General Hospital spoilers and updates tease Kelly Thiebaud, formerly Britt Westbourne, has been taking a positive approach while going through some life changes lately. She recently shared with fans on X, formerly called Twitter, she’s returning to an activity that she much enjoyed in her past-playing softball!
General Hospital Spoilers – Britt Westbourne Was Killed Off The Soap
Viewers and fans of Kelly will recall that she played Liesl Obrecht’s (Kathleen Gati) daughter Britt, who was killed by the Hook protecting Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) at the docks.
She didn’t realize she’d even been wounded until she felt weak on board the Haunted Star as she sat with her mother-she’d used her large bag as a shield.
In spite of it, she got poked just enough for the snake venom Heather Webber (Alley Mills) used on the tip to poison her and she died.
Kelly really...
General Hospital Spoilers – Britt Westbourne Was Killed Off The Soap
Viewers and fans of Kelly will recall that she played Liesl Obrecht’s (Kathleen Gati) daughter Britt, who was killed by the Hook protecting Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) at the docks.
She didn’t realize she’d even been wounded until she felt weak on board the Haunted Star as she sat with her mother-she’d used her large bag as a shield.
In spite of it, she got poked just enough for the snake venom Heather Webber (Alley Mills) used on the tip to poison her and she died.
Kelly really...
- 4/15/2024
- by Rita Ryan
- Celebrating The Soaps
Abel Ferrara has made a career out of staring unflinchingly into the abyss, interrogating man’s weakness and depravity and daring his audiences to look away. Faced with the catastrophic violence of the war in Ukraine, however, which he chronicles in the Berlin-premiering documentary “Turn in the Wound,” even the iconoclastic director finds himself at a loss — for words, and for easy answers.
“Why is the violence — that’s what it’s about,” Ferrara tells Variety. “Whether it’s there, whether it’s happening in Gaza and Israel — it’s happening all over the world. It has happened, it is happening, and it’s going to happen, and the question is, Why?”
Ferrara returns to Berlin four years after competing for the Golden Bear with “Siberia,” which starred Willem Dafoe in what Variety’s Guy Lodge described as a “beautiful, unhinged, sometimes hilarious trek into geographical and psychological wilderness.” The...
“Why is the violence — that’s what it’s about,” Ferrara tells Variety. “Whether it’s there, whether it’s happening in Gaza and Israel — it’s happening all over the world. It has happened, it is happening, and it’s going to happen, and the question is, Why?”
Ferrara returns to Berlin four years after competing for the Golden Bear with “Siberia,” which starred Willem Dafoe in what Variety’s Guy Lodge described as a “beautiful, unhinged, sometimes hilarious trek into geographical and psychological wilderness.” The...
- 2/21/2024
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
The music video for Fantasia’s “Superpower (I)” from “The Color Purple” is here.
“Superpower (I),” written and produced by The-Dream, is performed by Fantasia during the musical film’s end credits. The track is shortlisted for the best original song Oscar, as is the film’s “Keep It Movin.’”
Directed by Taylor Fauntleroy, the video features Fantasia singing the powerful track with her younger self, made possible with the use of AI technology. Fantasia, dressed in a sparkly silver and black gown, sings with her 19-year-old self in the red dress she wore for her 2004 “American Idol” performance of “Summertime.” The soaring ballad is an anthem that comes to symbolize Fantasia’s 20-year career from reality competition star to the award-winning lead of “The Color Purple.”
“Not only is this a song that is so meaningful to the story of ‘The Color Purple,’ it’s also a song that...
“Superpower (I),” written and produced by The-Dream, is performed by Fantasia during the musical film’s end credits. The track is shortlisted for the best original song Oscar, as is the film’s “Keep It Movin.’”
Directed by Taylor Fauntleroy, the video features Fantasia singing the powerful track with her younger self, made possible with the use of AI technology. Fantasia, dressed in a sparkly silver and black gown, sings with her 19-year-old self in the red dress she wore for her 2004 “American Idol” performance of “Summertime.” The soaring ballad is an anthem that comes to symbolize Fantasia’s 20-year career from reality competition star to the award-winning lead of “The Color Purple.”
“Not only is this a song that is so meaningful to the story of ‘The Color Purple,’ it’s also a song that...
- 1/12/2024
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
When hitmaking producer The-Dream got the call to write an original song for the remake of The Color Purple, he almost couldn’t do it. He was busy — busy with Beyoncé.
“We were working on the Renaissance film, and I got a call from [music executive] Larry Jackson. He was like, ‘Yo, man, I need a record and I don’t know if you could do this,’” The-Dream tells The Hollywood Reporter. “And I was like, ‘Ah, man, I’m in the middle of this Renaissance thing and I’m doing more.’ I think people have an idea of what they think I do and it just kind of stops there. Like, ‘Oh, he writes a song and he goes home.’ It’s like, ‘Nah, that’s not quite what I do.’”
But much like Queen Bey, The-Dream is a skilled multitasker, and he recorded a song so compelling it’s landed...
“We were working on the Renaissance film, and I got a call from [music executive] Larry Jackson. He was like, ‘Yo, man, I need a record and I don’t know if you could do this,’” The-Dream tells The Hollywood Reporter. “And I was like, ‘Ah, man, I’m in the middle of this Renaissance thing and I’m doing more.’ I think people have an idea of what they think I do and it just kind of stops there. Like, ‘Oh, he writes a song and he goes home.’ It’s like, ‘Nah, that’s not quite what I do.’”
But much like Queen Bey, The-Dream is a skilled multitasker, and he recorded a song so compelling it’s landed...
- 1/9/2024
- by Mesfin Fekadu
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
While the Original Song Oscar shortlist is typically good about spreading the wealth around, three movies dominated close to half the spaces. Barbie nabbed noms for three songs, while The Color Purple and Apple Original Films’ Flora and Son got two each. Of the 15 spots, Warner Bros owns five of ’em between Barbie and Color Purple.
Warner Bros has been pushing the Barbie soundtrack, produced by A Star Is Born “Shallow” Oscar winner and 7x Grammy winner Mark Ronson, in a major way this season with meet-and-greets and screenings for the latter, as well as performers Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish and even Ryan Gosling. All three shortlisted songs from Barbie –“Dance the Night,” “What Was I Made For?” and “I’m Just Ken”– already are nominated over at the Golden Globes. When has there been a juggernaut from one movie between the Globes and Oscar shortlist?
While the Original Song...
Warner Bros has been pushing the Barbie soundtrack, produced by A Star Is Born “Shallow” Oscar winner and 7x Grammy winner Mark Ronson, in a major way this season with meet-and-greets and screenings for the latter, as well as performers Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish and even Ryan Gosling. All three shortlisted songs from Barbie –“Dance the Night,” “What Was I Made For?” and “I’m Just Ken”– already are nominated over at the Golden Globes. When has there been a juggernaut from one movie between the Globes and Oscar shortlist?
While the Original Song...
- 12/21/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Shortlists announced in 10 categories for 96th Academy Awards.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced shortlists in 10 categories for the 96th Academy Awards, with The Taste Of Things (France), The Zone Of Interest (UK), Fallen Leaves (Finland), The Mother Of All Lies (Morocco), and Totem (Mexico) among those to make the cut in the international feature film category.
Shortlists were also announced for documentary feature, documentary short film, makeup and hairstyling, music (original score), music (original song), animated short film, live action short film, sound and visual effects.
More to follow…
Documentary Feature Film
Fifteen films will...
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced shortlists in 10 categories for the 96th Academy Awards, with The Taste Of Things (France), The Zone Of Interest (UK), Fallen Leaves (Finland), The Mother Of All Lies (Morocco), and Totem (Mexico) among those to make the cut in the international feature film category.
Shortlists were also announced for documentary feature, documentary short film, makeup and hairstyling, music (original score), music (original song), animated short film, live action short film, sound and visual effects.
More to follow…
Documentary Feature Film
Fifteen films will...
- 12/21/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Oscar’s music branch has had its say, naming 15 original scores and 15 songs to its shortlist for possible nomination at the 96th Academy Awards, with few surprises.
As expected, all three “Barbie” songs that were entered — Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For,” Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” and Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” — made the 15-song list. Only two, under Academy rules, can be nominated.
