Exclusive: Natalie Portman has joined the voice cast for French director Ugo Bienvenu’s upcoming animated feature Arco about a boy who uses rainbows to travel through time and his adventures as he gets stuck in the wrong era.
Portman is also producing with Sophie Mas under their joint Paris and New York banner MountainA with Félix de Givry at Paris-based Remembers.
Taking its cue from the fantasy premise that rainbows are time machines, the movie revolves around 10 year old rainbow-child Arco, who lives in the distant future, 2932.
His maiden journey in his multi-colored suit does not go to plan. He loses control and veers off course to land in a near future, 2075, where Iris, a girl the same age as Arco, witnesses his fall and then makes it her mission to get him home.
Arco
Arco is the first feature for Bienvenu after short films Maman and L’entretien and comic books.
Portman is also producing with Sophie Mas under their joint Paris and New York banner MountainA with Félix de Givry at Paris-based Remembers.
Taking its cue from the fantasy premise that rainbows are time machines, the movie revolves around 10 year old rainbow-child Arco, who lives in the distant future, 2932.
His maiden journey in his multi-colored suit does not go to plan. He loses control and veers off course to land in a near future, 2075, where Iris, a girl the same age as Arco, witnesses his fall and then makes it her mission to get him home.
Arco
Arco is the first feature for Bienvenu after short films Maman and L’entretien and comic books.
- 5/13/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Natalie Portman is taking a page out of her “Jackie” days and venturing back to the 1960s — this time, to investigate a murder.
The Oscar winner leads Apple TV+ limited series “Lady in the Lake,” based on Laura Lippman’s novel of the same name. “Honey Boy” filmmaker Alma Har’el penned the pilot and will co-write the rest of the series with Dre Ryan (“The Man in the High Castle”); Har’el will also direct.
Portman plays housewife-turned-reporter Maddie Schwartz as she pursues the case of a missing woman named Cleo Sherwood (Moses Ingram), whose body was found in a city park lake. As Cleo’s ghost follows Maddie on her quest to uncover the mystery of her death, the two women’s lives become intertwined. The first-look photo of the series is above.
Y’lan Noel, Brett Gelman, Byron Bowers, Noah Jupe, Josiah Cross, Mikey Madison, and Pruitt Taylor Vince also star.
The Oscar winner leads Apple TV+ limited series “Lady in the Lake,” based on Laura Lippman’s novel of the same name. “Honey Boy” filmmaker Alma Har’el penned the pilot and will co-write the rest of the series with Dre Ryan (“The Man in the High Castle”); Har’el will also direct.
Portman plays housewife-turned-reporter Maddie Schwartz as she pursues the case of a missing woman named Cleo Sherwood (Moses Ingram), whose body was found in a city park lake. As Cleo’s ghost follows Maddie on her quest to uncover the mystery of her death, the two women’s lives become intertwined. The first-look photo of the series is above.
Y’lan Noel, Brett Gelman, Byron Bowers, Noah Jupe, Josiah Cross, Mikey Madison, and Pruitt Taylor Vince also star.
- 5/8/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Apple TV+ today unveiled a first look at Lady in the Lake, the upcoming seven-part limited series starring Academy Award and Golden Globe Award-winner Natalie Portman, who also serves as executive producer, and Emmy Award nominee Moses Ingram.
Lady in the Lake will make its global debut on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes on Friday, July 19, 2024. New episodes will be added every Friday through August 23, 2024.
When the disappearance of a young girl grips the city of Baltimore on Thanksgiving 1966, the lives of two women converge on a fatal collision course. Maddie Schwartz (Portman), a Jewish housewife seeking to shed a secret past and reinvent herself as an investigative journalist, and Cleo Sherwood (Ingram), a mother navigating the political underbelly of Black Baltimore while struggling to provide for her family.
Their disparate lives seem parallel at first, but when Maddie becomes fixated on Cleo’s mystifying death, a chasm...
Lady in the Lake will make its global debut on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes on Friday, July 19, 2024. New episodes will be added every Friday through August 23, 2024.
When the disappearance of a young girl grips the city of Baltimore on Thanksgiving 1966, the lives of two women converge on a fatal collision course. Maddie Schwartz (Portman), a Jewish housewife seeking to shed a secret past and reinvent herself as an investigative journalist, and Cleo Sherwood (Ingram), a mother navigating the political underbelly of Black Baltimore while struggling to provide for her family.
Their disparate lives seem parallel at first, but when Maddie becomes fixated on Cleo’s mystifying death, a chasm...
- 5/8/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
A first-look at the upcoming Apple limited series Lady in the Lake has been released (above) and viewers won’t have to wait too long to see the drama. The seven-part series will premiere globally on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes on Friday, July 19 followed by new episodes every Friday through August 23.
Lady in the Lake, which comes from Alma Har’el, is based on Laura Lippman’s New York Times bestselling novel of the same name. It takes place in ’60s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder pushes housewife and mother Maddie Schwartz (Portman) to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist and sets her on a collision course with Cleo Sherwood (Moses Ingram), a hardworking woman juggling motherhood, many jobs and a passionate commitment to advancing Baltimore’s Black progressive agenda.
In addition to Portman and Ingram, Y’lan Noel, Brett Gelman, Byron Bowers, Noah Jupe, Josiah Cross, Mikey Madison...
Lady in the Lake, which comes from Alma Har’el, is based on Laura Lippman’s New York Times bestselling novel of the same name. It takes place in ’60s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder pushes housewife and mother Maddie Schwartz (Portman) to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist and sets her on a collision course with Cleo Sherwood (Moses Ingram), a hardworking woman juggling motherhood, many jobs and a passionate commitment to advancing Baltimore’s Black progressive agenda.
In addition to Portman and Ingram, Y’lan Noel, Brett Gelman, Byron Bowers, Noah Jupe, Josiah Cross, Mikey Madison...
- 5/8/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Greta Lee and Teo Yoo in ‘Past Lives’ (Photo Credit: Jon Pack / Courtesy of A24)
Past Lives took home top film honors at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, held on February 25th in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. The film also earned Celine Song the Best Director award, with American Fiction‘s Cord Jefferson and May December‘s Samy Burch earning screenplay honors.
On the television side, The Last of Us collected two awards: Nick Offerman for Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series and Keivonn Montreal Woodard for Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series. Beef also netted two wins, with Ali Wong awarded Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series and the show earning the Best New Scripted Series award.
2024 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations
Best Feature (Award given to the producer.)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin,...
Past Lives took home top film honors at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, held on February 25th in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. The film also earned Celine Song the Best Director award, with American Fiction‘s Cord Jefferson and May December‘s Samy Burch earning screenplay honors.
On the television side, The Last of Us collected two awards: Nick Offerman for Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series and Keivonn Montreal Woodard for Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series. Beef also netted two wins, with Ali Wong awarded Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series and the show earning the Best New Scripted Series award.
2024 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations
Best Feature (Award given to the producer.)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Past Lives was named best feature at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which were handed out Sunday afternoon in Santa Monica.
In addition, Celine Song was named best director for her work on the film.
Elsewhere, Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the Spirit Award for best supporting performance, for her role in The Holdovers, repeating her win from Saturday night’s SAG Awards and other shows this awards season. Her co-star, Dominic Sessa, won the Spirit Award for best breakthrough performance.
American Fiction also collected two trophies: Cord Jefferson won the award for best screenplay, while Jeffrey Wright won for best lead performance.
May December won the award for best first screenplay for Samy Burch (story by Burch and Alex Mechanik). Four Daughters was named best documentary.
On the TV side, Beef was named best new scripted series, while Ali Wong won best lead performance for her role in the show,...
In addition, Celine Song was named best director for her work on the film.
Elsewhere, Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the Spirit Award for best supporting performance, for her role in The Holdovers, repeating her win from Saturday night’s SAG Awards and other shows this awards season. Her co-star, Dominic Sessa, won the Spirit Award for best breakthrough performance.
American Fiction also collected two trophies: Cord Jefferson won the award for best screenplay, while Jeffrey Wright won for best lead performance.
May December won the award for best first screenplay for Samy Burch (story by Burch and Alex Mechanik). Four Daughters was named best documentary.
