missick, Pamela Reed, Amanda Warren, Jim Klock and Alan Ruck, as previously announced.

Director Maggie Betts’ film is based on the New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr. It follows a charismatic personal injury lawyer famous for his impressive track record and loudly unconventional approach who decides to help a funeral home owner save his family business from a predatory corporate behemoth. In a move to bring emotional resonance to a dry contract law case, the lawyer digs up an unexpected and complex web of race, power and oppression that forces everyone to examine long-buried prejudices they didn’t know they had.

Details with regard to the character Slaughter is playing have not been disclosed.

My sincerest apologies to anyone who clicked on this headline and assumed there was going to be a new adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, "The Phantom of the Opera," but this news story is about the 1910 Gaston Leroux French novel of the same name that went on to inspire the Universal Monsters' 1925 film depiction featuring Lon Chaney, that later inspired Andrew Lloyd Webber (heretofore known as Alw). Thanks to a news break over at Deadline, Universal Pictures has acquired a spec script called "Phantom" from John Fusco as part of a...

The post A New Phantom of the Opera Adaptation Will be Set in the French Quarter appeared first on /Film.

Exclusive: Universal Pictures has acquired the John Fusco spec script Phantom, a package that includes producers Harvey Mason Jr of Harvey Mason Media, and John Legend and his Get Lifted Film Co producing partner Mike Jackson. Pic will be an adaptation of the 1910 Gaston Leroux novel Phantom of the Opera, set in contemporary New Orleans.

Ty Stiklorius is the executive producer.

Fusco, whose script work includes Crossroads and Hidalgo, came up with the idea after becoming reacquainted with the French Quarter music scene where he began, while shooting the Bonnie and Clyde pic The Highwaymen.

“I was in New Orleans with Costner, Woody and John Lee Hancock and found myself reconnecting with my old musical haunts, and the next generation of my music cronies,” he told Deadline. “I began playing with them again, writing music and recorded two albums and during the pandemic I reflected on that journey and wanted...

It's official: we can't stop watching Squid Game. As much as we're obsessed with dissecting every little detail of the Korean thriller, watching the cast guess each other's favorite Netflix films and shows is just as entertaining. In a recent video for Netflix, Squid Game cast members Jung Ho-yeon (Sae-Byeok), Lee Jung-jae (Seong Gi-hun), Wi Ha-jun (Joon-ho), and Park Hae-soo (Cho Sang-woo) got together to discuss their favorite Netflix originals, all while playing a classic game of bingo. Money Heist, Marriage Story, Roma, The Highwaymen, and Blackpink: Light Up the World are just some of the titles that were discussed among the actors. In case you're wondering, Ho-yeon came in first place, but unlike Squid Game, all participants made it out alive. Phew.

When asked to describe Squid Game in just one word, Hae-soo said, "It's the power of drama. I think it's indispensable." "The setting is adorable, in contrast to the people's lives,...

Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired U.S. rights to “American Sausage Standoff” (“Gutterbee”), a comedy by Danish actor-turned-filmmaker Ulrich Thomsen who stars in “Banshee.” The movie is represented by REinvent International Sales.

Samuel Goldwyn Films plans to release the film as a day-and-date release on Aug. 7. Written and directed by Thomsen, “American Sausage Standoff” is set in a small American town and tells the story of two hopeless dreamers who join forces to launch the ultimate German sausage restaurant. The film is meant to be a thought-provoking social satire dealing with themes ranging from religion to racism and homophobia.

The key crew on “American Sausage Standoff” includes Anthony Dod Mantle, the Oscar-winning cinematographer of “Slumdog Millionaire” who also worked on Lars von Trier’s “Antichrist,” among other films.

“I’m so thrilled that my film will meet its American audience, and thrilled also to have done this film with my...

Jason Kothari, Hong Kong-born entrepreneur and film producer who was an executive producer on Vin Diesel-starring “Bloodshot,” has acquired all rights to The Silent Flute, the spiritual martial arts project co-written by martial arts icon Bruce Lee in 1970. The project is to be set up as a limited series with John Fusco (“Marco Polo”) as screenwriter and executive producer.

