News

Bobby Moresco, an Oscar-winning screenwriter, will bring the incredible story of Bugatti’s founder to the big screen in a new biographical film. The project, simply dubbed “Bugatti,” will follow the life of the brilliant automotive pioneer who altered vehicle design in the early twentieth century.

Moresco, who earned an Academy Award for co-writing “Crash,” will collaborate on the screenplay alongside Amanda Moresco and Soraya Azzabi. The film is set to begin filming in late 2025, with locales spanning Italy and France.

Producer Andrea Iervolino expressed enthusiasm for the project, saying, “We aim to explore the life of another visionary in the automotive world, delivering an exciting and faithful narrative that celebrates Italy’s automotive tradition.”

The film will explore Ettore Bugatti’s complex life and focus on his breakthrough contributions to automobile and aircraft engine design. A heartbreaking component of the story is the loss of his son Jean, who...

Exclusive: Bobby Moresco, who won an Oscar for the screenplay he co-wrote for Crash, has come aboard to script car racing biopic Bugatti, continuing his collaboration with Italian producer Andrea Iervolino (Ferrari).

Bugatti is slated to film late next year in Italy and France for Iervolino’s new banner, The Andrea Iervolino Company, and will feature a U.S. and international cast and be English-language. Moresco is scripting with Amanda Moresco and in collaboration with Soraya Azzabi.

The movie is set to tell the life story of Bugatti, the founder of the iconic automobile company, who was known for transforming the automotive world with his creative genius and relentless dedication to design and technology. The Italian-born French designer and manufacturer also designed aeroplane engines and was no stranger to tragedy: Bugatti’s son, Jean, was killed on August 11 1939 at the age of 30 while testing a Bugatti car near the family’s factory HQ in Germany.

An LA salon-owner gets involved in an escalating feud with a rival facialist in this blackly comic thriller with a pleasing female focus

Following hot on the stiletto heels of female-led body-horror hit The Substance, comedy thriller Skincare also centres on a female protagonist – in this case facialist Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks) – who is dedicated to the pursuit of youthful appearance. This effort is far more grounded in realism than The Substance (it even sports a “based on a true story” tag at the beginning), but there is a similar blackly comic vibe at play, which makes it both fun and full of cringe moments that echo the Demi Moore-Margaret Qualley gorefest. At the very least, Banks proves herself equal to The Substance’s leads when it comes to projecting barely concealed anxiety and desperation under a thickly madeup facade. Her Hope is in some ways a far...

Ella Balinska of the Blumhouse horror thriller Run Sweetheart Run, the 2019 Charlie’s Angels movie, the recently released thriller Skincare, and the short-lived Netflix Resident Evil series, has signed on to star in an apocalyptic horror movie called Monsters, and Deadline reports that Voltage Pictures will be presenting the global distribution rights to potential buyers at the American Film Market in Las Vegas next week. Glenise Mullins has written the screenplay and will be directing the film, which is expected to go into production in January.

This will be the feature directorial debut for Mullins, who has previously worked as a writer on the TV shows The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Outer Range, The Continental, Warrior, Surface, and Star Trek: Discovery. The story Mullins has crafted for this film follows a mother (Balinska) as she fights to lead her two young daughters to safety across 20 miles of...

After captivating audiences in Run Sweetheart Run, Ella Balinska is stepping into the eerie world of horror once again as she takes the lead in the upcoming apocalyptic horror film Monsters. Like in Run Sweetheart Run, she'll find herself once again on the run from a terrifying threat.

Glenise Mullins, known for writing for TV shows such as Star Trek: Discovery, Surface, The Continental, Outer Range and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, wrote the script and will be directing. The cameras are reportedly set to start rolling sometime in January 2025.

Additionally, Tea Shop Productions' James Harris and Mark Lane will produce the horror flick alongside David Whitney.

Monsters follows a desperate mother as she strives to guide her two young daughters to safety over 20 miles of harsh terrain in a dangerous post-apocalyptic world swarming with relentless, zombie-like creatures. Balinska will play the mother. Her character's name is unknown,...

Exclusive: Andrea Iervolino, the Italian producer of sports car biopics Ferrari, Lamborghini: The Man Behind The Legend and the upcoming Maserati movie, is revving up a biopic of Ettore Bugatti.

Bugatti is slated to film late next year in Italy and France for Iervolino’s new banner, The Andrea Iervolino Company.