On the TV side, Beef was named best new scripted series, while Ali Wong won best lead performance for her role in the show,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The best in independent film and television were honored at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards!
Plenty of A-List stars were in attendance at the event on Sunday afternoon (February 25) at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif.
Movies are only eligible for a Spirit Award if they have a budget of less than $30 million, so there are some awards favorites like Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Killers of the Flower Moon that are not nominated.
American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead the pack this year with five nominations each.
Make sure to check out our post with photos of Every celeb who attended the event! Also check out our best dressed list.
Head inside to see the full list of winners…
Keep scrolling to see the full list of winners…
Best Feature (Award given to the producer)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
American Fiction
Producers: Cord Jefferson,...
Plenty of A-List stars were in attendance at the event on Sunday afternoon (February 25) at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif.
Movies are only eligible for a Spirit Award if they have a budget of less than $30 million, so there are some awards favorites like Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Killers of the Flower Moon that are not nominated.
American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead the pack this year with five nominations each.
Make sure to check out our post with photos of Every celeb who attended the event! Also check out our best dressed list.
Head inside to see the full list of winners…
Keep scrolling to see the full list of winners…
Best Feature (Award given to the producer)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
American Fiction
Producers: Cord Jefferson,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
The 2024 Independent Spirit Awards took place on Sunday at the traditional Santa Monica beach tent location, with Aidy Bryant hosting. “Past Lives” took home the coveted Best Feature award, with “Beef” being honored as Best New Scripted Series. Check out the full list of winners and nominees below.
Best Feature
“Past Lives”
Producers: David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon
“All of Us Strangers”
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
“American Fiction”
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair
“May December”
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Grant S. Johnson, Pamela Koffler, Tyler W. Konney, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Christine Vachon
“Passages”
Producers: Michel Merkt, Saïd Ben Saïd
“We Grown Now”
Producers: Minhal Baig, Joe Pirro
Best Lead Performance
Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”
Jessica Chastain, “Memory”
Greta Lee, “Past Lives”
Trace Lysette, “Monica”
Natalie Portman, “May December”
Judy Reyes, “Birth/Rebirth”
Franz Rogowski, “Passages”
Andrew Scott, “All of Us Strangers”
Teyana Taylor,...
Best Feature
“Past Lives”
Producers: David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon
“All of Us Strangers”
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
“American Fiction”
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair
“May December”
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Grant S. Johnson, Pamela Koffler, Tyler W. Konney, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman, Christine Vachon
“Passages”
Producers: Michel Merkt, Saïd Ben Saïd
“We Grown Now”
Producers: Minhal Baig, Joe Pirro
Best Lead Performance
Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”
Jessica Chastain, “Memory”
Greta Lee, “Past Lives”
Trace Lysette, “Monica”
Natalie Portman, “May December”
Judy Reyes, “Birth/Rebirth”
Franz Rogowski, “Passages”
Andrew Scott, “All of Us Strangers”
Teyana Taylor,...
- 2/25/2024
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
Thousands of Gold Derby users, representing the savviest awards pundits and cineastes on the web, voted for the 22nd Annual Gold Derby Film Awards over recent weeks. The biographical drama “Oppenheimer” came out on top with 10 victories including Best Picture. That sets a new record for the most awards won by a film in a single year. Watch the 30-minute ceremony video above, which includes almost all winners with fun acceptance speeches. Scroll down for the complete list of winners in all 22 categories.
SEEWill the Oscars be a rerun of the BAFTAs?
In addition to Best Picture, “Oppenheimer” claimed Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Christopher Nolan, who previously won Gold Derby Awards for directing “The Dark Knight” and writing “Inception.” It also won Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.) and Best Ensemble Cast. In below-the-line races it was honored for its film editing, score,...
SEEWill the Oscars be a rerun of the BAFTAs?
In addition to Best Picture, “Oppenheimer” claimed Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Christopher Nolan, who previously won Gold Derby Awards for directing “The Dark Knight” and writing “Inception.” It also won Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.) and Best Ensemble Cast. In below-the-line races it was honored for its film editing, score,...
- 2/21/2024
- by Daniel Montgomery, Chris Beachum, Denton Davidson, Marcus James Dixon, Latasha Ford and Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
More than 2,200 registered Gold Derby users worldwide voted for the 2024 Gold Derby Film Award nominations, and “Oppenheimer” came out on top with 14. Scroll down to see the complete list of contenders in all 22 categories. You can vote for the winners right now here in our predictions center. You have until the end of February 2 to cast your votes. But feel free to jump right in and make your initial picks. You can edit your ballot as often as you like. No votes are final until voting officially closes on February 2.
SEE2024 Oscars guild awards scorecard: ‘Oppenheimer’ goes 11 for 11 in nominations round
“Oppenheimer” contends for Best Picture in addition to Best Director (Christopher Nolan), Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actress (Emily Blunt), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.) and Best Ensemble Cast. In the Best Picture race it’s nominated against the courtroom drama “Anatomy of a Fall,” the blockbuster comedy “Barbie,...
SEE2024 Oscars guild awards scorecard: ‘Oppenheimer’ goes 11 for 11 in nominations round
“Oppenheimer” contends for Best Picture in addition to Best Director (Christopher Nolan), Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actress (Emily Blunt), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.) and Best Ensemble Cast. In the Best Picture race it’s nominated against the courtroom drama “Anatomy of a Fall,” the blockbuster comedy “Barbie,...
- 1/22/2024
- by Daniel Montgomery, Chris Beachum, Marcus James Dixon, Denton Davidson, Joyce Eng, Christopher Rosen, Latasha Ford and Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
John Krasinski & Natalie Portman To Star In Guy Ritchie’s ‘Fountain Of Youth’ For Apple And Skydance
Exclusive: Following the success of The Family Plan last month, Apple Original Films and Skydance are reteaming on another tentpole as Deadline is hearing John Krasinski and Natalie Portman are set to star in Fountain of Youth with Guy Ritchie directing. Skydance Media will serve as the studio, and the film will be produced for Apple by Skydance, Vinson Films and Project X Entertainment.
Written by James Vanderbilt, the pic follows two estranged siblings (Krasinski and Portman) who partner on a global heist to find the mythological Fountain of Youth. They must use their knowledge of history to follow clues on an epic adventure that will change their lives — and possibly lead to immortality.
Hailing from a first-look partnership between Apple and Skydance Media, Fountain of Youth will be produced by Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger. Tripp Vinson will produce through his Vinson Films as will Project X Entertainment,...
Written by James Vanderbilt, the pic follows two estranged siblings (Krasinski and Portman) who partner on a global heist to find the mythological Fountain of Youth. They must use their knowledge of history to follow clues on an epic adventure that will change their lives — and possibly lead to immortality.
Hailing from a first-look partnership between Apple and Skydance Media, Fountain of Youth will be produced by Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger. Tripp Vinson will produce through his Vinson Films as will Project X Entertainment,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
While the likes of Oppenheimer, Barbie, and Killers of the Moon will likely battle it out at the Oscars, Film Independent Spirit Awards is putting the spotlight on the indie productions of the year, with budget ranges from $10,000 to $28 million. May December, Past Lives, and American Fiction lead the nominations for the 39th ceremony, each taking five nods.
Other highlights include All of Us Strangers and Passages for Best Feature, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt and Earth Mama for Best First Feature, Kokomo City and The Mother of All Lies for Best Documentary, Glenn Howerton for BlackBerry, Marin Ireland and Anne Hathaway for Eileen, Marshawn Lynch for Bottoms, How to Blow Up a Pipeline for Best Editing, Godland and Tótem for Best International Film, and more.
See the nominations below ahead of the ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024 (a full two weeks before the Oscars), hosted by Aidy Bryant.
Best...
Other highlights include All of Us Strangers and Passages for Best Feature, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt and Earth Mama for Best First Feature, Kokomo City and The Mother of All Lies for Best Documentary, Glenn Howerton for BlackBerry, Marin Ireland and Anne Hathaway for Eileen, Marshawn Lynch for Bottoms, How to Blow Up a Pipeline for Best Editing, Godland and Tótem for Best International Film, and more.
