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The ten outstanding actresses and actors from all over Europe have arrived in Germany’s capital city today eagerly waiting to immerse themselves in a tailor-made programme of profile-rising events during this year’s Berlinale.

The ten selected European Shooting Stars for 2025 are: Marina Makris (Cyprus), Besir Zeciri (Denmark), Maarja Johanna Mägi (Estonia), Devrim Lingnau (Germany), Elín Hall (Iceland), Kārlis Arnolds Avots (Latvia), Šarūnas Zenkevičius (Lithuania), Lidija Kordić (Montenegro), Vicente Wallenstein (Portugal) and Frida Gustavsson (Sweden).

Find out more about 2025’s 10 participants

The four-day intensive programme provides a powerful platform for the selected talent giving them the chance to meet international journalists, casting directors, producers and filmmakers, unique opportunities to build a professional network, and equipping the young talents with the necessary means to embark on an international career.

The programme concludes on Monday, 17 February with the European Shooting Stars Awards ceremony at the Berlinale Palast where each actress and...

The best Cynthia Erivo movies and TV shows feature a strong mix of releases that take advantage of her singing and acting talents. Erivo got her start as a singer and she worked in theater before she ever took on roles in movies and TV shows. It was her early role as Celie Harris in The Color Purple that earned her first major attention, and it even led to her Broadway debut when she took the role to the revival in 2015.

This led to her film debut in 2016 when she signed on for the neo-noir thriller Bad Times at the El Royale as part of that film’s ensemble cast. This led to even bigger things, such as the Steve McQueen-directed film Widows, and then enjoyed her breakout in the historical drama Harriet, where she played abolitionist Harriet Tubman. However, she enjoyed her biggest breakthrough when she signed on...

While Tarsem Singh is currently enjoying the The Fall, Distribution Woes, and the Next Chapter”>recent restoration of his cult classic The Fall, he’s still seeking distribution for his last film Dear Jassi. In the meantime, he’s moving on to his next project, set to begin shooting next year. Deadline reports he’ll direct Dev Patel in The Journeyman, a crime thriller scripted by the husband-and-wife duo of Bryan and Alexis Roberts, aka The Roberts. The film will tell the “story of a struggling pro tennis player who is lured into an illegal match-fixing ring to support his family and finds himself trapped in a ruthless world of corruption and violence he may never escape.”

In a small update, Julia Ducournau is in production on her mysterious Titane follow-up Alpha and a report from France gives a few more details, noting the title is the name of the female main character,...

Lily James has replaced Sylvester Stallone in the 'Cliffhanger' reboot.The 78-year-old action legend was set to reprise his role as Ranger Gabriel "Gabe" Walker in the remake of the 1993 action thriller.However, this week it was confirmed that Lily, 35, and former Bond star Pierce Brosnan, 71, will now lead the movie.The cast also includes Nell Tiger Free, Franz Rogowski, Shubham Saraf, Assaad Bouab, Suzy Bemba and Bruno Gouery. Jaume Collet-Serra is taking over to direct the flick, meaning Ric Roman Waugh is no longer taking the helm.Pierce will portray mountaineer Ray Cooper and Lily is his daughter Naomi, who has to “save her family” and “fight for survival in the Italian Dolomites".The synopsis reads: “In this reboot of Cliffhanger, seasoned mountaineer Ray Cooper (Pierce Brosnan) and his daughter Sydney run a mountain chalet in the Dolomites.“During a weekend trip with a billionaire's son, they...

Lily James and Pierce Brosnan are ready to rock with their reboot of Cliffhanger.

Principal photography commenced in Austria for an updated take on the 1993 film of the same name that starred Sylvester Stallone. Jaume Collet-Serra directs the new movie that is planning a theatrical release and hails from Rocket Science, in partnership with Thank You Pictures and Supernix.

The Cliffhanger reboot centers on mountaineer Ray Cooper (Brosnan), who runs a chalet with his daughter in the Dolomites, a mountain range in Italy. When the pair are kidnapped, older daughter Naomi (James) — still dealing with trauma from a previous climbing incident — must overcome her past to save her family.

Stallone was announced last year as starring in the reboot but has since exited the project, as has previously announced director Ric Roman Waugh.

Rounding out the cast are Nell Tiger Free, Franz Rogowski, Shubham Saraf, Assaad Bouab, Suzy Bemba and Bruno Gouery.

Lily James in ‘Cliffhanger’ (Photo Courtesy of Rocket Science)

Lily James takes the lead in the reboot of the 1993 action thriller Cliffhanger directed by Renny Harlin and starring Sylvester Stallone. Rocket Science released the first two photos from the new version, which is currently in filming in Austria’s East Tyrol region of the Lienz Dolomites.

