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So many stars stepped out to attend the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch at Hotel Casa del Mar on Saturday morning (January 4) in Santa Monica, Calif. We’ve got all the photos!

The event was attended by the likes of Sebastian Stan, Richard Gadd, Nava Mau, Mikey Madison and Danielle Deadwyler.

For the occasion, the Marvel actor looked stylish in a dark suit, which he paired with a maroon shirt. Mikey wowed in a chic black dress, Nava color blocked in black and white and Danielle provided a pop of color in a vibrant dress.

They weren’t the only stars in attendance either.

Keep reading to find out more…

Katia Washington, Olivia Washington, Ryan Destiny, Jessica Gunning, Greg Kwedar, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ali Abbasi, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Brian Tee, Karen Pittman, Justin Simien, Leonie Benesch, Rudy Galvan, Joan Chen, Karren Karagulian, Yura Borisov, Maisy Stella, Mark Eydelshteyn, Alex and Erin Coco,...

Sundance on Monday debuted the list of short films to be presented at this year’s festival.

57 were selected, in total, with shorts to screen as part of eight curated programs that will include fiction, nonfiction, and animated titles from the U.S. and globally. Chosen from 11,153 submissions, this year’s shorts collectively represent 28 countries and territories.

Stated the Sundance Film Festival’s Director of Programming, Kim Yutani, “Our program would never be complete without a curation of outstanding short films, and we’re excited to share the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Program today. These projects are varied in style and substance, but across all categories they represent the power of short-form storytelling beautifully.”

Added Mike Plante, Senior Programmer, Short Film, “Our Short Film Program celebrates fresh styles and unique stories. The short run time encourages innovation. Audiences will find much of the next generation of film talent here,...

Sundance added 57 short films to its impressive 2025 lineup on Monday, including new films starring Dagmara Domińcyzk, J. Smith Cameron, Kenneth Lonergan, and Martin Starr.

“Our program would never be complete without a curation of outstanding short films, and we’re excited to share the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Program today,” said Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. “These projects are varied in style and substance, but across all categories, they represent the power of short-form storytelling beautifully.”

“Our Short Film Program celebrates fresh styles and unique stories. The short run time encourages innovation,” said Mike Plante, Senior Programmer, Short Film. “Audiences will find much of the next generation of film talent here, with raw, exciting and inspired filmmaking from around the world in each of our eight programs.”

According to the Sundance press release, “The 57 short films selected for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival were chosen from 11,153 submissions.

With the features lineup out of the way last week, the 2025 Sundance Film Festival has revealed the short films headed to Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, for the event’s 41st edition. Beginning January 23 through February 2, festival attendees can catch 57 short films from 28 countries and territories — including live action, animated, and nonfiction documentary titles. Shorts will also be available online during the festival’s second half along with select feature sections.

The 57 short films selected for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival were chosen from 11,153 submissions. Out of these submissions, 4,909 came from the U.S. and 6,244 were international. The selected films will be eligible for juried awards at the end of the festivals.

The Sundance Film Festival has long been celebrated as a platform for innovative short-form projects spanning genres from international filmmakers. Alums of the short film program include Andrea Arnold, Lake Bell, Damien Chazelle, Destin Daniel Cretton, Jay Duplass,...

Quick Links 'The Piano Lesson' Is an Engrossing Adaptation of a Pulitzer-Winning Play Samuel L. Jackson Knocks It Out of the Park Yet Again Critics and Audiences Are Impressed with 'The Piano Lesson'

Samuel L. Jackson has been a beloved and respected presence on the silver screen for decades, having proven himself to be one of Hollywood's most dynamic and entertaining leading men throughout the course of his illustrious career. There is no genre, role, or film Jackson can't completely make his own, having starred in a slew of unforgettable classics like Pulp Fiction, A Time to Kill, The Incredibles, and Django Unchained (to name just a few of his endless hits), and his films have collectively grossed over $27 billion, making him the highest-grossing actor of all time.

Apart from his dazzling cinema work, Jackson has also had a prominent presence on the stage and on Broadway,...

This review was originally published on September 16, 2024 as a part of our Toronto International Film Festival coverage.

August Wilson, the late acclaimed American playwright, chronicled some of the best stories about African American experiences using deeply humanized and comprehensive storytelling. Some of his notable theater works include Fences and Ma Raineys Black Bottom, both of which have been adapted into film. Denzel Washington, who produced both features, returns for a third Wilson adaptation with The Piano Lesson,which sees a Black family adapt to life in 1936 Pittsburgh following the Great Depression. Directed by Malcolm Washington and featuring a star-studded, talented cast, The Piano Lesson captures the importance of honoring our ancestors through legacy.

The Piano Lesson

In The Piano Lesson, a brother and sister clash over selling a family heirloom pianohe sees it as a path to wealth, while she views it as a vital link to their heritage. Their uncle tries to mediate,...

So many stars stepped out on Wednesday night (October 23) to attend the Museum Of Modern Art’s 16th Annual Film Benefit in New York City, and we’ve got all of the photos!