See the nominations below ahead of the ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024 (a full two weeks before the Oscars), hosted by Aidy Bryant.
Best...
- 12/5/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Erika Alexander stars as Coraline and Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in ‘American Fiction’ (Photo credit: Claire Folger © 2023 Orion Releasing LLC)
American Fiction, Past Lives, and May December lead the list of the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Each of the three films picked up five nominations and will be going head-to-head in the Best Film and Best Supporting Performance categories. Films and TV shows earning four nominations included The Holdovers, I’m a Virgo, The Last of Us, and Passages.
The 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be held on February 25 on the beach in Santa Monica. Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live) is on board to host.
“This year’s exciting group of Spirit Award nominees reflect the undeniable strength and vitality of independent storytelling – this is the beating heart of film culture today,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent. “It’s especially thrilling to see so many nominees...
American Fiction, Past Lives, and May December lead the list of the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Each of the three films picked up five nominations and will be going head-to-head in the Best Film and Best Supporting Performance categories. Films and TV shows earning four nominations included The Holdovers, I’m a Virgo, The Last of Us, and Passages.
The 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be held on February 25 on the beach in Santa Monica. Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live) is on board to host.
“This year’s exciting group of Spirit Award nominees reflect the undeniable strength and vitality of independent storytelling – this is the beating heart of film culture today,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent. “It’s especially thrilling to see so many nominees...
- 12/5/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Ceremony to take place on Santa Monica Beach on February 25, 2024.
The 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations have been announced and May December, American Fiction, and Past Lives lead the field with five nods apiece.
The Holdovers earned four and there were three for All Of Us Strangers – winner of seven Bifas at the weekend – as the nominations were announced on Tuesday. A24 leads the studio field with 11 nominations, followed by Netflix on 10.
Andrew Scott for All Of Us Strangers, Jessica Chastain for Memory, Greta Lee for Past Lives, Franz Rogowski for Passages, and Jeffrey Wright for American Fiction are...
The 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations have been announced and May December, American Fiction, and Past Lives lead the field with five nods apiece.
The Holdovers earned four and there were three for All Of Us Strangers – winner of seven Bifas at the weekend – as the nominations were announced on Tuesday. A24 leads the studio field with 11 nominations, followed by Netflix on 10.
Andrew Scott for All Of Us Strangers, Jessica Chastain for Memory, Greta Lee for Past Lives, Franz Rogowski for Passages, and Jeffrey Wright for American Fiction are...
- 12/5/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Ceremony to take place on Santa Monica Beach on February 25, 2024.
The Film Independent 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced and May December, American Fiction, and Past Lives lead the field with five nods apiece.
The Holdovers earned four and All Of Us Strangers three as the nominations were announced on Tuesday. A24 leads the studio field with 11 nominations, followed by Netflix on 10.
Andrew Scott for All of Us Strangers, Jessica Chastain for Memory, Greta Lee for Past Lives, Franz Rogowski for Passages, and Jeffrey Wright for American Fiction are in the running fort the gender-neutral lead acting category.
The Film Independent 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced and May December, American Fiction, and Past Lives lead the field with five nods apiece.
The Holdovers earned four and All Of Us Strangers three as the nominations were announced on Tuesday. A24 leads the studio field with 11 nominations, followed by Netflix on 10.
Andrew Scott for All of Us Strangers, Jessica Chastain for Memory, Greta Lee for Past Lives, Franz Rogowski for Passages, and Jeffrey Wright for American Fiction are in the running fort the gender-neutral lead acting category.
- 12/5/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The full list of nominations for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards has been announced!
Movies are only eligible for a Spirit Award if they have a budget of less than $30 million, so there are some awards favorites like Maestro and Killers of the Flower Moon that are not nominated here.
Aidy Bryant is set to host the 2024 awards ceremony, which will take place on February 25. The event will no longer air on television and will instead stream on YouTube.
American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead the pack this year with five nominations each.
Head inside to check out the full list of nominations…
Keep scrolling to see the full list of nominations…
Best Feature (Award given to the producer)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
American Fiction
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair
May December
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell,...
Movies are only eligible for a Spirit Award if they have a budget of less than $30 million, so there are some awards favorites like Maestro and Killers of the Flower Moon that are not nominated here.
Aidy Bryant is set to host the 2024 awards ceremony, which will take place on February 25. The event will no longer air on television and will instead stream on YouTube.
American Fiction, May December, and Past Lives lead the pack this year with five nominations each.
Head inside to check out the full list of nominations…
Keep scrolling to see the full list of nominations…
Best Feature (Award given to the producer)
All of Us Strangers
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
American Fiction
Producers: Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair
May December
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell,...
- 12/5/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
American Fiction, May December and Past Lives lead the nominations for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which were were announced Tuesday morning.
Each film garnered five noms, including best feature. Also nominated in that category are All of Us Strangers, Passages and We Grown Now.
The Robert Altman Award, which is given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast, will be presented to Showing Up, directed by Kelly Reichardt. The casting director is Gayle Keller, and the ensemble cast includes André Benjamin, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, Heather Lawless, James Le Gros, John Magaro, Matt Malloy, Amanda Plummer, Maryann Plunkett, Denzel Rodriguez and Michelle Williams.
On the TV side, Jury Duty was tapped for the award of best ensemble in a new scripted series, an honor bestowed on one show (there are no nominees). The cast includes Alan Barinholtz, Susan Berger, Cassandra Blair, David Brown, Kirk Fox, Ross Kimball,...
Each film garnered five noms, including best feature. Also nominated in that category are All of Us Strangers, Passages and We Grown Now.
The Robert Altman Award, which is given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast, will be presented to Showing Up, directed by Kelly Reichardt. The casting director is Gayle Keller, and the ensemble cast includes André Benjamin, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, Heather Lawless, James Le Gros, John Magaro, Matt Malloy, Amanda Plummer, Maryann Plunkett, Denzel Rodriguez and Michelle Williams.
On the TV side, Jury Duty was tapped for the award of best ensemble in a new scripted series, an honor bestowed on one show (there are no nominees). The cast includes Alan Barinholtz, Susan Berger, Cassandra Blair, David Brown, Kirk Fox, Ross Kimball,...
- 12/5/2023
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The final month of the year has arrived, and with it an early Festivus bounty of news (very exciting!) about the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which are happening once again on February 25, back on the beach in Santa Monica. Last week brought tell of our incomparable new Spirit Awards host: SNL funnywoman and Emmy-nominated streaming series auteur Aidy Bryant. Now, the nondenominational secular-humanist Holiday Gnomes have brought us something potentially even more exciting… the nominees!
For the third consecutive year, the Spirit Awards will recognize outstanding achievement in uniqueness of vision, innovation and boldness in TV and streaming in addition to feature film. And for the second year, all acting categories are gender-neutral.
Noms were revealed in a livestream earlier today on Film Independent’s YouTube channel (like and subscribe!) by special guest presenters Joel Kim Booster and Natalie Morales:
Spirit Awards winners are voted on exclusively by Film Independent Members.
For the third consecutive year, the Spirit Awards will recognize outstanding achievement in uniqueness of vision, innovation and boldness in TV and streaming in addition to feature film. And for the second year, all acting categories are gender-neutral.
Noms were revealed in a livestream earlier today on Film Independent’s YouTube channel (like and subscribe!) by special guest presenters Joel Kim Booster and Natalie Morales:
Spirit Awards winners are voted on exclusively by Film Independent Members.
- 12/5/2023
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
“American Fiction,” “May December” and “Past Lives” dominated the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards nominations on Tuesday, picking up five nods apiece. The three movies are all up for best feature, where they will battle it out against “All of Us Strangers,” “Passages” and “We Grown Now.”
The annual honors recognize the best of television, as well as film. “The Last of Us,” a sci-fi epic that was a ratings hit for HBO, and “I’m a Virgo,” an absurdist miniseries from Boots Riley that was produced by Amazon, led the small screen crop, with four nominations each. Only new TV shows that have run for one season and were released between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of this year are eligible for awards. That’s why some big-budgeted fare was deemed eligible or, in the parlance of the show, independent.