The mild surprise was the citing of two new songs from “The Color Purple” (“Keep It Movin'” and “Superpower”) and two from “Flora and Son” (“High Life” and “Meet in the Middle”), while two of the biggest musicals of the season, “Wonka” and “Wish,” failed to make the cut in either category.
The Bruce Springsteen song from “She Came to Me,” Golden Globe-nominated, is also missing from Oscar’s preliminary list, as are the *Nsync reunion on a song from...
As expected, all three “Barbie” songs that were entered — Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For,” Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” and Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” — made the 15-song list. Only two, under Academy rules, can be nominated.
The mild surprise was the citing of two new songs from “The Color Purple” (“Keep It Movin'” and “Superpower”) and two from “Flora and Son” (“High Life” and “Meet in the Middle”), while two of the biggest musicals of the season, “Wonka” and “Wish,” failed to make the cut in either category.
The Bruce Springsteen song from “She Came to Me,” Golden Globe-nominated, is also missing from Oscar’s preliminary list, as are the *Nsync reunion on a song from...
- 12/21/2023
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday announced shortlists in 10 categories for the 96th Academy Awards.
The shortlists were unveiled in the following categories: documentary feature film, documentary short film, international feature film, makeup and hairstyling, music (original score), music (original song), animated short film, live-action short film, sound and visual effects.
Barbie, Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, The Color Purple and The Zone of Interest are among the film that made the cut on multiple lists.
Nominations voting run Jan. 11-16, with the official noms announcement set for Jan. 23.
The Oscars ceremony will be held March 10 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC. Jimmy Kimmel is returning as host.
See the full shortlists below, along with the Academy’s comments about each category.
Documentary Feature Film
Fifteen films will advance in this category. One hundred sixty-seven films were eligible in the category.
The shortlists were unveiled in the following categories: documentary feature film, documentary short film, international feature film, makeup and hairstyling, music (original score), music (original song), animated short film, live-action short film, sound and visual effects.
Barbie, Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, The Color Purple and The Zone of Interest are among the film that made the cut on multiple lists.
Nominations voting run Jan. 11-16, with the official noms announcement set for Jan. 23.
The Oscars ceremony will be held March 10 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC. Jimmy Kimmel is returning as host.
See the full shortlists below, along with the Academy’s comments about each category.
Documentary Feature Film
Fifteen films will advance in this category. One hundred sixty-seven films were eligible in the category.
- 12/21/2023
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlists in 10 categories for the upcoming 96th Oscars ceremony.
Overall, Greta Gerwig’s meta-comedy “Barbie” had the most mentions with five including sound, original song for its three submissions from Billie Eilish (“What I Was Made For?”), Dua Lipa (“Dance the Night”) and Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (“I’m Just Ken”), and original score, from the latter duo. The big miss for “Barbie” was in makeup and hairstyling, which was the category that yielded the most surprises.
In addition to “Barbie,” “The Color Purple,” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” all failed to make the shortlist. Instead, the branch selected A24’s eccentric “Beau is Afraid” and Universal Pictures’ horror summer film “The Last Voyage of the Demeter.”
In the music categories are compositions from Daniel Pemberton (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”), Ludwig Göransson (“Oppenheimer”) and the late...
Overall, Greta Gerwig’s meta-comedy “Barbie” had the most mentions with five including sound, original song for its three submissions from Billie Eilish (“What I Was Made For?”), Dua Lipa (“Dance the Night”) and Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (“I’m Just Ken”), and original score, from the latter duo. The big miss for “Barbie” was in makeup and hairstyling, which was the category that yielded the most surprises.
In addition to “Barbie,” “The Color Purple,” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” all failed to make the shortlist. Instead, the branch selected A24’s eccentric “Beau is Afraid” and Universal Pictures’ horror summer film “The Last Voyage of the Demeter.”
In the music categories are compositions from Daniel Pemberton (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”), Ludwig Göransson (“Oppenheimer”) and the late...
- 12/21/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Our Pmc sister website Variety is reporting that the motion picture academy has named 94 tunes as eligible for Best Original Song at the 2024 Oscars. See the complete list below of every song currently on the ballot for the music branch. A total of 15 will be announced this Thursday, December 21, on the Oscar short list. A final five will be revealed on January 23 as the the actual nominees.
SEEDiane Warren interview: ‘The Fire Inside’ from ‘Flamin’ Hot’
Gold Derby has been offering you the opportunity to predict the Best Original Song category for the past few weeks. Among some of the surprise omissions:
“Barbie” producers have chosen not to submit “Barbie World,” “Speed Drive” and “Pink.” That film’s three official submissions are “I’m Just Ken,” “Dance the Night” and “What Was I Made For?”
“Trolls Band Together” producers have not entered “Family,” “Watch Me Work” and “Let’s Get Married.
SEEDiane Warren interview: ‘The Fire Inside’ from ‘Flamin’ Hot’
Gold Derby has been offering you the opportunity to predict the Best Original Song category for the past few weeks. Among some of the surprise omissions:
“Barbie” producers have chosen not to submit “Barbie World,” “Speed Drive” and “Pink.” That film’s three official submissions are “I’m Just Ken,” “Dance the Night” and “What Was I Made For?”
“Trolls Band Together” producers have not entered “Family,” “Watch Me Work” and “Let’s Get Married.
- 12/17/2023
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Ninety-four songs and 149 scores have been deemed eligible in the music categories for the 96th annual Academy Awards, Variety has learned.
Voting began Thursday, with 390 members of the Academy music branch eligible to vote in this year’s competition. And for the first time in years, there appear to be no surprises or glaring omissions.
Any film can submit up to three songs, and the “Barbie” entries were as expected: Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made for,” Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” and the Mark Ronson-Andrew Wyatt song “I’m Just Ken.”
Five other films submitted the maximum of three songs, including two from Disney: the live-action “The Little Mermaid,” with “For the First Time,” “The Scuttlebutt” and “Wild Uncharted Waters,” all by Alan Menken (who won Oscars for the original in 1989) and Lin-Manuel Miranda; and “Wish,” the Julia Michaels-Benjamin Rice tunes including “I’m a Star,...
Voting began Thursday, with 390 members of the Academy music branch eligible to vote in this year’s competition. And for the first time in years, there appear to be no surprises or glaring omissions.
Any film can submit up to three songs, and the “Barbie” entries were as expected: Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made for,” Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” and the Mark Ronson-Andrew Wyatt song “I’m Just Ken.”
Five other films submitted the maximum of three songs, including two from Disney: the live-action “The Little Mermaid,” with “For the First Time,” “The Scuttlebutt” and “Wild Uncharted Waters,” all by Alan Menken (who won Oscars for the original in 1989) and Lin-Manuel Miranda; and “Wish,” the Julia Michaels-Benjamin Rice tunes including “I’m a Star,...
- 12/15/2023
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Is the Saudi-Hollywood love affair back on?
Judging by the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival, which wrapped on Dec. 9, the answer is yes. A parade of stars including Will Smith, Michelle Williams, Chris Hemsworth, Johnny Depp and Halle Berry made the pilgrimage to Jeddah even as the Israel-Hamas conflict raged just 700 miles north.
This year’s guest list signals a dramatic reversal in relations from five years ago, when Hollywood’s outrage campaign was in full swing following the murder of The Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of Saudi government agents. In the aftermath, WME’s Ari Emanuel cut ties with the kingdom, returning its $400 million investment just six months after courting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to Los Angeles.
While enticing big-name talent this year generated positive publicity, the real Saudi mandate is to diversify the country’s economy beyond oil,...
Judging by the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival, which wrapped on Dec. 9, the answer is yes. A parade of stars including Will Smith, Michelle Williams, Chris Hemsworth, Johnny Depp and Halle Berry made the pilgrimage to Jeddah even as the Israel-Hamas conflict raged just 700 miles north.
This year’s guest list signals a dramatic reversal in relations from five years ago, when Hollywood’s outrage campaign was in full swing following the murder of The Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of Saudi government agents. In the aftermath, WME’s Ari Emanuel cut ties with the kingdom, returning its $400 million investment just six months after courting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to Los Angeles.
While enticing big-name talent this year generated positive publicity, the real Saudi mandate is to diversify the country’s economy beyond oil,...