In addition to Lily James (Pam & Tommy), the thriller stars Pierce Brosnan, Nell Tiger Free, Franz Rogowski, Shubham Saraf, Assaad Bouab, Suzy Bemba, and Bruno Gouery. Jaume Collet-Serra directs, based on a story by Ana Lily Amirpour.

“In this reboot of Cliffhanger, seasoned mountaineer Ray Cooper (Brosnan) and his daughter Sydney run a mountain chalet in the Dolomites. During a weekend trip with a billionaire’s son, they are targeted by a gang of kidnappers,” reads the official synopsis. “Ray’s older daughter Naomi (James), still haunted by a past climbing accident, witnesses the attack and escapes.

Its bad news for Sylvester Stallone fans who were hoping to see him pop up in Cliffhanger 2, as Variety reports that Sly is now out, and Pierce Brosnan and Lily James are in. Set to follow in the footsteps of the 1993 action-thriller, filming is underway in Austria on the production, which has undergone a complete overhaul since it was announced a little while ago, so much so that were wondering if it can even be called a sequel.

Originally featuring Stallone reprising his role of Gabe Walker only for him to be kidnapped and rescued by his mountain-climbing daughter, based on the official synopsis, the movie doesnt look to have gone through too many plot changes now that Brosnan is taking over for Stallone. It was previously reported that Ric Roman Waugh (Greenland) would helm the sequel, but hes out as well, with Jaume Collet-Serra taking on directorial duties. The...

Principal photography for Jaume Collet-Serra’s Cliffhanger reboot is officially underway in Austria, where Lily James defies gravity while pushing herself to the limit. Today, Rocket Science, in partnership with Thank You Pictures and Supernix, unveiled two first-look images from the film’s shoot in Austria’s East Tyrol region of the Lienz Dolomites. I hope you don’t get vertigo because the reboot of Sylvester Stallone’s 1993 thriller, starring Lily James and Pierce Brosnan, looks like it’s off to an exciting start.

“In this reboot of Cliffhanger, seasoned mountaineer Ray Cooper (Pierce Brosnan) and his daughter Sydney run a mountain chalet in the Dolomites. During a weekend trip with a billionaire’s son, they are targeted by a gang of kidnappers. Ray’s older daughter Naomi (Lily James), still haunted by a past climbing accident, witnesses the attack and escapes. To save her family, she must confront her...

A “Cliffhanger” follow-up keeps on rolling. But now in a much different configuration.

Rocket Science in partnership with Thank You Pictures and Supernix has announced that filming is underway on “Cliffhanger,” a reboot of the 1993 action extravaganza that starred Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow. This new version stars Lily James and Pierce Brosnan and is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, based on a story by Ana Lily Amirpour.

A proposed follow-up to “Cliffhanger” dates back to 1994, when TriStar announced “Cliffhanger 2: The Dam,” with Stallone returning. For years it sat fallow until 2019, when Amirpour was hired and Jason Momoa was earmarked to star. In 2023 it was re-announced as a legacy sequel, with Stallone set to return under the direction of Ric Roman Waugh. Mark Bianculli wrote that version of the script. Later in 2023, Jean-François Richet was hired to replace Waugh.

And now the production has veered in an entirely different direction,...

Lily James and Pierce Brosnan are set to star in a new reimagining of the classic action pic Cliffhanger with Jaume Collet-Serra directing. The project is a Rocket Science production in partnership with Thank You Pictures and Supernix.

The original film starred Sylvester Stallone with Renny Harlin directing. James and Gala Gordon’s Parodos banner is also produing in association with Rocket Science as well.

“The process of shooting Cliffhanger has been exhilarating. I love stepping into the shoes, and learning from the climbing community. Jaume is a force. We have a fearless cast and crew who have been unparalleled in their passion and dedication,” James said.

The new script is based on a story by Ana Lily Amirpour. Melanie Toast penned the latest draft.

Brosnan will play seasoned mountaineer Ray Cooper, who operates a luxury chalet in the Dolomites with daughter Sydney. During a weekend trip with a billionaire’s son,...

There's been a massive shakeup with the forthcoming Cliffhanger reboot. Sylvester Stallone will no longer reprise his role from the original movie, with Downton Abbey alum Lily James and former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan set as the new leads.

Per Variety, filming is already underway on Cliffhanger in Austria following a creative overhaul that saw Stallone and director Ric Roman Waugh (Greenland) exit the project that had a screenplay written by Mark Bianculli. The Cliffhanger which will now star James and Brosnan has a script based on a story by Ana Lily Amirpour that has been described as a father-daughter take on Die Hard. Jaume Collet-Serra (Carry-On) will direct the movie, which hails from Rocket Science in partnership with Thank You Pictures and Supernix.

Related One Iconic Alan Rickman Moment in Die Hard is Totally Real

This deceptive stunt involving Alan Rickman led to one of the best scenes in the Die Hard franchise.

