The Sympathizer is a period spy thriller and dark comedy series created by Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar. Based on a 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Vietnamese author Viet Thanh Nguyen, the HBO series follows the story of the Captain, a North Vietnam spy planted in the army of South Vietnam but when he is forced to flee to the United States, he keeps gathering information on his community to send it back to the Viet Cong. The Sympathizer stars Hoa Xuande in the lead role with Robert Downey Jr., Toan Le, Fred Nguyen Khan, Duy Nguyễn, Vy Le, Ky Duyen, Kieu Chinh, Alan Trong, and Sandra Oh starring in supporting roles. If you loved the spy thriller and dark comedy aspects of The Sympathizer here are some similar shows you could watch next.
The Americans (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – FX
The Americans is a...
The Americans (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – FX
The Americans is a...
- 5/21/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Focus Features has bought international rights to “Hamlet,” Aneil Karia’s London-set modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s famed play starring Oscar winner Riz Ahmed.
Morfydd Clark and Joe Alwyn (“Kinds of Kindness”) also star in the film, which wrapped production at the end of last year and was acquired by Focus Features some time ago. WME Independent and CAA are co-repping North American rights, while WME handled international sales.
In this latest interpretation of “Hamlet,” Ahmed plays the titular lead, a man who is haunted by his father’s ghost and moves from elite London to the city’s underground, from Hindu temples to homeless tent cities. He embarks on a violent journey to avenge his father’s murder, ultimately questioning his own role in the family’s corruption.
The film was penned by Michael Lesslie (“Macbeth”). Ahmed produced “Hamlet” on behalf of his production company Left-Handed Films with Allie Moore.
Morfydd Clark and Joe Alwyn (“Kinds of Kindness”) also star in the film, which wrapped production at the end of last year and was acquired by Focus Features some time ago. WME Independent and CAA are co-repping North American rights, while WME handled international sales.
In this latest interpretation of “Hamlet,” Ahmed plays the titular lead, a man who is haunted by his father’s ghost and moves from elite London to the city’s underground, from Hindu temples to homeless tent cities. He embarks on a violent journey to avenge his father’s murder, ultimately questioning his own role in the family’s corruption.
The film was penned by Michael Lesslie (“Macbeth”). Ahmed produced “Hamlet” on behalf of his production company Left-Handed Films with Allie Moore.
- 5/19/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Jacob Elordi has emerged as a fan-favorite pick to play Gambit in live-action, and this new artwork from 21x4 imagines the Euphoria breakout as the X-Men's Ragin' Cajun with a dark, X-Men '97-inspired twist.
The image gives Elordi Gambit's signature bandana, trench coat and glowing eyes, but with one side of his face faded into a skull. This is a reference to the character's death in episode 5 of the Disney+ animated series, "Remember It."
Gambit hasn't fared very well in live-action so far. Taylor Kitsch made a brief appearance as Remy LeBeau in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and while he did a decent enough job with what he had to work with, it wasn't exactly a memorable debut.
Later, Channing Tatum was all set to play another take on the mutant hero in a solo Gambit movie, but the plug was pulled when Disney took over 20th Century Fox's assets.
The image gives Elordi Gambit's signature bandana, trench coat and glowing eyes, but with one side of his face faded into a skull. This is a reference to the character's death in episode 5 of the Disney+ animated series, "Remember It."
Gambit hasn't fared very well in live-action so far. Taylor Kitsch made a brief appearance as Remy LeBeau in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and while he did a decent enough job with what he had to work with, it wasn't exactly a memorable debut.
Later, Channing Tatum was all set to play another take on the mutant hero in a solo Gambit movie, but the plug was pulled when Disney took over 20th Century Fox's assets.
- 5/12/2024
- ComicBookMovie.com
Marvel Studios is said to be very close to announcing a writer (or writers) for the long-awaited X-Men movie, and we may know which scribes have emerged as Kevin Feige and co.'s top picks to pen the reboot.
According to Jeff Sneider on the latest episode of The Hot Mic, Rafe Judkins and Michael Lesslie are in the mix to write the script. He believes these two are the finalists to land the gig, but notes that other writers may still be in contention.
Judkins previously worked on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Tom Holland-led Uncharted movie, and more recently served as the showrunner for Amazon’s Wheel of Time adaptation. Lesslie, meanwhile, penned the screenplay for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and 2016's Assassin’s Creed movie.
A lot of fans were hopeful that the studio would rehire former X-Men '97 showrunner Beau DeMayo...
According to Jeff Sneider on the latest episode of The Hot Mic, Rafe Judkins and Michael Lesslie are in the mix to write the script. He believes these two are the finalists to land the gig, but notes that other writers may still be in contention.
Judkins previously worked on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Tom Holland-led Uncharted movie, and more recently served as the showrunner for Amazon’s Wheel of Time adaptation. Lesslie, meanwhile, penned the screenplay for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and 2016's Assassin’s Creed movie.
A lot of fans were hopeful that the studio would rehire former X-Men '97 showrunner Beau DeMayo...
- 5/10/2024
- ComicBookMovie.com
Fans are truly excited about the MCU’s efforts to bring back the X-Men, anticipating an epic journey ahead. It is now no secret that Marvel Studios has been diligently searching for the right writer to spearhead the X-Men movie script, with recent reports confirming that they’ve narrowed it down to two final candidates.
Kevin Feige. Credits: Wikimedia Commons
However, fans find it somewhat peculiar that despite the recent surge in popularity of the X-Men ’97 animated series, Kevin Feige is not considering hiring that team for the movie, and they are not shy to vocalize their concerns, to say the least.
Meet the Two Finalists Shortlisted by Kevin Feige to Spearhead the Writing Process for the X-Men MCU Movie!
The search for writers for the X-Men movie has been ongoing for quite some time now, with the MCU taking this process pretty seriously. This is no ordinary task,...
Kevin Feige. Credits: Wikimedia Commons
However, fans find it somewhat peculiar that despite the recent surge in popularity of the X-Men ’97 animated series, Kevin Feige is not considering hiring that team for the movie, and they are not shy to vocalize their concerns, to say the least.
Meet the Two Finalists Shortlisted by Kevin Feige to Spearhead the Writing Process for the X-Men MCU Movie!
The search for writers for the X-Men movie has been ongoing for quite some time now, with the MCU taking this process pretty seriously. This is no ordinary task,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Sampurna Banerjee
- FandomWire
X-Men Reboot Reportedly Has Frontrunners for Its Writer Search - Main Image
Marvel Studios is now inching closer to finding a writer who will pen the X-Men reboot according to a new report.
A few months ago, it was reported that Marvel Studios had started searching for a writer who would spearhead the highly-anticipated MCU reboot of X-Men.
Fans have been patiently waiting for new updates regarding the mutant team's official introduction in the MCU and now it looks like they are close to hiring a writer for the coveted job.
Also Read: Marvel Studios Reportedly Eyes Ryan Coogler to Direct X-Men Reboot
Meet the Frontrunners for the X-Men Reboot Writer Search
A recent report revealed that the search for the writer of Marvel Studios' X-Men reboot has narrowed down to two frontrunners.
One of them is Rafe Judkins, the showrunner of the hit Prime Video series The Wheel of Time.
Marvel Studios is now inching closer to finding a writer who will pen the X-Men reboot according to a new report.