The movie is set to tell the life story of Bugatti, the founder of the iconic automobile company, who was known for transforming the automotive world with his creative genius and relentless dedication to design and technology. The Italian-born French designer and manufacturer also designed aeroplane engines and was no stranger to tragedy: Bugatti’s son, Jean, was killed on 11 August 1939 at the age of 30 while testing a Bugatti car near the family’s factory HQ in Germany.

Iervolino is in talks with writers and directors on the project, which will feature a U.S. and international cast and be English-language.

Here’s the latest episode of The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.

For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro-budget indie films to bigger-budget studio films and everything in between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dom Lenoir, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk about how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their filmmaking experiences from directors, writers, producers and screenwriters, to actors, cinematographers and distributors.

The Filmmaker’s Podcast #418: From music videos to short films to...

After 25 years on the big screen, Elizabeth Banks has long been ready for her closeup.

The 3x Emmy nominee recently reflected on the “second life” her onscreen career and how she’s gone from the “comic relief” to leading lady in her new medical drama A Mistake, which debuted in US theaters last month.

“It’s really only been in my second life as an actress here that I’ve started playing the lead role,” she explained to People. “It’s because I was a great ingénue for a long time. I played the lady in many movies to some great leading men. And then I had smaller roles in huge movies like The Hunger Games and Pitch Perfect, but never quite that DC or Marvel movie lead.”

Banks noted, “I’m often given more comic relief parts. So to have this offer felt like, wow, I’m going to...

Plot: Author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.

Review: I need to get it right out of the way that I’m not the biggest fan of the original 1979 Tobe Hooper version of Salem’s Lot. The story is interesting but I find it to be a 3-hour slog with about 15 minutes of cool moments. So I was ecstatic to see it finally get the remake treatment. Or rather, I was glad to see the book adapted another time, to try and get it right (they tried again in 2004 with another so-so miniseries). This would have been the first big-screen adaptation of the novel, but it was delayed for years, with Warner Bros eventually cancelling its theatrical release in favour of streaming release on Max.

Exclusive: John Billingsley (Manhunt) and Jeremy Bobb (Cabrini) are set for recurring roles opposite Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen in JonBenét Ramsey limited series at Paramount+.

In addition to Martindale and Owen, they join previously announced cast members Emily Mitchell, Garrett Hedlund, Alison Pill, Owen Teague, Clifton Collins Jr, Rory Cochrane, Chris Bauer, Angus Caldwell, Shea Whigham, Will Patton, Jaime Ray Newman, Josh Stamberg and Margo Martindale.

Exec produced by Richard Lagravenese (Behind the Candelabra), who serves as showrunner, JonBenét Ramsey explores the tragic unsolved murder of the six-year-old beauty queen of the same name. The show follows the Ramsey family, before and after the tragedy, as they go through the painful loss of a child, while facing intense public scrutiny caused by a media frenzy that caused this case to captivate an entire nation. At the heart of the series is the story of Patsy and John Ramsey – exploring...

Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jacqueline Fernandez, Andrei Lenart, Peter Stormare, Maria Conchita Alonso, Talia Asseraf | Written by Jim Agnew | Directed by Valeri Milev

Kill ‘Em All 2 picks up seven years after the events of the original, which makes sense since there’s seven years between the films, with Phillip reconnected with his daughter Vanessa and the two of them hiding out in southern Italy.

They obviously didn’t do a good job of it, as within the film’s first few minutes they’re attacked by goons working for Vlad Petrovic who is out to avenge the death of his brother Dimitri who was killed in the first film. This puts them on the run, trying to stay alive long enough to deal with Vlad and his crew, and the only way to do that is to kill ’em all.

I haven’t seen the original, and to be honest...

It’s the fall of 1975 when writer Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) returns to his childhood home in rural Maine, hoping the sleepy enclave might offer something in the way of inspiration. His previous books have been derided by critics. His publishers, it seems, are losing patience.

Ben spends most of his days in the library, where his presence and research into the archives becomes the talk of the town. Susan Norton (Makenzie Leigh), a fledgling real estate broker, catches his eye and the two form an easy friendship that eventually morphs into romance. But just as Ben’s settling in and tempering the suspicions of locals, one boy (Cade Woodward) disappears and another (Nicholas Crovetti) dies. It’s easy to wonder if this new guy — quiet, strange, from the big city — might somehow be involved.

Premiering on Max, Salem’s Lot is a clipped horror that partially works thanks to a...

Modi and Ferrari producer Andrea Iervolino is stepping back from his longtime Italian production and sales company Ilbe (Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment), which he co-founded with Monica Bacardi, to launch film and TV outfit The Andrea Iervolino Company (Taic).

