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Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.NEWSPoison.Former talk show host and current digital media emperor Conan O’Brien will host the 97th Academy Awards. He has previously hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards and the White House Correspondents dinner, twice apiece, as well as the Fifth Annual NFL Honors ceremony in 2016.Director Todd Haynes is set to head the jury of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in February. Haynes’s feature film debut, Poison (1991), won the festival’s Teddy Award.The UK arthouse theater chain Curzon Cinemas has been sold to the New York investment company Fortress for $5 million as part of a foreclosure auction of assets owned by Cohen Realty Enterprises. The Curzon group reportedly believes that Fortress is “more likely to invest...

Which actor will play Dumbledore in Harry Potter TV series? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Ever since HBO announced the Harry Potter television series, fans have been excited to know which actors will carry the films’ legacy forward. While Warner Bros. Television is looking for debutants to play the three young leads, the studio will likely hire established actors to play the adult characters.

As per reports, the studio has found the perfect actor to play Dumbledore in the show. The makers want to cast Mark Rylance as the fan-favorite headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Warner Bros. Television Eyeing Mark Rylance to Play Dumbledore in Harry Potter TV Series

Variety has reported that Mark Rylance, known for his role in the British show Wolf Hall, is the front-runner to play Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series. While the actorhass yet to enter into negotiations with Warner Bros. Television, the...

The first cast member for the Harry Potter television series appears to have been found!

It’s being reported that Oscar winner Mark Rylance is being eyed for the role of Professor Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming seven-season series.

Variety reports that Mark is “at the top of the casting wishlist” for the project. He “hasn’t yet entered into negotiations with the actor, but the studio has reached out to gauge interest and availability.”

Mark won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Bridge of Spies and he’s also starred in movies like The Bfg, Ready Player One, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Bones and All, and The Outfit.

So, what did HBO say in response to the news?

Keep reading to find out more…

“We appreciate that such a high profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production,...

Mark Rylance is at the top of the casting wishlist for the new HBO “Harry Potter” adaptation, Variety has learned from sources familiar with the project.

Rylance, who is starring as Thomas Cromwell in the highly-anticipated BBC period drama “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light” (based on Hilary Mantel’s novel), is in the mix for Dumbledore, according to inside buzz.

Variety understands that Warner Bros. Television hasn’t yet entered into negotiations with the actor, but the studio has reached out to gauge interest and availability.

Reps for Rylance did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A rep for HBO told Variety: “We appreciate that such a high profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.”

While the leads for the show – Harry, Hermione and Ron – will likely be newcomers,...

John Trafford-Owen, former executive at Studiocanal and Paramount Pictures, has joinedZygi Kamasa’s True Brit Entertainment as head of theatrical sales.

Trafford-Owen was previously head of theatrical distribution at Studiocanal UK as well as sales director for the UK and Ireland at Paramount Pictures International and United International Pictures UK. More recently, Trafford-Owen has worked withGower Street Analytics, Anton Capital,RealD, Dolby Cinema and IMAX.

True Brit has also hired Kate Willoughby as its senior marketing manager and Rob Barnes as head of home entertainment.

Willoughby began her career at Momentum Pictures and went on to work with distributors including Universal Pictures,...

Those who were alert enough to be following cinema discourse in the early 2000s may recall the painful inflection point the medium had reached in terms of visual effects. A lot of productions were moving away from practical effects wholesale and leaning hard into CGI. Many audience members hated the technological shift, as CGI effects were proving to look plastic and unconvincing. While Steven Spielberg might have employed CGI carefully and effectively in his 1993 film "Jurassic Park," multiple films from the early 2000s were proving that an overuse of CGI made for truly awful film imagery.

A few examples include 2001's "The Mummy Returns," which features a terrible-looking CGI version of Dwayne Johnson, or 2002's "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones" which features many animated characters as well as digital sets. Also released in 2002 was Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man," itself, in this writer's humble opinion, a mediocre...

At 77, Steven Spielberg isn’t holding back! The legendary director just dropped some truth bombs about his post-War of the Worlds flicks, admitting that the films that followed didn’t quite hit the mark. It’s not every day you hear a titan of cinema reflect so candidly, but Spielberg’s honesty shines through as he acknowledges a string of less-than-stellar projects.

Steven Spielberg | Image by: Gage Skidmore licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

It’s a bold move for a guy who’s given us classics like Jaws and E.T., proving that even the best can have their off days. So, what’s behind his revelation? Let’s dive into Spielberg’s journey through the highs and lows of Hollywood as he reexamines his filmography!

Steven Spielberg at 77: Why the Legendary Director’s Choosing History Over Blockbusters Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise from the set of...