A few months ago, it was reported that Marvel Studios had started searching for a writer who would spearhead the highly-anticipated MCU reboot of X-Men.
Fans have been patiently waiting for new updates regarding the mutant team's official introduction in the MCU and now it looks like they are close to hiring a writer for the coveted job.
Also Read: Marvel Studios Reportedly Eyes Ryan Coogler to Direct X-Men Reboot
Meet the Frontrunners for the X-Men Reboot Writer Search
A recent report revealed that the search for the writer of Marvel Studios' X-Men reboot has narrowed down to two frontrunners.
One of them is Rafe Judkins, the showrunner of the hit Prime Video series The Wheel of Time.
- 5/10/2024
- EpicStream
We know that the ‘X-Men’ reboot project has been in talks for quite some time now, and the studio is actively looking for writers. The latest scoops claimed that the studio wants a writer who is good at balancing comedy and drama, but the film shouldn’t be oriented too much toward comedy.
Now Jeff Sneider, notable industry insider and source of plenty of legit rumors and leaks claims that the studio has narrowed down the list of candidates to just two names.
According to his newsletter, the studio is looking to nab either Rafe Judkins or Michael Lesslie to serve as the writers of one of the most exciting upcoming projects.
Rafe is recently most popular for writing and show-running TV adaptation of ‘The Wheel of Time’ but he has plenty of other accolades. Between 2005 and 2022, Rafe was involved in various roles within the entertainment industry. Notable highlights include...
Now Jeff Sneider, notable industry insider and source of plenty of legit rumors and leaks claims that the studio has narrowed down the list of candidates to just two names.
According to his newsletter, the studio is looking to nab either Rafe Judkins or Michael Lesslie to serve as the writers of one of the most exciting upcoming projects.
Rafe is recently most popular for writing and show-running TV adaptation of ‘The Wheel of Time’ but he has plenty of other accolades. Between 2005 and 2022, Rafe was involved in various roles within the entertainment industry. Notable highlights include...
- 5/10/2024
- by Valentina Kraljik
- Comic Basics
The long-discussed ‘X-Men’ reboot has been a topic of ongoing discussion, with the studio actively seeking writers. Recent reports suggest the studio desires a writer adept at blending comedy and drama, albeit without leaning too heavily into comedy.
Notable industry insider Jeff Sneider, known for credible leaks and rumors, now asserts that the studio has narrowed down their list to just two potential candidates.
According to his newsletter, the studio is considering either Rafe Judkins or Michael Lesslie as potential writers for an upcoming project. Rafe gained recent popularity for his work on ‘The Wheel of Time’ TV adaptation, but he has a range of other accomplishments. From 2005 to 2022, he worked in different roles in entertainment, including writing for shows like ‘Chuck’ and ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ He also contributed to the screenplay and story for the film ‘Uncharted’ in 2022.
Michael Lesslie’s latest project was ‘Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.’ In...
Notable industry insider Jeff Sneider, known for credible leaks and rumors, now asserts that the studio has narrowed down their list to just two potential candidates.
According to his newsletter, the studio is considering either Rafe Judkins or Michael Lesslie as potential writers for an upcoming project. Rafe gained recent popularity for his work on ‘The Wheel of Time’ TV adaptation, but he has a range of other accomplishments. From 2005 to 2022, he worked in different roles in entertainment, including writing for shows like ‘Chuck’ and ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ He also contributed to the screenplay and story for the film ‘Uncharted’ in 2022.
Michael Lesslie’s latest project was ‘Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.’ In...
- 5/10/2024
- by Valentina Kraljik
- Fiction Horizon
Marvel Studios Reportedly Eyes Ryan Coogler to Direct X-Men Reboot - Main Image
Marvel Studios reportedly prepares for the much-awaited X-Men reboot after Disney acquired its rights from 20 Century Fox in 2019. Though details about this highly-anticipated project remain under wraps, the studio is allegedly eyeing Ryan Coogler to direct the film.
Coogler has been known for creating critically acclaimed and commercially successful movies, like the 2018 Black Panther.
The film didn’t just break numerous box office records, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time by an African American director.
But it also brought the franchise three Oscar wins and several nominations, including Best Picture, a first for a superhero movie.
That said, it would be no surprise if Marvel chooses Coogler to helm its X-Men reboot.
Ryan Coogler May Direct Marvel Studios’ X-Men Reboot
Several X-Men characters have been making their way to the MCU, the most prominent being Charles Xavier,...
Marvel Studios reportedly prepares for the much-awaited X-Men reboot after Disney acquired its rights from 20 Century Fox in 2019. Though details about this highly-anticipated project remain under wraps, the studio is allegedly eyeing Ryan Coogler to direct the film.
Coogler has been known for creating critically acclaimed and commercially successful movies, like the 2018 Black Panther.
The film didn’t just break numerous box office records, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time by an African American director.
But it also brought the franchise three Oscar wins and several nominations, including Best Picture, a first for a superhero movie.
That said, it would be no surprise if Marvel chooses Coogler to helm its X-Men reboot.
Ryan Coogler May Direct Marvel Studios’ X-Men Reboot
Several X-Men characters have been making their way to the MCU, the most prominent being Charles Xavier,...
- 5/10/2024
- EpicStream
Justice Smith, last seen in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and The Holdovers breakout Dominic Sessa are ready to take over the magic stage.
The duo have closed deals to join Barbie actress Ariana Greenblatt in Now You See Me 3, Lionsgate’s latest installment of its heist-with-magicians thrillers.
The trio are the newcomers to the caper, with original cast members Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco and Morgan Freeman expected to reprise their roles as thieving illusionists.
Plot details are being kept up a sleeve but the new feature will once again delve into the world of the illusionists and the bickering and sneaky quartet known as the Four Horsemen while introducing audiences to a new generation of magicians.
Ruben Fleischer will be sitting in the director’s chair when cameras roll. Eric Warren Singer, Seth Grahame-Smith and Mike Lesslie wrote the script while Bobby Cohen and Alex Kurtzman produce.
The duo have closed deals to join Barbie actress Ariana Greenblatt in Now You See Me 3, Lionsgate’s latest installment of its heist-with-magicians thrillers.
The trio are the newcomers to the caper, with original cast members Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco and Morgan Freeman expected to reprise their roles as thieving illusionists.
Plot details are being kept up a sleeve but the new feature will once again delve into the world of the illusionists and the bickering and sneaky quartet known as the Four Horsemen while introducing audiences to a new generation of magicians.
Ruben Fleischer will be sitting in the director’s chair when cameras roll. Eric Warren Singer, Seth Grahame-Smith and Mike Lesslie wrote the script while Bobby Cohen and Alex Kurtzman produce.
- 4/16/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 96th Academy Awards ceremony should be known as the Cannes Oscars, argues Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Frémaux.
He’s got a point.
Frémaux sipped a cocktail at the Charles Finch and Chanel Annual Pre-Oscar Dinner in the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and ticked off Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall and Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest as films that played and won the top prizes at last May’s festival.
Michael Barker, Sony Picture Classics co-chair, helped Frémaux out by adding in Martin Scorsese’s The Killers of the Flower Moon, which also premiered on the Croisette.
“Here we are in March, and the top winners at last year’s Cannes are still in the conversation, and are here at the Oscars,” says Frémaux, giving himself a pat on the back.