A reboot of Sylvester Stallone’s action classic “Cliffhanger” is currently in production, but the film will look a lot different from the package initially announced nearly 18 months ago.

Stallone will no longer star in the update meant to be directed by Ric Roman Waugh (“Greenland”) from a script by Mark Bianculli (“Hunters”). A creative overhaul has meant that actor Lily James will take on the lead role. Pierce Brosnan will co-star and Jaume Collet-Serra will direct. The project hails from Rocket Science in partnership with Thank You Pictures and Supernix.

Filming is underway in Austria with a buzzy supporting cast, including: Nell Tiger Free, festival darling Franz Rogowski (“Passages”), Shubham Saraf (“Shantaram”), Assaad Bouab (“Franklin”), Suzy Bemba (“Poor Things”) and Bruno Gouery, a breakout star of the Netflix hit “Emily in Paris.”

The new script is based on a story by Ana Lily Amirpour. Insiders familiar with the project...

Unifrance and Screen International held a dinner to celebrate up-and-coming French talent on May 22 at the Terrasse Unifrance, during the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

Unifrance’s 10 to Watch have been selected for the excellence of their work by international journalists Rebecca Leffler (Screen International), Fabien Lemercier (Cineuropa), Elsa Keslassy (Variety), Christine Masson (France Inter), and Jordan Mintzer (The Hollywood Reporter). The talents epitomise a reinvigoration of French cinema through the freedom and singularity of their artistic choices, their ambition, their audacity, and their unique perspectives of the world.

In Cannes, the 10 To Watch were also put in the spotlight through a...

The Sci-Fi genre consists of some of the most inventive and life-changing films because by the very definition of the word the creators have to invent a fictional future or technology and while some of the films in this genre give us spectacle others give us a story that makes us think about the future and how our world is changing for better or for worse. So, today we thought of listing the best new sci-fi films you can watch at home right now and in this list, we didn’t include any film released before 2023.

The Creator (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – 20th Century Fox

The Creator is a sci-fi action film directed by Gareth Edwards from a screenplay co-written by Edwards and Chris Weitz. The 2023 film is set in the year 2055 after an A.I. created by the United States goes rogue and detonates a nuclear warhead...

The April 25 decision by the New York Court of Appeals to overturn Harvey Weinstein’s felony sex crime conviction looked like a major blow to the #MeToo movement in the U.S. and to the progress made within the U.S. film industry since 2017 (when the first allegations against Weinstein were made public).

In France, they are still waiting for that first wave of progress. The outrage triggered by #MeToo echoed across la grande nation — it even spawned a French counterpart, #Balancetonporc, or “Expose Your Pig” — but, until very recently, efforts to challenge the structure of the French entertainment industry came to very little.

That, it seems, is changing. U.S.-style measures, including the use of intimacy coordinators for sex scenes or chaperones to supervise the treatment of minors, are slowly becoming standard practice on French movie sets. #MeToo is “really at the center of our discussion now, in...

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.

You can now enjoy Bella Baxter’s whimsical, sex-fueled adventures– for which Emma Stone won the Oscar on Sunday night — from the comfort of your own home.

Yorgos Lanthimos’s Oscar-winning “Poor Things,” which hit theaters in December, is now available purchase/rent on Prime Video and Apple TV+, and will release on Blu-ray/DVD on March 12.

Rent 'Poor Things' On Prime Video

The film is a story of “love, discovery and scientific daring” set in the Victorian era, based on an adaptation of Alasdair Grey’s novel of the same name. It stars Emma Stone as Bella, a Frankenstein-like woman who is brought back to life after her brain is replaced with that of her unborn child. Stone stars opposite Willem Dafoe, who plays the brilliant, yet unorthodox,...

The Oscars are just a few days away, so today was the perfect time for Hulu to bring Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” to the streaming service. The kooky Best Picture contender has 11 Academy Award nominations, including for Emma Stone in the Best Actress category, Lanthimos for Best Director, Mark Ruffalo for Best Supporting Actor, and more. In the film, Bella must re-learn everything about being a human thanks to an ethically questionable surgery performed by Dr. Godwin Baxter. Don’t miss this truly unique film starting on Thursday, March 7. You can watch Poor Things with a 30-Day Free Trial of Hulu.

How to Watch 'Poor Things' When: Thursday, March 7, 2024 Where: Hulu Stream: Watch with a 30-Day Free Trial of Hulu. 30-Day Free Trial$7.99+ / month hulu.com About 'Poor Things'

Part “Frankenstein,” part “Barbie,” part Nc-17 film, “Poor Things” tells the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella (Stone), a young...

“Hacks” Season 3 Teaser, Premiere Date, and New Cast Additions

Almost two years after it began its second season, the stage is set for the return of Max’s “Hacks.”

Season 3 of the Emmy-winning comedy series will premiere on May 2 with Max running two episodes per week through May 23 and concluding the nine-episode season on May 30.