Steven Spielberg looks set to add another big name to his next film after Emily Blunt started talks to join the Amblin and Universal event movie.

Kingsman actor Colin Firth is in early talks to board Spielberg’s unnamed feature, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The movie project, based on a story by Spielberg, is written by David Koepp, who worked with the director on Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Universal has dated the film for a May 15, 2026 theatrical release, marking Spielberg’s first summer offering in a decade following The Bfg in 2016. No plot details are available for the project, but it is described as an event film, a genre the filmmaker helped invent with features such as Jaws and Indiana Jones.

Other recent credits for Firth include the Kingsman films, Sam Mendes...

After working with blockbuster auteurs such as Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve, Emily Blunt is now adding Steven Spielberg to her impressive list of collaborators. Blunt is in early talks to join Spielberg’s next feature, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

The untitled Universal Pictures feature is written by David Koepp, who worked with Spielberg on Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Universal has dated the film for the prime summer spot of May 15, 2026, marking Spielberg’s first summer offering in a decade following The Bfg in 2016. No plot details are available for the project, but it is described as an event film, a genre the filmmaker helped invent with features such as Jaws and Indiana Jones.

Spielberg has won three Oscars, including for best director and best picture for Schindler’s List, and for...

The iconic Steven Spielberg has been focusing more on human dramas as of late, except for the occasional special effects-laden vehicles like Ready Player One and The Bfg — even sitting out Indiana Jones for the first time with the last entry, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. However, Deadline has now revealed that Universal Pictures has reserved a release date for May 15, 2026, for what is being described as an “original event film” that has been created by and will be directed by Spielberg.

It is not revealed what the event film is. However, it was reported last month that Spielberg would reunite with frequent collaborator David Koepp for an original UFO movie that has been kept very secretive. The UFO movie is said to be based on Steven Spielberg’s own original idea and that David Koepp is writing the screenplay. Unfortunately, that would be all the information given at this point.

Steven Spielberg’s legacy is a much-renowned one, unmarred by time and the arrival of new talent. His films have established a new era in Hollywood, through Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park. Despite the presence of evolved technologies and newer creatives, not many have been able to recreate the scale of Spielberg’s career or overthrow his status as a living legend.

Steven Spielberg at the 2017 Sdcc [Photo: Gage Skidmore]With the passing of years, classics such as Harrison Ford’s classic Nazi-hunting adventure junkie or the rebirth of the Jurassic Age in the modern world have taken a backseat, giving way to more modernistic science fiction such as Minority Report and the playful Catch Me If You Can. But not once has the director stumbled in his unbroken creative streak for the past 50 years, beginning with the marine horror, Jaws.

However, when it comes to Steven Spielberg’s kids, they may be his harshest critics,...

Described as a live-action Pixar film by the director John Krasinski, the fantasy adventure film If is charming audiences worldwide with its wonderful cast, brilliant visuals, and a lot of heart. If follows the story of a young girl named Bea who finds out that she can see everyone’s imaginary friends and with the help of Cal, she goes on a mission to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids. If stars Ryan Reynolds, Cailey Fleming, Krasinski, Steve Carell, Emily Blunt, Awkwafina, Blake Lively, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Louis Gossett Jr., Vincent Vaughn, Fiona Shaw, Sam Rockwell, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, and many popular actors. So, if you also love the fantastical nature of If here are some similar films you should check out next.

The Bfg (Disney+ & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Disney

The Bfg is a fantasy-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Melissa Mathison.

Sneak Peek "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” actress Rebecca Hall in the latest issue of “Glass China” mgazine, photographed by David Roemer:

Hall got her breakthrough role in Christopher Nolan's thriller “The Prestige”. In 2008, she starred in Woody Allen's romantic comedy “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”, for which she received a ‘Golden Globe’ nomination for ‘Best Actress’.

Hall then appeared in Ben Affleck's crime drama “The Town” (2010), the horror thriller “The Awakening” (2011), the superhero film “Iron Man 3”n(2013), the science fiction film “Transcendence “ (2014)…

…the thriller “The Gift” (2015), the fantasy film “The Bfg” (2016), and the biographical drama “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women” (2017).

Hall was praised by critics for her portrayal of news reporter ‘Christine Chubbuck’ in the biographical drama “Christine”.

She has since starred in the ‘MonsterVerse’ films “Godzilla vs. Kong” (2021) and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” (2024).

Click the images to enlarge…...

Sam Mercer, producer on several M. Night Shyamalan movies and former head of Ilm, died Feb. 12 of younger onset Alzheimer’s in South Pasadena. He was 69.

Raised in Weston, Mass., he attended Occidental College and then started working as a location manager on 1980s classics including “Stripes,” “The Escape Artist,” “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure,” “Swing Shift,” “Peggy Sue Got Married” and “The Witches of Eastwick.”