Related: Oscar Week 2024 Parties & Events List: The List
He adds that...
He’s got a point.
Frémaux sipped a cocktail at the Charles Finch and Chanel Annual Pre-Oscar Dinner in the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and ticked off Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall and Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest as films that played and won the top prizes at last May’s festival.
Michael Barker, Sony Picture Classics co-chair, helped Frémaux out by adding in Martin Scorsese’s The Killers of the Flower Moon, which also premiered on the Croisette.
“Here we are in March, and the top winners at last year’s Cannes are still in the conversation, and are here at the Oscars,” says Frémaux, giving himself a pat on the back.
Related: Oscar Week 2024 Parties & Events List: The List
He adds that...
- 3/10/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best Adapted Screenplay Oppenheimer, from left: Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, 2023. © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
Weekly Commentary: Cord Jefferson stands on the brink of potentially making history in the adapted screenplay category with “American Fiction,” potentially becoming only the second...
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best Adapted Screenplay Oppenheimer, from left: Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, 2023. © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
Weekly Commentary: Cord Jefferson stands on the brink of potentially making history in the adapted screenplay category with “American Fiction,” potentially becoming only the second...
- 3/7/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Prepare to board the train to Hogwarts as the Harry Potter live-action series reboot may have zeroed in on its showrunner, as this recent report alludes. Previously, several names were being thrown into the mix, and it was believed Succession writer Francesca Gardiner was shortlisted as one of the finalists who’d be in the running to snag the role of the upcoming show’s creative leader.
This latest scoop, though, affirms that Warner Bros. may have settled on a clear winner to spearhead the adaptation, and it could indeed be Gardiner.
The Harry Potter reboot series may have found its showrunner. Credit: Warner Bros.
This could indicate an exciting fate awaiting the small-screen adaptation, with the studio striving for a more mature, darker approach and taste to the premise. On The Hot Mic Podcast with John Rocha and Jeff Sneider, the former claimed to have heard of this development...
This latest scoop, though, affirms that Warner Bros. may have settled on a clear winner to spearhead the adaptation, and it could indeed be Gardiner.
The Harry Potter reboot series may have found its showrunner. Credit: Warner Bros.
This could indicate an exciting fate awaiting the small-screen adaptation, with the studio striving for a more mature, darker approach and taste to the premise. On The Hot Mic Podcast with John Rocha and Jeff Sneider, the former claimed to have heard of this development...
- 2/25/2024
- by Debdipta Bhattacharya
- FandomWire
Stars: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, Fionnula Flanagan, Hunter Schafer, Ashley Liao, Joshua Kantara, Amélie Hoeferle, Hunter Schafer | Written by Michael Lesslie, Michael Arndt | Directed by Francis Lawrence
It’s been eight years since we last visited the world of Panem. Now the world spans to five films and this time we’re sent back over 60 years to see the 10th annual Hunger Games and the rise of Coriolanus Snow. This time Snow is played by newcomer Tom Blyth, who has to carry the runtime of the film all by himself. He’s joined for the most part by Rachel Zegler, who plays Lucy Gray.
The two leads carry the film effortlessly, Tom Blyth in particular does a fantastic job of giving complexity to Snow, showcasing a flawed but ambitious character as we slowly see his loss of humanity grow on screen. The film, unlike its predecessors,...
It’s been eight years since we last visited the world of Panem. Now the world spans to five films and this time we’re sent back over 60 years to see the 10th annual Hunger Games and the rise of Coriolanus Snow. This time Snow is played by newcomer Tom Blyth, who has to carry the runtime of the film all by himself. He’s joined for the most part by Rachel Zegler, who plays Lucy Gray.
The two leads carry the film effortlessly, Tom Blyth in particular does a fantastic job of giving complexity to Snow, showcasing a flawed but ambitious character as we slowly see his loss of humanity grow on screen. The film, unlike its predecessors,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Alex Ginnelly
- Nerdly
Exclusive: Things are heating up at Hogwarts.
The Harry Potter television series is closer to naming its creative leader as Deadline understands that the shortlist is now down to three names.
We hear that Succession writer Francesca Gardiner is now among the finalists to score the job of adapting Jk Rowling’s books for the Max streaming platform. It’s understood that Gardiner is now one of three writers currently being considered to lead Harry and his pals on the small screen.
A decision is expected soon. Max and Warner Bros. Television declined to comment.
Gardiner has emerged after Deadline revealed last month that there were four other writers in contention: Martha Hillier, Kathleen Jordan, Tom Moran and Michael Lesslie. It’s not clear which of these writers are still involved.
Gardiner was a consulting producer on Seasons 3 and 4 of HBO’s Succession. Before working on the Jesse Armstrong creation,...
The Harry Potter television series is closer to naming its creative leader as Deadline understands that the shortlist is now down to three names.
We hear that Succession writer Francesca Gardiner is now among the finalists to score the job of adapting Jk Rowling’s books for the Max streaming platform. It’s understood that Gardiner is now one of three writers currently being considered to lead Harry and his pals on the small screen.
A decision is expected soon. Max and Warner Bros. Television declined to comment.
Gardiner has emerged after Deadline revealed last month that there were four other writers in contention: Martha Hillier, Kathleen Jordan, Tom Moran and Michael Lesslie. It’s not clear which of these writers are still involved.
Gardiner was a consulting producer on Seasons 3 and 4 of HBO’s Succession. Before working on the Jesse Armstrong creation,...
- 2/2/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Warner Bros is meeting with writers as plans for a ten-year Harry Potter television series continue to move forward.
The story so far. The Harry Potter series of eight movies proved so wildly successful that Warner Bros was keen to get some kind of spin-off going.
Author J K Rowling, someone who it’d be fair to say has attracted some opinions in recent times, duly made the jump from book author to screenwriter, and we got the tepid Fantastic Beasts collection of films. There were supposed to be five of them, but the franchise appears to have stopped at three, with dwindling interest and box office returns seemingly stopping the series in its tracks.
Warner Bros thus decided to go back to the drawing board, and rather than try something new, it now wants a fresh adaptation of Rowling’s novels instead. This time they’re heading for TV,...
The story so far. The Harry Potter series of eight movies proved so wildly successful that Warner Bros was keen to get some kind of spin-off going.
Author J K Rowling, someone who it’d be fair to say has attracted some opinions in recent times, duly made the jump from book author to screenwriter, and we got the tepid Fantastic Beasts collection of films. There were supposed to be five of them, but the franchise appears to have stopped at three, with dwindling interest and box office returns seemingly stopping the series in its tracks.
Warner Bros thus decided to go back to the drawing board, and rather than try something new, it now wants a fresh adaptation of Rowling’s novels instead. This time they’re heading for TV,...
- 1/22/2024
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
There’s been some exciting news about the Harry Potter reboot that’s in the works for Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming platform Max.
We first learned about the plans to adapt J.K. Rowling‘s popular novels into a television series back in April 2023. The plan is for each season of the show to focus on one of the books in the franchise.
Nearly a year later, there’s been an update on where the project stands.
Read more about the Harry Potter reboot…
According to a report by Deadline, Warner Bros. is in the midst of fielding pitches for the series from a variety of writers. The first set of meetings allegedly took place recently in Los Angeles, and there are plans for a follow up in the United Kingdom.