Based in Rome and Los Angeles, the Italian production and distribution company’s upcoming slate includes a Maserati biopic written and directed by Bobby Moresco, and the biopic Ferrari vs Mercedes, also directed by Moresco.

With the launch of Taic, Iervolino has stepped down as President and CEO of Ilbe, the studio he co-founded with Bacardi and ran for 13 years. He says he will remain available in a non-exclusive capacity to assist Ilbe with the transition of a new CEO. No explanation was given for his break from Ilbe.

Recent films produced by Iervolino include Johnny Depp’s San Sebastian entry Modi starring Al Pacino, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s franchise sequel...

“Skincare” is a thriller movie starring Elizabeth Banks. With Lewis Pullman, Nathan Fillion and Mj Rodriguez. It is directed by Austin Peters.

“Skincare” is a thriller steeped in irony, especially in its aesthetic choices. Starring the ever-charming Elizabeth Banks, this film transports us back to the vibrant streets of Los Angeles in the 1990s, a time when the internet was emerging as a groundbreaking social phenomenon. The movie delves into the origins of influencers and various subcultures that the internet has since spawned.

Plot

Hope Goldman is an ambitious beautician struggling to keep her business afloat. Adding to her woes, her fiercest competitor sets up shop next door and lands a coveted TV interview, further overshadowing Hope’s efforts. As if this weren’t enough, strange occurrences begin to plague her email account, setting off a chain of events that unravel her life.

About the Film

While “Skincare” carries moral undertones,...

Being a Film Independent Member has its benefits. One of our favorites is the incredible screenings you can attend as part of our Film Independent Presents program. You get to see the hottest new Indies before they hit theaters and then get to watch the creators behind the film break down the process afterwards. Entertainment and education all in one place. Enter-cation, Edu-tainment, something like that. But if you did happen to miss these incredible screenings, we have you covered. Over on our YouTube page, we have the Q&As of some of our best screenings. You can watch the film on your own, then watch our Q&a, and imagine how cool it would be to be a Member.

Here are just a few of the most recent Q&As from our Film Independent Presents screenings.

Zoë Kravitz stopped by to talk about her harrowing and hilarious Blink Twice...

Freshly divorced, with two daughters, trying to find her footing in West Hollywood, Dawn DaLuise was open to finding out what her true calling was. With her killer work ethic and scrappy temperament, she figured that skin was what she understood the most. After that, Dawn’s gift was recognized by the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, and Sarah Michelle Gellar, and her career as the owner of a small West Hollywood studio, Skin Refinery, took off. Dawn’s life and career had been marred by a peculiar set of crimes back in 2013. And apparently, she was rather thrown off when her phone was flooded with texts, letting her know that Austin Peters’ new beauty industry thriller was basically an unofficial adaptation of the convoluted mess she’d been caught in. In multiple interviews, Elizabeth Banks claimed not to have known about Skincare’s real-life implications until it was too late.

A couple days back, a friend and I were talking about how “mid” movies are a thousand times worse than the ones that are just plain bad. No, Austin Peters’ beauty industry thriller doesn’t fall into either of these two categories. That chat only came to mind because it’d been a while since something from the third, most rare category fell into my lap. The type that does what it wants to do so well that you won’t need to go around making excuses for it. Elizabeth Banks-starrer Skincare has got to be one of the most shrewd and grounded thrillers weaved around the dark side of Hollywood’s beauty town that’s ever been made. And when I tell you that there’s a big chance that Skincare’s ending is not what you think it is, I totally mean it.

Spoiler Alert

What happens in the film?...

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: Erik Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) has joined the cast of Godfather of Harlem for Season 4, currently in production in New York.

Created by Chris Brancato and the late Paul Eckstein, Godfather of Harlem tells a story inspired by infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Forrest Whitaker), who in the early 1960s returned from 11 years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles.

In Season 4, Bumpy continues his bloody war for control of Harlem against New York’s Mafia families, while contending with the emergence of a potential rival in newly arrived Black gangster Frank Lucas. After Malcolm X’s (Jason Alan Carvell) tragic death, Bumpy must also grapple with his daughter Elise’s (Antoinette Crowe-Legacy) involvement with the Black Panthers.

In a recurring role, Palladino will portray “Pino Greco,” a fearsome hitman and high-ranking underboss of the Genovese crime family. Greco is a prolific and...