- 12/13/2023
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
Hozefa Lokhandwala will step down as co-ceo of Vice Media Group to start “a new endeavor,” he said in a memo to staff Thursday. Bruce Dixon, formerly co-ceo alongside Lokhandwala, will now be the sole CEO.
Lokhandwala’s exit comes after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and in July 2023 closed a $350 million sale to a group of its former lenders, Fortress Investment Group, Soros Fund Management and Monroe Capital. Last month, Vice Media announced another round of layoffs, after several Vice News shows failed to get renewed, and consolidated its five operating divisions down to two. The latest layoffs eliminated fewer than 100 jobs. Vice Media most recently had just over 1,000 staffers worldwide; at one point, it counted about 3,000 employees.
Lokhandwala has been at the company since 2018, formerly serving as chief strategy officer. Before joining Vice Media, he worked at Jp Morgan, most recently as managing director, head of content and entertainment investment banking.
Lokhandwala’s exit comes after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and in July 2023 closed a $350 million sale to a group of its former lenders, Fortress Investment Group, Soros Fund Management and Monroe Capital. Last month, Vice Media announced another round of layoffs, after several Vice News shows failed to get renewed, and consolidated its five operating divisions down to two. The latest layoffs eliminated fewer than 100 jobs. Vice Media most recently had just over 1,000 staffers worldwide; at one point, it counted about 3,000 employees.
Lokhandwala has been at the company since 2018, formerly serving as chief strategy officer. Before joining Vice Media, he worked at Jp Morgan, most recently as managing director, head of content and entertainment investment banking.
- 12/7/2023
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Sean Penn-starring Ukrainian anthology movie War Through the Eyes of Animals has wrapped shooting in LA and more details have emerged about Penn’s involvement.
The movie is told in nine parts and shines a spotlight on animals affected by ecocide due to the war in Ukraine, which has been raging for nearly two years. Filming recently wrapped in LA and a second phase will begin in Ukraine shortly.
Penn stars in the final story titled ‘The Eagle,’ written and filmed by renowned director Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi (The Tribe), which pays tribute to a Ukrainian nature reserve around Chernobyl ravaged by war. It features a recording of rare bird voices in a national reserve, where a young sound engineer has ventured at the request of a foreign producer. The engineer is then interrupted by the sudden outbreak of war.
“It was a pleasure to collaborate with a global cinema...
The movie is told in nine parts and shines a spotlight on animals affected by ecocide due to the war in Ukraine, which has been raging for nearly two years. Filming recently wrapped in LA and a second phase will begin in Ukraine shortly.
Penn stars in the final story titled ‘The Eagle,’ written and filmed by renowned director Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi (The Tribe), which pays tribute to a Ukrainian nature reserve around Chernobyl ravaged by war. It features a recording of rare bird voices in a national reserve, where a young sound engineer has ventured at the request of a foreign producer. The engineer is then interrupted by the sudden outbreak of war.
“It was a pleasure to collaborate with a global cinema...
- 12/7/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Cinematographer and director Warwick Thornton scored top honors Saturday at the Camerimage cinematography film festival for his magical tale of an aboriginal youth, “The New Boy,” which film jurors called a distinctive “portrait of an extinguished spirituality.”
Thornton, in accepting the Golden Frog, said he had been so moved by the cinematography work onscreen at the fest, a top global event for directors of photography, he’d been “tearing for a week.”
Ed Lachman, director of photography for Pablo Larrain’s horror fantasy “El Conde,” inspired by the life of Chilean tyrant Augusto Pinochet, won the Silver Frog for what the jury called “cinematic high poetry,” while the Bronze Frog and Audience Award went to cinematographer Robbie Ryan for his Gothic dream-like imagery in Emma Stone-starrer “Poor Things,” directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.
Actor Peter Dinklage, honored with a festival director’s prize, expressed his gratitude for the Frog statuette,...
Thornton, in accepting the Golden Frog, said he had been so moved by the cinematography work onscreen at the fest, a top global event for directors of photography, he’d been “tearing for a week.”
Ed Lachman, director of photography for Pablo Larrain’s horror fantasy “El Conde,” inspired by the life of Chilean tyrant Augusto Pinochet, won the Silver Frog for what the jury called “cinematic high poetry,” while the Bronze Frog and Audience Award went to cinematographer Robbie Ryan for his Gothic dream-like imagery in Emma Stone-starrer “Poor Things,” directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.
Actor Peter Dinklage, honored with a festival director’s prize, expressed his gratitude for the Frog statuette,...
- 11/19/2023
- by Will Tizard
- Variety Film + TV
Sean Pean says the cost in human lives of Russia’s continuing war on Ukraine is on “all of us.”
Political dithering in the West has given Russia great advantages in the conflict, Penn argued, speaking to the audience Friday in Torun, Poland, after screening “Superpower,” his documentary on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Camerimage cinematography film fest.
If Ukraine had been supplied with enough military support to control its airspace early on, Penn argues, the war that began with Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion last year could have been ended by now. Instead, he said, the measured U.S. response was “shameful.”
When asked by one audience member whether Penn had tried to speak to Vladimir Putin while shooting the film, Penn said he had – though he confessed it personally revolted him to meet with the Russian president’s top people, who declined an interview, preferring to gossip about...
Political dithering in the West has given Russia great advantages in the conflict, Penn argued, speaking to the audience Friday in Torun, Poland, after screening “Superpower,” his documentary on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Camerimage cinematography film fest.
If Ukraine had been supplied with enough military support to control its airspace early on, Penn argues, the war that began with Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion last year could have been ended by now. Instead, he said, the measured U.S. response was “shameful.”
When asked by one audience member whether Penn had tried to speak to Vladimir Putin while shooting the film, Penn said he had – though he confessed it personally revolted him to meet with the Russian president’s top people, who declined an interview, preferring to gossip about...
- 11/17/2023
- by Will Tizard
- Variety Film + TV
Just weeks before the 31st edition of Poland’s EnergaCamerimage gets underway, there was a groundbreaking for the planned European Film Center Camerimage, a Pln 600 million (roughly ($144 million) cultural center that will be built in host city Toruń and used in future years as the international cinematography film festival’s main venue. Plans call for the center to include a main screening room with seating for roughly 1,500, as well as three 200-300-seat screening rooms, a soundstage for production and postproduction facilities.
The new center underscores the growth of the festival, which has become a bellwether for what’s to come in the cinematography Oscar race. In three of the past four years, the winner of Camerimage’s Golden Frog has gone on to earn an Oscar nomination in cinematography, including 2019’s Joker and 2020’s Nomadland and 2022’s Tár.
According to festival director Marek Żydowicz, more than 1,000 films were viewed...
The new center underscores the growth of the festival, which has become a bellwether for what’s to come in the cinematography Oscar race. In three of the past four years, the winner of Camerimage’s Golden Frog has gone on to earn an Oscar nomination in cinematography, including 2019’s Joker and 2020’s Nomadland and 2022’s Tár.
According to festival director Marek Żydowicz, more than 1,000 films were viewed...
- 11/11/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Vice Media Group is beginning a restructuring process that will see the departure of a number of employees.
The youth-skewing broadcaster is undergoing its latest round of layoffs this year as it winds down a number of long-running news programs. Sources told Deadline that less than 100 people are impacted.
Vice CEOs Bruce Dixon and Hozefa Lokhandwala revealed the news in a memo sent to staff this morning, which Deadline has obtained a copy of (see below).
It comes as Vice on Showtime was canceled after season four and Vice News Tonight ended.
Dixon and Lokhandwala were named co-CEOs in February following the departure of Nancy Dubuc. From there, they’ve had a busy year, laying off staff in April with the cancelation of Vice News Tonight, and in August following its bankruptcy sale.
The company was acquired at the end of July by a group of its former lenders, Fortress Investment Group,...
The youth-skewing broadcaster is undergoing its latest round of layoffs this year as it winds down a number of long-running news programs. Sources told Deadline that less than 100 people are impacted.
Vice CEOs Bruce Dixon and Hozefa Lokhandwala revealed the news in a memo sent to staff this morning, which Deadline has obtained a copy of (see below).
It comes as Vice on Showtime was canceled after season four and Vice News Tonight ended.