He joined the Walt Disney Company as a production executive, supervising films including “Good Morning Vietnam,” “Three Fugitives” and “Dead Poets Society.” He then became VP of motion picture production at Hollywood Pictures, where he oversaw releases including “Quiz Show,” “The Joy Luck Club,” “Born Yesterday,” “Swing Kids,” “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” and “Arachnophobia.”

Mercer then worked as an independent producer, starting with “Congo,” “The Relic” and “Mission to Mars.” After working with Shyamalan on “The Sixth Sense,” then went on...

Sam Mercer, who produced eight M. Night Shyamalan films starting with the spooky blockbuster The Sixth Sense, has died. He was 69.

Mercer died Feb. 12 at his home in South Pasadena after a battle with younger-onset Alzheimer’s, his wife, Tegan Jones, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Mercer was seen as an out-of-the-box hire when he joined Industrial Light & Magic in September 2015 to oversee and coordinate activities of the VFX giant’s studios in San Francisco, Vancouver, London and Singapore. However, he left the next year after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Mercer began his career as a location manager on films including Stripes (1981), National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985), Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) and The Witches of Eastwick (1987).

He joined Disney and was a production executive on such features as Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) and Dead Poets Society (1989), and as a production vp at Hollywood Pictures, he oversaw the release of films...

To celebrate the release of Jamie and the Magic Torch, on DVD from 18th March, we are giving away DVDs to 2 lucky winners!

Every night when his mum calls out ‘Sleep Well Jamie’, the naughty rascal gets out of bed, picks up his magic torch and with his dog, Wordsworth, travels down a helter skelter into the magical world of Cuckoo Land. With 39 fantastic stories to watch, join Jamie and Wordsworth in all three series of their exciting adventures. Presented for the first time as a complete collection on DVD.

Jamie and the Magic Torch ran from 1976-1979 and was made by the Cosgrove Hall animation studios in Manchester, the studio that brought to us other classic shows such as Danger Mouse, Count Duckula, The Wind in the Willows, Chorlton and the Wheelies and The Bfg movie. Brian Truman who narrates the series also wrote it.

Jamie and Wordsworth have...

Since we’re talking about the short films, I’ll accordingly keep this brief. Here are five reasons why “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” will win the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.

1. It’s the clear standout in the category.

All five nominees are exceptional — the others being “The After,” “Red, White and Blue,” “Invincible” and “Knight of Fortune.” In a less competitive year, any one of them could easily walk away with the prize. But it’s simply too hard for anything to top “Henry Sugar.” Based on the short story of the same name by celebrated children’s author Roald Dahl, the film is seamlessly adapted to the screen with the same charm, wit and magic of the original tale. “Henry Sugar” features superb acting, exquisite costume and production design, beautiful cinematography and sharp editing. It holds an outstanding 95% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes,...

It’s just a fact that, for all their wonder and whimsy, Roald Dahl‘s children’s books can be terrifying. The heroine of Matilda, abandoned to a strict school by uncaring parents, must survive the cruelties of the headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. Unlike the friendly giant of the title, the other giants in The Bfg snatch humans to eat from their beds every night. The Witches concerns a conspiracy of demonic crones bent on eradicating kids altogether.

In other words, Dahl’s often macabre fantasies are not safe spaces (as...

Lionsgate Television just eliminated more than half of its development deals, IndieWire has confirmed. The reduction comes after Lionsgate’s $375 million acquisition of eOne from Hasbro. The eOne purchase, which on the television side brought over “Yellowjackets” and other series, mixed with general industry contraction in the post-Peak TV era, rationalized the sweeping cuts.

Lionsgate executives conducted a two-months-long review of the Lionsgate Television and eOne talent rosters, which together included nearly 60 overall and first-look deals. The number is now below 30; no names have been reported on either the “stay” or “go” side of the ledger.

Deadline first reported the news. A Lionsgate rep declined comment on this story.

It is pretty common for a company to slim down ahead of acquisition — just ask Paramount — but this round was pretty drastic. It is important to remember that during last year’s writers strikes, pretty much all overall deals were put on pause.

To celebrate the release of The Bfg, on Blu-Ray and DVD from 4th March, we are giving away Blu-Rays to 2 lucky winners!

Revisit the magic of this wonderful and inspiring tale about young orphan Sophie and the Big Friendly Giant starring David Jason (Only Fools and Horses), as the voice of

the Bfg along with a stellar cast including Angela Thorne (To the Manor Born), Frank Thornton (Are You Being Served?), Mollie Sugden (Are You Being Served?) and Ballard

Berkeley (Fawlty Towers). Now there’s a reason to feel hopscotchy!