The shortlist is said to include Martha Hillier, Kathleen Jordan, Tom Moran and Michael Lesslie. Of the bunch, fans...
We first learned about the plans to adapt J.K. Rowling‘s popular novels into a television series back in April 2023. The plan is for each season of the show to focus on one of the books in the franchise.
Nearly a year later, there’s been an update on where the project stands.
Read more about the Harry Potter reboot…
According to a report by Deadline, Warner Bros. is in the midst of fielding pitches for the series from a variety of writers. The first set of meetings allegedly took place recently in Los Angeles, and there are plans for a follow up in the United Kingdom.
The shortlist is said to include Martha Hillier, Kathleen Jordan, Tom Moran and Michael Lesslie. Of the bunch, fans...
- 1/21/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Exclusive: The Harry Potter television series is moving closer to fruition.
In April, Warner Bros. Discovery revealed that a series, based on the classic wizarding world, would be coming to its streaming service Max.
Deadline understands that things in Potterworld are now heating up with a marathon of pitches underway from writers vying for the right to adapt J.K. Rowling’s seven books.
Martha Hillier, Kathleen Jordan, Tom Moran and Michael Lesslie are among those who are presenting their visions to the streaming service and Warner Bros Television, sources said. It’s an interesting mix of Brits and Americans. We’ve heard that the group of writers were commissioned by Max to create pitches for a series reflecting their take on the IP.
We hear the first round of pitch meetings happened in Los Angeles this week and sources said that the top choices will go on to the next round in the UK.
In April, Warner Bros. Discovery revealed that a series, based on the classic wizarding world, would be coming to its streaming service Max.
Deadline understands that things in Potterworld are now heating up with a marathon of pitches underway from writers vying for the right to adapt J.K. Rowling’s seven books.
Martha Hillier, Kathleen Jordan, Tom Moran and Michael Lesslie are among those who are presenting their visions to the streaming service and Warner Bros Television, sources said. It’s an interesting mix of Brits and Americans. We’ve heard that the group of writers were commissioned by Max to create pitches for a series reflecting their take on the IP.
We hear the first round of pitch meetings happened in Los Angeles this week and sources said that the top choices will go on to the next round in the UK.
- 1/19/2024
- by Peter White, Nellie Andreeva and Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
According to Deadline, the upcoming Battlestar Galactica reboot has tapped The Sinner creator Derek Simonds to serve as writer, executive producer, and showrunner of the series. He replaces Michael Lesslie (The Little Drummer Girl), who was originally attached to write and executive produce.
The Battlestar Galactica reboot series has been a passion project of Mr. Robot‘s Sam Esmail for some time and he will be producing through UCP. Esmail provided an update late last year, saying, “We have a great outline and we’re probably going to go to pilot soon.” Esmail also explained why he wasn’t running the series himself.
“I know myself as a filmmaker and I don’t know if hard sci-fi is something I’m going to be the A-plus person to pull off,” Esmail said. “And Battlestar needs the cream of the crop. But I love the world and what Ron Moore did...
The Battlestar Galactica reboot series has been a passion project of Mr. Robot‘s Sam Esmail for some time and he will be producing through UCP. Esmail provided an update late last year, saying, “We have a great outline and we’re probably going to go to pilot soon.” Esmail also explained why he wasn’t running the series himself.
“I know myself as a filmmaker and I don’t know if hard sci-fi is something I’m going to be the A-plus person to pull off,” Esmail said. “And Battlestar needs the cream of the crop. But I love the world and what Ron Moore did...
- 1/6/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: There is a new writer at the helm of Peacock’s long-gestating reboot of the popular sci-fi franchise Battlestar Galactica. The Sinner creator Derek Simonds has come on board as writer, executive producer and showrunner.
Battlestar Galactica, which remains in development at Peacock, has been a passion project for Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail — a big fan of the original — whose company Esmail Corp. is producing the reboot through UCP where the company is based.
First announced as being in development at NBCUniversal’s streamer Peacock in 2019, the Battlestar Galactica reimagening previously had Michael Lesslie attached to write and executive produce.
A new take on the classic IP, the latest incarnation is executive produced by Simonds as well as Esmail Corp’s Sam Esmail and Chad Hamilton. UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio.
“We are working on it,” Esmail told Deadline in October about the Battlestar Galactica series reboot.
Battlestar Galactica, which remains in development at Peacock, has been a passion project for Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail — a big fan of the original — whose company Esmail Corp. is producing the reboot through UCP where the company is based.
First announced as being in development at NBCUniversal’s streamer Peacock in 2019, the Battlestar Galactica reimagening previously had Michael Lesslie attached to write and executive produce.
A new take on the classic IP, the latest incarnation is executive produced by Simonds as well as Esmail Corp’s Sam Esmail and Chad Hamilton. UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio.
“We are working on it,” Esmail told Deadline in October about the Battlestar Galactica series reboot.
- 1/5/2024
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
Leviathan 4K Uhd from Kino Lorber
Leviathan plunges onto 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on February 20 via Kino Lorber. The 1989 sci-fi/horror film been newly restored in 4K from the 35mm interpositive with Dolby Vision/Hdr and 5.1 surround and lossless 2.0 audio.
George P. Cosmatos directs from a script by David Webb Peoples and Jeb Stuart. Peter Weller, Richard Crenna, Amanda Pays, Daniel Stern, Ernie Hudson, Michael Carmine, Lisa Eilbacher, and Héctor Elizondo star.
Special features include: a new commentary by film historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson; Leviathan: Monster Melting Pot featurette; interviews with Hudson and Elizondo; the trailer; and reversible artwork.
Pumpkinhead & Killer Klowns Puppets from Toynk
Reach out and grab some fun with Toynk’s Reachers,...
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
Leviathan 4K Uhd from Kino Lorber
Leviathan plunges onto 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on February 20 via Kino Lorber. The 1989 sci-fi/horror film been newly restored in 4K from the 35mm interpositive with Dolby Vision/Hdr and 5.1 surround and lossless 2.0 audio.
George P. Cosmatos directs from a script by David Webb Peoples and Jeb Stuart. Peter Weller, Richard Crenna, Amanda Pays, Daniel Stern, Ernie Hudson, Michael Carmine, Lisa Eilbacher, and Héctor Elizondo star.
Special features include: a new commentary by film historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson; Leviathan: Monster Melting Pot featurette; interviews with Hudson and Elizondo; the trailer; and reversible artwork.
Pumpkinhead & Killer Klowns Puppets from Toynk
Reach out and grab some fun with Toynk’s Reachers,...
- 1/5/2024
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.
Enter the arena again when “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” arrives on premium video on demand and premium electronic sell-through on Dec. 19 from Lionsgate. The film will be available to buy for $24.99 and to rent for $19.99 on participating digital platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and Vudu.
Based on the Suzanne Collins novel of the same name, the prequel centers on Panem’s President Snow — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen’s games. Tom Blyth’s Coriolanus Snow is an Academy student tasked with mentoring District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird, played by Rachel Zegler, in the 10th annual Hunger Games. Their pairing sets off a series of events that force Snow to battle his instincts for good and evil. Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera,...