Dixon and Lokhandwala were named co-CEOs in February following the departure of Nancy Dubuc. From there, they’ve had a busy year, laying off staff in April with the cancelation of Vice News Tonight, and in August following its bankruptcy sale.
The company was acquired at the end of July by a group of its former lenders, Fortress Investment Group,...
- 11/9/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The 31st edition of the Camerimage Film Festival, Europe’s top cinematography event, will welcome a host of stellar guests to the Gothic Polish town of Torun, including Adam Driver, Sean Penn and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer.
Driver and Penn will screen their latest films, respectively, the high-octane biopic “Ferrari” and the portrait of Eastern Europe’s most remarkable wartime president, Volodymyr Zelensky, “Superpower.”
As regular fest guests have learned, the calendar of film screenings is just as important to study as the schedule for panels, seminars and masterclasses. That’s because Camerimage, with limited event space for now, strategically holds filmmaker talks following film projections, often in the same hall of the Jordanki cinema space.
Which means opening-night audiences who linger after Camerimage screens Robbie Ryan-shot “Poor Things,” the Frankenstein-esque fairytale by Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Emma Stone, will be able to...
Driver and Penn will screen their latest films, respectively, the high-octane biopic “Ferrari” and the portrait of Eastern Europe’s most remarkable wartime president, Volodymyr Zelensky, “Superpower.”
As regular fest guests have learned, the calendar of film screenings is just as important to study as the schedule for panels, seminars and masterclasses. That’s because Camerimage, with limited event space for now, strategically holds filmmaker talks following film projections, often in the same hall of the Jordanki cinema space.
Which means opening-night audiences who linger after Camerimage screens Robbie Ryan-shot “Poor Things,” the Frankenstein-esque fairytale by Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Emma Stone, will be able to...
- 11/6/2023
- by Will Tizard
- Variety Film + TV
Sean Penn, whose Volodymyr Zelenskyy documentary “Superpower” recently launched on Paramount+, will be on the iconic stage of Cannes’s Grand Auditorium later this month — but it won’t be for a movie.
The Oscar winner is set to attend Mipcom, the international TV conference, alongside Matthew Fox (“Lost”) and Kick Gurry (“Edge of Tomorrow”) to discuss their wartime satire series “C*A*U*G*H*T” as part of a Media Mastermind Keynote on Oct. 18. Penn, who stars and serves as executive producer on the show, will participate in a panel discussion with Fox and Curry. The session will see them discuss ways in which the series explores themes of identity, fame and social media absurdities.
Landing a Hollywood star like Penn is a massive coup for Mipcom, which has sought to raise its profile within a competitive landscape for industry events.
A Stan original, “C*A*U*G...
The Oscar winner is set to attend Mipcom, the international TV conference, alongside Matthew Fox (“Lost”) and Kick Gurry (“Edge of Tomorrow”) to discuss their wartime satire series “C*A*U*G*H*T” as part of a Media Mastermind Keynote on Oct. 18. Penn, who stars and serves as executive producer on the show, will participate in a panel discussion with Fox and Curry. The session will see them discuss ways in which the series explores themes of identity, fame and social media absurdities.
Landing a Hollywood star like Penn is a massive coup for Mipcom, which has sought to raise its profile within a competitive landscape for industry events.
A Stan original, “C*A*U*G...
- 10/6/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Sean Penn, director of the new Ukraine war documentary Superpower, does not hold back in an in-depth interview for Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast.
The two-time Oscar winner becomes emotional recalling what he witnessed inside the presidential palace in Ukraine on the very day Russia launched its brutal invasion of the country. Weaving through darkened passageways on his way to meet one on one with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Penn describes the “extreme courage” he saw as the Ukrainian leader tried to mount a defense against a nuclear-powered neighbor.
Penn goes after the right for failing to be outraged over Russia’s abduction of thousands of Ukrainian children. But he saves his sharpest criticism for the left, targeting those who call for peace talks with Russia that could jeopardize Ukraine’s freedom.
“How dare we talk about their negotiation?” he demands, asking Americans how they would feel if somebody seized New...
The two-time Oscar winner becomes emotional recalling what he witnessed inside the presidential palace in Ukraine on the very day Russia launched its brutal invasion of the country. Weaving through darkened passageways on his way to meet one on one with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Penn describes the “extreme courage” he saw as the Ukrainian leader tried to mount a defense against a nuclear-powered neighbor.
Penn goes after the right for failing to be outraged over Russia’s abduction of thousands of Ukrainian children. But he saves his sharpest criticism for the left, targeting those who call for peace talks with Russia that could jeopardize Ukraine’s freedom.
“How dare we talk about their negotiation?” he demands, asking Americans how they would feel if somebody seized New...
- 10/3/2023
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
Verdi Productions, run by Chad A. Verdi, Paul Luba, Chad Verdi, Jr.
and Michelle Verdi, plans to release three films in 2024 that were previously put on hold since actors were unable to promote work during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
“Workers in the film industry are getting financially destroyed by these strikes, whether it’s actors, writers, directors or crew. Most of these individuals were already working multiple jobs to get by,” Verdi said in a statement. “This widespread production shutdown didn’t hurt the top 1% in the industry but ruined many people who work week-to-week and paycheck-to-paycheck. It’s very unfortunate to see. Let’s get our union members a fair deal so that they can get back to doing what they love.”
In partnership with Vmi Worldwide, Verdi Productions will release “Junction” in January. The film follows the modern-day opioid crisis through three different viewpoints: the CEO of a pharmaceutical company,...
and Michelle Verdi, plans to release three films in 2024 that were previously put on hold since actors were unable to promote work during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
“Workers in the film industry are getting financially destroyed by these strikes, whether it’s actors, writers, directors or crew. Most of these individuals were already working multiple jobs to get by,” Verdi said in a statement. “This widespread production shutdown didn’t hurt the top 1% in the industry but ruined many people who work week-to-week and paycheck-to-paycheck. It’s very unfortunate to see. Let’s get our union members a fair deal so that they can get back to doing what they love.”
In partnership with Vmi Worldwide, Verdi Productions will release “Junction” in January. The film follows the modern-day opioid crisis through three different viewpoints: the CEO of a pharmaceutical company,...
- 9/26/2023
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
Superpower director Sean Penn isn’t mincing words in his denunciation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The two-time Oscar-winning actor, whose new documentary about the war in Ukraine is now streaming on Paramount+, calls the Kremlin leader “a gangster with nuclear weapons,” in an interview with Deadline. His comments came during a taping at Deadline studios in Los Angeles for an upcoming episode of Doc Talk, a new podcast that launched earlier this month.
At another point in the interview, Penn described Putin as “this monster that’s running the show” in Russia now. In contrast, he lauds Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s character responding to the existential threat to his country from Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the Un General Assembly on September 19, 2023.
“The pursuit of patriotism, it is the courage of moral clarity where there’s chaos, it is...
The two-time Oscar-winning actor, whose new documentary about the war in Ukraine is now streaming on Paramount+, calls the Kremlin leader “a gangster with nuclear weapons,” in an interview with Deadline. His comments came during a taping at Deadline studios in Los Angeles for an upcoming episode of Doc Talk, a new podcast that launched earlier this month.
At another point in the interview, Penn described Putin as “this monster that’s running the show” in Russia now. In contrast, he lauds Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s character responding to the existential threat to his country from Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the Un General Assembly on September 19, 2023.
“The pursuit of patriotism, it is the courage of moral clarity where there’s chaos, it is...
- 9/23/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Sean Penn knows what you think of him.
Several minutes into the two-time Oscar winner’s new film, Superpower, ostensibly a documentary about the battle-hardened president of Ukraine, Penn’s gravelly voice answers a question posed in interviews past: Who do you think you are, Walter Cronkite? You have a savior complex?
“I’ve been lucky enough to be able to travel,” Penn answers in a voiceover, “and, weathered though it is, my famous face gets me access to places and people I may otherwise not have known. And sometimes...
Several minutes into the two-time Oscar winner’s new film, Superpower, ostensibly a documentary about the battle-hardened president of Ukraine, Penn’s gravelly voice answers a question posed in interviews past: Who do you think you are, Walter Cronkite? You have a savior complex?
“I’ve been lucky enough to be able to travel,” Penn answers in a voiceover, “and, weathered though it is, my famous face gets me access to places and people I may otherwise not have known. And sometimes...