The annual event is presented by Chanel. This year, it honored iconic actor Samuel L. Jackson, who attended with his wife Latasha Richardson Jackson.

Other stars in attendance included the likes of Amanda Seyfried, Meghann Fahy, Danielle Deadwyler, Dianna Agron and Natasha Lyonne. That’s still barely scratching the surface, though.

With more than 30 stars on the guestlist, we pulled together the pictures so that you could easily scroll to see who was there and what they wore.

Head inside to see all of the photos…

Keep scrolling to see photos of all of the attendees…

Molly Ringwald

David Alan Grier

Danielle Deadwyler

Honoree Samuel L. Jackson with wife Latanya Richardson Jackson

Ray Fisher

Sarah Arison

Francesca Scorsese...

Star Wars actor John Boyega will appear alongside Till's Danielle Deadwyler in a biopic following the iconic career and tragic demise of soul artist Otis Redding. The film, titled Otis & Zelma, was announced just a few days before Redding's posthumous reception of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame a ceremony that is set to occur this Friday on October 4th.

Directed by Channing Godfrey Peoples, an up-and-coming American filmmaker whose debut project Miss Juneteenth received critical acclaim, the Redding biopic will follow the singer-songwriter's short but star-studded career, as well as the incredible resilience of his widowed wife, Zelma (via Variety). Redding's powerful legacy includes hits like "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," "Respect," and "Try a Little Tenderness," but the artist's life was tragically lost in a 1967 plane crash. He was only 26 years old at the time of his death, survived by his wife of only nine years,...

Academy Award winner Brie Larson (Room) has signed on to make her West End debut in a new revival of Sophokles’s Elektra, translated by Canadian poet Anne Carson.

Directed by Daniel Fish (Oklahoma), performances will begin at Theatre Royal Brighton from January 13 – 18, 2025, before the production moves to Duke of York’s Theatre in London for a strictly limited 11-week season from January 24, 2025.

The production will mark the first major revival of Sophokles’s Greek tragedy in over a decade. Director Fish is best known for his production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical Revival in 2019 on Broadway before transferring to the West End where it won the Oliver Award for Best Musical Revival in 2023. Fish was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical in 2019.

Joining Daniel on the creative team are Annie-b Parson (Choreography), Jeremy Herbert...

Exclusive: Pauletta Pearson Washington says that the film adaptation of August Wilson’s acclaimed play The Piano Lesson has been a family affair. “All my babies are involved in this,” the actor, musician and philanthropist declares.

“My son directed it,” she says pointing to filmmaker Malcolm Washington, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Virgil Williams.

“And John David’s in it,” Washington adds, referring to her eldest child, the actor John David Washington.

“And so is Olivia, we play the same role at different ages,” she says proudly of daughter Olivia Washington.

“And here’s Katia,” who was seated by her at a cocktail party hosted by Netflix to celebrate the streamer’s roster of movies being screened at the Telluride Film Festival.

Katia is an executive producer of The Piano Lesson.

Pauletta, Malcolm, John David and Katia Washington. Photo by Baz Bamigboye/Deadline

Her husband Denzel Washington is a producer of The Piano Lesson,...

Exclusive: Filmmaker Malcolm Washington says that his screen adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Piano Lesson honors his family’s history, especially that of his mother Pauletta Pearson Washington.

Set in post-Depression era Pittsburgh, the haunting movie is about two siblings, Berniece and her younger, sharecropper brother Boy Willie, played respectively by Danielle Deadwyler and John David Washington. Both believe that they have a claim to a treasured family heirloom – an upright piano carved by their enslaved grandfather with faces of their west African ancestors sold into slavery.

The history of the Charles family and that instrument is one forged in blood and bullets.

The Piano Lesson will have its world premiere screening at the Telluride Film Festival over the Labor Day weekend and Netflix will release it into select cinemas in the United States and the United Kingdom on November 8. The streamer will launch it on...

On Saturday 6 July 2024, BBC One broadcasts Saturday Kitchen Live!

Episode Summary

In this episode of “Saturday Kitchen Live” on BBC One, host Matt Tebbutt leads an exciting culinary journey alongside chef Paul Ainsworth and special guests Kit Harington and Olivia Washington. This lively episode features a mix of cooking demonstrations, delicious recipes, and engaging conversations with celebrity guests.

Viewers can look forward to highlights from the BBC food archive, showcasing memorable clips from renowned chefs such as Rick Stein, the Hairy Bikers, Nigella Lawson, and Marcus Wareing. These segments offer a nostalgic glimpse into iconic cooking moments that have defined BBC’s culinary programming over the years.

To complement the delectable dishes prepared in the studio, drinks expert Helen McGinn selects the perfect wines, adding a touch of sophistication to the culinary experience. Whether you’re a food enthusiast, a fan of celebrity interviews, or simply enjoy discovering new recipes,...

“Definitely the most challenging thing I’ve had to do thus far as an actor, a lot of mental gymnastics involved,” Jharrel Jerome admits about the uniqueness of his role in the Boots Riley-created absurdist series I’m A Virgo, on which he plays a previously extremely sheltered 13-foot-tall Oakland teen. “At no point do I look my scene partners in the eye, and as an actor that’s so critical, you know, as connection.”

