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Max, the proprietary streamer for HBO and Discovery, has a ton of great films available to watch on the platform ... but right now, an animated movie without any dialogue is one of its most-watched movies.

Directed and conceived by Gints Zilbalodis, "Flow," an animated film that premiered at the Annecy Film Festival last summer and serves as a warning about the dangers of climate change, is an Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature, and it's also one of the most popular movies on Max at the moment (per FlixPatrol). While people might be seeking out the computer-animated, dreamy, and sometimes surreal film thanks to its Oscar nod, they're probably pleasantly surprised by just how good it is. So, what is "Flow" (which Zilbalodis wrote alongside Matīss Kaža) about, and why doesn't it have any dialogue?

Well, the simple and relatively flip answer about the dialogue thing is that animals can't talk; obviously,...

Ang Lee's 1993 classic The Wedding Banquet is getting a 21st-century remake that has assembled an all-star cast. Directed by Andrew Ahn as his follow-up to the acclaimed Fire Island, The Wedding Banquet stars Academy Award-nominee Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon), Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), Bowen Yang (Wicked), Han Gi-chan (Where Your Eyes Linger), Joan Chen (Twin Peaks), and Academy Award-winner Youn Yuh-jung (Minari). Following its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 27, 2025, Bleecker Street has released the first official trailer for The Wedding Banquet.

Set for release on Apr. 18, 2025, here's the official synopsis for The Wedding Banquet:

From Director Andrew Ahn comes a joyful comedy of errors about a chosen family navigating the disasters and delights of family expectations, queerness, and cultural identity. Angela and her partner Lee have been unlucky with their IVF treatments, but can’t afford to pay for another round.

Disney’s “Moana 2” opened on Wednesday and has done incredibly well, earning over $57 million domestically and over $66 million globally. On Thursday, the film earned another $28 million domestically, bringing its total to $85.5 million.

Internationally, the film opened in only 10 markets on Wednesday, but more were added on Thursday, and China and the UK will be added on Friday. The film is expected to earn over $100 million in the international market this weekend (excluding the domestic market.)

Where did “Moana 2” come from?

“Moana 2” was only announced in February of this year.

It was one of Disney CEO Bob Iger’s sudden announcements during the proxy battle with Nelson Peltz. At the time Iger announced several “hail Mary” pass ideas to retain his board members and avoid seats being given to the “activist investor.”

“Moana 2” was meant to be a Disney+ show until it was suddenly repurposed as a film.

Some lucky critics got to see an early screening of Robert Eggers' take on the classic vampire tale "Nosferatu" — and they all say it freaking rules.

The film, which stars Bill Skårsgard as the titular bloodsucker alongside Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, and Willem Dafoe (among many others), is already earning raves from the fortunate folks who got to see it first. "'Nosferatu:' strangely comforting this week to watch a film that feels conjured from the darkest depths of pure evil," critic Jordan Raup wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). "Eggers' most assured work, one in which you can feel his obsessions flow through every nocturnal frame. Lily Rose-Depp and Bill Skarsgard are out of this world." Carlos Aguilar agreed, saying, "After a few months I can finally share I loved ['Nosferatu']. It further crystallizes Eggers' exploration of evil as an elemental force, as inherent to existence as desire,...

The first few reactions have arrived for Nosferatu, and there seems to be agreement about the horror film. From The Witch and The Lighthouse director Robert Eggers, the upcoming remake of the classic 1922 silent film reimagines the tale of the classic Transylvanian vampire. It's one of the most highly anticipated movies this fall, with lots of award buzz for the filmmaker and cast. The film features Emma Corrin, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bill Skarsgrd, Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe, Ralph Ineson, and Lily-Rose Depp.

Now, the first reviews are in for Nosferatu. The results were unanimously glowing, with many critics calling it one of the best films of the year. Praise was especially granted to the performances of Depp and Skarsgrd, along with several other key actors in the film. Check out some of the reactions to Nosferatu below:

Nosferatu: strangely comforting this week to watch a film that feels conjured from...

Robert Eggers’ gothic tale of obsession “Nosferatu” had its first screenings in New York City and Los Angeles on Thursday, November 7, including an L.A. Academy screening moderated by Guillermo del Toro. Early reactions are in for the 19th-century period piece horror about the title vampire’s (Bill Skarsgård) obsession with a woman named Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp). Nicholas Hoult plays her husband Thomas, sent to Transylvania to ink a real estate contract with Nosferatu, only to end up signing away his marriage and his wife’s soul. But is it not Ellen who was luring Nosferatu to her all along? The rest of the English-accented cast in the period-detailed gothic horror movie includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe, and Ralph Ineson.

On Threads, IndieWire’s Anne Thompson wrote, “Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is a period delight, a fantastic horror tale exquisitely mounted and efficiently told. It’s historically authentic with a strong English-accented cast.

You have such a beautiful neck…and as it seems, Robert Eggers’ latest, Nosferatu, is living its mark on audiences. That might feel like a pun, but this film might be contending for one of the best of the year.