“Skincare,” the sly thriller starring Elizabeth Banks now in theaters, begins with an eerily stressful makeup routine performed by Banks’ celebrity aesthetician character, Hope. From there, the movie acquires what cinematographer Christopher Ripley called an “unhinged momentum.”

That translated to the actual filming, as well, which took all of 18 days in Hollywood. Not bad for a film that’s set in 2013, which required a surprising amount of retro equipment to pull off.

“[Director Austin Peters] and I both were very interested in that time period, a period in flux with a lot of changed energy,” Ripley told IndieWire. “Hollywood was, as Austin described it, ‘fully torqued.’ Uncanny and very disturbing, intense energy going on.”

That energy was the perfect backdrop for the increasingly unraveling Hope, whose shot at financial security and fame with her own product line is upended when a rival aesthetician moves in across from her salon, and a wave of harassment begins.

In the thriller Skincare, Hollywood aesthetician Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks) is on the verge of launching her own skin care line when a competitor sets up shop across from her salon. As her new rival Angel Vergara (Luis Gerardo Méndez) attracts clients with his trendy marketing, Hope finds herself the victim of increasingly invasive online attacks. Convinced that someone is trying to destroy her reputation and business, Hope confides in new friend/aspiring life coach Jordan (Lewis Pullman) to uncover her saboteur.

Banks gives a highly enjoyable performance, portraying varying degrees of unhingedness through a character struggling under the stressors of fame, rent and sexual harassment. Without her, the film is basically anchorless. In terms of the thriller elements, I venture that the red herring won’t be particularly persuasive for anyone apart from the main characters who aren’t in on the scheme. The culprit behind Hope’s ill...

As the summer begins to wind down, we got what might end up being the last big summer movie, although it also performed on the lower side of expectations. Read on for the weekend box office report.

20th Century released Fede Álvarez‘s “Alien: Romulus,” starring Cailee Spaeny, into 3,885 theaters on Friday, the first movie in the long-standing sci-fi horror franchise to be distributed by Disney. After receiving decent reviews with 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, the sci-fi horror film made $6.5 million in Thursday previews, just slightly less than the $7 million opening for “It Ends with Us” a week earlier. It then made $18 million on Friday, including those previews, which already pointed to the fact that the movie would probably open under $50 million.

Sure enough, it raked in an estimated $41.5 million, which is the second-best opening for the franchise after the $51 million weekend for 2012’s “Prometheus.” The “B+” that “Romulus” received on...

Coraline 15th Anniversary notched a nice no. 5 at the domestic box office with $8.63 million for the three-day weekend on 1,603 screens. The cume of $12.5 million including Thursday ($20+ million worldwide) broke its previous record for Fathom Events. Last year, the stop-motion animated feature by Henry Selick became the distributor’s highest-grossing classic with $7m+ at the box office over four days.

Coraline debuted in 2009 with an opening weekend gross of $16.8 million heading to $75.3 million domestically and $127 million globally. The PG-rated film based on the popular 2002 book by Neil Gaiman, was the first to be originally filmed in 3-D – with CG effects.

Dakota Fanning voices a young girl named Coraline, who walks through a secret door in her new house and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life — only much better. But when this wondrously off-kilter, fantastical adventure turns dangerous and her counterfeit parents,...

The germ of the idea for the crime thriller “Skincare” came from a stranger-than-fiction criminal case: A Los Angeles-based aesthetician to the stars was accused of plotting the murder of a rival skincare expert. Yet director and co-writer Austin Peters wasn’t interested in creating a work of journalism or a documentary. Instead, he considered it the perfect jumping-off point for a Southern California Gothic tale.

“It’s inspired by lots of movies and books in this sunshine noir world of Los Angeles,” Peters, who wrote the film with Sam Freilich and Deering Regan, says. “We never set out to tell the true story — that was never our intention. The thing that called to us about the story is that it sounded like a James M. Cain-style noir. It felt new and true to the Los Angeles I know, the world I know.”

Although “Skincare” is Peters’ debut feature,...

From facial wars to a penguin friend, wandering surfers and Haitian immigrants in Miami, the independent film market is fun, thoughtful, varied and contending with a faster cadence of high performing studio wide releases. That’s exhilarating on one hand but, indie distribution executives say, is making it increasingly difficult to date their films after having a pretty clear field for the first half of 2024.

New this weekend: IFC Films’ Elizabeth Banks-starring Skincare on 768 screens. Banks is Hope Goldman, a legendary Hollywood facialist to the stars preparing to enter the next phase of her career with a new line of skincare products in this dark comedy. Sensing that someone is trying to sabotage her business and destroy her life, she starts investigating to save what she’s built by any means necessary.