Jerome, an Emmy winner for When They See Us, was joined by Riley and co-stars Olivia Washington and Walton Goggins, plus costume designer Deirdra E. Govan, for a conversation about their series at Deadline Studio at Prime Experience.

Watch the interview here and see photos from the event below.

Launched in June 2023 with all seven episodes, the small-screen debut of Coup frontman and Sorry to Bother You director Riley is a true display of originality...

Danielle Brooks and Jeffrey Wright were among the Academy Award nominees who stepped out for the 2024 Women in Film Oscar Nominees Party!

The Best Supporting Actress nom and the Best Actor nom joined a bunch of celebs at the event on Friday night (March 8) at Catch Steak in Los Angeles.

Other nominees in attendance included Past Lives director and screenwriter Celine Song and Flamin’ Hot‘s “The Fire Inside” songwriter Diane Warren, who was joined by the film’s producer Eva Longoria.

Celebs who supported the nominees included Lili Reinhart, Kathryn Newton, Abigail Spencer and many more.

Wif CEO Kirsten Schaffer talked about fighting for equality in Hollywood during her speech at the event.

“New reports from UCLA, USC and Reframe released in the past few weeks illuminate the backslide of representation in front of and behind the camera. That, combined with a cultural and political backlash women, transgender people...

So many stars graced the red carpet outside Bar Marmont on Wednesday night (March 6) to attend Vanity Fair and Instagram Celebrate Vanities: A Night for Young Hollywood.

The celebrity packed guestlist featured the likes of Barry Keoghan, Hunter Schafer and Charles Melton. That’s barely scratching the surface, though.

We pulled together photos of more than 100 stars on the guestlist. That way you can easily see who was there and what they were wearing!

Head inside to see all of the photos from Vanity Fair and Instagram Celebrate Vanities: A Night for Young Hollywood…

Keep scrolling to see all of the photos from Vanity Fair and Instagram Celebrate Vanities: A Night for Young Hollywood…

Barry Keoghan

Fyi: Barry is wearing Amiri FW24 Rtw.

Hunter Schafer

Fyi: Hunter is wearing Prada SS13 Rtw.

Evan Ross Katz

Aria Mia Loberti

Reece Feldman

Derek Luh

Sammi Hanratty

Asa Germann

Dallas James Liu

Charles...

Game of Thrones star Kit Harington will return to the London stage in the upcoming production of Jeremy O. Harris’ acclaimed and controversial Slave Play.

Despite the star casting, Slave Play playwright Jeremy O. Harris assures audiences that Harington’s presence will not be a “distraction.”

In an interview with London’s The Guardian, Harris said Harington was emphatic that the ensemble piece not be turned into “the Jon Snow experience” (a reference to Harington’s character on Thrones).

“Kit was saying ‘I don’t want this to be Kit Harington in Slave Play, this is an ensemble play and I’m not even the lead,’” Harris told the newspaper. “He knows the weight his name carries and how that could become a distraction, if we allowed it to be.”

Harington will play the role of Jim, originated on Broadway by Paul Alexander Nolan. The character is involved in a troublesome interracial,...

Kit Harington is heading back to the stage for the West End production of Broadway hit Slave Play!

The 37-year-old actor, best known for playing Jon Snow on Game of Thrones, will star as Jim in acclaimed play alongside I’m a Virgo actress Olivia Washington as Kaneisha.

Here’s the play’s synopsis: “At the MacGregor Plantation the Old South is alive and well. The heat in the air, the cotton fields and the power of the whip. Yet nothing is quite as it appears… or maybe it is.”

The Jeremy O. Harris play will run in London from June 29 through September 21 at the Noel Coward Theatre. Tickets go on sale later this week.

Several cast members from the Broadway production, including Inventing Anna actor James Cusati-Moyer, will reprise their roles in London.

It was recently announced that Kit will reunite with a Game of Thrones co-star for a new movie!

Nick Offerman became a first-time Independent Spirit Awards winner during the 2024 awards ceremony Sunday, winning for best supporting performance in a new scripted series for his role in The Last of Us.

“I am astonished to be in this category, which is bananas,” Offerman said onstage. “Congrats to all of you. This is crazy.”

“Thanks to HBO for having the guts to participate in this storytelling tradition that is truly independent. Stories with guts, that when homophobic hate comes my way and says, ‘Why did you have to make it a gay story?’ We say, ‘Because you ask questions like that.’ It’s not a gay story. It’s a love story, you asshole. So more of that,” he said, speaking about his role as Bill in the critically acclaimed episode “Long, Long Time.”

He went on to cite his co-star and fellow nominee in the category, Murray Bartlett, who...

At Sunday’s Independent Spirit Awards, actor Nick Offerman addressed “homophobic hate” aimed over the past year at “Long, Long Time,” the stand-alone episode of HBO’s post-apocalyptic drama The Last of Us that he starred in with Murray Bartlett and that earned Offerman a win today for Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series.