- 9/23/2023
- by Miriam Elder
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: Sony Pictures Classics is in exclusive negotiations to acquire Daddio, the Christy Hall-directed two-hander starring Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson. The film established itself as a bright spot in its premiere at Telluride and then at Toronto. SPC will get North America, Latin America and territories throughout Europe and Asia.
Hall, who co-created the series I Am Not Okay With This, makes her feature directorial debut armed with a taxi cab, two terrific actors and a razor-sharp script in which a driver and his fare get to know each other and intimate aspects of their lives during the course of a traffic-snarled road trip from JFK to midtown Manhattan.
Penn plays the cab driver, who engages his passenger in small talk that becomes gradually more revealing. Johnson plays the young woman who is navigating an affair with a married father and who clearly has misgivings about it. Penn,...
Hall, who co-created the series I Am Not Okay With This, makes her feature directorial debut armed with a taxi cab, two terrific actors and a razor-sharp script in which a driver and his fare get to know each other and intimate aspects of their lives during the course of a traffic-snarled road trip from JFK to midtown Manhattan.
Penn plays the cab driver, who engages his passenger in small talk that becomes gradually more revealing. Johnson plays the young woman who is navigating an affair with a married father and who clearly has misgivings about it. Penn,...
- 9/21/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Actor embedded himself with the Ukrainian president during a time of crisis, but his film feels like a missed opportunity
Sean Penn is a brave man. He regularly shrugs off the comforts of Hollywood to parachute into sites of devastation and disaster, from Iraq and Venezuela to Haiti, where he notoriously commanded bountiful media attention over the course of a self-directed and extended embed during the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. The actor’s new film Superpower is a documentary that goes beyond the photo ops and talkshow appearances, and relays what it looks like, day after day, hour after hour, when an Oscar-winning movie star crashes a cataclysm.
Co-directed by Aaron Kaufman and produced with Vice, Penn’s Superpower was originally meant to be a feature film on Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the heroically buffoonish Ukrainian comedian whose anti-corruption bits and widespread popularity somehow translated into presidency. Around the time that the documentary project was getting started,...
Sean Penn is a brave man. He regularly shrugs off the comforts of Hollywood to parachute into sites of devastation and disaster, from Iraq and Venezuela to Haiti, where he notoriously commanded bountiful media attention over the course of a self-directed and extended embed during the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. The actor’s new film Superpower is a documentary that goes beyond the photo ops and talkshow appearances, and relays what it looks like, day after day, hour after hour, when an Oscar-winning movie star crashes a cataclysm.
Co-directed by Aaron Kaufman and produced with Vice, Penn’s Superpower was originally meant to be a feature film on Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the heroically buffoonish Ukrainian comedian whose anti-corruption bits and widespread popularity somehow translated into presidency. Around the time that the documentary project was getting started,...
- 9/19/2023
- by Lauren Mechling
- The Guardian - Film News
Sean Penn’s documentary Superpower, which follows an embattled Ukraine’s fight against an invading Russia and interviews president Volodymyr Zelensky, will debut on Ukrainian TV today.
The Fifth Season film will premiere the same day on Ukrainian broadcaster Inter as the feature documentary starts streaming in the U.S. on Paramount+. The day-and-date release will include other Ukrainian airdates on major channels Ntn, Mega and Sonce.
The documentary, co-financed with Vice Studios, chronicles Ukraine’s fight for freedom from invading Russian military forces and is directed by Hollywood actor and activist Penn and Aaron Kaufman. Superpower includes Penn conducing intimate interviews with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and others during seven trips to Ukraine over a two-year period.
Besides centering Zelensky as a wartime president, the documentary also explains how the conflict started, the stakes as it continues into a second year for the war and who remain the key players.
The Fifth Season film will premiere the same day on Ukrainian broadcaster Inter as the feature documentary starts streaming in the U.S. on Paramount+. The day-and-date release will include other Ukrainian airdates on major channels Ntn, Mega and Sonce.
The documentary, co-financed with Vice Studios, chronicles Ukraine’s fight for freedom from invading Russian military forces and is directed by Hollywood actor and activist Penn and Aaron Kaufman. Superpower includes Penn conducing intimate interviews with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and others during seven trips to Ukraine over a two-year period.
Besides centering Zelensky as a wartime president, the documentary also explains how the conflict started, the stakes as it continues into a second year for the war and who remain the key players.
- 9/18/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Superpower, Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman’s doc about Ukraine’s fight for freedom, is getting a launch in the war-torn Eastern European country today.
Fifth Season, which shops the film, has coordinated a day-and-date release for the doc in Ukraine alongside its launch on Paramount+ in the U.S. today.
The film will screen on leading Ukrainian net Inter, before running on other channels including Ntn, Mega, and Sonce, as part of a plan to support the Ukrainian people in their struggle against Russia’s invasion.
Superpower is billed as “a heart-wrenching glimpse into a country fighting for its freedom, featuring a series of intimate interviews done by Penn with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and others from seven trips over nearly a two-year period.” Penn and Kaufman are co-directors.
It began as a light-hearted project about Zelenskyy’s unusual rise from comic actor to President. However, when Russian troops...
Fifth Season, which shops the film, has coordinated a day-and-date release for the doc in Ukraine alongside its launch on Paramount+ in the U.S. today.
The film will screen on leading Ukrainian net Inter, before running on other channels including Ntn, Mega, and Sonce, as part of a plan to support the Ukrainian people in their struggle against Russia’s invasion.
Superpower is billed as “a heart-wrenching glimpse into a country fighting for its freedom, featuring a series of intimate interviews done by Penn with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and others from seven trips over nearly a two-year period.” Penn and Kaufman are co-directors.
It began as a light-hearted project about Zelenskyy’s unusual rise from comic actor to President. However, when Russian troops...
- 9/18/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
What started as a lighthearted look at the life and career of comedic actor-turned Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy soon escalated into devastation when, in February 2022, explosions rocked Kyiv. Through a series of intimate interviews done between Sean Penn with Zelenskyy over seven trips made in the past two years, the new Paramount+ Original documentary “Superpower” documents Ukraine’s fight to maintain freedom from Russia in the months before, hours during, and (so far) year and a half since. “Superpower” will premiere on Monday, Sept. 18 exclusively on Paramount+. You can watch with a subscription to Paramount Plus.
How to Watch Sean Penn's Volodymyr Zelenskyy Documentary 'Superpower' When: Monday, September 18, 2023 Where: Paramount Plus Stream: Watch with a subscription to Paramount Plus. Save $20 Now$5.99+ / month paramountplus.com
For a Limited Time, Get 1 Month of Paramount+ With Code: Lioness
About Sean Penn's Volodymyr Zelenskyy Documentary 'Superpower'
The Paramount+ Original documentary...
How to Watch Sean Penn's Volodymyr Zelenskyy Documentary 'Superpower' When: Monday, September 18, 2023 Where: Paramount Plus Stream: Watch with a subscription to Paramount Plus. Save $20 Now$5.99+ / month paramountplus.com
For a Limited Time, Get 1 Month of Paramount+ With Code: Lioness
About Sean Penn's Volodymyr Zelenskyy Documentary 'Superpower'
The Paramount+ Original documentary...
- 9/18/2023
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Sean Penn urged the White House to take a more aggressive approach toward arming Ukraine, telling a crowd at a screening of his film Superpower that those who are influencing U.S. policy “need to get out of the pure caution business.”
“I don’t mind being foolish in saying that I deeply believe, whether Democrat or Republican, if this was an issue that one of the parties chose to commit to, in arming Ukraine, that not only would it be a principal win, but it would be a political win. I think we are hungering for that kind of decisiveness,” Penn told CBS News’ Major Garrett.
“Caution has been very important, humanly and politically … But many times in emergencies, restraint is the enemy of action,” Penn added. “I think that there are influential people, perhaps influential with our president, who they themselves need to be encouraged to get out...
“I don’t mind being foolish in saying that I deeply believe, whether Democrat or Republican, if this was an issue that one of the parties chose to commit to, in arming Ukraine, that not only would it be a principal win, but it would be a political win. I think we are hungering for that kind of decisiveness,” Penn told CBS News’ Major Garrett.