Loosely inspired by a real case involving aesthetician Dawn DaLuise, who did some prison time for putting...

Just a few months ago we premiered the trailer for the new Elizabeth Banks movie, Skincare. Its slick editing and intriguing concept made it look very different from Banks’ usual work. Somewhat parallel to film noir, “sunshine noir” as the director calls it, makes Skincare unique in its style and tone. I think the concept of a person completely destroying another’s life is rife for cinematic gold. And with some fantastic performances and some truly stylish cinematography, there’s more than just a mystery to keep you invested.

I was fortunate enough to talk to Banks, Lewis Pullman, and director Austin Peters about the film. It’s always fun when everyone you talk to has such a passion for the project and that’s evident with Skincare. Everyone here wanted to put their best foot forward and provide a unique and thrilling film. I’d say they pulled it...

“Skincare” is a new thriller, directed by Austin Peters, starring Elizabeth Banks, Lewis Pullman, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Nathan Fillion and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, opening August 16, 2024 in theaters:

“…inspired by true events, ‘Skincare’ follows aesthetician ‘Hope Goldman’ (Banks) who is about to take her career to the next level by launching her very own skincare line.

“But complications arise when rival facialist ‘Angel Vergara’ (Méndez) opens a new skincare boutique directly across from her studio.

“She begins to suspect that someone is trying to sabotage her reputation and business, and together with her friend ‘Jordan’ (Pullman)…

“…she embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of who is trying to destroy her life…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Plot: Famed aesthetician Hope Goldman’s skincare business faces sabotage when rival Angel Vergara opens a boutique across the street. Aided by friend Jordan, Hope seeks to uncover who’s trying to ruin her reputation.

Review: I’m not going to lie, a movie about the beauty/skincare industry doesn’t exactly appeal to me on the surface. But add Elizabeth Banks as the delusional lead at the center of the story and I’m intrigued. Then add in a very dark and twisted angle about the perception of one’s image and we’re off to the races! Plus, as much as it’s about beauty, it’s about so much more. The feeling of paranoia is universal, and everyone has that moment in their life where it seems like everything is working against them. Skincare posits the idea that maybe there’s someone behind that, purposely tearing your life apart.

It’s rare when a ripped-from-the-headlines adaptation fails to capitalize upon the wilder, weirder aspects of its real-life counterpart. Yet that’s what happens in the case of director Austin Peters’ “Skincare,” which, to be fair, only claims to be a fictionalized version of the true-crime story of a successful celebrity aesthetician who allegedly hired a hitman to take out her competition. What’s there borrows from the real scandal to lightly explore the feminine rage, jealousy and paranoia festering underneath a girl-boss gloss so prevalent in the early 2010s. Through slick aesthetics bolstered by a sensational soundscape, the filmmakers build an entrancing, atmospheric mood piece. But given a few of its omissions, it’s questionable why the storytellers didn’t go in for the kill.

Skin is fragile (it’s the largest organ in the human body), tasked with keeping us healthy and in one piece. It’s no...

If you’ve never had a full-blown panic attack, well, first off, congratulations. You’re living the dream. Secondly, you should probably know that they’re no fun whatsoever. Nobody ever huddled in a corner with a debilitating shortness of breath and a stun-locked brain has come out the other side thinking, “Now, That’s entertainment!”

So it’s funny that so many movies try to entertain us by throwing their protagonists into panic mode and making the audience share that anxiety. Even great films sometimes do the job a little too well. Fortunately for me and everyone else in the audience, Austin Peters’ “Skincare” knows exactly what it’s doing, balancing a sense of total desperation with just enough camp to convey its nightmarish situations without ruining your day. It’s a smart and promising debut feature from Peters, whose recent music videos for country star Orville Peck also...

In 2014, esthetician-to-the-stars Dawn DaLuise was falsely accused and briefly imprisoned for allegedly ordering a hit on a rival facialist. So, when she saw the trailer for Austin Peters’ Skincare, a film which ostensibly had a plot that mirrored what had happened to her, she was rightfully upset. Elizabeth Banks, the...

Reputation is everything, but even great first impressions can backfire. Take “Skincare,” an online harassment whodunit that never gets as ugly as its taut set-up suggests it might.

Known mostly for music videos, director Austin Peters makes his narrative feature debut for IFC Films in the niche world of luxury cosmetology. Set in Los Angeles circa 2013 — with the statement jewelry, high-low hemlines, and pop music to match — this psychosexual thriller invites audiences into the crumbling façade of boutique aesthetician Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks).