The story of “Silent Flute” is set in a dystopian future after mankind has suffered from pandemics, fires and civil wars, and where all weapons and combat arts are banned. It follows a raw fighter who overcomes grave obstacles and loss to reach enlightenment and become the best fighter in the world.

“The Silent Flute” film script was a five-year collaboration between Lee and his friends and martial arts students, Oscar-winning writer Stirling Silliphant and Oscar-winning actor James Coburn. It encapsulated Lee’s vision for the true essence of martial...

Chicago – There are over 500 episodes of “Law and Order” but I’m not about to embarrass myself publicly by revealing just how many of those I’ve seen; let’s leave it at “a lot.” In the age of binge television, I know I’m not the only one that has taken a deep dive into the show and other long-running shows like it, but I know we can all agree why we continue watching them: they keep things fresh. Like any television series that has aspirations of longevity, they can’t stay the same over time, especially when it comes to detective procedurals. The Little Things pays homage to everything we love from an old-fashioned detective procedural but aside from being socially tone-deaf, it also has the misfortune of doing it a couple decades too late.

Rating: 1.0/5.0

The story follows a local sheriff who is, of course, haunted by...

The inspiring true story of how renowned Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols pioneered the NASA recruiting program to hire people of color and the first female astronauts for the space agency in the late 1970s and 1980s, Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA will open in movie theaters nationwide for one night only on February 2, 2021.

Directed by Todd Thompson, the film chronicles how Nichols transformed her sci-fi television stardom into a real-life science career when, in 1977, she embarked on a campaign to bring diversity to NASA. Nichols formed the company Women In Motion, Inc. and recruited more than 8,000 African American, Asian and Latino women and men for the agency. Nichelle and her program continue to influence the younger generation of astronauts as well, including Mae Jemison, the first female African American astronaut in space. Despite an uphill battle against a bureaucracy that was hesitant to let her get involved,...

Photo: 'The Highwaymen'/Netflix It’s been a long time since Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow went on a killing rampage, driving all across the country, evading the law. Even after they were murdered in 1934 by the cops, they went on to live forever through pop culture. They were icons, so much so that a movie was released about them 37 years later. Bonnie and Clyde (1967), starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, is now regarded as a classic film. The movie romanticized the two outlaws, portraying them as a good-looking couple who were deeply in love, rather than monsters who went on a crime spree just for the thrill of it. 'The Highwaymen' (2019) is essentially a protest of that movie. Instead of telling the story of Bonnie and Clyde, it tells the story of Frank Hamer (Kevin Costner) and Maney Gault (Woody Harrelson), the two Texas Rangers...

"How's the trunk space?" Warner Bros has released an official trailer for The Little Things, a serial killer investigative thriller from filmmaker John Lee Hancock - director of The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks, The Founder, The Highwaymen. This is currently set for release in January from Warner Bros - one of the first releases to try the dual theatrical + HBO Max debut. The Little Things centers around Deke, a burnt-out Kern County, CA deputy sheriff who teams with Baxter, a crack L.A. Sheriffs Department detective, to nab a serial killer who is terrorizing the city. Deke's nose for the "little things" often proves eerily accurate, but his willingness to circumvent the rules embroils Baxter in a soul-shattering dilemma. In addition, Deke must wrestle with a dark secret from his past. This one stars Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto. Along with Natalie Morales, Terry Kinney, Chris Bauer,...

Exclusive: Shout! Studios has acquired all North American rights to doc feature Woman In Motion, about how Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols helped pioneer the Nasa recruiting program to hire people of color and the first female astronauts for the space agency in the late 1970s and 1980s.

The film also chronicles Nichols’ rise to fame and portrayal of Uhura on Star Trek, which marked one of the first leading roles for an African-American actress in a mainstream TV series. You can check out the engaging first trailer for the movie here.

Directed by Todd Thompson (The Highwaymen), the film features actors, activists, scientists and astronauts including Nichols, Neil deGrasse Tyson, George Takei, Pharrell Williams, Martin Luther King III, Al Sharpton, Vivica A. Fox, Walter Koenig, Rod Roddenberry, Michael Dorn, Guy Bluford, Charles Bolden, Ivor Dawson, Frederik Gregory and Benjamin Crump.