“Caution has been very important, humanly and politically … But many times in emergencies, restraint is the enemy of action,” Penn added. “I think that there are influential people, perhaps influential with our president, who they themselves need to be encouraged to get out...
- 9/15/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
When it comes to being a movie star, Sean Penn knows a thing or two, and it’s one of the reasons he took a vested interest in Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky. “We’d originally set out to tell the whimsical tale of a real-world president who had been a comedy superstar in a series about a rural history teacher who becomes a president, only later to actually become one,” Penn says in the documentary Superpower, which is set to premiere Monday, September 18, on Paramount+. (Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+) Heading to Ukraine in 2022, Penn met with the comedic actor-turned-president Zelensky. What began as a curiosity, transformed into something much more intense amid the rising stakes. “When Billy Smith and I set out to make this film, there had been no recent signs of accelerated threat to Ukraine by Russia,” Penn clarifies in the doc he teamed up to make with friend and fellow actor Smith.
- 9/15/2023
- TV Insider
The actor, whose documentary Superpower is about Ukraine’s president, spoke in an interview about Smith’s ‘worst moment as a person’
Sean Penn has criticised the Academy Awards for not allowing Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy to speak at the 2022 Oscars ceremony, adding that Will Smith’s infamous slap would not have happened if Zelenskiy had appeared.
In an interview with Variety about Penn’s Ukraine-invasion documentary Superpower (which he co-directed with Aaron Kaufman), Penn said: “The Oscars producer thought: ‘Oh, [Zelenskiy is] not light-hearted enough.’ Well, guess what you got instead? Will Smith!”...
Sean Penn has criticised the Academy Awards for not allowing Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy to speak at the 2022 Oscars ceremony, adding that Will Smith’s infamous slap would not have happened if Zelenskiy had appeared.
In an interview with Variety about Penn’s Ukraine-invasion documentary Superpower (which he co-directed with Aaron Kaufman), Penn said: “The Oscars producer thought: ‘Oh, [Zelenskiy is] not light-hearted enough.’ Well, guess what you got instead? Will Smith!”...
- 9/14/2023
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Sean Penn is promoting the new documentary he co-directed, “Superpower”, which focuses on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the stand taken by the Ukrainian people to defend their homeland, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In a new interview with Variety about the film, Penn admits he’s still irked that efforts to bring Zelenskyy to speak at the 2022 Academy Awards, shortly after Russia launched its invasion, were refused.
“The Oscars producer thought, ‘Oh, he’s not light-hearted enough.'”
“The Oscars producer thought, ‘Oh, he’s not light-hearted enough,'” Penn recalled.
“Well, guess what you got instead? Will Smith!” he added, referencing Smith’s infamous slap of Chris Rock.
Read More: Amy Schumer Pitched Ukraine President Zelenskyy To Appear At The Oscars
During a 2022 appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show”, Amy Schumer — who co-hosted that year’s Oscars alongside Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall — confirmed that she was...
In a new interview with Variety about the film, Penn admits he’s still irked that efforts to bring Zelenskyy to speak at the 2022 Academy Awards, shortly after Russia launched its invasion, were refused.
“The Oscars producer thought, ‘Oh, he’s not light-hearted enough.'”
“The Oscars producer thought, ‘Oh, he’s not light-hearted enough,'” Penn recalled.
“Well, guess what you got instead? Will Smith!” he added, referencing Smith’s infamous slap of Chris Rock.
Read More: Amy Schumer Pitched Ukraine President Zelenskyy To Appear At The Oscars
During a 2022 appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show”, Amy Schumer — who co-hosted that year’s Oscars alongside Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall — confirmed that she was...
- 9/13/2023
- by Etcanadadigital
- ET Canada
Sean Penn has spoken about how he originally intended for his Ukraine documentary Superpower, which he co-directed with Aaron Kaufman, to be a “lighthearted” portrait of the country’s actor-turned-president Volodymyr Zelensky before the Russian invasion of its European neighbor in early 2022 caused him to pivot to making a war movie.
In an appearance on CBS Mornings on Wednesday, Penn explained how that shift took place and the role that delays, including the Covid-19 pandemic, played in shaping the scope of the film.
Penn noted he initially met Zelensky over Zoom, “long before the drums were beating on the Russian invasion,” when the Ukraine president was in the news for his role in the “controversial phone call,” as Penn put it, that ultimately resulted in then-President Donald Trump’s first impeachment.
“Then Covid happened, and that delayed our start,” Penn recalled. “By the time we got there, things were building...
In an appearance on CBS Mornings on Wednesday, Penn explained how that shift took place and the role that delays, including the Covid-19 pandemic, played in shaping the scope of the film.
Penn noted he initially met Zelensky over Zoom, “long before the drums were beating on the Russian invasion,” when the Ukraine president was in the news for his role in the “controversial phone call,” as Penn put it, that ultimately resulted in then-President Donald Trump’s first impeachment.
“Then Covid happened, and that delayed our start,” Penn recalled. “By the time we got there, things were building...
- 9/13/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sean Penn is speaking out over Will Smith’s Oscars slap and Hollywood’s response to it.
“I don’t know Will Smith. I met him once. He seemed very nice when I met him. He was so fucking good in ‘King Richard,'” Penn said in a recent Variety cover story. “So why the fuck did you just spit on yourself and everybody else with this stupid fucking thing? Why did I go to fucking jail for what you just did? And you’re still sitting there? Why are you guys standing and applauding his worst moment as a person?” (Penn spent 33 days in jail in 1987 for punching a man.)
To refresh, “King Richard” Best Actor Oscar winner Smith got up on stage and slapped emcee Chris Rock during the 2022 ceremony after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hairstyle. Smith still got a standing ovation later in...
“I don’t know Will Smith. I met him once. He seemed very nice when I met him. He was so fucking good in ‘King Richard,'” Penn said in a recent Variety cover story. “So why the fuck did you just spit on yourself and everybody else with this stupid fucking thing? Why did I go to fucking jail for what you just did? And you’re still sitting there? Why are you guys standing and applauding his worst moment as a person?” (Penn spent 33 days in jail in 1987 for punching a man.)
To refresh, “King Richard” Best Actor Oscar winner Smith got up on stage and slapped emcee Chris Rock during the 2022 ceremony after Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hairstyle. Smith still got a standing ovation later in...
- 9/13/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Sean Penn is pulling no punches in his takedown of studios wanting to use artificial intelligence to exploit the likenesses and voices of actors for use in future projects. In a new interview with Variety, Penn sounded off on the major SAG and WGA sticking point amid the strikes that have made the once-looming threat of AI now feel like a pervasive reality.
His pitch starts with him and a camera crew in a room with studio heads, where he will then tell executives, “So you want my scans and voice data and all that. Ok, here’s what I think is fair: I want your daughter’s, because I want to create a virtual replica of her and invite my friends over to do whatever we want in a virtual party right now. Would you please look at the camera and tell me you think that’s cool?”
Penn,...
His pitch starts with him and a camera crew in a room with studio heads, where he will then tell executives, “So you want my scans and voice data and all that. Ok, here’s what I think is fair: I want your daughter’s, because I want to create a virtual replica of her and invite my friends over to do whatever we want in a virtual party right now. Would you please look at the camera and tell me you think that’s cool?”
Penn,...
- 9/13/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Summer light fades to gold in Malibu. Surfers carve tasty waves just down the road. A beautiful woman wanders toward the pool house. She crosses paths with a sweet dog heading the opposite way looking for an ear rub.
Diet Cokes are poured at Sean Penn’s house. Small talk is made about how the coffee table in his living room looks like a junk drawer just exploded on it. There are sunglasses, prescription bottles and a device that shoots salt at mosquitoes. Nearby are photos of famous people, all smoking. They are opposite a poster for “A Man Called Adam,” a Sammy Davis Jr. film directed by Leo Penn, Sean’s father.
Another wall holds a frame containing a Ukraine Order of Merit medal. Penn is 63 and dressed in a simple T-shirt and blue jeans. His hair is now a shock of white. He speaks of the United Nations,...
Diet Cokes are poured at Sean Penn’s house. Small talk is made about how the coffee table in his living room looks like a junk drawer just exploded on it. There are sunglasses, prescription bottles and a device that shoots salt at mosquitoes. Nearby are photos of famous people, all smoking. They are opposite a poster for “A Man Called Adam,” a Sammy Davis Jr. film directed by Leo Penn, Sean’s father.