Enter the arena again when “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” arrives on premium video on demand and premium electronic sell-through on Dec. 19 from Lionsgate. The film will be available to buy for $24.99 and to rent for $19.99 on participating digital platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and Vudu.
Based on the Suzanne Collins novel of the same name, the prequel centers on Panem’s President Snow — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen’s games. Tom Blyth’s Coriolanus Snow is an Academy student tasked with mentoring District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird, played by Rachel Zegler, in the 10th annual Hunger Games. Their pairing sets off a series of events that force Snow to battle his instincts for good and evil. Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera,...
- 12/18/2023
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
Stars: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, Fionnula Flanagan, Hunter Schafer, Ashley Liao, Joshua Kantara, Amélie Hoeferle, Hunter Schafer | Written by Michael Lesslie, Michael Arndt | Directed by Francis Lawrence
It’s been eight years since we last visited the world of Panem. Now the world spans to five films and this time we’re sent back over 60 years to see the 10th annual Hunger Games and the rise of Coriolanus Snow. This time Snow is played by newcomer Tom Blyth, who has to carry the runtime of the film all by himself. He’s joined for the most part by Rachel Zegler, who plays Lucy Gray.
The two leads carry the film effortlessly, Tom Blyth in particular does a fantastic job of giving complexity to Snow, showcasing a flawed but ambitious character as we slowly see his loss of humanity grow on screen. The film, unlike its predecessors,...
It’s been eight years since we last visited the world of Panem. Now the world spans to five films and this time we’re sent back over 60 years to see the 10th annual Hunger Games and the rise of Coriolanus Snow. This time Snow is played by newcomer Tom Blyth, who has to carry the runtime of the film all by himself. He’s joined for the most part by Rachel Zegler, who plays Lucy Gray.
The two leads carry the film effortlessly, Tom Blyth in particular does a fantastic job of giving complexity to Snow, showcasing a flawed but ambitious character as we slowly see his loss of humanity grow on screen. The film, unlike its predecessors,...
- 11/20/2023
- by Alex Ginnelly
- Nerdly
Rachel Zegler stars in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and recently recalled an encounter she had with Og star Jennifer Lawrence.
While making an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Zegler opened up about meeting Lawrence during the Christian Dior runway show at Paris Fashion Week.
“I didn’t want to be weird. I was just kind of psyching myself up to talk to her. She was so unbelievably kind,” Zegler said of being the only cast member of the prequel film to have met Lawrence.
From that encounter, a photo of Zegler and Lawrence went viral and the West Side Story alum explained what was really going on in the image.
“In that clip, [Jennifer is] actually saying, ‘Let’s do another photo where I’m strangling you and saying you’ll never take my part!’ And that’s exactly what I wanted from her,” Zegler explained.
While making an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Zegler opened up about meeting Lawrence during the Christian Dior runway show at Paris Fashion Week.
“I didn’t want to be weird. I was just kind of psyching myself up to talk to her. She was so unbelievably kind,” Zegler said of being the only cast member of the prequel film to have met Lawrence.
From that encounter, a photo of Zegler and Lawrence went viral and the West Side Story alum explained what was really going on in the image.
“In that clip, [Jennifer is] actually saying, ‘Let’s do another photo where I’m strangling you and saying you’ll never take my part!’ And that’s exactly what I wanted from her,” Zegler explained.
- 11/18/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on Wbgr-fm on November 16th, 2023, reviewing “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” the latest in the popular series. In theaters on November 17th, 2023.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
The future president of the dystopian Land of Panem, Cornelius Snow (Tom Blyth) is called on to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) for the 10th Hunger Games, who is a troubadour singer from District 12. She is defiant even as she begins the process, run by the infamous Hunger Game master Dr. Gaul (Viola Davis) and facilitated by the Dean of the Academy, Cas Highbottom (Peter Dinklage). Snow creates advantages for Lucy, and their teaming foreshadows other future events, even as romance is blossoming.
”The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” is in theaters on November 17th. Featuring Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage,...
Rating: 3.5/5.0
The future president of the dystopian Land of Panem, Cornelius Snow (Tom Blyth) is called on to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) for the 10th Hunger Games, who is a troubadour singer from District 12. She is defiant even as she begins the process, run by the infamous Hunger Game master Dr. Gaul (Viola Davis) and facilitated by the Dean of the Academy, Cas Highbottom (Peter Dinklage). Snow creates advantages for Lucy, and their teaming foreshadows other future events, even as romance is blossoming.
”The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” is in theaters on November 17th. Featuring Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage,...
- 11/18/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Nearly a decade after the original series of film chronicling the story of Panem and the Hunger Games, the prequel story The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes attempts to breathe new life into a dormant franchise that ultimately should have been left to rest on its laurels.
Set sixty-four years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute to save her sister from certain death in the Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes tells the tale of a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) who is assigned to mentor tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) in the tenth session of the games. Snow, who comes from a once powerful family that has now fallen upon more lean financial times, sees his alliance with Lucy Gray as an opportunity to restore his family’s social and financial status.
Still in its relative infancy, the Games are...
Set sixty-four years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute to save her sister from certain death in the Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes tells the tale of a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) who is assigned to mentor tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) in the tenth session of the games. Snow, who comes from a once powerful family that has now fallen upon more lean financial times, sees his alliance with Lucy Gray as an opportunity to restore his family’s social and financial status.
Still in its relative infancy, the Games are...
- 11/17/2023
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
The book The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, written by Suzanne Collins, has been adapted for the screen by director Francis Lawrence, alongside screenwriters Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt. The film delves into the chillingly formative years of Panem, a society not yet inured to the brutality of its central spectacle. This prequel, starkly contrasting its YA predecessors, morphs into a harrowing adult political thriller, unraveling the genesis of the Hunger Games with a disturbingly poignant lens — that is, when it can get out of its own way.
The film stars Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman and Hunter Schafer.
The film starts during the dark days before the first Hunger Games. Two children, Coriolanus (Dexter Sol Ansell) and Tigris (Rosa Gotzler) are running for their lives in a snowy Panem. They arrive at the home of their grandmother and receive news that...
The film stars Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman and Hunter Schafer.
The film starts during the dark days before the first Hunger Games. Two children, Coriolanus (Dexter Sol Ansell) and Tigris (Rosa Gotzler) are running for their lives in a snowy Panem. They arrive at the home of their grandmother and receive news that...
- 11/15/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Julianne Nicholson (Mare of Easttown) and Eliza Scanlen (Sharp Objects) have landed the lead roles in the BBC’s upcoming crime drama series Dope Girls, we can reveal.
Umi Myers, Eilidh Fisher and Geraldine James have also landed major parts in the series, which we first told you about back in March. At the time, our sources said the BBC sees Dope Girls as a spiritual successor to Peaky Blinders, which ended last year.
Filming on the show, which is set in London’s Soho in the early 20th century, when female gangs ran the clubs, drugs and moonshine, is now underway. It will launch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, and comes from Polly Stenham and Alex Warren (Eleanor).
Nicholson will play Kate Galloway, a single mother who establishes a nightclub amidst the hedonistic uproar of post-World War One London, embracing a life...
Umi Myers, Eilidh Fisher and Geraldine James have also landed major parts in the series, which we first told you about back in March. At the time, our sources said the BBC sees Dope Girls as a spiritual successor to Peaky Blinders, which ended last year.