“Thank you so much, Film Independent. I’m astonished to be in this category, which is bananas,” Offerman began while onstage to accept the prize. “Thanks to HBO for having the guts to participate in this storytelling tradition that is truly independent. Stories with guts that when homophobic hate comes my way and says, ‘Why did you have to make it a gay story?’ We say, ‘Because you ask questions like that.'”

Added an impassioned Offerman: “It’s not a gay story, it’s a love story, you a**hole.”

Offerman also won...

Gold Derby is backstage at the 39th Annual Indie Spirit Awards on the beach in Santa Monica, CA on Sunday, February 25, hosted by comedian, actress and “SNL” alumnus Aidy Bryant. We’ll bring you all of the up-to-date details on the presenters, nominees and winners. (See the complete winners list here.) Read on for the 2024 Spirits live blog.

The kudofest is streaming live on IMDb’s YouTube Channel as well as Film Independent’s YouTube and Twitter accounts starting at 2 p.m. Pst/5 p.m. Est.

On the film side, the nominations were dominated by “American Fiction,” “Past Lives” and “May December,” which picked up five nods apiece. Those three films are up for Best Feature along with “All of Us Strangers,” “Passages” and “We Grown Now.” Since 2012, Film Independent and the Spirits have forecast 7 of 12 Best Picture winners at the Academy Awards, including “The Artist” (2012), “12 Years a Slave...

The worst Hallmark Christmas movies often suffer from bad chemistry between actors, resulting in awkward scenes. Poor execution and production difficulties contribute to the failure of some Hallmark Christmas movies, overshadowing their cheesy charm. While some Hallmark Christmas movies have catchy songs and all-star casts, they fail to connect with viewers, often due to lackluster scripts and unrealistic plotlines.

While Hallmark Channel has created original movies and television shows for over 20 years, they're arguably best known for the abundance of Christmas specials they produce every year. The channel's Christmas programming sometimes receives a bad rap for its formulaic style, but many families still consider it an essential part of the holiday season. With so many specials every year, however, it's understandable that a few will be noticeably worse than others.

Some of the worst Hallmark Christmas movies have bad chemistry between actors, which can make the entire story suffer. At the same time,...

Jharrel Jerome in “I’m a Virgo” may play a 13-foot tall giant, but as he receives accolades for his performance during this awards season, he says it’s important to remember the “little moments” along the way. The 26-year-old star is starting to dream both big and small.

“When you become an actor, I feel like you forget to dream of these little moments here. You dream of the big screen, you dream of the flashing lights, you dream about the big red carpets and the photos, but you forget about the intimate moments like this, when you get into a room with artists who are as passionate as you,” Jerome said upon accepting the Performance Prize at the IndieWire Honors ceremony on December 6. He added that he didn’t know what to expect stepping into NeueHouse Hollywood for the occasion. But seeing the intimate space, he said, “this is dope.

“American Fiction,” “May December” and “Past Lives” shared the spotlight with five nominations apiece to lead the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards announced Tuesday. The trio all landed bids for Best Feature along with “Passages,” “All of Us Strangers” and “We Grown Now.”

“American Fiction” was also cited for its screenplay (Cord Jefferson), for Jeffrey Wright’s lead performance and for Sterling K. Brown’s and Erika Alexander’s supporting work. “May December” also landed bids for Best Director (Todd Haynes) and Best First Screenplay (Sammy Burch) as well as for Natalie Portman’s lead performance and Charles Melton’s support. And “Past Lives” was singled out for Celine Song’s screenplay and direction and the lead performances of Greta Lee and Teo Yoo. See the full list of nominees here.

Next with four nominations apiece were “Passages” and the Alexander Payne-directed “The Holdovers.” Besides its Best Feature bid, “Passages...

Nominees for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards — the premiere awards event for the independent film and television community — were announced on Tuesday morning by actor/director/writer Natalie Morales and actor/producer/writer Joel Kim Booster, and HBO’s The Last of Us and Prime Video’s I’m a Virgo the TV pack with four nods each.

Netflix’s Beef followed closely with three noms.

More from TVLineCritics Choice Award Nominations: <em>The Morning Show</em> Scores Most Nods, Beating <em>Succession</em> — See Full ListThe Oscars Telecast Is (Pretty Much) Guaranteed to End Before Bedtime This Year — Here’s WhyTVLine Items: Michelle Williams Is Dying for Sex,...

Film Independent announced the 2024 Spirit Award nominees in all the film and TV categories on Tuesday, Dec 5. Only American productions with budgets of less than $30 million were eligible for consideration in the film races. Winners will be revealed on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, at a ceremony hosted by Aidy Bryant.

Last year, these kudos eliminated the four gendered acting awards and replaced them with just two prizes: lead and supporting performances (each has 10 nominees). It also added a new category, Best Breakthrough Performance, which has five contenders.

See the full list of 2024 Spirit Awards nominations for film and TV below.