Another wall holds a frame containing a Ukraine Order of Merit medal. Penn is 63 and dressed in a simple T-shirt and blue jeans. His hair is now a shock of white. He speaks of the United Nations,...
- 9/13/2023
- by Stephen Rodrick
- Variety Film + TV
“Superpower,” the documentary feature film co-directed by Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman and credits Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as its writer, will stream exclusively over Paramount+ in the United States beginning September 18. In chronicling Ukraine’s bloody and devastating war to maintain its independence from Russia, the film is described as “a heart-wrenching glimpse into a country fighting for its freedom” and features a series of intimate interviews conducted by Penn with Zelensky during seven trips made by Penn over the past two years. Watch the “Superpower” trailer above.
The movie documents the months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the hours leading up to the moment that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched rockets into Kyiv and the devastating aftermath that continues today. When filming began in late 2021, Putin’s invasion was just a looming and seemingly distant threat. Penn traveled to Ukraine to learn more about Zelensky,...
The movie documents the months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the hours leading up to the moment that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched rockets into Kyiv and the devastating aftermath that continues today. When filming began in late 2021, Putin’s invasion was just a looming and seemingly distant threat. Penn traveled to Ukraine to learn more about Zelensky,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Fans of Poker Face will soon be able to add the Peacock mystery series to their physical media collection.
The Natasha Lyonne-starring show will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, Sept. 12, via Paramount Home Entertainment. The set include will include all 10 episodes from Season 1.
More from TVLineAnd Just Like That Renewed for Season 3Frasier Revival Gets Streaming Release Date, CBS Broadcast - Watch 'Tossed Salads & Scrambled Eggs' Announcement VideoAll Rise to End With Season 3 - Find Out When the Final Episodes Will Air
Directed by Rian Johnson (Knives Out), Poker Face stars Emmy Award nominee Lyonne as Charlie,...
The Natasha Lyonne-starring show will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, Sept. 12, via Paramount Home Entertainment. The set include will include all 10 episodes from Season 1.
More from TVLineAnd Just Like That Renewed for Season 3Frasier Revival Gets Streaming Release Date, CBS Broadcast - Watch 'Tossed Salads & Scrambled Eggs' Announcement VideoAll Rise to End With Season 3 - Find Out When the Final Episodes Will Air
Directed by Rian Johnson (Knives Out), Poker Face stars Emmy Award nominee Lyonne as Charlie,...
- 8/23/2023
- by Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
Sean Penn’s “Superpower,” the actor’s upcoming documentary about Ukraine’s fight to maintain its freedom from Russia, is set to premiere on September 18. The film will be available to watch exclusively on Paramount+.
Co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman, the documentary features several interviews between Penn and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the production’s seven trips to the country over the past two years. The film chronicles the months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the hours leading up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch rockets into Kyiv and the devastating aftermath.
“Superpower” has followed an unconventional road. Filming started in 2021, and at the time, the documentary was intended to be a deep dive into Zelensky, an actor and comedian who played a president on TV before becoming Ukraine’s actual president. But while Penn was filming in Kyiv, Russia’s army attacked the capital,...
Co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman, the documentary features several interviews between Penn and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the production’s seven trips to the country over the past two years. The film chronicles the months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the hours leading up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch rockets into Kyiv and the devastating aftermath.
“Superpower” has followed an unconventional road. Filming started in 2021, and at the time, the documentary was intended to be a deep dive into Zelensky, an actor and comedian who played a president on TV before becoming Ukraine’s actual president. But while Penn was filming in Kyiv, Russia’s army attacked the capital,...
- 8/23/2023
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
The first trailer has been released for Sean Penn’s upcoming war documentary Superpower, which chronicles Ukraine’s battle for independence against an invading Russia.
The Oscar-winning actor and longtime political activist made seven trips to Ukraine during the past two years for the project, which was co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman. Filming started months before the war began in late 2021, with Penn journeying to Ukraine to learn more about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The film includes Penn venturing to the battle’s front lines and captures the moment when the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv was first attacked by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bombs in February 2022.
“We set out to tell a lighthearted tale of this comedic actor who had been elected president of Ukraine and instead became witness to a historic leader and his country’s war for freedom,” Penn said. “When you step into a country of such incredible unity,...
The Oscar-winning actor and longtime political activist made seven trips to Ukraine during the past two years for the project, which was co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman. Filming started months before the war began in late 2021, with Penn journeying to Ukraine to learn more about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The film includes Penn venturing to the battle’s front lines and captures the moment when the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv was first attacked by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bombs in February 2022.
“We set out to tell a lighthearted tale of this comedic actor who had been elected president of Ukraine and instead became witness to a historic leader and his country’s war for freedom,” Penn said. “When you step into a country of such incredible unity,...
- 8/23/2023
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Rhode Island-based production company Verdi Productions has halted pre-production on the next feature film on the company’s slate, a biopic of Muhammad Ali Jr., due to the impending SAG strike.
According to producer Chad A. Verdi (Bleed For This), the indie movie was due to enter principal photography on September 1 in Rhode Island with cast attached, but will now be pushed to late 2024. Tom DeNucci directs.
The movie will chart the story of Ali Jr. who has struggled to live in his legendary father’s shadow, dealing with bullying, abandonment, drug addiction and family issues. More recently, Ali Jr. has found greater peace with himself, his former relationship, his father and his own children.
Verdi recently produced a documentary on the same subject.
Chad A. Verdi stated: “With the WGA already on strike and a possible SAG strike looming, pushing this film was the right thing to do.
According to producer Chad A. Verdi (Bleed For This), the indie movie was due to enter principal photography on September 1 in Rhode Island with cast attached, but will now be pushed to late 2024. Tom DeNucci directs.
The movie will chart the story of Ali Jr. who has struggled to live in his legendary father’s shadow, dealing with bullying, abandonment, drug addiction and family issues. More recently, Ali Jr. has found greater peace with himself, his former relationship, his father and his own children.
Verdi recently produced a documentary on the same subject.
Chad A. Verdi stated: “With the WGA already on strike and a possible SAG strike looming, pushing this film was the right thing to do.
- 7/12/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Vice Studios had a new hit on its hands with the late May launch of “Bama Rush,” which the studio’s co-founder and chief content officer Danny Gabai says was Max’s most-streamed doc feature debut.
But with that large viewership also came a significant discourse surrounding the extent to which “Bama Rush” director Rachel Fleit is present in her own doc about college students “rushing” to get into the sororities at the University of Alabama. That choice didn’t sit well with people who avidly followed the #BamaRush phenomenon that first swept TikTok in the summer of 2021 and again last “season” and would have preferred more behind-the-scenes content about the rush process, rather than portions devoted to Fleit’s reaction to the situation.
“In making any content, you have to make directorial and authorial choices,” Gabai told Variety. “And very early on, we saw young women were revealing that...
But with that large viewership also came a significant discourse surrounding the extent to which “Bama Rush” director Rachel Fleit is present in her own doc about college students “rushing” to get into the sororities at the University of Alabama. That choice didn’t sit well with people who avidly followed the #BamaRush phenomenon that first swept TikTok in the summer of 2021 and again last “season” and would have preferred more behind-the-scenes content about the rush process, rather than portions devoted to Fleit’s reaction to the situation.
“In making any content, you have to make directorial and authorial choices,” Gabai told Variety. “And very early on, we saw young women were revealing that...
- 6/23/2023
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
Vmi Worldwide to handle worldwide sales.
Vmi Releasing has acquired North American distribution rights to Verdi Productions’ Bryan Greenberg and Griffin Dunne opioid crisis thriller Junction out of the Cannes market.
Greenberg, whose acting credits include How to Make It In America, wrote and directed the story which tackles the crisis from the viewpoints of three people who must reckon with the consequences of their choices: the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, a doctor, and a patient.
The cast includes Sophia Bush, Ashley Madekwe, Ryan Eggold, Jamie Chung, Josh Peck, Michaela Conlin, Yara Martinez, Dascha Polanco, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Dash Mihok,...
Vmi Releasing has acquired North American distribution rights to Verdi Productions’ Bryan Greenberg and Griffin Dunne opioid crisis thriller Junction out of the Cannes market.