The film was produced by Thompson along with his...

Netflix has optioned the Stephen King short story “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” for both Blumhouse and Ryan Murphy to produce as a feature film, an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.

John Lee Hancock is attached to write and direct the feature that is the latest story from the master of horror’s collection of novellas “If It Bleeds,” which has landed on the New York Times bestsellers list.

In “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” a young boy befriends an older billionaire who lives in his small-town neighborhood as they bond over the man’s first iPhone. But when the man passes away, the boy discovers that not everything dead is gone, and finds himself able to communicate with his friend from the grave by leaving voicemails on the iPhone that was buried with him.

Also Read: Leigh Whannell in Talks to Direct Ryan Gosling's 'Wolfman'...

Woody Harrelson is set to replace Jason Statham in Sony’s “The Man From Toronto,” joining Kevin Hart in the action-comedy, sources confirmed to Variety.

Statham was in talks to star opposite Hart, but abruptly backed out a week ago over creative differences, and Sony scrambled to find a new actor. Sony’s pairing with Harrelson makes sense, due to the actor’s long-standing relationship with the studio. Harrelson is not only the star of Sony’s “Zombieland” series, with the sequel bowing last October, but also recently wrapped his role as the villain Carnage in “Venom 2” opposite Tom Hardy.

The film revolves around a case of a mistaken identity after the world’s deadliest assassin, known as the “Man from Toronto,” and a stranger, played by Hart, run into each other at an Airbnb. Chaos soon follows as the assassin’s world comes crashing down on Hart’s.

Woody Harrelson has signed on to play the co-lead in Sony’s action comedy “The Man From Toronto” opposite Kevin Hart, an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.

Harrelson is replacing Jason Statham, who last week left the film over creative differences just weeks before production was expected to begin. Harrelson’s deal is closed, and production is now expected to begin on schedule in five weeks.

Patrick Hughes (“The Hitman’s Bodyguard”) is directing the film about a world class assassin who accidentally bumps into a bumbling screw-up from New York City at a Toronto Airbnb, leading to a series of mistaken identities, clashing personalities and deadly stakes.

Also Read: Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux to Star in Watergate Limited Series at HBO

Robbie Fox wrote the screenplay based on his own story with Jason Blumenthal. Todd Black, Blumenthal and Steve Tisch are producing. Bill Bannerman is executive producing.

In its letter to shareholders released Tuesday along with its fourth-quarter earnings, Netflix offered what has become its customary sprinkling of select viewership data, but also explained a larger change in its methodology.

“As we’ve expanded our original content, we’ve been working on how to best share content highlights

that demonstrate popularity,” the letter said. Given that we now have titles with widely varying lengths – from short episodes (e.g. Special at around 15 minutes) to long films (e.g. The Highwaymen at 132 minutes), we believe that reporting households viewing a title based on 70% of a single episode of a series or of an entire film, which we have been doing, makes less sense. We are now reporting on households (accounts) that chose to watch a given title.”

Under the new system, the letter continued, “Short and long titles are treated equally, leveling the playing field for all types...

‘Murder Mystery’ (Photo credit: Netflix).

While Australians might like to think their tastes in movies and TV shows often are markedly different to Americans, that isn’t true when it comes to the most watched shows on Netflix.

There is a high degree of overlap between the two countries in the lists of the most popular titles of 2019 released by the streamer last week.

Murder Mystery, the feature comedy starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston was the top show while Michael Bay’s 6 Underground, an action thriller starring Ryan Reynolds, ranked second in Australia and third in the Us.

Stranger Things 3, The Irishman, The Witcher, Triple Frontier and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile also figured among the top 10 in both.

Netflix’s The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, a true-crime series directed by Chris Smith, was the most popular documentary in Australia, resonating more strongly here than in the...

As 2019 comes to an end, Netflix has unveiled its list of programs that viewers binged the most this past year.