That’s not the case on the feature front, where films have to be...
The annual honors recognize the best of television, as well as film. “The Last of Us,” a sci-fi epic that was a ratings hit for HBO, and “I’m a Virgo,” an absurdist miniseries from Boots Riley that was produced by Amazon, led the small screen crop, with four nominations each. Only new TV shows that have run for one season and were released between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of this year are eligible for awards. That’s why some big-budgeted fare was deemed eligible or, in the parlance of the show, independent.
That’s not the case on the feature front, where films have to be...
- 12/5/2023
- by Brent Lang and Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
Newcomer Samy Burch wasn’t exactly shooting for the stars when she started writing “May December” — which would go on to become a parley between Best Actress winners Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, directed by indie icon Todd Haynes — on spec. “I really wrote this in the coat closet of our apartment. If I had had the people that got these roles on the corkboard, I would’ve seemed grandiose,” said the screenwriter to IndieWire during a sit-down at the 2023 Middleburg Film Festival. “My goal with it was honestly to get representation. So everything that’s happened after that has been incredible.”
After making the outline with husband Alex Mechanik, Burch finished the script on Memorial Day 2019, the holiday that coincidentally kicks off the film, which follows an actress who embeds herself into the lives of a scandalized couple when she is cast in a film about them. And, yes,...
After making the outline with husband Alex Mechanik, Burch finished the script on Memorial Day 2019, the holiday that coincidentally kicks off the film, which follows an actress who embeds herself into the lives of a scandalized couple when she is cast in a film about them. And, yes,...
- 12/4/2023
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
It’s a cool indie weekend when the new album by André 3000, New Blue Sun, has morphed into a “cinematic listening experience.” Variance Films is putting the experience, directed by Terence Nance, into three theaters in NYC (IFC Center), LA (Cinepolis Inglewood) and Atlanta (Tara).
Right now, it’s just those locations but after this weekend, “We will see what happens, where the wind takes us,” said Variance CEO Dylan Marchetti. “I swear, I wanted to make a ‘visual album’ but this is literally the way the wind blew me this time,” André has said.
Asked what’s is on the screen, Marchetti said, “Vibes.”
New Blue Sun, out today, is André’s debut solo album, his first full-length LP since his group Outkast released its last record 17 years ago. He described it as “an entirely instrumental album centered around woodwinds; a celebratory piece of work in the form of a living,...
Right now, it’s just those locations but after this weekend, “We will see what happens, where the wind takes us,” said Variance CEO Dylan Marchetti. “I swear, I wanted to make a ‘visual album’ but this is literally the way the wind blew me this time,” André has said.
Asked what’s is on the screen, Marchetti said, “Vibes.”
New Blue Sun, out today, is André’s debut solo album, his first full-length LP since his group Outkast released its last record 17 years ago. He described it as “an entirely instrumental album centered around woodwinds; a celebratory piece of work in the form of a living,...
- 11/18/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
What do Natalie Portman, Margot Robbie and Emma Stone have in common? Aside from being in contention for this year’s best actress nominations, the three multiple-time nominated A-listers could follow in the footsteps of Frances McDormand in this year’s Oscar race.
All three women are producers on each of their films — Portman for “May December,” Robbie for “Barbie” and Stone for “Poor Things.” If any are nominated for best picture and acting, they would be the second (or third or fourth?) women recognized in both categories in the same year. The first was McDormand for “Nomadland” (2020), who went on to win her third and fourth statuettes, the first person ever to win both on the same night.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
Robbie has received raves for her performance as “Stereotypical Barbie,” one of the versions in “Barbieland,” who is...
All three women are producers on each of their films — Portman for “May December,” Robbie for “Barbie” and Stone for “Poor Things.” If any are nominated for best picture and acting, they would be the second (or third or fourth?) women recognized in both categories in the same year. The first was McDormand for “Nomadland” (2020), who went on to win her third and fourth statuettes, the first person ever to win both on the same night.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
Robbie has received raves for her performance as “Stereotypical Barbie,” one of the versions in “Barbieland,” who is...
- 11/6/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Final five nominations to be announced on November 2.
Steve McQueen’s Occupied City, Justine Triet’s Anatomy Of A Fall and Todd Haynes’ May December are among the titles on the latest British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) longlists, for Best Feature Documentary and Best International Independent Film.
15 films are on the documentary longlist, with five of them by first-time directors; with 17 films on the international list.
Scroll down for the longlists
Alongside McQueen’s film combining analysis of Amsterdam during the Second World War with the present day, documentary titles include Kevin MacDonald’s High & Low: John Galliano about the...
Steve McQueen’s Occupied City, Justine Triet’s Anatomy Of A Fall and Todd Haynes’ May December are among the titles on the latest British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) longlists, for Best Feature Documentary and Best International Independent Film.
15 films are on the documentary longlist, with five of them by first-time directors; with 17 films on the international list.
Scroll down for the longlists
Alongside McQueen’s film combining analysis of Amsterdam during the Second World War with the present day, documentary titles include Kevin MacDonald’s High & Low: John Galliano about the...
- 10/19/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
May December director Todd Haynes said of first reading Samy Burch’s script, “I loved how disquieting it was for the reader and thought, ‘Wow, if there was a way to convey this on screen and ignite that sense of engaged questioning and uncertainty’… It reminded me of the kind of movies that I came of age watching. It made you question your assumptions going in, made you want to discuss them and think about them later.” Haynes was speaking at Deadline’s Contenders London event this afternoon.
Starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, the film picks up 20 years after an affair between Gracie (Moore), an adult woman and a much – much – younger man (Melton) made tabloid headlines. In the present day, famous TV star Elizabeth (Portman) visits the now-married couple while researching a film that will be based on the old scandal.
Burch said she was inspired...
Starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, the film picks up 20 years after an affair between Gracie (Moore), an adult woman and a much – much – younger man (Melton) made tabloid headlines. In the present day, famous TV star Elizabeth (Portman) visits the now-married couple while researching a film that will be based on the old scandal.
Burch said she was inspired...
- 10/7/2023
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
After sitting it out last year, Deadline’s Contenders film series returns to London today with a strong lineup featuring Ridley Scott, Emerald Fennell, Todd Haynes and Michael Mann among the panelists attending the awards-season event.
Contenders London gets underway this morning at London’s Ham Yard Hotel and will feature panels on 13 of the year’s buzziest films from eight studios and streamers. Deadline will have full coverage of the event all day on the website and on our social channels, where you can follow along using the hashtag #DeadlineContenders.
In challenging times, it’s good to know quality cinema is never too far away, with films from some of the world’s biggest filmmakers on tap today. Along with Scott’s Napoleon, Fennell’s Saltburn, Haynes’ May December and Mann’s Ferrari, J.A. Bayona will present his Society of the Snow, Jeymes Samuel will open The Book of Clarence,...
Contenders London gets underway this morning at London’s Ham Yard Hotel and will feature panels on 13 of the year’s buzziest films from eight studios and streamers. Deadline will have full coverage of the event all day on the website and on our social channels, where you can follow along using the hashtag #DeadlineContenders.
In challenging times, it’s good to know quality cinema is never too far away, with films from some of the world’s biggest filmmakers on tap today. Along with Scott’s Napoleon, Fennell’s Saltburn, Haynes’ May December and Mann’s Ferrari, J.A. Bayona will present his Society of the Snow, Jeymes Samuel will open The Book of Clarence,...
- 10/7/2023
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including Selena Gomez’s Rare Impact Fund Benefit, a Loki launch event and the New York Film Festival.
New York Film Festival
The annual film fest kicked off on Sept. 29 with the premiere of May December, followed by a screening of Maestro on Monday.
Jessica Elbaum, Sophie Mas, Christine Vachon, Samy Burch, Todd Haynes, Pamela Koffler and Grant S. Johnson attend the red carpet for ‘May December’ Fred Berner, Lesli Klainberg, Amy Durning, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Kazu Hiro, Kevin Thompson, Mark Bridges, Nina Bernstein Simmons, Jamie Bernstein, Alexander Bernstein, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Morrow and Josh Singer attend the red carpet for ‘Maestro’
Sinners y Santos launch
On Friday, new nightclub Sinners y Santos, situated within Level 8, launched in Downtown LA. The opening saw a surprise performance by The Chainsmokers and drew...