“Hacks” centers around the partnership between legendary Las Vegas comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and outcast 20-something comedy writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder), who is hired to bring Vance’s set into the 21st century. Season 3 will pick up after Deborah and Ava parted ways at the end of Season 2, with Deborah riding high from the success of her stand-up special and Ava searching for new work in Los Angeles. But the dysfunctional duo won’t stay apart for too long.

Watch the trailer for “Hacks” Season 3 Teaser below:

“Hacks” also features series regulars Paul W. Downs,...

This March, Hulu will ring in spring with dozens of great titles, from Hulu Originals to programs from brands including National Geographic, Fox, FX, ABC, Crunchyroll, and others.

Just announced, Yorgos Lanthimos’ awards darling “Poor Things” will make its streaming premiere on the platform this month after a 90-day theatrical window and three days before this year’s Academy Awards where the absurdist comedy is nominated for 11 statuettes, including Best Picture. Other film favorites getting added to the library in March include “Scarface,” “The Wrestler,” and “My Cousin Vinny.”

The streamer will also host the season premieres of many of ABC’s most popular competition series, including “MasterChef Junior,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” and “The Masked Singer,” plus the landmark 20th season premiere of “Grey's Anatomy.”

Get your watch list together: find out The Streamable’s top picks for March 2024 at Hulu and continue below to see everything...

A few days before the 96th Academy Awards ceremony, Yorgos Lanthimos’s Best Picture nominee, Poor Things, makes its streaming debut on Hulu on March 7. Akin to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein tale, Poor Things tells an unbelievable story about the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter. Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.

Poor Things could dominate the Oscars this year with 11 nominations in various categories. You can check out the complete list of potential awards for this bizarrely charming film below:

Performance by an actress in...

It is always a pleasure to be part of the celebration for the European Film Promotion Shooting Stars, and today we present our interviews with the ten talented actors chosen this year.

Stefan Pape was at the 2024 Berlinale to talk to the Efp Shooting Stars for 2024. Each year we are proud to partner with the European Film Promotion to celebrate ten emerging European talents as part of their ongoing Efp Shooting Stars programme. Today get to know a little bit more about their careers so far, what they’ve learned, the great benefits of being a Shooting Star, and how they reacted when they found out. Remember these names, we’re sure you’ll be seeing a lot of them in the future.

Here are 2024’s European Shooting Stars:

Thibaud Dooms (Belgium), Margarita Stoykova (Bulgaria), Suzy Bemba (France), Salome Demuria (Georgia), Katharina Stark (Germany), Éanna Hardwicke (Ireland), Valentina Bellè (Italy...

Last night the Berlinale Film Festival welcomed the European Shooting Stars of 2024 on stage alongside actress Corinna Harfouch.

The Award Ceremony, hosted by Jenny Augusta, serves as the grand finale of an exhilarating four-day program. During this event, the brightest young actresses and actors come together with casting directors to showcase their talents and are introduced to the international media. The ceremony is the pinnacle of an unforgettable experience, marking the culmination of hard work, dedication, and passion for the craft.

The Shooting Stars were presented in a grand ceremony that preceded the screening of Claire Burger’s highly anticipated film ‘Langue Étrangère.’ The event was held in the presence of renowned personalities and dignitaries from the film industry.

Also in news – David Thewlis to star as Sherlock Holmes in ‘Sherlock & Daughter’

The ten European Shooting Stars 2024 joining the stage were Thibaud Dooms (Belgium), Margarita Stoykova (Bulgaria), Suzy Bemba...

The Berlin Film Festival hosted the 10 young European actors selected for the Shooting Stars program, run by European Film Promotion, at a gala event Monday.

The presentation of the Shooting Stars took place prior to the screening of Claire Burger’s “Langue Étrangère,” which plays in competition.

They were welcomed on stage at the Berlinale Palast by German actor Corinna Harfouch, who stars in the competition entry “Dying,” directed by Matthias Glasner.

The ceremony, hosted by Jenny Augusta, is the festive highlight and the closing event of the four-day program, where the talented young actors meet up with casting directors and are presented to the international press.

The Shooting Stars are Thibaud Dooms from Belgium, Margarita Stoykova from Bulgaria, Suzy Bemba from France, Salome Demuria from Georgia, Katharina Stark from Germany, Éanna Hardwicke from Ireland, Valentina Bellè from Italy, Džiugas Grinys from Lithuania, Kamila Urzędowska from Poland and Asta Kamma August from Sweden.

It was never Suzy Bemba’s plan to become a professional actress. This year’s European Shooting Star from France had dabbled in performance — “10 years of ballet, maybe six years of singing classes,” she recalls. After a knee injury made it impossible to keep dancing, she switched to acting as “a new way of expression” and started trying out for open auditions, driving with her mother the two and half hours into Paris from their home in the French countryside. Her mother sent out inquiries to French talent agencies, and one agreed to sign Bemba after she graduated high school.