The Bfg premiered on ITV on Christmas Day 1989 and was brought to life by Cosgrove Hall Films who also created Count Duckula, Chorlton and the Wheelies and Dangermouse.

Follow the adventures of lonely orphan girl Sophie as she meets her twenty-five foot high prince and is whisked off into the wonders of Dreamland. Tasked with harvesting dreams and blowing them...

A fresh set of actors are about to be enrolled in what the film series cast cheekily nicknamed ‘the Harry Potter Pension plan’. US streamer Max’s plan to re-adapt the Potter books into a TV show running for 10 consecutive years and starting in 2025/6 should keep the lucky new cast in greasepaint and copies of The Stage indefinitely.

But who will they be? Lead characters Harry, Ron and Hermione will almost certainly be played by unknowns, but the Hogwarts ensemble – Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Hagrid and co. – will be picked from the current crop of British acting talent, just like their counterparts were over two decades ago. Who working today could follow in the footsteps of Sir Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Dame Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane and the rest?

While it’s too early for any solid cast news, there’s no harm in a bit of dream-casting at this point,...

Warner Bros’ ’Wonka’ is now less than $10m behind the lifetime global total of Tim Burton’s ’Charlie And The Chocolate Factory’.

Worldwide box office January 5-7 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Wonka (Warner Bros) $43.4m $465.9m $28.9m $301.2m 78 2. Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (Warner Bros) $40.9m $334.8m $30.3m $234.8m 78 3. Migration (Universal) $25.7m $150.7m $15.5m $72.9m 74 4. Johnny Keep Walking! (various) $22.5m $77.2m $22.5m $77.2m 1 5. Wish (Disney) $19.8m $209.5m $19m $146.9m 52 6. Night Swim (Universal) $17.7m $17.7m $5.7m $5.7m 37 7. Anyone But You (Sony) $14.9m $58.4m $5.4m $14.7m 20 8. The Goldfinger (various) $10.5m $51.4m $10.4m...

Shows like “Yellowjackets,” “The Rookie,” and “Naked & Afraid” all have a new home. Lionsgate has officially closed its acquisition of film and TV studio Entertainment One (eOne) from Hasbro for a sum of $375 million in cash, Lionsgate announced on December 27.

That’ll help Lionsgate beef up its own film and TV library, as the studio now has ownership of eOne’s crop of over 6,500 films and shows. Lionsgate already has one of the most impressive standalone film and TV libraries around town — one that has made it attractive for an acquisition of its own — and this deal makes it now well in excess of 20,000 titles.

On the film side, you’ve got a couple of Best Picture winners like “Green Book” and “Spotlight,” as well as some awards darlings and hits like “1917,” “The Woman King,” “The Post,” “Molly’s Game,” “The Bfg,” “The Duke,” “Arrival,” “Booksmart,” “If Beale Street Could Talk,...

Netflix typically refuses to release its actual viewership numbers to the public, making its weekly top-10 lists a fascinating peek into how streaming services actually operate. Netflix may pour millions into their original programs, but their ten most popular films or TV tend to (at least partly) be 25-year-old movies experiencing a seemingly random renaissance. Case in point: one of the hottest films on Netflix right now is Danny DeVito's 1996 family film "Matilda" based on the 1988 novel by Roald Dahl. 

"Matilda," critically acclaimed upon its release, is about the titular young girl (Mara Wilson) who lives with caustic, greedy, tacky, and abusive parents. Her new school is a bleak, Dickensian nightmare overseen by the bestial, cruel Mrs. Trunchbull (Pam Ferris). The only person who treats Matilda with kindness is the put-upon Miss Honey (Embeth Davidtz) who sees how bright and gentle Matilda is. 

Matilda sees little respite from her...

Wes Anderson, the acclaimed director of The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom, and The French Dispatch, is revisiting the world of Roald Dahl, the beloved author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and The Bfg. Anderson is adapting four of Dahl’s short stories into four short films that will premiere on Netflix later this month.

The first trailer for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Ralph Fiennes, was released on September 14. The film is based on the 1977 short story of the same name, which tells the tale of a wealthy man who learns to see without his eyes and uses his newfound ability to cheat at gambling. Cumberbatch plays Henry Sugar, while Fiennes plays Roald Dahl himself, who narrates the story. The film also features Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Rupert Friend, and Richard Ayoade in dual roles.

Wonderful Story Trailer

Anderson said he had...

The film world's favorite persnickety stylist, Wes Anderson, is back! Already! Anderson's most recent feature film, "Asteroid City," premiered in wide release just three months ago. It garnered rave reviews (Lex Briscuso wrote in these very pages that the film is "a top-tier Wes Anderson original that brings back the carefree fun and charm of some of his best works") and continues to be a box office force to be reckoned with, which is more or less par for the course for Anderson.