New York Film Festival
The annual film fest kicked off on Sept. 29 with the premiere of May December, followed by a screening of Maestro on Monday.
Jessica Elbaum, Sophie Mas, Christine Vachon, Samy Burch, Todd Haynes, Pamela Koffler and Grant S. Johnson attend the red carpet for ‘May December’ Fred Berner, Lesli Klainberg, Amy Durning, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Kazu Hiro, Kevin Thompson, Mark Bridges, Nina Bernstein Simmons, Jamie Bernstein, Alexander Bernstein, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Morrow and Josh Singer attend the red carpet for ‘Maestro’
Sinners y Santos launch
On Friday, new nightclub Sinners y Santos, situated within Level 8, launched in Downtown LA. The opening saw a surprise performance by The Chainsmokers and drew...
- 10/6/2023
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
May December director Todd Haynes with screenwriter Samy Burch, and his producers Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler, Jessica Elbaum and Sophie Mas Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Todd Haynes’s May December, screenplay by Samy Burch, shot by Christopher Blauvelt and starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton opened the 61st New York Film Festival on Friday. Todd’s previous films screening at the New York Film Festival were Velvet Goldmine (NYFF 36), I’m Not There (NYFF 45), Carol (NYFF 53), Wonderstruck (NYFF 55 - Centerpiece Selection), and The Velvet Underground (NYFF 59).
Todd Haynes responding to Anne-Katrin Titze’s comment and question: “I did not create the lisp! There are some people who are missing today who could speak so beautifully about how they built these characters.” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
At the press conference Todd Haynes spoke about connecting his composer Marcelo Zarvos to Michel Legrand’s score for Joseph Losey’s The Go-Between (Harold Pinter...
Todd Haynes’s May December, screenplay by Samy Burch, shot by Christopher Blauvelt and starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton opened the 61st New York Film Festival on Friday. Todd’s previous films screening at the New York Film Festival were Velvet Goldmine (NYFF 36), I’m Not There (NYFF 45), Carol (NYFF 53), Wonderstruck (NYFF 55 - Centerpiece Selection), and The Velvet Underground (NYFF 59).
Todd Haynes responding to Anne-Katrin Titze’s comment and question: “I did not create the lisp! There are some people who are missing today who could speak so beautifully about how they built these characters.” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
At the press conference Todd Haynes spoke about connecting his composer Marcelo Zarvos to Michel Legrand’s score for Joseph Losey’s The Go-Between (Harold Pinter...
- 10/2/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Natalie Portman plays an amiable actress looking to play a notorious tabloid sensation, only to, in a monologue in front of a mirror, become a dark monster, in the official trailer for Todd Haynes’ May December, which dropped on Tuesday.
The press notes for the Netflix movie, set to open the New York Film Festival this Friday, don’t mention Mary Kay Letourneau, a true-life schoolteacher who became a registered sex offender and was imprisoned after pleading guilty to the second-degree rape of a 13-year-old boy from her sixth grade class, whom she later married.
But the inspiration is all too clear as Portman plays actress Elizabeth Berry in the May December trailer as she visits Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore), a woman who in her mid-30s, was caught having sex in a pet store stockroom with Joe, her Korean American co-worker, played by Charles Melton, when he was 13 years old.
The press notes for the Netflix movie, set to open the New York Film Festival this Friday, don’t mention Mary Kay Letourneau, a true-life schoolteacher who became a registered sex offender and was imprisoned after pleading guilty to the second-degree rape of a 13-year-old boy from her sixth grade class, whom she later married.
But the inspiration is all too clear as Portman plays actress Elizabeth Berry in the May December trailer as she visits Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore), a woman who in her mid-30s, was caught having sex in a pet store stockroom with Joe, her Korean American co-worker, played by Charles Melton, when he was 13 years old.
- 9/26/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Todd Haynes’ May December will open the New York Film Festival on Friday, but Netflix is giving an intriguing sneak peek via the first official trailer for the film that was the talk of Cannes this year.
Starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, the film picks up 20 years after an affair between an adult woman (Moore) and a much (much) younger man (Melton) – think Mary Kay Letourneau – made tabloid headlines. In the present day, famous TV star Elizabeth (Portman) visits the now-married couple while researching a film that will be based on the old scandal.
As the official logline puts it, “as Elizabeth attempts to get closer to the family, the uncomfortable facts of their scandal unfurl, causing difficult, long-dormant emotions to resurface.”
Directed by Haynes from a screenplay by Samy Burch and story by Burch and Alex Mechanik, the film had its world premiere in Cannes, with...
Starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, the film picks up 20 years after an affair between an adult woman (Moore) and a much (much) younger man (Melton) – think Mary Kay Letourneau – made tabloid headlines. In the present day, famous TV star Elizabeth (Portman) visits the now-married couple while researching a film that will be based on the old scandal.
As the official logline puts it, “as Elizabeth attempts to get closer to the family, the uncomfortable facts of their scandal unfurl, causing difficult, long-dormant emotions to resurface.”
Directed by Haynes from a screenplay by Samy Burch and story by Burch and Alex Mechanik, the film had its world premiere in Cannes, with...
- 9/26/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman are two halves of the same woman in the first trailer for Todd Haynes’ latest feature, “May December.”
In this case, Julianne Moore plays Gracie, a woman who gained infamy after falling in love with a teenage boy. Portman plays Elizabeth, the actress tasked with playing Gracie in a movie. The pair are flung into each other’s orbit when Elizabeth comes to stay with Gracie and her husband in order to research Gracie’s character.
The trailer itself looks utterly beautiful, with Haynes’ particular love of outdoor spaces on display. But, more importantly, the story seems to analyze themes also exhibited in Haynes’ past work, including illicit relationships and society’s equating of fame and infamy. It feels less like “Far From Heaven” and more a mash-up of “Carol” and Haynes’ “Superstar,” which sounds amazing.
“May December” premiered at Cannes in May to solid reviews.
In this case, Julianne Moore plays Gracie, a woman who gained infamy after falling in love with a teenage boy. Portman plays Elizabeth, the actress tasked with playing Gracie in a movie. The pair are flung into each other’s orbit when Elizabeth comes to stay with Gracie and her husband in order to research Gracie’s character.
The trailer itself looks utterly beautiful, with Haynes’ particular love of outdoor spaces on display. But, more importantly, the story seems to analyze themes also exhibited in Haynes’ past work, including illicit relationships and society’s equating of fame and infamy. It feels less like “Far From Heaven” and more a mash-up of “Carol” and Haynes’ “Superstar,” which sounds amazing.
“May December” premiered at Cannes in May to solid reviews.
- 9/26/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
What’s better than a May-December romance? One with a salacious national scandal attached to it.
Todd Haynes’s 10th feature film “May December” stars Julianne Moore as a predatory woman who seduced an adolescent boy two decades prior; now, Natalie Portman is bringing her story to the big screen, causing personal mayhem for Moore’s secluded suburban lifestyle.
“May December” is set 20 years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, [as] a married couple (Moore and Charles Melton) buckles under the pressure when actress Elizabeth Berry (Portman) arrives to do research for a film about their past. Meanwhile, Joe, having never fully processed what happened in his youth, starts to confront the reality of life as an empty-nester at 36.
The cast is rounded out by Piper Curda, Elizabeth Yu, and Gabriel Chung, who play Moore and Melton’s onscreen children.
“May December” premiered at Cannes and will open the...
Todd Haynes’s 10th feature film “May December” stars Julianne Moore as a predatory woman who seduced an adolescent boy two decades prior; now, Natalie Portman is bringing her story to the big screen, causing personal mayhem for Moore’s secluded suburban lifestyle.
“May December” is set 20 years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, [as] a married couple (Moore and Charles Melton) buckles under the pressure when actress Elizabeth Berry (Portman) arrives to do research for a film about their past. Meanwhile, Joe, having never fully processed what happened in his youth, starts to confront the reality of life as an empty-nester at 36.