The streaming juggernaut, which reportedly has more than 158 million subscribers worldwide, announced its top 2019 programming via Twitter on Monday. Netflix ranked its top ten overall programs and also shared other lists, breaking down the programs into several categories, including most popular movies, TV shows, documentaries and standup comedies.

On the streaming service’s overall list, Murder Mystery, the comedy film starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, ranked at the top of Netflix’s most popular releases for the year. Coming...

Netflix have put out their annual lists of the most popular content on their streaming platform, marking what’s been another bumper year of material for the company. Split into the most popular general releases and various other categories, the names on the Us lists are fairly predictable, including Stranger Things, The Witcher and The Irishman, but also contain some surprisingly popular hits such as the Adam Sandler vehicle Murder Mystery.

The ratings are believed to be based on a Netflix metric using the number of individual accounts that have watched at least two minutes of their content in its first 28 days of release. For the breakdown of most popular content across all categories, Sandler’s popularity on the streamer is borne out by Murder Mystery topping the list, followed by the third season of Stranger Things, Ryan Reynolds’ 6 Underground, The Incredibles 2 and The Irishman.

The full top ten list...

Netflix has released Top 10 lists of its most popular titles of 2019 — movies, TV series and specials — in various territories. Netflix What We Watched 2019 – U.S. is led by the Adam Sandler-Jennifer Aniston comedy feature Murder Mystery, followed by the third season of mega hit series Stranger Things, the recently released Michael Bay movie 6 Underground headlined by Ryan Reynolds, Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles 2, Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, new series The Witcher with Henry Cavill, the Ben Affleck starrer Triple Frontier, the Ted Bundy film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile starring Zac Efron, series The Umbrella Academy and movie The Highwaymen toplined by Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson.

While Netflix does not officially reveal its methodology, the rankings are believed to be based on the number of accounts that have watched at least two minutes of a movie, TV series or a special — both original and...

Netflix has revealed a series of top 10 lists highlighting the streaming platform’s most-viewed films and television series of 2019 in the United States. Overall, the most popular release across any format was the comedy “Murder Mystery,” starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston. The most popular television series was the third season of “Stranger Things,” and the most-viewed nonfiction release of the year was the self-care series “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo.”

In the case of these lists, most “popular” is defined by anything actually released in 2019, and what was most viewed within 28 days of its initial launch on Netflix. The streamer also defines a viewer here as anyone who watched at least two minutes of these programs.

Among the overall top 10 most popular titles housed on the streaming platform, only one film or series was not a Netflix original release: “The Incredibles 2.” Also of note amid the overall top 10, six...

Netflix got in the end-of-year spirit Monday by sharing its own set of Top 10 lists for 2019, including its most popular titles that launched in the U.S. over the last 365 days, which is lead by the Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler comedy “Murder Mystery” and the third season of “Stranger Things.”

According to Netflix, its “most popular” domestic releases for the year are, in order, “Murder Mystery,” “Stranger Things 3,” “6 Underground,” “The Incredibles 2”, “The Irishman,” “The Witcher,” “Triple Frontier,” “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” “The Umbrella Academy” and “The Highwaymen.”

No viewership data was included with the list — which shouldn’t come as a complete shock, seeing as Netflix is famously selective about releasing numbers — but an individual with knowledge of the streaming service’s methodology tells TheWrap that the titles were ranked by the number of U.S. accounts that chose to watch at least two minutes of a series,...

Murder Mystery ranks top in nine including Us; The Disappearance Of Madeleine McCann tops UK.

Local language films and TV shows lead the list of most popular content viewed on Netflix in eight countries outside the Us in 2019.

The streaming platform released the information on Monday (December 30), based on the number of accounts that watched at least two minutes of a film or TV show in its first 28 days of release on the platform. While the number of accounts is not revealed, it does illustrate how local audiences continue to respond to Netflix’s aggressive local language production strategy.

Sacred...

Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston’s “Murder Mystery,” Beyonce’s historic “Homecoming,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” and Disney’s “The Incredibles 2” rank among the most popular Netflix movies of 2019, the notoriously ratings-averse streamer announced Monday.

Netflix has released a master list of its most-favored content in the United States, as well as individual rankings of films, original series, unscripted shows and comedy specials.