But eager Andersonians won't have to wait two to three years for the next one. A dazzling new adventure from the mind behind "Moonrise Kingdom" and "The Royal Tenenbaums" lies right around the corner. On September 27, Anderson will premiere a new short film on Netflix titled "The Wonderful Life of Henry Sugar." In fact, September 27 doesn't just mark the premiere of a new Anderson film, it's...

Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners has sold a 50% stake in its catalog of music publishing and music master rights from the film music library to Multimedia Music, including marquee and award-winning films 1917, Green Book, The Bfg, Bridge of Spies, The Post, Office Christmas Party, Thank You For Your Service and The Girl on the Train and others. The catalog features iconic music from several of the most renowned and celebrated composers in the world including John Williams, Thomas Newman, Danny Elfman, Alexandre Desplat, Rachel Portman, Mark Isham and Rob Simonsen.

The music partnership will also see Mmm and Amblin pursue new initiatives to increase value by maximizing income collections and sourcing new uses for the catalog in commercials, trailers and television shows.

“We are proud to partner with Mmm and look forward to exploring new avenues to maximize the value of our extensive music catalogue alongside their fantastic team,...

The latest all-singing version of Matilda, now on Netflix, joins an impressive library of thoughtful film versions of seminal kids’ books, from Paddington to Kes

The common wisdom that “the book is usually better than the film” is as true of children’s literature as of its adult counterpart: cinema is stacked with adaptations of children’s classics that may be perfectly proficient, but haven’t the inspired individuality of the works at their source.

Devotees of Roald Dahl have learned this a lot over the years. His offbeat humour and offhand storytelling style, so irresistible to kids, rarely translates all the way to screen — it’s thwarted such titans as Steven Spielberg, who whiffed with The Bfg (Netflix), though Wes Anderson’s droll Fantastic Mr Fox succeeded by inventing eccentricities of its own. Best of all, Nicolas Roeg’s very adult sense of the macabre proved a delicious fit...

Maxwell Jenkins, Jeremy Ray Taylor and Katie Douglas have jumped on board This Too Shall Pass, a coming-of-age drama from writer-director and indie horror veteran Rob Grant.

The ensemble cast for the pic to start shooting next month in Calgary includes Ben Cockell, Jaylin Webb, Aidan Laprete, Nikki Roumel and Chris Sandiford.

Set in 1987 in Syracuse, New York, This Too Shall Pass follows Simon, a 16 year-old suffocated by his strict Mormon upbringing and rebelling as he leaves town with friends for a weekend in Canada, only to see events further make Simon question his religious and personal beliefs.

“This cast is dynamite, the team behind the scenes are amazing, and I can’t wait to bring the world a different slant on the coming-of-age genre!” Grant said in a statement.

This Too Shall Pass, which has financing from Telefilm Canada, marks the fifth feature film collaboration between Grant — who started...

Discovery Channel’s hit reality TV series, Deadliest Catch, focuses heavily on Sig Hansen in season 19. Sig and his daughter, Mandy Hansen, are at the helm of the Northwestern, and they’ve given a lot of insight into what life is like catching crabs on the Bering Sea. Here’s what Sig Hansen admitted about the producers of Deadliest Catch focusing on the difficult weather conditions to make the show more “dramatic.”

Sig Hansen said he knows the ‘Deadliest Catch’ producers show the more dramatic footage Sig Hansen from ‘Deadliest Catch’ Season 19 | Mike Pont/WireImage

Deadliest Catch Season 19 continues to show the risks of boating in the Bering Sea. For years, viewers have watched as everyone aboard the fishing vessels constantly faces harsh weather conditions that are difficult to maneuver around. While it’s not uncommon for the captains of the boats to face tough weather, Sig Hansen admitted the...

Hollywood has seen success with reviving popular films and TV shows rather than inventing new ideas. One 1960s TV Western ripe for a reboot, The Big Valley, was set to be remade as a feature-length film. Some parts had already been cast, including A-list actors. However, the director landed in hot water over previous indiscretions, and the movie never began shooting. Here’s what happened to the failed Big Valley reboot.

‘The Big Valley’ reboot had big names lined up ‘The Big Valley’ TV show cast portrait | Bettmann via Getty Images

A theatrical reboot of The Big Valley was proposed in 2010. Susan Sarandon was first considered for the lead role. Jessica Lange was also considered for the part. Other actors slated for the cast were Ryan Phillippe, Richard Dreyfuss, and Bruce Dern. It was to be remade as an indie feature by filmmakers Daniel Adams and Kate Edelman Johnson, MeTV reported.