The cast is rounded out by Piper Curda, Elizabeth Yu, and Gabriel Chung, who play Moore and Melton’s onscreen children.
“May December” premiered at Cannes and will open the...
- 9/26/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Apple has become the latest entertainment company to suspend additional overall and first-look deals this month as the WGA strike is getting past the four-and-a-half-month mark.
As has been the case with the other recent suspensions at Disney, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. TV and CBS Studios, impacted are non-writing producers who are not currently rendering services due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. I hear the handful of pacts that are being suspended include those for Natalie Portman’s MountainA, the company she formed with producer Sophie Mas, and Adam McKay’s Hyperobject Industries. A rep for Apple declined comment.
A number of the streamer’s high-profile deals with non-writing producers are still ongoing as they are working on projects, including Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s Playtone, which is behind the upcoming Apple series Masters of the Air. Martin Scorsese, who signed a film and TV deal with...
As has been the case with the other recent suspensions at Disney, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. TV and CBS Studios, impacted are non-writing producers who are not currently rendering services due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. I hear the handful of pacts that are being suspended include those for Natalie Portman’s MountainA, the company she formed with producer Sophie Mas, and Adam McKay’s Hyperobject Industries. A rep for Apple declined comment.
A number of the streamer’s high-profile deals with non-writing producers are still ongoing as they are working on projects, including Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s Playtone, which is behind the upcoming Apple series Masters of the Air. Martin Scorsese, who signed a film and TV deal with...
- 9/16/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Shane Atkinson’s “Laroy,” a crime thriller laced with dark comedy, swept three major prizes at the 49th edition of the Deauville American Film Festival.
The movie, which marks Atkinson’s feature debut and showcases Coen brothers influences, won the Grand Prize, the Audience Award and the Critics Award. It stars John Magaro as Ray, who decides to kill himself after discovering his wife has been cheating on him. But just before he pulls a trigger, a stranger takes him for a low-rent hitman. The movie was produced by the Cannes-based company Adastra Films and was acquired by a French distributor, Arp Selection, during the Deauville Film Festival. It previously opened at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The Jury Prize, meanwhile was shared by two films, Sean Price Williams’ “The Sweet East” and Iranian-born director Babak Jalali’s “Fremont.” “The Sweet East” marks the feature debut of Price, a well-established cinematographer whose credits include “Good Time.
The movie, which marks Atkinson’s feature debut and showcases Coen brothers influences, won the Grand Prize, the Audience Award and the Critics Award. It stars John Magaro as Ray, who decides to kill himself after discovering his wife has been cheating on him. But just before he pulls a trigger, a stranger takes him for a low-rent hitman. The movie was produced by the Cannes-based company Adastra Films and was acquired by a French distributor, Arp Selection, during the Deauville Film Festival. It previously opened at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The Jury Prize, meanwhile was shared by two films, Sean Price Williams’ “The Sweet East” and Iranian-born director Babak Jalali’s “Fremont.” “The Sweet East” marks the feature debut of Price, a well-established cinematographer whose credits include “Good Time.
- 9/9/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
While at the Deauville American Film Festival to present “May December,” Todd Haynes spoke to Variety, during a one-on-one interview at the Royal Hotel, about bringing Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore together in a film for the first time, provoking audiences and pushing against American conservatism. Haynes, who is attending Deauville with his producers Christine Vachon and Sophie Mas, also teased his next directorial effort starring Joaquin Phoenix, a “sexually explicit” movie telling a “love story between two men set in the 30s.”
Loosely based on the story of Mary Kay Letourneau, the teacher who had an affair with her 6th grade student, “May December” has already earned awards buzz since world premiering in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was bought by Netflix. In France, the movie will be released by Arp Selection in January.
What’s your next project with Joaquin Phoenix about?
It’s a...
Loosely based on the story of Mary Kay Letourneau, the teacher who had an affair with her 6th grade student, “May December” has already earned awards buzz since world premiering in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was bought by Netflix. In France, the movie will be released by Arp Selection in January.
What’s your next project with Joaquin Phoenix about?
It’s a...
- 9/9/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Natalie Portman will be honored at the 49th edition of Deauville American Film Festival, which will bestow her with its Deauville Talent Award. She will attend a screening of her new film, Todd Haynes’ sex scandal drama “May December,” at the festival, which runs from Sept. 1 to 10.
Among her career highlights, the festival singles out her performance in Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan,” for which she won an Oscar in 2011. She was also an Oscar nominee for Mike Nichols’ “Closer” in 2005 and Pablo Larraín’s “Jackie” in 2017.
Other standout roles the festival pointed to were her performances in “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” in 1999, Anthony Minghella’s “Cold Mountain” in 2003, and Kar-Wai Wong’s “My Blueberry Nights” in 2007.
“All of these roles are marked by her ambivalent presence, a blend of strength and fragility,” the festival commented.
Other performances...
Among her career highlights, the festival singles out her performance in Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan,” for which she won an Oscar in 2011. She was also an Oscar nominee for Mike Nichols’ “Closer” in 2005 and Pablo Larraín’s “Jackie” in 2017.
Other standout roles the festival pointed to were her performances in “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” in 1999, Anthony Minghella’s “Cold Mountain” in 2003, and Kar-Wai Wong’s “My Blueberry Nights” in 2007.
“All of these roles are marked by her ambivalent presence, a blend of strength and fragility,” the festival commented.
Other performances...
- 7/6/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has acquired Todd Haynes’ Cannes Film Festival competition entry May December, which made an impression on the Croisette, earning a six-minute standing ovation during its Saturday evening premiere.
The film stars Natalie Portman as a Hollywood actress who travels to Georgia to research the life of Gracie (Julianne Moore, teaming with Haynes for the fourth time), who became tabloid fodder after she started a May-December relationship with Joe (Charles Melton), a man 23 years her junior. While preparing for the film about the couple’s past, Elizabeth observes Gracie and Joe’s marriage 20 years after their relationship was national news, a time when they are about to become empty nesters.
The Hollywood Reporter‘s review called May December “a complex drama that’s intrinsically intimate and yet also detached, at times almost clinical.”
Haynes told THR that the screenplay for the movie came to him “from Natalie and her producing team” during the Covid pandemic.
The film stars Natalie Portman as a Hollywood actress who travels to Georgia to research the life of Gracie (Julianne Moore, teaming with Haynes for the fourth time), who became tabloid fodder after she started a May-December relationship with Joe (Charles Melton), a man 23 years her junior. While preparing for the film about the couple’s past, Elizabeth observes Gracie and Joe’s marriage 20 years after their relationship was national news, a time when they are about to become empty nesters.
The Hollywood Reporter‘s review called May December “a complex drama that’s intrinsically intimate and yet also detached, at times almost clinical.”
Haynes told THR that the screenplay for the movie came to him “from Natalie and her producing team” during the Covid pandemic.
- 5/23/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix has acquired the North American rights to Todd Haynes’ film “May December,” which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday. The film stars Julianne Moore as a woman who became notorious and spent time in prison for an affair with a seventh grader whom she later married, and Natalie Portman as the actress who hangs out with Moore’s character as preparation for playing her in a movie.
Netflix paid a reported $11 million for the film, a deliberately pulpy outing for Haynes. A week into the festival, it is Cannes’ largest deal to date.
The streaming company will release the film late this year and will no doubt launch an awards campaign focusing on Moore and Portman.
Haynes directed from a screenplay by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik. Producers on “May December” were Jessica Elbaum and Will Ferrell of Gloria Sanchez Productions, Christine Vachon and Pam Koffler of...
Netflix paid a reported $11 million for the film, a deliberately pulpy outing for Haynes. A week into the festival, it is Cannes’ largest deal to date.
The streaming company will release the film late this year and will no doubt launch an awards campaign focusing on Moore and Portman.
Haynes directed from a screenplay by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik. Producers on “May December” were Jessica Elbaum and Will Ferrell of Gloria Sanchez Productions, Christine Vachon and Pam Koffler of...
- 5/23/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Netflix landed North American rights for “May December,” a soapy romantic-drama directed by Todd Haynes and starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, which debuted at Cannes Film Festival. It sold for $11 million, marking the first big sale of this year’s festival.