Following “Murder Mystery” as the year’s most popular film were titles including Michael Bay’s critically panned “6 Underground,” Pixar’s “The Incredibles 2,” Ben Affleck’s “Triple Frontier,” and Sony Animation’s Oscar winner “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”

Viewership numbers were not disclosed, though in June the streamer tweeted that “Murder Mystery” had Netflix’s biggest opening weekend ever, with over 30 million accounts watching the whodunit around the world. A sequel is currently in development.

For the 2019 lists, “popularity” was not determined by the total...

Netflix has unveiled its most popular titles internationally with true-crime doc The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann topping the UK list and Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston comedy Murder Mystery leading in Australia.

In India, Bollywood romantic drama Kabir Singh was the most popular release, while the second season of gritty Indian crime drama, Sacred Games, topped the series list. There are also lists for France and Germany (below).

The streamer hasn’t officially revealed the methodology, but the list is thought to have been based on the number of accounts in each country that have watched at least two minutes of a title during its first 28 days on Netflix this year. For series, only the most popular season is counted and for shows and movies that have been released recently, the rankings are based on 28-day projections derived from the initial sampling.

Murder Mystery, which was directed by Kyle Newacheck...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that 344 feature films are eligible for the 2019 Academy Awards.

To be eligible for the consideration, the films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by Dec. 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Academy rules also state that a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format.

Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. The ceremony takes place on Sunday, Feb. 9, airing live from Hollywood on ABC.

“Abominable”

“Ad Astra”

“Adam”

“The Addams Family”

“The Aeronauts”

“After the Wedding”

“The Aftermath”

“Aga”

“Aladdin”

“Alita: Battle Angel”

“Always Be My Maybe”

“The Amazing Johnathan”

“American Factory”

“American Woman”

“Angel Has Fallen”

“The Angry Birds Movie 2”

“Anna”

“Annabelle Comes Home...

People don’t generally think of a musician’s Christmas albums as their best work — unless that musician is named Bing or Mariah — but fans still enjoy that rush of holiday familiarity and sentimentality. So think of “Last Christmas” as director Paul Feig’s Christmas album; it won’t be the first comedy anyone thinks about in his accomplished filmography, but viewers might find themselves reaching for it come December all the same.

I’ve seen more than my share of Christmas films, and “Last Christmas” scratches a lot of my holiday-movie itches while also delivering what I want from a Paul Feig movie. Those cameos, incidentally, are a Feig tradition going all the way back to his last Christmas movie, 2006’s underappreciated “Unaccompanied Minors.”

This isn’t as hearty a repast as, say, “A Simple Favor” or “Bridesmaids,” but if you just want to stuff your face with a sticky pudding,...

Netflix has disclosed its viewership figures for original films and television shows released over the past year.

The streaming juggernaut, which reportedly has more than 158 million subscribers worldwide, released its viewership data from October 2018 to September 2019 to shareholders on Wednesday, and the report was obtained by The New York Times and Deadline.

By Netflix’s data, a single viewership qualifies as someone having watched at least 70 percent of a movie or episode.

With 80 million views, Bird Box easily took the no. 1 spot for Netflix’s programming. The film, starring Sandra Bullock, was released in December to huge numbers from the start.

In the entirety of its 33-year history, South by Southwest’s 2019 event had the greatest economic impact on businesses and residents in Austin, Texas, according to an analysis prepared by Greyhill Advisors in conjunction with SXSW. The study showed that this year’s conference brought $355.9 million of revenue into the Austin economy.

“SXSW is a quintessential Austin story,” said the city’s mayor, Steve Adler. “Starting as a music festival, then expanding to include film and evolving further to cover interactive technology, as well as education and gaming, SXSW has become the world’s fair of the future. The economic impact of SXSW is on par with hosting the Super Bowl every year, and all participants benefit year round.”

The impact analysis report divides SXSW’s economic impact into attendance impact (expenditures by SXSW credentialed participants and single ticket holders), operational impact and consumer impact (expenditures by SXSW Guest Pass and consumer participants). Respectively,...