Film

Best Picture

“All of Us Strangers”

“American Fiction”

“May December”

“Passages”

“Past Lives”

“We Grown Now”

Best Director

Andrew Haigh, “All of Us Strangers”

Todd Haynes, “May December”

William Oldroyd, “Eileen”

Ira Sachs, “Passages”

Celine Song, “Past Lives”

Best Lead Performance

Jessica Chastain, “Memory”

Greta Lee, “Past Lives”

Trace Lysette, “Monica”

Natalie Portman,...

Renowned filmmakers Charlie Kaufman, Boots Riley, and Ed Solomon believe that the Hollywood business needs to change in order to support idiosyncratic voices and promote diversity in storytelling. Boots Riley suggests the possibility of collectively run studios as an alternative to the current system, but acknowledges that the logistics of such a model are still being discussed. Ed Solomon urges new writers to focus on developing their unique voice and original ideas, rather than conforming to mainstream expectations.

Recently, renowned filmmakers Charlie Kaufman, Boots Riley, and Ed Solomon joined a Word by Word session, which is a Zoom workshop for up-and-coming screenwriters, and offered advice on Hollywood business and screenwriting. Hosted by The Black List, the writer-directors shared their experiences as aspiring writers and thoughts on the industry (via THR).

Kaufman is known for his directing and writing on Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Synecdoche,...

Denzel Washington and his wife, Pauletta Washington, have built a beautiful family together over the years. The couple first met on the set of 1977's "Wilma," but it wasn't until a few months later that sparks flew at a mutual friend's party, per People. The stars officially tied the knot in 1983, then welcomed their first child - son John David Washington - in 1984. Two years later, their daughter Katia Washington was born, and in 1991, Denzel and Pauletta became parents of four with the arrival of their twins Malcolm and Olivia Washington.

Once the couple began expanding their family, Pauletta stepped back from acting in order to raise their four children, and the "Malcolm X" star is grateful for everything his wife has done for their family. While accepting the American Film Institute's lifetime achievement award in 2019, Denzel used his speech to thank Pauletta for being their children's primary caretaker. "My...

Boots Riley's I'm A Virgo is a surreal dramedy about a 13-foot-tall Black man venturing into the real world, exploring highs and lows. The show retains the brilliant anti-capitalism satire from Sorry to Bother You and establishes an expansive new world for future exploration. The on-set visual effects team worked meticulously to blend practical and digital effects, aiming to keep the show realistic and grounded.

Boots Riley has kept his creative winning streak going with Prime Video's I'm A Virgo. The surreal dramedy revolves around a 13-foot-tall Black man who, after years of being raised and sheltered by his aunt and uncle, decides to venture out into the real world, learning of the highs and lows of the real world.

Jharrel Jerome leads the ensemble cast of I'm a Virgo alongside Brett Gray, Kara Young, Allius Barnes, Olivia Washington, Mike Epps, Walton Goggins, and Carmen Ejogo. Garnering even higher acclaim...

From the fiery sparks singeing the palms of Roman candle wielders nationwide, to the turgid temps threatening to burst the bulbous skulls off of every analog thermometer, to the spicy Scoville units lustily applied to backyard barbecue options, July is all about heat. And if like David Johansen’s alter ego, you like your Don’t-Miss Indies hot, hot, hot, well… Just keep reading. Just don’t go anywhere without sunscreen!

Flamin’ Hot

When You Can Watch: Now

Where You Can Watch: Hulu, Disney+

Director: Eva Longoria

Cast: Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, Emilio Rivera, Tony Shalhoub

Why We’re Excited: Most famous for her role as feisty and stunning Latina housewife Gabrielle Solis in the ABC megahit Desperate Housewives, Eva Longoria’s directorial debut is a biographical dramedy based on Richard Montañez’s (admittedly disputed) memoir, A Boy, a Burrito and a Cookie: From Janitor to Executive. The...

In “I’m a Virgo,” Jharrel Jerome plays a 13-foot-tall teenager in Oakland named Cootie raised by his aunt and uncle (Carmen Ejogo and Mike Epps) in secret. Over the course of the show’s first season, Cootie comes out of hiding, makes friends, and contends with media obsession over his height. Like Riley’s first feature “Sorry to Bother You,” the series develops its own internal logic as it transforms into a scathing indictment of capitalism from some very unexpected directions.

None of that would hold up without its central conceit, which proved challenging, given that Jerome is actually five feet and eight inches. Riley made the show with Amazon on a relatively modest $53 million budget (around the same time that its first season of “Lord of the Rings” cost a reported $1 billion). However, the minimal effects budget wasn’t the only reason he turned to puppets and forced perspective...

Amazon's I'm A Virgo tells an imaginative coming-of-age story, held together by its well-written characters and the cast members who portray them. Created by Boots Riley of the Sorry to Bother You fame, I'm A Virgo follows the adventures — and misadventures — of Cootie, a 13-foot humble giant, who remains shielded from the outside world. However, things start changing when Cootie befriends a young group of people and finally escapes his Oakland neighborhood. From true friendships to his first romance, Cootie experiences it all in his journey and becomes somewhat of a folk hero towards the end of I'm A Virgo season 1.