Former Epix exec Benjamin Tappan has joined Walden Media as president of production, overseeing the shingle’s TV and film development, as well as production. Tappan’s hire comes as Walden Media also looks to broaden its programming mix. Tappan will report to Walden Media president and CEO Frank Smith, who announced the hire on Tuesday.

“Ben’s vast experience as both a production executive and talent representative along with his great track record of making popular and critically praised content make him uniquely suited for leading our creative team,” Smith said in a statement. “We greatly look forward to his leadership and contributions as we build the Walden Media of the future.”

Tappan most recently served as a consultant focused on scripted development and production at his Tap/In Entertainment. He spent four years at Epix (now known as MGM+), joining in 2015 and helping launch the pay network’s first three straight-to-series productions.

Westerns hold a nostalgic place in television history. Dominating the primetime airwaves, more than 100 original TV Western series aired between 1949 and 1969. Shows such as The Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke, and The Rifleman had a faithful following, tuning in each week to witness the fast-paced, gun-slinging, horse-riding action. The Big Valley, starring prominent actors Barbara Stanwyck, Lee Majors, and Linda Evans, ran for four seasons in the mid-’60s. Despite its immense popularity, the TV series ended abruptly. Why was The Big Valley canceled?

‘The Big Valley’ was a big deal ‘The Big Valley’ cast | ABC Photo Archives/Contributor

In 1964, The Big Valley premiered on ABC, becoming one of the first Westerns to showcase a woman as the lead. The controversial move proved popular among viewers, and the series reignited the career of Stanwyck, an iconic big-screen actor. She portrayed the formidable matriarch of the wealthy Barkley family, tasked with running her late husband’s California ranch.

On paper, filmmaker Steven Spielberg and novelist Roald Dahl couldn't be more different. Spielberg has been known as a sentimental filmmaker, expertly presenting many heartwarming fables throughout his career. Thanks to films like "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Always," "Hook," and "War Horse," one can see the optimist in Spielberg shining through. His films tend to end well for their protagonists, and his little kid characters experience growth and wonderment, even as they survive mayhem. Yes, Spielberg could be intense and bitter at times, but he's hardly known for his cynicism. Roald Dahl, meanwhile, might be defined by his cynicism. In Dahl's children's stories, the world is a bleak and aggressive place, full of abusive adults and systems designed to exploit children. "Matilda" takes place at the world's most miserable school. "James and the Giant Peach" begins with the eponymous character being horrible abused by his two aunts. It's a...

Could Hercule Poirot be headed to this year’s Venice Film Festival?

We hear there’s a chance that 20th Century and Ken Branagh’s A Haunting In Venice could get a fairytale launch on the Lido. Nothing is set but the prospect has been discussed and we understand the film is likely to be submitted to the festival for consideration once it is complete in coming months.

The movie currently has a September 14 release date, which would seemingly fit well with a Venice debut given the festival runs August 30 – September 9.

The film’s backdrop would also make it a fun choice. Set in an eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve, the murder mystery opens with celebrated sleuth Poirot now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the famous city. Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo and when one of the guests is murdered,...

Exclusive: Tony Award nominees Jennifer Simard (Company) and Adam Godley (The Lehman Trilogy) have joined the cast of Broadway’s upcoming Britney Spears musical Once Upon A One More Time.

The musical, which updates various fairytales through Spears’ many hit songs, begins previews Saturday, May 13, 2023, at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre ahead of an official opening night on Thursday, June 22.

Simard will play the role of Stepmother and Godley will portray The Narrator. The castings were announced today by producers James L. Nederlander and Hunter Arnold.

Simard and Godley join the previously announced Briga Heelan as Cinderella, Justin Guarini as Prince Charming, and Aisha Jackson as Snow White. Additional cast will be announced at a later date.

Directed and Choreographed by Keone & Mari Madrid, Once Upon A One More Time features an original story written by Jon Hartmere that reimagines such fairytale icons as Cinderella, Snow White, Little Mermaid and others...

The Big Valley was one of the last prominent TV shows of the Western craze that swept Hollywood for decades. Waning viewer interest in the genre cut the four-season drama short. Yet even with a truncated run, the show launched several Big Valley cast members to stardom and embedded itself in the public consciousness via syndication.

Without The Big Valley, audiences might never have gotten iconic shows like The Six Million Dollar Man. There are actors still working today whose careers benefitted from appearances in the Western series. But are any main cast members from The Big Valley still alive?

The Western series was a big hit in syndication ‘The Big Valley’ cast portrait | Bettmann via Getty Images

The Big Valley was a primetime drama that aired on ABC from Sept. 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969. While each episode wore the traditional Western genre trappings, the plot’s core was the multi-generational family drama of the wealthy Barkleys.