But when Bemba graduated, acting was the last thing on her mind. “I wanted to go to med school, that was always the dream, so when I graduated, that’s what I did,” she says. “I kind of forgot about the idea of acting.”

It was only after her freshman...

As some former European Shooting Stars celebrate Oscar noms for their latest films, the Europe-wide initiative to draw attention to up-and-coming performers coordinated by European Film Promotion introduces another 10 talents during the Berlinale. From Feb. 16-19, the selected actors will participate in workshops, as well as meetings with producers and casting directors.

Asta Kamma August

Sweden

The older daughter of Danish helmer Bille and Swedish actor Pernilla, August is fluent in Swedish, Danish and English, and performs for theater, film and TV in Denmark and Sweden. Her latest credits include Mikael Marcimain’s “Blackwater” for Swedish TV and Thomas Vinterberg’s “Families Like Ours” for Danish TV.

Valentina Bellè

Italy

The actor’s upcoming film projects include Marco Tullio Giordana’s “The Life Apart” and Simone Godano’s “Sei Fratelli,” as well as the series “A.C.A.B.” on tap. The Verona-born star, who is fluent in English, participates...

Director Yorgos Lanthimos’ “female Frankenstein” story Poor Things, which stars Emma Stone (Cruella), is a Golden Globe winner and it’s in the running for multiple BAFTAs and Oscars – and soon we’ll be able to watch it in the comfort of our own homes. Searchlight Pictures has announced they’ll be giving Poor Things a digital release on February 27th, with a Blu-ray and DVD release to follow on March 12th.

Scripted by Tony McNamara and based on a novel by Alasdair Gray (pick up a copy Here), Poor Things is described as being the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter. Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn, a slick and debauched lawyer, on...

International television festival Series Mania unveiled its 2024 lineup Wednesday, with an impressive slate of world premieres that will grace the screens of Lille, France for the event running March 19-21.

Peacock’s Australia-set family drama Apples Never Fall, featuring Nyad Oscar nominee Annette Bening and Jurassic Park veteran Sam Neill as a dysfunctional couple, will screen in competition at year’s fest, as will MGM+’s Hotel Cocaine, from Narcos showrunner Chris Brancato, a crime thriller featuring The Shield star Michael Chiklis and set in the booming cocaine scene in Miami in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

So Long Marianne, a Canadian-Norwegian co-production from Crave and Norway’s Nrk, will also get its first screening in Lille. The series stars Oppenheimer supporting actor Alex Wolff as legendary singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen in a story of his turbulent relationship with Norwegian writer Marianne Ihlen (played by The Last Kingdom‘s Thea Sofie Loch Næss...

We have 2 fantastic prize bundles to give away from Poor Things including: a Bubble bottle, Photo book, Novel, Sunglasses, Tote bag, T-shirt, Key ring and Postcards!

From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes the tale of the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.

Poor Thing Starring: Emma Stone as Bella Baxter

Mark Ruffalo as Duncan Wedderburn

Willem Dafoe as Godwin Baxter

Ramy Youssef as Max McCandless

Christopher Abbot as Alfie Blessington

Suzy Bemba as Toinette...

French film promotional organization Unifrance put talent in the spotlight at this year’s Rendez-Vous in Paris, where the 10 actors and filmmakers selected as 2024’s Talents to Watch were fêted with flutes of champagne at France’s Ministry of Culture before being introduced to the international press at a dedicated event.

For more than a decade, the 10 to Watch program has pinpointed the creative talents breathing modernity and vitality into contemporary French cinema. Think of a Gallic artist that’s made international waves over the past decade, and chances are they made this list. Here are the voices taking the industry forward in the years to come.

Sofia Alaoui

Sofia Alaoui

Franco-Moroccan filmmaker Sofia Alaoui will build on the rugged eeriness of her 2023 Sundance jury prize winner “Animalia” with “Tarfaya” – a slow-burn thriller that mines Morocco’s sweeping landscapes for ambient unease.

The upcoming film will follow Meryam, a 40-something...

Recently named as one of Unifrance’s 10 to Watch for 2024, “Poor Things” breakout Suzy Bemba wants to play a more proactive role reshaping and rethinking the French industry. To that end, she co-founded the professional support group The Actors Association (Ada) to fight against harassment, to push for better protections on-set and to claim a seat at the table.

“It’s more of an organic outgrowth of my experiences and values, and those of the people I’ve met,” she tells Variety from this year’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris.

How did the Ada come about?

A little over two years ago, Ariane Labed (“The Lobster”), Daphné Patakia (“Benedetta”), Zita Hanrot (“The Hookup Plan”) and I founded the organization after a series of informal dinners during which we realized that we had been isolated from one another by this construct of competition. Getting together allowed us to break that silence,...