Filming on the show, which is set in London’s Soho in the early 20th century, when female gangs ran the clubs, drugs and moonshine, is now underway. It will launch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, and comes from Polly Stenham and Alex Warren (Eleanor).
Nicholson will play Kate Galloway, a single mother who establishes a nightclub amidst the hedonistic uproar of post-World War One London, embracing a life...
- 11/15/2023
- by Rosy Cordero, Jesse Whittock and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
It would’ve been so easy, and likely lucrative, for Lionsgate to craft a prequel to The Hunger Games that just let newcomer Tom Blyth, as young Coriolanus Snow, smolder his way through a forbidden romance with Rachel Zegler’s District 12 songstress Lucy Gray for two hours and call it a day. But nothing about Francis Lawrence’s The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is easy. Channeling Adam Driver more often than Donald Sutherland, Blyth’s version of Snow is a towering, asexual vulture of desperate ambitions, stemming from the character’s family flirting with complete bankruptcy and his education at a fascist prep school where graduation is dependent on what boils down to a school-wide game of Who Wants to Be a Eugenicist.
The school’s opioid-addicted headmaster, Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage), announces that graduation is dependent on mentoring a Hunger Games tribute in the fine art of public relations.
The school’s opioid-addicted headmaster, Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage), announces that graduation is dependent on mentoring a Hunger Games tribute in the fine art of public relations.
- 11/15/2023
- by Justin Clark
- Slant Magazine
Olivia Rodrigo is contributing her music to the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes with “Can’t Catch Me Now.”
The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series alum attended the premiere of the film in L.A. as her music video also dropped.
The “Can’t Catch Me Now” video was directed by award-winning director Leonn Ward of Rsa’s Black Dog Films. This is the first time that Rodrigo contributes to a film’s soundtrack, a song she penned with producer Daniel Nigro who has been working with the singer-songwriter on her album Guts.
Rodrigo’s song will be part of the 17-track album that is being released on Nov. 17 and which will also include songs by star Rachel Zegler, Flatland Cavalry, Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings, Sierra Ferrell, Bella White and Charles Godwin.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is...
The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series alum attended the premiere of the film in L.A. as her music video also dropped.
The “Can’t Catch Me Now” video was directed by award-winning director Leonn Ward of Rsa’s Black Dog Films. This is the first time that Rodrigo contributes to a film’s soundtrack, a song she penned with producer Daniel Nigro who has been working with the singer-songwriter on her album Guts.
Rodrigo’s song will be part of the 17-track album that is being released on Nov. 17 and which will also include songs by star Rachel Zegler, Flatland Cavalry, Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings, Sierra Ferrell, Bella White and Charles Godwin.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is...
- 11/14/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes had its world premiere at London’s BFI Imax this evening, with a red carpet that featured director Francis Lawrence and stars Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andres Rivera and more.
The return to the Suzanne Collins franchise that’s based on her prequel novel marks the first major world premiere outside of a festival to include actors on the media line since the SAG-AFTRA strike started in July. Even if the guild and the studios had not reached a tentative agreement to end the strike last night, the film had already secured an Interim Agreement with Lionsgate a non-amptp company.
Regardless, the team was effusive about the end of the strife. Producer Nina Jacobson said that she was among the folks “screaming with joy” that the strike is over, having learned about it during a...
The return to the Suzanne Collins franchise that’s based on her prequel novel marks the first major world premiere outside of a festival to include actors on the media line since the SAG-AFTRA strike started in July. Even if the guild and the studios had not reached a tentative agreement to end the strike last night, the film had already secured an Interim Agreement with Lionsgate a non-amptp company.
Regardless, the team was effusive about the end of the strife. Producer Nina Jacobson said that she was among the folks “screaming with joy” that the strike is over, having learned about it during a...
- 11/9/2023
- by Baz Bamigboye and Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s hard to build much intrigue into whether a love-struck teen with a seemingly gentle heart and firm moral compass will betray those who trust him and cross over to the dark side when his name is Coriolanus Snow and we know from four previous films that he will grow up to be an evil overlord played with chilling authority by Donald Sutherland. Even less so once he joins the fascistic “Peacekeeper” ranks and trades his floppy blond locks for a Hitler Youth buzz cut.
That’s just one of the limitations of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, a lumbering prequel to the blockbuster battle royale series based on Suzanne Collins’ YA novels, the global grosses for which are nearing $3 billion.
Beyond the fact that Collins penned a 2020 follow-up set 64 years before the events of the original book trilogy, and of course the market reality...
That’s just one of the limitations of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, a lumbering prequel to the blockbuster battle royale series based on Suzanne Collins’ YA novels, the global grosses for which are nearing $3 billion.
Beyond the fact that Collins penned a 2020 follow-up set 64 years before the events of the original book trilogy, and of course the market reality...
- 11/9/2023
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For better or worse, "The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes" cuts directly to the heart of the matter in the early going. Set only 10 years after the first rebellion of the various Districts that led to the implementation of the Hunger Games in the first place, the wealthy decision-makers of the Capitol are struggling to make the deadly arena fights feel vital and relevant to the battered, war-torn populace of Panem. It's trickier than they thought, as it turns out, to transform collective punishment into mass entertainment. Having assembled some of the best and brightest academy students to help solve this problem, there comes a moment when Dean Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage) all but reaches through the screen, channels his inner studio executive, and verbalizes the central issue at the core of a prequel like this: "If the Games are to go on, there must be an audience.
- 11/9/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
It’s hard to pinpoint when exactly it became a thing, but in classically cinematic stories of good vs. evil it’s no longer enough to portray the complexities of the bad side. We now have to go back in time and understand the exact origins of evil. Was Cruella simply misunderstood? How about the Joker? Was he just unjustly treated?
In fairness, Coriolanus Snow, the tyrannical president of the dystopian Panem in the original “Hunger Games” films and novels, was never as one-dimensional as these aforesaid villains. But “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” takes a page out of the playbook of their origin stories and gives us an adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ 2020 prequel novel with wildly mixed, overlong and clumsily paced results.
Directed by “Mockingjay Part 1 & 2” filmmaker Francis Lawrence, and written by Michael Lesslie (“Assassin’s Creed”) and Michael Arndt (“Catching Fire” and “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens...
In fairness, Coriolanus Snow, the tyrannical president of the dystopian Panem in the original “Hunger Games” films and novels, was never as one-dimensional as these aforesaid villains. But “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” takes a page out of the playbook of their origin stories and gives us an adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ 2020 prequel novel with wildly mixed, overlong and clumsily paced results.
Directed by “Mockingjay Part 1 & 2” filmmaker Francis Lawrence, and written by Michael Lesslie (“Assassin’s Creed”) and Michael Arndt (“Catching Fire” and “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens...
- 11/9/2023
- by Tomris Laffly
- The Wrap
Photo: Murray Close/Lionsgate
What is the root of evil? In the YA fiction genre, storytellers often source it to bad breakups and torn friendships, which can transform Prince Charming into the Prince of Darkness. Plain evil isn’t engaging, but evil for evil’s sake can be wildly compelling,...
What is the root of evil? In the YA fiction genre, storytellers often source it to bad breakups and torn friendships, which can transform Prince Charming into the Prince of Darkness. Plain evil isn’t engaging, but evil for evil’s sake can be wildly compelling,...