Barbara Stanwyck is an early-Hollywood icon. The actor overcame a challenging childhood to become a performer of remarkable range, equally praised for her work in screwball comedies, Westerns, and film noirs. Unfortunately, the Big Valley star’s personal life was as fraught as some of her more complicated characters, but her artistic legacy made her a wealthy woman and a timeless on-screen presence.

Barbara Stanwyck grew up an orphan and began working as a pre-teen Barbara Stanwyck in ‘The Big Valley’ | ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

The youngest of five children, Barbara Stanwyck was born Ruby Catherine Stevens on Jul. 16, 1907, in Brooklyn, New York. Tragedy struck early in her life. Her mother, Catherine, died after a drunk passenger pushed her off a moving streetcar in 1911. Two weeks after the funeral, Stanwyck’s father, Byron, left to join a work crew digging the Panama Canal and...

The Roald Dahl purists have won.

After a week of controversy and outrage over imposed sensitivity changes to the words of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory author, publisher Puffin has announced that a collection of 17 Dahl works will be re-released untouched as part of the Roald Dahl Classic Collection.

Netflix, which purchased the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021 in a rumored $1 billion deal, had no comment on the development.

“We’ve listened to the debate over the past week, which has reaffirmed the extraordinary power of Roald Dahl’s books and the very real questions around how stories from another era can be kept relevant for each new generation,” says Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House Children’s.

“As a children’s publisher, our role is to share the magic of stories with children with the greatest thought and care,” Dow continues.

“Roald Dahl’s fantastic books...

Publisher Puffin U.K. will release “The Roald Dahl Classic Collection,” which will have the author’s original texts.

“The Roald Dahl Classic Collection” will be available alongside the newly released Puffin Roald Dahl books for young readers, “which are designed for children who may be navigating written content independently for the first time,” Puffin said. “Readers will be free to choose which version of Dahl’s stories they prefer.”

Last week, Puffin was in the eye of a storm when it emerged that the works of Dahl, who died in 1990, had been rewritten, with the phrase “enormously fat” edited to just “enormous” and “most formidable female” to “most formidable woman” among numerous other examples from his most famous books. People who opposed the edits include author Salman Rushdie, who described it as “absurd censorship,” and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The original versions will be released under the Penguin...

Although Oscar-winning production designer Rick Carter has worked closely with directors Robert Zemeckis, James Cameron (“Avatar”), and J.J. Abrams (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “The Rise of Skywalker”), his greatest collaboration spans 11 films with Steven Spielberg, from “Jurassic Park” to “The Fabelmans.”

Indeed, Spielberg brings out the best in Carter, who enjoys exploring characters through the spaces they inhabit. It’s a form of world-building based as much on psychology as visual design and has led to several self-discoveries for Carter about his own Goya-esque artistry and conscience in the post 9/11 cycle of war films: “War of the Worlds,” “Munich,” “War Horse,” “Lincoln,” and “The Bfg.”

But “The Fabelmans” — the director’s most personal film and nominated for seven Academy Awards, including production design — provided the greatest epiphany for the Oscar-nominated Carter because he was able to crack “the Spielberg code”: the set of themes and motifs that recur throughout his films,...

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has joined in the criticism of changes made to classic works by Roald Dahl which came to light over the weekend. Titles like James and the Giant Peach, The Bfg, Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory have been altered by modifying words that are now deemed offensive.

Publisher Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Books, said edits were made so the stories “can continue to be enjoyed by all today.”

Sunak’s official spokesperson told local media, “When it comes to our rich and varied literary heritage, the prime minister agrees with the Bfg that we shouldn’t gobblefunk around with words. I think it’s important that works of literature and works of fiction are preserved and not airbrushed. We have always defended the right to free speech and expression.”

Also speaking out against the changes is author Salman Rushdie. “Roald Dahl was...

Has any filmmaker had as much of an impact on cinema and pop culture at large as Steven Spielberg in an autobiographical drama which underpins the dramatic threads of so many of his works.

There’s the impossible question though: among his many masterful works, which one stands tallest? Team Empire gathered to vote for the best Steven Spielberg films, picking from a catalogue packed with unimpeachable masterpieces. But a consensus was eventually reached – and you can read the official ordering below. Ranked order aside, taking an overview of his astonishing career is another reminder of just how lucky we are to have him.

34) 1941 (1979)

“Steve’s direction was brilliant,” George Lucas march, and is the answer to the pub question: “Which film features Toshiro Mifune, Christopher Lee and Mickey Rourke?” But it’s also monotonal, repetitive and, as critic Pauline Kael once eloquently put it, like “having your head stuck...