Hope is seemingly successful enough, beautiful enough, happy enough. But when a plan for a line of her own skincare products turns sour, the quietly fucked-up facialist finds herself in serious debt. After rival beautician Angel (Luis Gerardo Méndez) opens a competing storefront, an unseen foe starts harassing Hope online, pushing the already exhausted business owner that much closer to personal catastrophe.

Skewering #GirlBoss culture is still...

August continues with one more franchise film that stands the best chance at making money before the month ends. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.

It has been 45 years since filmmaker Ridley Scott first got attention with his horror-sci-fi film “Alien” and seven years since his last movie in that franchise, 2017’s “Alien: Covenant.” Sir Ridley is still involved as a producer with “Alien: Romulus,” the first movie produced under 20th Century since being bought by Disney. For this latest reboot, they’ve brought on Fede Álvarez, best known for the “Don’t Breathe” movies and the 2013 remake of Sam Raimi‘s “Evil Dead.”

It’s been a long time since Sigourney Weaver‘s Ripley was leading these things, but for this one, they’ve brought on Cailee Spaeny of “Civil War” and “Priscilla,” as well as Isabela Merced from “Transformers: The Last Knight” and “Dora and the Lost City of Gold.

Elizabeth Banks takes charge and delivers in Skincare, a Hollywood-set psychological thriller that its feature-debuting director, Austin Peters, likes to label a “sunshine noir”. Certainly it has elements of the classic darkly lit black and white film noirs set in L.A. in the 40’s, but this one takes place directly in the bright sunlit corners of Southern California where facialists are definitely a thing.

It is a fictional story, very loosely inspired apparently by a real case involving aesthetician Dawn DaLuise who was accused of putting out a hit on a rival facialist in 2014 and did wind up doing some prison time before being acquitted. There is no mention of her or that, but apparently screenwriters Deering Regan & Sam Freilich, and Peters were “inspired” enough to use it as a tipping point. It is a completely fictionalized character Banks plays, but her transformation feels close to real life despite...

The new films, such as Skincare, can sometimes be downright Hitchcockian. It is a contemporary thriller with more on its mind than most regarding social media and the vain narcissism that grows like a garden of invasive and unwanted weeds. Clever, suspenseful, and surprising, Skincare is a gripping tale of obsession that hits close to home.

Elizabeth Banks gives the best performance of her career as Hope Goldman, an up-and-coming celebrity aesthetician in the City of Angels. Hope is about to unveil her own makeup line after a successful run with a boutique shop in town. Business is booming for Goldman, who just wrapped up a viral interview with a popular Los Angeles news station designed to help with the launch.

Elizabeth Banks in Skincare (2024) | Image via IFC Films

RELATEDElizabeth Banks Aimed For Kirsten Dunst’s Role in Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man Trilogy Before She Landed Another Smaller Role Instead Skincare Review and Synopsis

However,...

Elizabeth Banks is stepping out to promote her new movie.

The 50-year-old actress posed for photos at the a screening of her new movie Skincare on Tuesday evening (August 13) held at the Crosby Hotel in New York City.

Elizabeth dazzled in a shimmering silver dress paired with a black blazer, tights, and heels as she was joined at the screening by director Austin Peters and producer Jonathan Schwartz.

Keep reading to find out more…Here’s the movie’s synopsis: “Famed aesthetician Hope Goldman (Banks) is about to take her career to the next level by launching her very own skincare line, but her personal and work lives are challenged when rival facialist Angel Vergara (Luis Gerardo Méndez) opens a new skincare boutique directly across from her store. She starts to suspect that someone is trying to sabotage her reputation and business, and together with her friend Jordan (Lewis Pullman...

From comedy to drama to biopics and every genre in between, Elizabeth Banks always understands the assignment.

The actress had plenty to play with in IFC Films‘ Skincare, which premieres Friday in theaters. It’s a true crime-inspired character study about a woman’s struggle to stay relevant in Hollywood and the dangerous lengths she’ll go to defend what she’s built — a role to which Banks “felt very connected.”

“I related to this sense of vulnerability, of feeling like the technology is going so fast that you can’t keep up with it, that there’s always gonna be a new fresh, useful way of doing things,” Banks tells Deadline. “And this woman just doesn’t know how to do it. And I feel like as someone who’s middle-aged and works in Hollywood, I already feel like I don’t know what the next big thing is gonna be,...

Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for Blink Twice, It Ends With Us, The Umbrella Academy and Borderlands.

The Umbrella Academy premiere

Stars Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher and Justin H. Min walked the carpet at the fourth and final season premiere of their Netflix series on Monday in Los Angeles.

David Castañeda, Elliot Page, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Tom Hopper, Ritu Arya, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher and Justin H. Min It Ends With Us premiere

Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate and Hasan Minhaj debuted their big-screen adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s hit novel in New York City on Tuesday, with support from Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.

Brandon Sklenar, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Colleen Hoover and Tony Vinciquerra, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment...

In past columns, I have spoken at length on the art of crying on movie posters, as it is a mild obsession of mine. These images are almost always female (the notable exception being Get Out), and almost always in extreme close up. The poster for the Elizabeth Banks-starring, Austin Peters-directed crime thriller Skincare follows the design right down to the ultra-tiny and non-typical placement credit block placement (here dead centre) as per Akiko Stehrenberger's trend-setting key art for the American remake of Michael Haneke's Funny Games. The difference with Grandson’s design here, is that there is a more controlled intent, being that the film is a mystery instead of a horror, the mood is less terror, and more, well, something else. This is mainly to...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

“Skincare” is a new thriller, directed by Austin Peters, starring Elizabeth Banks, Lewis Pullman, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Nathan Fillion and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, opening August 16, 2024 in theaters:

“…inspired by true events, ‘Skincare’ follows aesthetician ‘Hope Goldman’ (Banks) who is about to take her career to the next level by launching her very own skincare line.

“But complications arise when rival facialist ‘Angel Vergara’ (Méndez) opens a new skincare boutique directly across from her studio.

“She begins to suspect that someone is trying to sabotage her reputation and business, and together with her friend ‘Jordan’ (Pullman)…

“…she embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of who is trying to destroy her life…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

I was astounded by Elizabeth Banks’ outfit choice at the Louis Vuitton-hosted prelude to the Olympics party last week, so seeing her make a stylish comeback to the United States in yet another classic-contemporary dress didn’t surprise me.

Arriving at the Good Morning America studios, The Hunger Games actress was impossible to miss in her summery turquoise David Koma Fall 2024 dress. It captures her signature style, which often blends classic elegance and contemporary flair.

I was a little taken aback when I found out that the dress was by David Koma. The Georgian fashion designer is famous for his ultra-body-contouring, sculptural silhouettes that draw inspiration from the feminine form.

Elizabeth Banks visits Good Morning America in a turquoise David Koma dress to talk about her upcoming crime thriller movie Skincare (Credit: Roger Wong / INSTARimages)

While Banks’ neoprene dress is undoubtedly very feminine, it deviates slightly from the London-based label’s typical bodycon offerings.

Recently, Press Your Luck fans got a terrible surprise. While many were looking forward to seeing more contestants take their turn at getting some big money, they were abruptly “whammied” when they learned the show was canceled. Sadly, fans will have to wait another week to see Elizabeth Banks lead contestants to their shot at winning.

Elizabeth Banks Is Ready To Give Away More Money On Press Your Luck

Earlier this week, three-time Emmy nominee, Elizabeth Banks, went on Good Morning America to promote both Press Your Luck and her upcoming thriller movie, Skincare. While the actress “wowed” Robin Roberts with a terrifying tale of a near-death experience, she was also very excited about the new season of Press Your Luck. She has so much fun and adores giving away life-changing money to contestants in Season 6. She gives the show credit for personalizing prizes for the contestants and making them the “stars” of each episode.

The dog days of summer have arrived, but as we wind down the summer of 2024, movie theaters are already looking to the spookiest month of all: October. This August, studios are doubling down on horror with new movies from M. Night Shyamalan and a biopic about Ronald Reagan starring Dennis Quaid.

Elizabeth Banks is thankful for the “guardian angel” who saved her from choking on the set of her upcoming movie, Skincare.

During a Good Morning America appearance earlier this week, the actress and filmmaker shared she had her “first-ever choking incident” after a “little green pea” she was eating for lunch got lodged in her throat. “I was alone in my trailer. I threw the door open, couldn’t make any noise; I was so afraid,” Banks recalled.

“I happened to see someone who said, ‘Are you choking?’ And I gave him the sign [of a thumbs-up signaling] yes, and he came over,” she continued. “He came over very calmly. I backed right into him and he gave me the Heimlich maneuver.” Banks noted that the crew member “had to do it twice” until the pea came loose.