- 11/9/2023
- by Eric Francisco
- avclub.com
Does anyone still have an appetite for the Hunger Games? That is the question asked in and by Francis Lawrence’s “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” a prequel that’s set 64 years before the first novel in Suzanne Collins’ dystopian battle royale trilogy, and being released into theaters almost eight years since the last of the four movies that Lionsgate adapted from it.
In Panem’s war-ravaged past, the wealthy citizens of the Capitol have lost interest in watching children from the food-starved outer districts fight to the death as an annual reminder of their parents’ failed rebellion against the fascistic elite. In our war-ravaged present, Hollywood’s brief love affair with YA books about teens overthrowing literature’s goofiest totalitarian regimes has given way to the realities of a much scarier and more complicated world, and the same kids who once obsessed over the Scorch Trials or Katniss...
In Panem’s war-ravaged past, the wealthy citizens of the Capitol have lost interest in watching children from the food-starved outer districts fight to the death as an annual reminder of their parents’ failed rebellion against the fascistic elite. In our war-ravaged present, Hollywood’s brief love affair with YA books about teens overthrowing literature’s goofiest totalitarian regimes has given way to the realities of a much scarier and more complicated world, and the same kids who once obsessed over the Scorch Trials or Katniss...
- 11/9/2023
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Enter the contest below by following the link at the bottom of this page for your chance to win a pair of passes to attend an advance screening of The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 7:00pm at the Mjr Troy!
Synopsis: Experience the story of The Hunger Games — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem. The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a postwar Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates.
Synopsis: Experience the story of The Hunger Games — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem. The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a postwar Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates.
- 11/9/2023
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
Olivia Rodrigo has shared “Can’t Catch Me Now,” her contribution to the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Check it out below.
Opening with a lone acoustic guitar, “Can’t Catch Me Now” blossoms into an arrangement clad with silky strings and rich harmonies, but the real star of the show is Rodrigo’s vocal performance. The first portion of the tune gives her a platform to deliver some appropriately Hunger Games-esque lyrics, like “But I’m in the trees, I’m in the breeze/ My footsteps on the ground/ You’ll see my face in every place/ But you can’t catch me now.”
Then, the energy picks up a bit, as Rodrigo belts “You can’t, you can’t catch me now” over cinematic orchestral padding. After reaching a grand climax, the tone drops down again, and she closes out the...
Opening with a lone acoustic guitar, “Can’t Catch Me Now” blossoms into an arrangement clad with silky strings and rich harmonies, but the real star of the show is Rodrigo’s vocal performance. The first portion of the tune gives her a platform to deliver some appropriately Hunger Games-esque lyrics, like “But I’m in the trees, I’m in the breeze/ My footsteps on the ground/ You’ll see my face in every place/ But you can’t catch me now.”
Then, the energy picks up a bit, as Rodrigo belts “You can’t, you can’t catch me now” over cinematic orchestral padding. After reaching a grand climax, the tone drops down again, and she closes out the...
- 11/3/2023
- by Carys Anderson and Jo Vito
- Consequence - Music
On November 17th, Geffen Records will release The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Music From & Inspired By) — the official soundtrack to the highly anticipated new film in The Hunger Games saga arriving the same day as the movie’s release.
Last Friday marked the premiere of “The Hanging Tree,” the first song released from the soundtrack. In the upcoming film (a prequel to the original Hunger Games trilogy), audiences will witness the origin of the storied song when Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler) sings it for the very first time. Also heard in the second official trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, “The Hanging Tree” has been passed down through generations and was previously performed by Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1.
View the featurette (above) to go behind-the-scenes with The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes director Francis Lawrence,...
Last Friday marked the premiere of “The Hanging Tree,” the first song released from the soundtrack. In the upcoming film (a prequel to the original Hunger Games trilogy), audiences will witness the origin of the storied song when Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler) sings it for the very first time. Also heard in the second official trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, “The Hanging Tree” has been passed down through generations and was previously performed by Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1.
View the featurette (above) to go behind-the-scenes with The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes director Francis Lawrence,...
- 11/1/2023
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
The American Film Markets runs October 31-November 5
Screen International is rounding up the key projects launched before and during this year’s American Film Market.
Refresh the page for latest updates.
They Follow
The sequel to the 2014 cult horror It Follows with Maika Monroe reprising her role and David Robert Mitchell returning to direct. Neon will co-produce alongside Good Fear Content. Starts filming in early 2024.
World sales: HanWay
Bad Apples
Saoirse Ronan leads Jonatan Etzler’s English-language debut - a satirical comedy and thriller about a school teacher who locks one of her students in her basement. Produced by Pulse Films,...
Screen International is rounding up the key projects launched before and during this year’s American Film Market.
Refresh the page for latest updates.
They Follow
The sequel to the 2014 cult horror It Follows with Maika Monroe reprising her role and David Robert Mitchell returning to direct. Neon will co-produce alongside Good Fear Content. Starts filming in early 2024.
World sales: HanWay
Bad Apples
Saoirse Ronan leads Jonatan Etzler’s English-language debut - a satirical comedy and thriller about a school teacher who locks one of her students in her basement. Produced by Pulse Films,...
- 10/31/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
The forthcoming prequel in the Hunger Games franchise has landed an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA ahead of its release next month.
This means that The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, the Lionsgate feature hitting theaters Nov. 17, can have its onscreen talent promote the film in the coming weeks. Francis Lawrence directs a cast that includes Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Josh Andrés Rivera and Viola Davis.
The film is eligible because Lionsgate is not part of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which is currently engaged in negotiations with SAG-AFTRA amid the actors strike.
Other recent projects to have received an interim agreement for publicity purposes include Bleecker Street’s What Happens Later, A24’s Priscilla and Iron Claw, Neon’s Ferrari and concert film Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by rachel zegler...
This means that The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, the Lionsgate feature hitting theaters Nov. 17, can have its onscreen talent promote the film in the coming weeks. Francis Lawrence directs a cast that includes Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Josh Andrés Rivera and Viola Davis.
The film is eligible because Lionsgate is not part of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which is currently engaged in negotiations with SAG-AFTRA amid the actors strike.
Other recent projects to have received an interim agreement for publicity purposes include Bleecker Street’s What Happens Later, A24’s Priscilla and Iron Claw, Neon’s Ferrari and concert film Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by rachel zegler...
- 10/30/2023
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Now You See Me films brought a new twist on the heist movie concept by making the team a group of magicians who were able to use their sleight-of-hand expertise in their plans. Though the films haven’t broken the box office, they have become a humbly successful franchise from Lionsgate, and both movies have been able to showcase an incredible ensemble cast. The director of action films such as this summer’s Fast X, Louis Leterrier, helmed both movies and brought a certain amount of fun with some of the more outrageous logic. However, Ruben Fleischer, who directed the movie’s stars Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg in the Zombieland movies, will be stepping in the director’s position for the third entry.
According to Screen Daily, Lionsgate International will be launching American Film Market sales this week for Now You See Me 3 as well as a...
According to Screen Daily, Lionsgate International will be launching American Film Market sales this week for Now You See Me 3 as well as a...
- 10/30/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Market slate includes ‘Above The Below’, ‘Highlander’ reboot, ‘Sunflower’.