This article contains Poor Things spoilers.

It would have been a perfect circle. Willem Dafoe’s scientist Godwin Baxter finds the recently deceased body of suicide victim Victoria Blessington (Emma Stone) after she’s leapt from a bridge. Victoria is very pregnant and her unborn baby is not dead, so God transplants the infant’s brain into Victoria’s body, which he reanimates. He renames his creation Bella Baxter and watches her develop as a child in an adult’s body. Through the course of the film she travels, learns, and grows into the happy woman we see at the end.

Of course, the end of the film comes with a gag. Alfie Blessington (Christopher Abbott), the husband of the deceased Victoria, attempts to imprison Bella, drug her, and mutilate her genitals. But he’s defeated when Bella throws the chloroform-laced cocktail intended for her in Alfie’s face, causing...

This article contains Poor Things spoilers.

It is probably the happiest Bella Baxter has ever been, and it’s certainly the most euphoric we’ve seen a Yorgos Lanthimos movie get. Hidden away in a shabby laboratory, scalpel in hand and trusted partner (if not great lover) by her side, Bella is doing what she realizes she always wanted to do: play God by way of vivisection.

Somehow Bella’s epiphany is both macabrely funny and unexpectedly sweet. In the penultimate sequence of Lanthimos’ Poor Things, the Emma Stone heroine has found the purpose and fulfillment she always strived for during her brief but extraordinarily eventful life. Earlier that very day, in fact, the man who was married to the body that now houses Bella’s mind sought to mutilate her genitals. In his warped patriarchal view, removing Bella’s clitoris would exert some kind of barbaric control over her body.

As of this writing, director Yorgos Lanthimos’ “female Frankenstein” story Poor Things, which stars Emma Stone (Cruella), has a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with many reviewers predicting that the film is going to be a contender at this year’s Academy Awards. One of those reviewers is JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray, who gave Poor Things a 9/10 review that can be read Here and said, “If this doesn’t win Best Production Design and Costuming at the Oscars this year, something will be quite wrong with the Academy.” Poor Things can currently be seen in theatres – but if you haven’t decided whether or not to catch it on the big screen yet, today we have a couple clips for you to take a look at that might help you reach the decision. One is embedded above and another can be found at the bottom of this article.

Scripted...

The trailer for Cynthia Erivo‘s new movie has been released.

The 36-year-old Tony, Emmy, and Grammy winner stars alongside Alia Shawkwat in the movie Drift directed by Anthony Chen. Along with starring in the movie, Cynthia also serves as a producer.

Based on the book A Marker To Measure Drift by Alexander Maksik, Drift follows Jacqueline (Erivo), a young refugee, who lands alone and penniless on a Greek island, where she tries first to survive and then to cope with her past. While gathering her strength, she begins a friendship with a rootless tour-guide (Shawkat) and together they find the resilience to forge ahead.

Keep reading to find out more…

The movie also stars Ibrahima Ba, Honor Swinton Byrne, Zainab Jah, Suzy Bemba, and Vincent Vermignon.

If you missed it, Cynthia also recently spilled some new details on filming the Wicked movies with Ariana Grande.

Drift hits select theaters...

Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo in Poor Things. Photo by Atsushi Nishijima. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

Smart, clever and inventive, Poor Things is described by the filmmakers as “the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a young woman brought back to life from the brink of death by the brilliant, daring scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe).” Based on the novel by the late Scottish author Alasdair Gray, director Lanthimos and scriptwriter Tony McNamara also reference Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” making this off-beat coming-of-age fantasy a kind of “feminist Frankenstein” that is part dark comedy, part adventure thriller and pure smart entertaining fantasy with an uplifting message.

Poor Things is a wild science fiction coming-of-age tale set in an alternate Victorian world that is part steam punk and part anachronistic fantasy from the writer/director who gave us The Favorite and The Lobster, Yorgos Lanthimos.

The cast of the new movie Poor Things hit the red carpet in London for the film’s UK premiere!

Emma Stone led the red carpet arrivals at the event on Thursday night (December 14) at the Barbican Centre in London, England.

Also in attendance were co-stars Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Suzy Bemba, and Vicki Pepperdine.

The movie is currently playing in limited release in the U.S. and is scheduled to hit theaters in the U.K. on January 12. Poor Things just received 13 nominations from the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards and 7 nominations from the Golden Globe Awards.

Watch the trailer for the movie right now!

Fyi: Emma is wearing a Louis Vuitton dress.

Browse through the gallery for 45+ photos of Emma Stone and others at the premiere…...

European Film Promotion has revealed the 10 emerging actors who will take part in the 27th edition of European Shooting Stars program, which promotes European acting talent. Past Shooting Stars have included Carey Mulligan, Alicia Vikander, Maisie Williams and Riz Ahmed.