‘Pathaan’ makes fast start; Venice winner ‘All The Beauty…’ launches.

Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical drama The Fabelmans makes its UK-Ireland box office bow this weekend, with competition from Lionsgate action film Plane, Bollywood thriller Pathaan and Venice-winning documentary All The Beauty And The Bloodshed.

The Fabelmans is the widest opening title of the weekend, starting in 670 locations (and 767 screens) through eOne. This marks the company’s third-widest opening of all time in the territory, behind 1917’s 692 sites from January 2020, and The Bfg’s 680 from July 2016.

Those films started with £7.3m and £5.3m respectively; anything approaching either of those figures would...

You know his music. Now, you’ll be able to know him.

John Williams, the legendary screen composer behind some of the most recognized movie themes of all time, is now the subject of a feature-length documentary, with his longtime collaborator Steven Spielberg among those spearheading the project.

Amblin Television, Imagine Documentaries and Nedland Media are in the very early stages of production on the documentary that is being directed by Laurent Bouzereau. Bouzereau is a documentarian whose credits include Five Came Back, Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind and Mama’s Boy: A Story From Our Americas. He is also a longtime director of “making of” and behind-the-scenes featurettes, producing several hundred of them since the 1990s, including dozens for Spielberg movies.

Spielberg is executive producing along with Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Justin Wilkes, Sara Bernstein and Meredith Kaulfers.

Williams is the most recognized and accomplished...

There hasn’t been a single filmmaker – perhaps in the history of the medium – to capture the popular zeitgeist the way that Steven Spielberg has. Saying something is “Spielbergian” conjures a very specific set of criteria – it probably involves children (or is at least viewed through the honeyed lens of the adolescent experience), an uncanny scenario and a potent mixture of both fear and awe, sometimes in the same sequence or same moment. These ideas and concepts are usually conveyed through technically unparalleled camera movements that are still somehow unshowy (we get into the “Spielberg oner” later). He’s the most well-known director of all time and, as “The Fabelmans” has proved, continues to deliver top-tier entertainment that also doubles as a towering work of art.

He has also made many, many movies. Over his 50+ year career, Steven Spielberg has directed 34 features, with more on the way (how has he never made a western?...

A group of prominent Icelandic creatives, including “True Detective” actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson and “As Long As We Live” producer Hörður Rúnarsson, have formed a new production company with an eye on making premium Nordic programs for a global audience.

Act 4 recently completed a financing round backed by an international group of investors. The financing was completed in December in cooperation with the Reykjavík-based law firm Lmg. Act 4 will present a new slate of projects to partners at upcoming industry markets.

In addition to Ólafsson and Rúnarsson, the other two co-founders of Act 4 are Jónas Margeir Ingólfsson and Birkir Blær Ingólfsson.

Ólafsson, an award-winning Icelandic-American actor, producer and screenwriter, has worked with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Ben Stiller and Scott Frank. His acting credits include “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” “Fantastic Beasts,” “True Detective,” “The Bfg” and “The Minister,...

Plot: Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical is an inspirational musical tale of an extraordinary girl who discovers her superpower and summons the remarkable courage, against all odds, to help others change their stories, whilst also taking charge of her own destiny. Standing up for what’s right, she’s met with miraculous results.

Review: Roald Dahl’s novels have long made for wonderful cinematic adaptations from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to James and the Giant Peach, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Witches, and The Bfg. While Danny DeVito’s 1996 adaptation has remained a cult and nostalgiac favorite for many, the 2011 stage musical brought a more faithful and expansive take on Dahl’s beloved novel about a little girl with big brains and bigger superpowers. In the decade since it hit the stage, an adaptation of Matilda The Musical has been in the works and now has debuted...

Clockwise from left to right: The Bfg (1989); Fantastic Mr. Fox; Matilda; Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory; The Witches (1990) Screenshot: ITV/Searchlight Pictures/Sony Pictures/Paramount Pictures/Warner Bros. Pictures Like so many slightly odd, library-obsessed kids, some of my earliest youthful fantasies (and nightmares) were a product of Roald Dahl’s mind.

‘She Said’, ’Strange World’ and ’Bones And All’ also debuted this weekend.

RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Nov 25-27)Total gross to date Week 1. Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical (Sony) £4.1m £4.1m 1 2. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Disney) £2.7m £27m 3 3. Strange World (Disney) £717,074 £832,815 1 4. The Menu (Disney) £429,244 £2m 2 5. She Said (Universal) £349,513 £444,806 1

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.21

Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical is leader of the pack at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office, with £4.1m from 668 locations for Sony.

This meant an average of £6,138, way outperforming its recent Sony family musical stablemate Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, which took £1.7m in its October opening weekend,...