Boot Riley's taut writing is enough to keep viewers hooked throughout the runtime of I'm A Virgo's season 1. Its underlying themes surrounding capitalism, institutional racism, and Afro-surrealism make its storyline all the more compelling. However, apart from its narrative threads, even its character beats play a crucial role...

Warning: Contains mild spoilers for I'm A Virgo.I’m a Virgo star Jharrel Jerome strikes a hopeful tone about season 2, teasing what's to come in the Prime Vido series. Consisting of seven episodes, and created by Sorry to Bother You director Boots Riley, I'm a Virgo tells the story of Cootie (Jerome), a nineteen-year-old Black man who is 13 feet tall. Raised by his Aunt Lafrancine (Carmen Ejogo) and Uncle Martisse (Mike Epps) in Oakland, Cootie is shielded from the outside world until he's discovered by a group that befriends him. However, the dramedy quickly reveals intriguing twists and timely messages behind its unique premise.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jerome discussed one of the twists in the I'm a Virgo season 1 ending. The actor was asked about the rash, which is a creature that's inside of Cootie. In response, the Emmy winner says that he can't reveal...

When Boots Riley was 12 years old, he wanted to be a superhero.

Growing up in the Eighties in East Oakland with a civil rights attorney father, the younger Riley was drawn to a different version of justice. He remembers losing himself in comic books — he loved Daredevil, and anything with ninjas — and coming away determined to make “caped crusader” a career path.

“I was in serious gymnastics, martial arts, throwing stars, doing nunchucks. I was practicing sneaking into rooms silently,” he recalls, some 40 years later, over lunch in Oakland on a warm afternoon.

This article contains spoilers for all seven episodes of I’m a Virgo.

There’s a lot going on in I’m a Virgo, Boots Riley’s seven-episode series on Prime Video. The mere premise of the show itself – that of a 13-foot tall young Black man from Oakland finding himself – is a lot to unpack. And that’s before the Sorry to Bother You filmmaker begins to introduce other elements of magical realism.

Cootie’s (Jharrel Jerome) journey to self discovery features: a cult cartoon called Parking Tickets that has the potential to drive people insane, a billionaire comic book writer who becomes his own fascist creation called The Hero (Walton Goggins), and of course: plenty of revolutionary labor politics.

All of those disparate threads come to a head in the I’m a Virgo finale in which Cootie and friends have sabotaged a power facility in a fruitless attempt at...

Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for No Hard Feelings, I’m a Virgo and Downey’s Dream Cars.

Downey’s Dream Cars premiere

Robert Downey Jr. made a rare red carpet appearance to debut his new Max series at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on June 16.

Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey

No Hard Feelings premiere

Jennifer Lawrence joined director Gene Stupnitsky and co-stars Andrew Feldman, Matthew Broderick, Laura Benanti, Natalie Morales, Hasan Minhaj, Kyle Mooney, Scott MacArthur, Zach McClarnon, Jordan Mendoza, Matthew Nozska, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Amalia Yoo at the New York premiere of their new comedy on Tuesday.

John Phillips, Laura Benanti, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Gene Stupnitsky, Natalie Morales, Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Feldman and Matthew Broderick Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Feldman

I’m a Virgo premiere

Stars Jharrel Jerome, Brett Gray,...

Jharrel Jerome is larger than ever - in real life and on screen. The 25-year-old actor stars in Prime Video's surreal series "I'm a Virgo" as Cootie, an overgrown, 13-foot-tall sheltered teen living in Oakland, CA. It's the first time Jerome has led a project since starring in award-winning titles like Oscar best picture "Moonlight" and Ava DuVernay's true-life-inspired series "When They See Us," making it his biggest role to date - and his biggest challenge. Really, everything about "I'm a Virgo" is big. Jerome is best known for his emotional performances in the aforementioned, the latter of which he tells Popsugar "was one of the hardest things I'll ever do." But "I'm a Virgo" - which, per Prime Video, follows Cootie as he "escapes to experience the beauty and contradictions of the real world" for the first time - was the ultimate acting test for him. The Boots...

Boots Riley is sharing his approach to his genre-defying mystical limited series — an anti-capitalist satire — that drops on Prime Video Friday, I’m a Virgo. The Sorry to Bother You director, writer and musician, and vocal supporter of the ongoing writers strike, aims to spur action with his tale of a 13-foot protagonist, played by Jharrel Jerome, who is let out into the world at age 19.

In Riley’s creation of 13-foot-tall Cootie (Jerome), a giant growing up in Oakland who meets a group of teen activists, the director says his creativity uses the absurd to point out the obvious in real-life situations.

“I’m attracted to large contradictions,” Riley told Wired magazine in a recent interview. “I think about what I would think of as a good lyric. There’s this setup, which hopefully is good and says something in and of itself. But then there’s this other...

“All art is propaganda,” Cootie is told in Amazon’s new series I’m A Virgo. Cootie leans a lot about propaganda over the course of the show. His friend Jones is a Black activist trying to fight the effects of the “crisis of capitalism” that is bringing so much hurt into the world. Cootie, meanwhile, could use some consciousness-raising, since he has spent the first 19 years of his life hiding in his parents’ house because he is — apologies for not mentioning this sooner — 13 feet tall and super strong.