“His name is Julius. He is my guardian angel,” she said. “Julius, I love you. He...

Good Morning America co-hosts, Robin Roberts, Rebecca Jarvis, and George Stephanopoulos were wowed by actress, Elizabeth Banks’ “terrifying” near-death experience. When she visits the set, she gives details about several of her upcoming features. But while talking about it, she relives a “scary” incident.

Elizabeth Banks Capivates Robin Roberts, Rebecca Jarvis, And George Stephanopoulos

On Good Morning America on July 30, Elizabeth Banks comes on to promote a new season of Press Your Luck. And while she is there she talks about an upcoming movie she is starring in as well. Robin Roberts, Rebecca Jarvis, and George Stephanopoulos were all ears as the star discussed new and exciting things on the horizon. While the actress was stunning as usual, she told fans about her trip to Paris, France to see the Olympics. Likewise, she was very excited to announce the fun ahead in Press Your Luck Season 6. She adores giving away life-changing money to contestants,...

Elizabeth Banks stunned Robin Roberts and her Good Morning America co-hosts as she recalled a frightening incident from a movie set.

Banks, currently hosting Press Your Luck Season 6, appeared on the morning program to discuss the game show.

She talked about how exciting it is to give away big prizes and money to contestants but also spoke about her “annoying co-star,” the Whammy.

A clip revealed footage of the contestant who set a new record on the game show, with Banks wowed by his performance. She even pretended to pass out after spinning around during one moment of his impressive performance on the show.

Meanwhile, Banks was also left speechless on a movie set, but it was due to a very real “super scary” choking incident.

The award-winning actress indicated she was grateful for someone who stepped in to save her from potentially choking to death.

Elizabeth Banks recalls ‘super...

The Popcorn Frights Film Festival is back this year, both in-person and virtually, from August 8-18. They’ve unleashed the first wave of programming, indicating that the fest is going big for its tenth anniversary celebration with new premieres, virtual screenings, and exciting retro showings including the “Lost First Cut” of Brian Yuzna‘s Return of the Living Dead 3.

To add to the pure mayhem of its anniversary celebration, Popcorn Frights 2024’s in-theater experience will be offered free and open to the public, as a gift back to the community for ten years of their dedicated support and moviegoing love. Popcorn Frights’ free festival is made possible by the generous support of Nightmare Weekend Miami.

Highlights include the 35th anniversary presentation of Brian Yuzna’s spectacularly insane masterpiece Society, one of the ickiest, sweatiest, gloopiest, horniest, and most original body horror shockers of all time. The master of horror will...

“Skincare” is a new `dramatic thriller, co-written and directed by Austin Peters, starring Elizabeth Banks, Lewis Pullman, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Nathan Fillion and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, opening August 16, 2024 in theaters:

“…inspired by true events, ‘Skincare’ follows aesthetician ‘Hope Goldman’ (Banks) who is about to take her career to the next level by launching her very own skincare line.

“But complications arise when rival facialist ‘Angel Vergara’ (Méndez) opens a new skincare boutique directly across from her studio.

“She begins to suspect that someone is trying to sabotage her reputation and business, and together with her friend ‘Jordan’ (Pullman)…

“…she embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of who is trying to destroy her life…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Austin Peters' vanity crime thriller, Skincare, has just released its official trailer and first teaser poster. With the always awesome Elizabeth Banks in the lead this comes hot on the heels of news that IFC Films picked it up for a theatrical release on August 16th.   Famed aesthetician Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks) is about to take her career to the next level by launching her very own skincare line, but her personal and work lives are challenged when rival facialist Angel Vergara (Luis Gerardo Méndez) opens a new skincare boutique directly across from her store. She starts to suspect that someone is trying to sabotage her reputation and business, and together with her new friend Jordan (Lewis Pullman) she embarks on a mission to...

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IFC Films will be giving the vanity thriller Skincare, starring Cocaine Bear director Elizabeth Banks, a theatrical release on August 16th – and with that date just a couple of months away, they have decided to unveil a trailer for the film. You can check it out in the embed above.

Skincare marks the narrative feature directorial debut of Austin Peters, who previously directed the documentary Give Me Future, about the free Major Lazer concert in Havana, Cuba that drew half a million fans. Peters wrote the screenplay with Sam Freilich and Deering Regan, crafting the following story: Famed aesthetician Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks) is about to take her career to the next level by launching her very own skincare line, but her personal and work lives are challenged when rival facialist Angel Vergara opens a new skincare boutique directly across from her store. She starts to suspect that someone is...