From Feb. 16-19, the actors will be presented to the international press and industry, and the German public at the Berlin Film Festival. One of the highlights will be the Shooting Stars Awards Ceremony on Feb. 19 at the Berlinale Palast.

The Shooting Stars for 2024 are Belgium’s Thibaud Dooms, Bulgaria’s Margarita Stoykova, France’s Suzy Bemba, Georgia’s Salome Demuria, Germany’s Katharina Stark, Ireland’s Éanna Hardwicke, Italy’s Valentina Bellè, Lithuania’s Džiugas Grinys, Poland’s Kamila Urzędowska and Sweden’s Asta Kamma August.

The jury that selected the actors comprised of Austrian director, screenwriter and producer Barbara Albert, Lithuanian producer Živilė Gallego, Irish actor Moe Dunford,...

European Film Promotion has announced the 10 up-and-coming European acting talents for its 2024 European Shooting Stars list.

The actors, which include performers from this year’s award-season contenders Poor Things, Ferrari, and The Peasants, among others, will be lauded at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, next year.

The Shooting Stars class of 2024 includes:

Suzy Bemba (France) Suzy Bemba in ‘Homecoming’

French actress Suzy Bemba, who plays a Parisian sex worker who befriends Emma Stone’s character in Poor Things, and whose credits include standout roles in Anthony Chen’s Sundance film Drift and Catherine Corsini’s Homecoming.

Valentina Bellè (Italy) Valentina Bellè in ‘The Good Mothers’

Valentina Bellè from Italy, who plays Cecilia Manzini in Michael Mann’s Ferarri, won Italy’s Nastro D’Argento award for best supporting actress for her turn in Disney+ mafia drama The Good Mothers and has appeared in Disney+ series Genius: Picasso with...

10-strong line-up includes Italian actress Valentina Bellè and Irish actor Éanna Hardwicke.

European Film Promotion (Efp) has revealed the ten young European talents selected for the 27th edition of European Shooting Stars, its initiative to showcase promising on-screen talent from the continent.

Efp has selected seven actresses and three actors who will be presented to international press, industry, and the public during the 2024 Berlin Film Festival.

The line-up includes Italian actress Valentina Bellè who starred in two competition films at Venice this year: Michael Mann’s Ferrari and Lubo by Giorgio Diritti. She also plays the leading role in Disney + series The Good Mother,...

Alongside the ongoing push for greater, industry-wide parity, French activist and feminist organization Collective 50/50 will next tackle workplace harassment with a new plan to bolster and expand existing workplace safety workshops, while promoting the widespread use of intimacy coordinators.

Launched in partnership with France’s National Film Board (Cnc) and the professional training organization Afdas, the new initiative will expand the reach of existing programs, which mostly targeted producers. Under the newly announced plan, full casts and crews will receive in-person harassment prevention workshop ahead of production and have access to an ongoing, remote module throughout the shoot. The workshops would be required for all productions receiving Cnc support.

The plan was announced at a 50/50 conference in Paris, which brought together activists, festival heads, producers, Netflix executives, social workers, political attachés and actresses like Suzy Bemba (“Poor Things”) and Ariane Labed, among others.

The Monday conference also arrived just days...

Yorgos Lanthimos’ Venice Golden Lion Winner Poor Things is here with Searchlight Pictures sewing up nine theaters in four major markets for leg one of the Emma Stone-starring surreal-period-comedy-horror.

The film debuts in NYC and LA as well as San Francisco and Austin (Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar). Lanthimos, Stone and stars Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe join Q&As in New York and tickets have been selling out. Stone hosted SNL last Saturday, joining the exclusive “five-timers club”, and made stops in recent days at Good Morning America, Sunday Today and ABC News Live Prime to talk up the fantastical tale.

Stone plays Bella Baxter, a young Victorian woman mysteriously brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Godwin Baxter (Dafoe) who lives as the doctor’s ward.

This post will contain spoilers for "Poor Things." 

Director Yorgos Lanthimos has made multiple films about characters who are controlled -- to mixed fates -- by their sexual appetites, and how their sexual desire will ultimately push up against their prison-like boundaries. 

In his 2009 film "Dogtooth," a weirdly tyrannical father (Christos Stergioglou) has kept his children confined in their childhood home until their young adulthood, lying to them about the nature of the world and teaching them nonsensical vocabulary. The young son is granted regular conjugal visits from a hired interloper (Anna Kalaitzidou). She, against the father's rules, begins explaining sex to the kids, and they begin thinking about the outside world. The father attempts to control his children's sex lives, but ultimately runs aground on his daughter's taste of knowledge. 

In his 2015 sci-fi fantasy film "The Lobster," uncoupled people are forced into depressing romance camps where they must artificially...