I’m A Virgo,...

It’s a coming-of-age story of epic proportions! New from Amazon Studios is the highly anticipated comedy series “I’m a Virgo,” which will be available to watch on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday, June 22. “When They See Us” and “Moonlight” star Jharrel Jerome leads the cast as Cootie, a 13-foot-tall Black man living in Oakland, California, and experiencing the world in all its guts and glory for the first time. The fantastical, absurdist series comes from “Sorry to Bother You” filmmaker Boots Riley, who directs all episodes of the comedy. All seven episodes will be released simultaneously on June 22 on Prime Video. You can watch I'm a Virgo: Season 1 with a 30-Day Free Trial of Amazon Prime Video.

How to Watch ‘I'm a Virgo’ Series Premiere When: Thursday, June 22, 2023 Where: Amazon Prime Video Stream: Watch with a 30-Day Free Trial of Amazon Prime Video. 30-Day Free Trial$8.99 / month amazon.com...

Afro-surrealism has been on Hollywood’s radar for some time now. From Donald Glover’s groundbreaking series “Atlanta” to Terence Nance’s thought-provoking “Random Acts of Flyness” and Jordan Peele’s critically acclaimed films “Get Out” and “Nope,” this formerly niche genre seems to be thriving in mainstream entertainment.

Writer, producer and musician Boots Riley, whose 2018 film “Sorry to Bother You” catapulted him to prominence as a filmmaker, returns with his latest project: “I’m A Virgo” on Prime Video. This highly anticipated series solidifies his position among the pioneers of the Afro-surrealist genre.

Afrofuturism and Afro-surrealism, often seen as interchangeable, are different. Where Afrofuturism blends the African diaspora’s art, science and music to speculate on the future, Afro-surrealism is about the now. Why romanticize a dystopian future when so many working-class Black and brown bodies live in oppressive spaces at this moment?

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I’m a Virgo is a triumph of imagination and ideology.

A boomerang throwback to Amazon’s early streaming years when poignant oddballs like Transparent and Patriot dominated Jeff Bezos’ slate, the Boots Riley-created series that launches Friday on Prime Video is a revitalizing return to originality both for the platform and the franchise-heavy small screen itself.

Watch it, with both eyes open.

With dead-end basketball and branding deals, societal toxicity, fast food and a faster-moving love interest played in breakout fashion by Olivia Washington, the heart of the poetic show is 13-foot-tall Cootie, portrayed in towering fashion by Jharrel Jerome. Leading the 19-year-old Oakland native’s unsure steps to the outside world after years of being hidden, the When They See Us Emmy winner ups his already considerable game to unfurl a naturalism that grounds the magical realism all around him.

Too late for this year’s Emmys, regardless...

“Stay with this series,” chuckled Carmen Ejogo about I’m a Virgo, “because it gets weirder, but also makes more sense as you keep watching.” Indeed it does — on both fronts. All seven episodes of the breathtakingly original new series from Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You) drops on Prime Video June 24. Clearly, this is the show to watch this summer. It’s fresh, inventive, trippy, and a welcome addition to the streaming universe.

The coming-of-age dark comedy revolves around Cootie, superbly played by When They See Us Emmy-winner Jharrel Jerome. There’s some set-up on Cootie’s life early on. He’s unique, you see, and by the time things get rolling here, we’re in Cootie’s life when he’s a 13-foot-tall 19-year-old Black man from Oakland. Certainly different from other kids, Cootie has been raised by his strict but loving Aunt Lafrancine (Ejogo) and Uncle Martisse...

"What I loved about this is that Boots Riley gave us all an opportunity that so many people would be so afraid of. He found our talents and said, ‘You know, I hope we all share this because the thing you're asking me to do, people have specifically said never do.’ And that’s freeing, liberating, and exciting to open up our imagination and creativity to how we relate to this world and to expand on that. I think it takes somebody really brave and confident to do that, and that’s Boots."

So beams Olivia Washington, one of the many talented actors starring in Boots Riley’s highly-anticipated Prime Video absurdist comedy, I’m a Virgo. The new coming-age series attempts to shine the light on the way we look at the world while also tapping into today’s most pressing themes — from racism and activism to adventure and superheroes.

I already am eating from the trashcan all the time. The name of this trashcan is ideology. The material force of ideology makes me not see what I'm effectively eating. It's not only our reality which enslaves us. The tragedy of our predicament when we are within ideology, is that — when we think that we escape it into our dreams — at that point we are within ideology.

That's philosopher Slavoj Žižek speaking in the documentary The Pervert's Guide to Ideology, and his sentiments echo throughout the bonkers new Prime Video series, I'm a Virgo (he even momentarily voices an animated demon baby in the show). After all, as a character in I'm a Virgo declares at one point, "All art is propaganda." Films and series are selling ideologies beneath the cacophony of their spectacles, though some forms of storytelling help you hear through the noise. I'm a Virgo both helps...