Greenberg, whose acting credits include How to Make It In America, wrote and directed the story which tackles the crisis from the viewpoints of three people who must reckon with the consequences of their choices: the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, a doctor, and a patient.
The cast includes Sophia Bush, Ashley Madekwe, Ryan Eggold, Jamie Chung, Josh Peck, Michaela Conlin, Yara Martinez, Dascha Polanco, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Dash Mihok,...
- 6/6/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
U.S. writer and political advocate Dane Waters and “Superpower” co-director Aaron Kaufman announced the launch of a new global nonprofit group, Humanity for Freedom, Monday in Cannes. The organization is dedicated to the fight against authoritarian governments through educational and advocacy work.
The group’s global kick-off event, 72 Hours for Freedom, will feature screenings around the world of “Superpower,” the documentary about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, co-directed by Kaufman and Sean Penn. The event will take place in over a dozen countries on six continents, starting in London on June 6 and wrapping in Washington, D.C., June 8, including stops in Rome; Tbilisi, Georgia; Sofia, Bulgaria; Abuja, Nigeria; Tokyo; Sydney; and Buenos Aires.
Set on the eve of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, “Superpower” is a courage-under-fire portrait of President Zelenskyy, a former actor who suddenly found himself in the unlikely position of leading a country at war.
The group’s global kick-off event, 72 Hours for Freedom, will feature screenings around the world of “Superpower,” the documentary about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, co-directed by Kaufman and Sean Penn. The event will take place in over a dozen countries on six continents, starting in London on June 6 and wrapping in Washington, D.C., June 8, including stops in Rome; Tbilisi, Georgia; Sofia, Bulgaria; Abuja, Nigeria; Tokyo; Sydney; and Buenos Aires.
Set on the eve of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, “Superpower” is a courage-under-fire portrait of President Zelenskyy, a former actor who suddenly found himself in the unlikely position of leading a country at war.
- 5/22/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Industry veteran joined what was known as Endeavor Content in 2017.
Kevin Iwashina has resigned from Fifth Season as head of documentary, Screen has confirmed.
The former agent’s departure comes as he issued an internal statement on Wednesday obtained by Screen in which he acknowledged that he had on occasion spoken to colleagues using language which ”can range from creating discomfort to being received as aggressive”.
The statement continued, ”I have worked diligently on this issue during my years at this company, with professional help, but have not yet been able to attain a satisfactory result for anyone involved, including,...
Kevin Iwashina has resigned from Fifth Season as head of documentary, Screen has confirmed.
The former agent’s departure comes as he issued an internal statement on Wednesday obtained by Screen in which he acknowledged that he had on occasion spoken to colleagues using language which ”can range from creating discomfort to being received as aggressive”.
The statement continued, ”I have worked diligently on this issue during my years at this company, with professional help, but have not yet been able to attain a satisfactory result for anyone involved, including,...
- 4/19/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Organisers and executives at the Academy Awards have reportedly declined Volodymyr Zelensky’s request to speak at this year’s ceremony.
The 2023 Oscars are set to take place on Sunday 12 March.
Since Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine last February, President Zelensky has given high-profile addresses at awards ceremonies including the 2022 Grammy Awards and the Golden Globes in January.
Most recently, Zelensky addressed the attendees of the Berlin Film Festival, where Sean Penn’s film about his leadership during the war, Superpower, was first screened.
However, reports today claim that the Ukrainian president was denied the opportunity to appear via telecast at Sunday’s Oscars.
According to sources speaking to Variety, WME agent Mike Simpson appealed to the Academy to include Zelensky in its much-anticipated broadcast, but was denied.
The report also states that this is the second year in a row that the president, who was formerly a comedic actor,...
The 2023 Oscars are set to take place on Sunday 12 March.
Since Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine last February, President Zelensky has given high-profile addresses at awards ceremonies including the 2022 Grammy Awards and the Golden Globes in January.
Most recently, Zelensky addressed the attendees of the Berlin Film Festival, where Sean Penn’s film about his leadership during the war, Superpower, was first screened.
However, reports today claim that the Ukrainian president was denied the opportunity to appear via telecast at Sunday’s Oscars.
According to sources speaking to Variety, WME agent Mike Simpson appealed to the Academy to include Zelensky in its much-anticipated broadcast, but was denied.
The report also states that this is the second year in a row that the president, who was formerly a comedic actor,...
- 3/9/2023
- by Nicole Vassell
- The Independent - Film
For the past year, Volodymyr Zelensky has been greeted with open arms by awards shows, film festivals and even the New York Stock Exchange. But when it comes to landing airtime on the most coveted telecast of all — the Oscars — the Ukrainian leader is being met with a cold shoulder.
For the second year in a row, the Academy has snubbed Zelensky, who was hoping to follow up his Berlin Film Festival (remote) appearance last month with a virtual spot on Sunday’s Oscar telecast on ABC. Sources say WME power agent Mike Simpson made a plea to the Academy to include the comedic actor-turned-politician but was shut down. The Academy declined comment.
Zelensky’s overtures to the Oscars comes as polls show Americans’ support for providing assistance to Ukraine has weakened.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Zelensky has popped up via satellite at both the Cannes...
For the second year in a row, the Academy has snubbed Zelensky, who was hoping to follow up his Berlin Film Festival (remote) appearance last month with a virtual spot on Sunday’s Oscar telecast on ABC. Sources say WME power agent Mike Simpson made a plea to the Academy to include the comedic actor-turned-politician but was shut down. The Academy declined comment.
Zelensky’s overtures to the Oscars comes as polls show Americans’ support for providing assistance to Ukraine has weakened.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Zelensky has popped up via satellite at both the Cannes...
- 3/9/2023
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival kicks off its 25th edition Thursday at a time when the nonfiction genre has arguably reached unprecedented heights.
This year’s festival, which takes place March 2 – 12 in the seaside Mediterranean city, unfolds just days after veteran French docmaker Nicolas Philibert won the Golden Bear in Berlin for his documentary about a Paris mental health care facility, “On the Adamant.” The award capped a fortnight in which Sean Penn’s gonzo doc about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “Superpower,” also generated plenty of buzz (albeit lukewarm reviews).
Meanwhile, Cameroon’s Cyrielle Raingou took home Rotterdam’s Tiger Award just a few weeks earlier for “Le Spectre de Boko Haram,” a riveting view of terrorism seen through children’s eyes. And one summer ago, Laura Poitras triumphed on the Lido with “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” her docu-portrait of the photographer and activist Nan Goldin, which won the...
This year’s festival, which takes place March 2 – 12 in the seaside Mediterranean city, unfolds just days after veteran French docmaker Nicolas Philibert won the Golden Bear in Berlin for his documentary about a Paris mental health care facility, “On the Adamant.” The award capped a fortnight in which Sean Penn’s gonzo doc about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “Superpower,” also generated plenty of buzz (albeit lukewarm reviews).
Meanwhile, Cameroon’s Cyrielle Raingou took home Rotterdam’s Tiger Award just a few weeks earlier for “Le Spectre de Boko Haram,” a riveting view of terrorism seen through children’s eyes. And one summer ago, Laura Poitras triumphed on the Lido with “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” her docu-portrait of the photographer and activist Nan Goldin, which won the...
- 2/28/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Nancy Dubuc is leaving Vice Media Group where she was CEO for the past five years. She just announced her decision to her staff in a memo (you can read it below.) It comes as the board has launched a process to sell — an acquisition of the whole company, a strategic recapitalization, or other transactions involving individual assets — under the oversight of a Special Board Committee. According to sources, Dubuc was at the end of her contract and decided it was time to move on.
“Nancy joined Vice at a pivotal time and put in place an exceptional team that has positioned the company for long-term success,” the company’s board of directors said in a statement. “We thank Nancy for her many contributions and will soon announce new leadership to guide Vice forward into its next stage of growth and transformation.”
Dubuc, who had been on the Vice...
“Nancy joined Vice at a pivotal time and put in place an exceptional team that has positioned the company for long-term success,” the company’s board of directors said in a statement. “We thank Nancy for her many contributions and will soon announce new leadership to guide Vice forward into its next stage of growth and transformation.”
Dubuc, who had been on the Vice...
- 2/24/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.