Director Yorgos Lanthimos’ “female Frankenstein” story Poor Things, which stars Emma Stone (Cruella), recently had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, and the reactions that came out of that screening said the movie is weird, hilarious, raunchy, and an awards contender. We’re now just one week away from the film’s December 8th theatrical release – and today we have some new promotional material to share! In the embed above you’ll find a featurette that asks, “Who is Bella Baxter?” That being the character Stone plays in the film. At the bottom of this article, we have a clip of Bella Baxter in action.

Scripted by Tony McNamara and based on a novel by Alasdair Gray (pick up a copy Here), Poor Things is described as being the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr.

Director Yorgos Lanthimos’ “female Frankenstein” story Poor Things, which stars Emma Stone (Cruella), recently had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, and the reactions that came out of that screening said the movie is weird, hilarious, raunchy, and an awards contender. We’re now just two weeks away from the film’s December 8th theatrical release – and to build up the hype some more, a new trailer for Poor Things has arrived online! You can check it out in the embed above.

Scripted by Tony McNamara and based on a novel by Alasdair Gray (pick up a copy Here), Poor Things is described as being the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter. Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking,...

16 nominees in each category will compete in the first round of voting.

France’s Cesar Academy has revealed the breakout stars selected for its annual Revelations list of local up-and-coming talent who will vie in the most promising actor and actress categories at the 2024 awards set for February 23 in Paris.

16 nominees in each category will compete in the first round of voting among Academy members, that will then be whittled down to five in each category.

The Revelations committee is comprised of 18 casting directors active in French film production and is then validated by the board of the Academy.

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France’s César Academy has unveiled its annual Revelations list showcasing 32 emerging acting talents making their mark in the French-speaking cinema world.

The 16 selected actresses include Suzy Bemba for her performance year in Catherine Corsini’s Homecoming. Bemba was also seen in Venice Golden Lion winner Poor Things this year.

The selection also features Rebecca Marder for Corsica-set thriller Grand Expectations; Garance Marillier, for bio-pic Marinette about French female soccer pioneer Marinette Pichon, and Park Ji-min for her award-winning performance in Return To Seoul.

The actor list includes Milo Machado Graner, who plays the visually impaired son in Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, Marc Zinga’s for his performance in Belgium’s Oscar entry Omen and Samuel Kircher for Catherine Breillat’s taboo-breaking drama Last Summer. His brother Paul Kircher is also in the selection for The Animal Kingdom.

The talents were selected by a committee of...

Accomplishing the rare feature of premiering two features this year, Anthony Chen’s Cynthia Erivo-led and -produced refugee drama Drift premiered at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, then a few months later he debuted The Breaking Ice at Cannes Film Festival. The former was picked up by Utopia and now ahead of a February 9 release, the first trailer and poster have arrived.

Here’s the synopsis: “Jacqueline (Two-Time Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo), a young refugee, lands alone and penniless on a Greek island, where she tries first to survive and then to cope with her past. While gathering her strength, she begins a friendship with a rootless tour-guide (Alia Shawkat) and together they find the resilience to forge ahead.”

Michael Frank said in his Sundance review, “Coming from a script by Susanne Farrell and Alexander Maksik, Drift rarely individualizes its main character, quietly watching her as she struggles to survive.

Grammy, Emmy, and Tony award-winning triple threat talent Cynthia Erivo emotionally unzips herself for moving film “Drift,” the first project she has produced to be released.

The Oscar-nominated actress leads the independent film, which debuted at Sundance earlier this year. Based on Alexander Maksik’s 2013 novel “A Marker to Measure Drift,” the film follows a refugee who crosses paths with a lonesome tour guide in Greece.

The official synopsis reads: “Jacqueline (Erivo), a young refugee, lands alone and penniless on a Greek island, where she tries first to survive and then to cope with her past. While gathering her strength, she begins a friendship with rootless tour-guide Callie (Alia Shawkat) and together they find the resilience to forge ahead.”

Ibrahima Ba, Honor Swinton Byrne, Zainab Jah, Suzy Bemba, and Vincent Vermignon also star.

“Drift” is the English-language debut of Camera d’Or-winning director Anthony Chen (“Ilo Ilo”), who won the...

A new extended look trailer for Poor Things featuring Emma Stone has just been released, and you can check it out right here (see above), before the film hits theaters on December 8, 2023!

From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.

About The Film

Genre: Romance, Sci-Fi Starring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbot, Suzy Bemba, Jerrod Carmichael, Kathryn Hunter, Vicki Pepperdine, Margaret Qualley,...

Could Oscar winner Emma Stone (La La Land) be back in the Oscar hunt with Searchlight Pictures’ Poor Things? According to critics who’ve caught festival screenings, the answer is a resounding yes.

“From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents,” reads Searchlight Pictures’ synopsis. “Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.”

Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo in ‘Poor Things’ (Photo by Atsushi Nishijima © 2023 Searchlight Pictures)

The film marks the second feature film...