From the absurd and fantastical mind behind Sorry to Bother You comes another fascinating tale with I'm a Virgo. The Prime Video series centers on 19-year-old Cootie, a 13-foot-tall Black man in Oakland who breaks away from his sheltered home life. He begins exploring the world thanks to a group of local teenage political activists, but he also learns of its darker side.

Jharrel Jerome leads the ensemble cast of I'm a Virgo alongside Brett Gray, Kara Young, Allius Barnes, Olivia Washington, Mike Epps, Walton Goggins, and Carmen Ejogo. Exploring everything from the dangers of capitalism on impoverished communities to seeing the realities of the world through naive eyes, the series is a powerful, imaginative, and hilarious continuation of Riley's prior success.

Related: New On Prime Video: All 214 Movies & TV Shows Arriving In June

Ahead of the show's premiere, Screen Rant spoke exclusively with producer Michael Ellenberg to discuss I'm a Virgo,...

Boots Riley doesn't seem like the type of person who'd want to take on a Marvel or DC adaptation, but there are clearly a lot of superhero comic influences on his new Amazon Prime Video series I'm a Virgo. Riley filters those influences through his radical anti-capitalist perspective and skewed surrealist sensibility, as previously expressed in his 2018 feature film Sorry to Bother You. I'm a Virgo is also set in Oakland, California, at the intersection of political activism and magical-realist absurdity. Riley packs in a lot of both of those elements, making I'm a Virgo unwieldy but compelling and full of strange, unexpected twists.

The Virgo of the title is Cootie (Jharrel Jerome), a literal giant who's spent his entire life hidden away from the outside world. At 19 years old, he stands 13 feet tall and lives in a custom-built house designed by the aunt and uncle who raised him. Martisse...

The pure strangeness of I’m a Virgo is apparent from its very first moments, which depict a woman holding a baby that’s roughly the size of a large dog. Named Cootie, the child grows up in Oakland, California, sheltered from the outside world by his aunt, Lafrancine (Carmen Ejogo), and uncle, Martisse (Mike Epps). By 19, the 13-foot-tall Cootie (Jharrel Jerome) has outgrown his house and now sleeps in a large ramshackle shed out back.

Like creator Boots Riley’s film Sorry to Bother You, the show’s inventiveness doesn’t stop with its premise. Cootie’s idol is the Hero (Walton Goggins), a disillusioned comic book author turned vigilante who patrols the city’s streets via jetpack, and he develops a crush on a fast food cashier, Flora (Olivia Washington), who has the gift of superhuman speed but has learned to slow down her actions and speech to better integrate into society.

Plot: A darkly-comedic fantastical coming-of-age joyride about Cootie, a 13-foot-tall young Black man in Oakland, CA. Having grown up hidden away, passing time on a diet of comic books and TV shows, he escapes to experience the beauty and contradictions of the real world. He forms friendships, finds love, navigates awkward situations, and encounters his idol, the real life superhero named The Hero. I’m A Virgo is a mythical odyssey that questions the purpose of the mythical odyssey.

Review: Boots Riley’s feature film directional debut, Sorry To Bother You, was a festival darling when it premiered in 2018. It has taken Riley half a decade to bring his sophomore effort to the screen. I’m A Virgo is a seven-episode series premiering on Prime Video, which has given Riley three times as much space to tell an epic and surreal story that is part fairy tale, part parable, and utterly unique.

Eccentric billionaires, especially ones who broadly promote their heroism, are not supposed to be our heroes. That’s one of the key takeaways from Boots Riley’s new dark comedy I’m a Virgo, a seven-episode red-hot poker in the eye of the corporate establishment, produced for Jeff Bezos’ Amazon platform.

I’m a Virgo has no lack of additional takeaways, mind you. Few contemporary storytellers can rival Riley when it comes to being playfully dogmatic, and I’m a Virgo wraps its anti-capitalist message in a very thin casing that’s part superhero drama and part allegorical satire. Even if the show often gives the impression that Riley has a surplus of big ideas and a deficit of narrative through which to present them, the half-hour episodes amount to a singular vision of contemporary economic inequality and race that’s sure to provoke a variety of responses — including irritation from viewers...

Take a step back to the days of practical effects with I'm a Virgo. Centered on a 13-foot-tall Black man in Oakland, California, the series from creator Boots Riley utilizes a blend of forced perspective, multiple sets, and life-like dolls for its protagonist Cootie's adventure out into the real world, along with a variety of other practical tricks.

Jharrel Jerome leads the ensemble cast of I'm a Virgo alongside Brett Gray, Kara Young, Allius Barnes, Olivia Washington, Mike Epps, Walton Goggins, and Carmen Ejogo. Packed to the brim with ambitious worldbuilding, heartfelt character development, and unique visual effects, the series is perfect for those who fell in love with Riley's debut, Sorry to Bother You.

Related: New On Prime Video: All 214 Movies & TV Shows Arriving In June

In honor of the show's upcoming release, Screen Rant spoke exclusively with stars Olivia Washington and Kara Young to discuss I'm a Virgo,...