Several bidders, including Neon, were in the mix before Netflix emerged victorious. The asking price for the domestic deal was initially $6 million, but the price tag ballooned as the bidding went on. The streamer hopes to position “May December” as an Oscar contender in the fall.
A scandalous age-gap relationship plays out at the center of “May December,” which debuted on Saturday to raves and earned a six-minute standing ovation. Moore plays the “December” to Charles Melton’s much-younger “May,” who was just 13 when the two fell in love. Given their 20-year age gap, their marriage inspired a national tabloid scandal. Decades later, their relationship is put to...
Several bidders, including Neon, were in the mix before Netflix emerged victorious. The asking price for the domestic deal was initially $6 million, but the price tag ballooned as the bidding went on. The streamer hopes to position “May December” as an Oscar contender in the fall.
A scandalous age-gap relationship plays out at the center of “May December,” which debuted on Saturday to raves and earned a six-minute standing ovation. Moore plays the “December” to Charles Melton’s much-younger “May,” who was just 13 when the two fell in love. Given their 20-year age gap, their marriage inspired a national tabloid scandal. Decades later, their relationship is put to...
- 5/23/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: After an old-style all-night auction, Netflix is finalizing an $11 million deal for North American rights to May December, the Todd Haynes-directed drama that stars Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman. It is far and away the big deal of Cannes so far, and a deal of this size ought to send a jolt of optimism that the North American marketplace for Cannes films is still alive and well, after a slow start here.
The deal is being finalized by CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group, with Rocket Science brokering international deals. The film premiered at Cannes last Saturday evening, and received an eight-minute standing ovation and positive notices. It is most unusual for Netflix to take North American rights, so this is an exceptional situation.
Director Haynes reacted to our scoop almost in real time when we interviewed him this morning in Cannes, saying the deal made...
The deal is being finalized by CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group, with Rocket Science brokering international deals. The film premiered at Cannes last Saturday evening, and received an eight-minute standing ovation and positive notices. It is most unusual for Netflix to take North American rights, so this is an exceptional situation.
Director Haynes reacted to our scoop almost in real time when we interviewed him this morning in Cannes, saying the deal made...
- 5/23/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
“Some people in France call May-December relationships ‘Le Macron’” jokes Todd Haynes.
The “expectations” for how women should behave at Cannes Film Festival are different than for men, according to May December star Natalie Portman.
“The different ways that we as women are expected to behave at this festival compared to men – how we’re supposed to look, how we’re supposed to carry ourselves – the expectations are different,” said Portman, speaking at the press conference for the Competition title. “How it affects you, whether you’re buying into it or rejecting it or doing something in between - you...
The “expectations” for how women should behave at Cannes Film Festival are different than for men, according to May December star Natalie Portman.
“The different ways that we as women are expected to behave at this festival compared to men – how we’re supposed to look, how we’re supposed to carry ourselves – the expectations are different,” said Portman, speaking at the press conference for the Competition title. “How it affects you, whether you’re buying into it or rejecting it or doing something in between - you...
- 5/21/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Todd Haynes returned to the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday night with his latest, May December, playing in competition. The complex melodrama starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore scored an eight-minute standing ovation inside the Grand Theatre Lumière.
The screening started late after an almost 40-minute delay due to the late start of the movie that premiered before Haynes’, that being Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. It was a bit of a tired crowd that finally entered the venue to see Haynes’ latest.
The enthusiastic response in Cannes’ biggest venue was at least matched by a simultaneous press screening at the adjacent Debussy Theatre, where there was huge applause — a rare feat for the press core here.
Related: Cannes Film Festival 2023 In Photos
Said Haynes in addressing the Lumière audience while standing between Portman and Moore: “The making of this film was such a joy…we shot...
The screening started late after an almost 40-minute delay due to the late start of the movie that premiered before Haynes’, that being Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. It was a bit of a tired crowd that finally entered the venue to see Haynes’ latest.
The enthusiastic response in Cannes’ biggest venue was at least matched by a simultaneous press screening at the adjacent Debussy Theatre, where there was huge applause — a rare feat for the press core here.
Related: Cannes Film Festival 2023 In Photos
Said Haynes in addressing the Lumière audience while standing between Portman and Moore: “The making of this film was such a joy…we shot...
- 5/20/2023
- by Baz Bamigboye and Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Once upon a time, Todd Haynes’ hot Cannes Competition title “May December” — a psychological drama based on the Mary Kay Letourneau case, starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore — would already have a North American distributor. (A source placed its budget just under $20 million.) However, we no longer live in a world where buyers will overpay for a film before they can gauge its theatrical value: The risk is just too great.
That’s why sellers CAA and UTA opted to not show the film to distributors before the festival. Instead, they’re betting that an enthusiastic response from Cannes media and audiences will boost its sale price.
“People are being skittish about paying top dollar for a movie as easily as they did in the past,” said Sony Pictures Classics co-president Michael Barker. At Cannes, SPC will screen the Pedro Almodovar gay western short “Strange Way of Life” starring Ethan Hawke...
That’s why sellers CAA and UTA opted to not show the film to distributors before the festival. Instead, they’re betting that an enthusiastic response from Cannes media and audiences will boost its sale price.
“People are being skittish about paying top dollar for a movie as easily as they did in the past,” said Sony Pictures Classics co-president Michael Barker. At Cannes, SPC will screen the Pedro Almodovar gay western short “Strange Way of Life” starring Ethan Hawke...
- 5/12/2023
- by Anne Thompson and Brian Welk
- Indiewire
In a scene late in Natalie Portman’s new movie, May December, she’s talking with the faintest lisp, somehow playing a moment as both fragile and predatory. Portman’s performance in the scene is striking not just for how uncomfortable it is, but because it’s an uncanny re-creation of a character that Julianne Moore has been playing for the entire movie up to that point. In the drama from director Todd Haynes, which will premiere in competition May 20 at Cannes, Portman is Elizabeth, an actress doing research to play Gracie (Moore), a woman at the center of a decades-old tabloid scandal, married to a man (Riverdale‘s Charles Melton) 23 years younger than she is. May December is an opportunity for the star of dark films like Black Swan and Léon: The Professional to dig into an old obsession.
“I’m very curious about performance,” Portman says. “It’s...
“I’m very curious about performance,” Portman says. “It’s...
- 5/10/2023
- by Rebecca Keegan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Love Again and Angel City, plus FYCs for Wednesday, The Last of Us and Ted Lasso.
The Last of Us FYC
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey reunited with their Last of Us team for a “For Your Consideration” event in L.A. on April 28.
Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin, Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal, Gabriel Luna, Carolyn Strauss and Murray Bartlett
Wednesday FYC
Netflix held a special Wednesday screening and Q&a at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Saturday with stars Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán and Gwendoline Christie.
Jen Malone, Danny Elfman, Alfred Gough, Luis Guzmán, Gwendoline Christie, Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Miles Millar and Yvette Nicole Brown Gwendoline Christie, Jenna Ortega and Catherine Zeta-Jones
Welcome to Wrexham FYC
Ryan Reynolds and...
The Last of Us FYC
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey reunited with their Last of Us team for a “For Your Consideration” event in L.A. on April 28.
Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin, Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal, Gabriel Luna, Carolyn Strauss and Murray Bartlett
Wednesday FYC
Netflix held a special Wednesday screening and Q&a at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Saturday with stars Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán and Gwendoline Christie.
Jen Malone, Danny Elfman, Alfred Gough, Luis Guzmán, Gwendoline Christie, Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Miles Millar and Yvette Nicole Brown Gwendoline Christie, Jenna Ortega and Catherine Zeta-Jones
Welcome to Wrexham FYC
Ryan Reynolds and...
- 5/5/2023
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
HBO three-part docuseries Angel City goes behind the scenes of the Angel City soccer team’s debut season in the National Women’s Soccer League. The trailer shows off some of the big names behind the team, including Oscar winner Natalie Portman (Black Swan) who founded the Angel City Football Club.
Arlene Nelson directs and Portman, Sophie Mas, Anna Barnes, Christine O’Malley, and Free Solo Oscar winners Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin executive produce. Additional executive producers include HBO’s Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Bentley Weiner.