Lionsgate International will launch AFM sales next week on Now You See Me 3 with Ruben Fleischer directing and Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, and Morgan Freeman reprising their roles.
Michael Lesslie is writing the current draft of the screenplay to the latest entry in the crime mystery franchise centred on illusions and globe-trotting heists led by new and returning Horsemen.
Alex Kurtzman and Bobby Cohen are once again producing. Fleischer’s feature credits include Venom, Uncharted, and Zombieland, and he produced an episode of The Good Doctor this year.
The Now You See Me...
Lionsgate International will launch AFM sales next week on Now You See Me 3 with Ruben Fleischer directing and Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, and Morgan Freeman reprising their roles.
Michael Lesslie is writing the current draft of the screenplay to the latest entry in the crime mystery franchise centred on illusions and globe-trotting heists led by new and returning Horsemen.
Alex Kurtzman and Bobby Cohen are once again producing. Fleischer’s feature credits include Venom, Uncharted, and Zombieland, and he produced an episode of The Good Doctor this year.
The Now You See Me...
- 10/27/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Go behind the scenes of The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes with this behind-the-scenes peek at the world of Panem and its characters, 64 years before the first installment of The Hunger Games. Get an in-depth look at the story, costumes, production design, and music with director Francis Lawrence and producer Nina Jacobson.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor.
- 10/20/2023
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
Rachel Zegler’s vocals ring through “The Hanging Tree,” the first song to be released as part of the upcoming “Hunger Games” prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”
The orchestral title, out today via Geffen Records, first appeared as the second single from the soundtrack for “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1” in 2014. Jennifer Lawrence, who played Katniss Everdeen, offered her vocals for the track that was originally written by Suzanne Collins and composed by Howard, Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz from the band the Lumineers.
Audiences will witness the song’s origin in the upcoming film when Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler) sings it for the first time. “The Hanging Tree” is then passed down through generations, leading up to its appearance in “Mockingjay.”
Based on Collins’ prequel novel of the same name, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” follows a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), who strives to...
The orchestral title, out today via Geffen Records, first appeared as the second single from the soundtrack for “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1” in 2014. Jennifer Lawrence, who played Katniss Everdeen, offered her vocals for the track that was originally written by Suzanne Collins and composed by Howard, Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz from the band the Lumineers.
Audiences will witness the song’s origin in the upcoming film when Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler) sings it for the first time. “The Hanging Tree” is then passed down through generations, leading up to its appearance in “Mockingjay.”
Based on Collins’ prequel novel of the same name, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” follows a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), who strives to...
- 10/20/2023
- by Thania Garcia
- Variety Film + TV
Director Francis Lawrence walks viewers through the basics of the story in this lengthy behind the scenes video from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. The nearly five-minute video offers a better look at the overall production and ends with Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird performing “The Hanging Tree.”
The cast also includes Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow,Oscar winner Viola Davis as Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul, Peter Dinklage as Dean Cesca Highbottom, Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman, Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, and Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow. Jerome Lance is Marcus, tribute from District 2; Ashley Liao is Clemensia Dovecote, one of Coriolanus’s closest friends and mentor to a tribute from District 11; Knox Gibson plays Bobbin, tribute from District 8; Mackenzie Lansing is Coral, tribute from District 4; and Aamer Husain plays Felix Ravinstill, mentor to a tribute from District 11.
Fionnula Flanagan plays Grandma’am,...
The cast also includes Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow,Oscar winner Viola Davis as Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul, Peter Dinklage as Dean Cesca Highbottom, Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman, Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, and Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow. Jerome Lance is Marcus, tribute from District 2; Ashley Liao is Clemensia Dovecote, one of Coriolanus’s closest friends and mentor to a tribute from District 11; Knox Gibson plays Bobbin, tribute from District 8; Mackenzie Lansing is Coral, tribute from District 4; and Aamer Husain plays Felix Ravinstill, mentor to a tribute from District 11.
Fionnula Flanagan plays Grandma’am,...
- 10/19/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Rachel Zegler’s “The Hanging Tree” from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will be released this Friday, October 20th at 12:00Am Et.
Rachel Zegler in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” Photo by Murray Close/Lionsgate/Murray Close/Lionsgate – © 2023 Lionsgate.
In the upcoming film, audiences will witness the origin of the song, when Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) sings it for the first time. “The Hanging Tree” is then passed down through generations, where fans most notably remember Katniss Everdeen singing it during Mockingjay – Part 1. Now, experience the story of The Hunger Games — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol.
Rachel Zegler in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” Photo by Murray Close/Lionsgate/Murray Close/Lionsgate – © 2023 Lionsgate.
In the upcoming film, audiences will witness the origin of the song, when Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) sings it for the first time. “The Hanging Tree” is then passed down through generations, where fans most notably remember Katniss Everdeen singing it during Mockingjay – Part 1. Now, experience the story of The Hunger Games — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol.
- 10/16/2023
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
Of all the film series to come out of the young adult fad, "The Hunger Games" is the best. "The Maze Runner" might have better action and set pieces, but "The Hunger Games" is narratively richer. It's also an excellent beginner's guide to how rebellions are formed in the real world, which has kept the franchise feeling uncomfortably topical in the years since it last graced the big screen. There's a reason why a "Hunger Games" revival in 2023 makes loads more sense than rebooting "Twilight" or redoing any of the myriad of failed sci-fi YA novel adaptations that followed in its wake.
There was, however, one unfortunate YA trend that "The Hunger Games" fell victim to, and that was dividing its finale into two parts. Even then, the series fared better than others. Splitting "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay" in two allowed "Part 1" to dig deeper into the revolution against the...
There was, however, one unfortunate YA trend that "The Hunger Games" fell victim to, and that was dividing its finale into two parts. Even then, the series fared better than others. Splitting "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay" in two allowed "Part 1" to dig deeper into the revolution against the...
- 10/16/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Experience the story of The Hunger Games — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem. The new trailer for the latest edition to the “Hunger Games” Saga, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes has just been released and you can check it out right here!
The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post- war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor.
The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post- war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor.
- 9/21/2023
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
The full trailer for Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes finds a young Coriolanus Snow falling in love with a tribute who, if he doesn’t figure out a way to alter their fates, will die during the Hunger Games. Billy the Kid‘s Tom Blyth stars as the lovestruck Coriolanus, and West Side Story‘s Rachel Zegler stars as the District 12 tribute who Coriolanus is tied up in knots over.
The cast also includes Oscar winner Viola Davis as Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul, Peter Dinklage as Dean Cesca Highbottom, Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman, Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, and Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow. Jerome Lance is Marcus, tribute from District 2; Ashley Liao is Clemensia Dovecote, one of Coriolanus’s closest friends and mentor to a tribute from District 11; Knox Gibson plays Bobbin, tribute from District 8; Mackenzie Lansing is Coral, tribute from...
The cast also includes Oscar winner Viola Davis as Head Gamemaker Volumnia Gaul, Peter Dinklage as Dean Cesca Highbottom, Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman, Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, and Hunter Schafer as Tigris Snow. Jerome Lance is Marcus, tribute from District 2; Ashley Liao is Clemensia Dovecote, one of Coriolanus’s closest friends and mentor to a tribute from District 11; Knox Gibson plays Bobbin, tribute from District 8; Mackenzie Lansing is Coral, tribute from...
- 9/20/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
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.