Natalie Portman at an Angel City Football Club game (Photo Courtesy of HBO)
HBO released this description of the docuseries along with details on the three episodes:
Founded in September 2020 by actor Natalie Portman, venture capitalist Kara Nortman and gaming entrepreneur Julie Uhrman, Acfc breaks the mold by being the largest majority female ownership group in professional sports and includes 14 former US...
Arlene Nelson directs and Portman, Sophie Mas, Anna Barnes, Christine O’Malley, and Free Solo Oscar winners Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin executive produce. Additional executive producers include HBO’s Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Bentley Weiner.
Natalie Portman at an Angel City Football Club game (Photo Courtesy of HBO)
HBO released this description of the docuseries along with details on the three episodes:
Founded in September 2020 by actor Natalie Portman, venture capitalist Kara Nortman and gaming entrepreneur Julie Uhrman, Acfc breaks the mold by being the largest majority female ownership group in professional sports and includes 14 former US...
- 5/4/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
HBO Original three-part docuseries Angel City, directed by Arlene Nelson (“Gutsy” and HBO’s “Naked States”) and executive produced by Academy Award®-winners Natalie Portman, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, and Jimmy Chin, with Sophie Mas, Anna Barnes, and Christine O’Malley, debuts Tuesday, May 16 (9:00 p.m. Et/Pt), followed by the additional two episodes on Wednesday, May 17 and Thursday, May 18 at the same time. The series will debut on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
Synopsis: Angel City is a captivating docuseries that goes behind the scenes and onto the pitch of the groundbreaking Los Angeles-based professional women’s soccer team, Angel City Football Club (Acfc). Founded in September 2020 by actor Natalie Portman, venture capitalist Kara Nortman and gaming entrepreneur Julie Uhrman, Acfc breaks the mold by being the largest majority female ownership group in professional sports and includes 14 former US Women’s National Team players as investors.
Synopsis: Angel City is a captivating docuseries that goes behind the scenes and onto the pitch of the groundbreaking Los Angeles-based professional women’s soccer team, Angel City Football Club (Acfc). Founded in September 2020 by actor Natalie Portman, venture capitalist Kara Nortman and gaming entrepreneur Julie Uhrman, Acfc breaks the mold by being the largest majority female ownership group in professional sports and includes 14 former US Women’s National Team players as investors.
- 5/3/2023
- by Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid - TV
Variety has a first look at the anticipated Cannes Film Festival competition premiere “May December,” led by Oscar-winning heavyweights Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman and directed by Todd Haynes.
The title, which is also for sale out of this year’s Marché du Film, represents a “Far From Heaven” reunion for Moore and Haynes and a significant breakout opportunity for “Riverdale” heartthrob Charles Melton.
Moore and Melton star as married couple whose 20-year relationship inspired a national tabloid obsession at its offset. Now preparing to send their grown children off to college – as Melton reconciles with empty nest syndrome in his mid-30s – an actress (Portman) embeds with the family to study them for an upcoming film where she’ll play Moore. The couple buckles under the pressure as Portman probes as deeply as she can for an honest performance.
Piper Curda, Elizabeth Yu, and Gabriel Chung round out the...
The title, which is also for sale out of this year’s Marché du Film, represents a “Far From Heaven” reunion for Moore and Haynes and a significant breakout opportunity for “Riverdale” heartthrob Charles Melton.
Moore and Melton star as married couple whose 20-year relationship inspired a national tabloid obsession at its offset. Now preparing to send their grown children off to college – as Melton reconciles with empty nest syndrome in his mid-30s – an actress (Portman) embeds with the family to study them for an upcoming film where she’ll play Moore. The couple buckles under the pressure as Portman probes as deeply as she can for an honest performance.
Piper Curda, Elizabeth Yu, and Gabriel Chung round out the...
- 5/1/2023
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Natalie Portman is shining a light on Angel City Football Club in “Angel City”.
HBO announced their new documentary on Thursday, which will tell the inspirational story of Angel City Football Club’s first season in The National Women’s Soccer League.
“Sometimes you dream impossible dreams and you let them go away and you’re kinda like, ‘Oh, that’s silly.’ But then sometimes someone you love and respect goes, ‘No, that’s a good idea. Keep going,” Portman narrates in the opening of the official teaser.
Read More: Natalie Portman Series ‘Lady In The Lake’ Temporarily Shuts Down After Threats Against Crew
The docuseries will go behind the scenes of the Los Angeles-based professional women’s soccer team’s rise to glory in their first season in 2022. The club was founded and led by an all-female team, with Portman at the head.
The original three-part documentary series will...
HBO announced their new documentary on Thursday, which will tell the inspirational story of Angel City Football Club’s first season in The National Women’s Soccer League.
“Sometimes you dream impossible dreams and you let them go away and you’re kinda like, ‘Oh, that’s silly.’ But then sometimes someone you love and respect goes, ‘No, that’s a good idea. Keep going,” Portman narrates in the opening of the official teaser.
Read More: Natalie Portman Series ‘Lady In The Lake’ Temporarily Shuts Down After Threats Against Crew
The docuseries will go behind the scenes of the Los Angeles-based professional women’s soccer team’s rise to glory in their first season in 2022. The club was founded and led by an all-female team, with Portman at the head.
The original three-part documentary series will...
- 3/23/2023
- by Anita Tai
- ET Canada
Three young stars will round out the A-list cast of Oscar winner Todd Haynes’ new drama “May December.”
Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman anchor the intense portrait of the scandalous romance of an older woman (Moore) and her young employee (Charles Melton). Almost 20 years after the affair made headlines, the couple are preparing to send their almost-adult children off to college. At the same time, a movie star (Portman) comes to study the family for an upcoming film about their lives.
Piper Curda, Elizabeth Yu, and Gabriel Chung will star as the children of Moore and Melton, all about to leave home and all spun into emotional upheaval over the adaptation of their family history.
Curda will play Honor, the couple’s eldest, who returns for the high school graduation of her younger twin siblings – and finds herself instantly at odds with celebrity interloper Portman and the project she is researching.
Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman anchor the intense portrait of the scandalous romance of an older woman (Moore) and her young employee (Charles Melton). Almost 20 years after the affair made headlines, the couple are preparing to send their almost-adult children off to college. At the same time, a movie star (Portman) comes to study the family for an upcoming film about their lives.
Piper Curda, Elizabeth Yu, and Gabriel Chung will star as the children of Moore and Melton, all about to leave home and all spun into emotional upheaval over the adaptation of their family history.
Curda will play Honor, the couple’s eldest, who returns for the high school graduation of her younger twin siblings – and finds herself instantly at odds with celebrity interloper Portman and the project she is researching.
- 1/18/2023
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
“Riverdale’s” Charles Melton is set to star in the next film from “Carol” director Todd Haynes, a drama titled “May December,” according to an individual with knowledge of the project.
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore are also attached to star.
Haynes is directing the film based on a script by Samy Burch (with a story by Burch and Alex Mechanik). It’ll be the sixth time that Moore and Haynes have worked together, including on her Oscar-nominated performance in “Far From Heaven.”
Also Read:
Rebel Wilson Drama ‘The Almond and the Seahorse’ Acquired by IFC Films
“May December” is described as an “exploration of truth” and the impossibility of trying to fully understand another person. The movie follows a woman who 20 years earlier had a notorious tabloid romance with a man who was 23 years younger than her. Now as their twins prepare to graduate high school, a Hollywood actress...
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore are also attached to star.
Haynes is directing the film based on a script by Samy Burch (with a story by Burch and Alex Mechanik). It’ll be the sixth time that Moore and Haynes have worked together, including on her Oscar-nominated performance in “Far From Heaven.”
Also Read:
Rebel Wilson Drama ‘The Almond and the Seahorse’ Acquired by IFC Films
“May December” is described as an “exploration of truth” and the impossibility of trying to fully understand another person. The movie follows a woman who 20 years earlier had a notorious tabloid romance with a man who was 23 years younger than her. Now as their twins prepare to graduate high school, a Hollywood actress...
- 9/14/2022
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
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