With just three films to his name so far, Robert Eggers quickly solidified himself as one of the premiere horror directors out there — and one isn’t even close to being in that genre: The Northman. However, Eggers might be heading towards the Oscars stage with Nosferatu, as it is earning some serious praise early on. Check out some of the initial reactions from social media, starting off with our very own Jimmy O’s take:

Our own @jimmytotheo says @Nosferatu is a stunning work of gothic horror. Beautiful performances throughout, however Lily-Rose Depp is simply luminous and Bill Skarsgard brings terror to the screen yet wraps it all in a layered character.

As we first reported on FearHQ.com, the first reactions for Nosferatu have just hit social media and they are glowing. Horror fans have had high hopes for Robert Eggers' long-awaited return to horror and, rather than exceeding expectations, all signs point to him blowing them away.

Lily-Rose Depp and Bill Skarsgård receive the lion's share of praise, while the movie's stunning imagery and themes appear every bit as effective as the horror and gore you'd hope to see in a vampire movie. Crucially, it's being hailed as the "perfect remake."

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, director Robert Eggers teased Count Orlok's appearance - which has yet to be fully revealed - and explained that he's more akin to a corpse than a traditional vampire.

"This Orlok is more of a folk vampire than any other film version," the filmmaker said. "That means he's a dead person. And he’s not like,...

As we first reported on FearHQ.com, the first reactions for Nosferatu have just hit social media and they are glowing. Horror fans have had high hopes for Robert Eggers' long-awaited return to horror and, rather than exceeding expectations, all signs point to him blowing them away.

Lily-Rose Depp and Bill Skarsgård receive the lion's share of praise, while the movie's stunning imagery and themes appear every bit as effective as the horror and gore you'd hope to see in a vampire movie. Crucially, it's being hailed as the "perfect remake."

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, director Robert Eggers teased Count Orlok's appearance - which has yet to be fully revealed - and explained that he's more akin to a corpse than a traditional vampire.

"This Orlok is more of a folk vampire than any other film version," the filmmaker said. "That means he's a dead person. And he’s not like,...

Gummo, spine #1238, will release in the Criterion Collection on October 22, 2024.

Outside of Gummo and Spring Breakers I’ve not seen any of Harmony Korine’s filmography. Based on those two films I’d come to the conclusion that his vision and style of filmmaking didn’t align with the types of films I enjoy. Despite my negative first reaction to Gummo, which I watched in 2004 at the age of seventeen, I’ve never forgotten the movie and what a strange viewing experience it was. Now that I’m in my thirties and with the Criterion Collection releasing a brand new 4K transfer, it seemed like the perfect time to revisit it and see if my feelings had changed.

Gummo Plot Harmony Korine’s Gummo Related Criterion Collection Release: Teen Apocalypse Trilogy

A mix of children and adults exist in poverty and isolation in a rural town destroyed by nature. They...

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!

Ben Cooper Costume Figures from Neca

As previewed at San Diego Comic-Con, Neca is adding four new characters to its Ben Cooper Costume action figure line: Alien‘s Xenomorph, Gremlins‘ Gizmo and Stripe, and Beetlejuice (based on the animated series).

Each 6″ toy is outfitted in retro-inspired soft goods clothing and comes with a trick or treat bag. They’re packaged in numbered window boxes. Due out in October, the set of four is available for $79.99.

Escape from New York Steelbook 4K Uhd from Scream Factory

Escape from New York will be released on SteelBook 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray with artwork by Orlando Arocena on November 5 via Scream Factory. The 1981 post-apocalyptic action film been restored in...

To Celebrate the release of The Mexico Trilogy: El Mariachi, Desperado & Once Upon a Time in Mexico – available now on Limited Edition 4K Uhd + Blu-ray, we are giving a 4K Uhd boxset away to a lucky winner!

A Tex-Mex tornado of fire and fury, writer-director Robert Rodriguez’s astonishing ‘Mexico Trilogy’ broke fresh new ground in American independent and action cinema, catapulting the filmmaker and his largely Hispanic cast and crew into the Hollywood stratosphere.

Rodriguez’s ingenious 1993 debut El Mariachi (infamously filmed for only $7000) sees a naive young musician entering a godforsaken border town and finding himself in the middle of a deadly case of mistaken identity. The major studio follow-up Desperado sees Antonio Banderas take up the mantle of the mysterious Mariachi, stalking the Mexican underworld with enough bullets up his sleeves for every bandito in his path. Finally, 2003’s Once Upon a Time in Mexico sees Rodriguez...

As of this writing, Eli Roth's new action-comedy "Borderlands," based on the popular video game series, has grossed just over $24 million at the box office. This is an abysmal number, given that the film cost an estimated $120 million to make. It's a little too early to call it one of the biggest box office bombs of all time, but it's certainly one of the biggest bombs of the year. Given that it was based on a beloved video game property, the failure of "Borderlands" was particularly visible to a mass audience, playing into a long held prejudice against game adaptations. There are only scant great films to have been based on video games, and "Borderlands" certainly isn't one of them.

"Borderlands" received terrible notices, boasting a mere 10% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 151 reviews. /Film's own Bill Bria praised the film's candy-colored visuals, and enjoyed watching cast members...

When "Borderlands" opened in theaters on August 9, 2024, it brought in just $8.6 million — an astonishingly low figure for a film that cost more than $100 million to make. Then, things just went from bad to worse for "Borderlands" at the box office, with the movie seeing an almost unprecedented 73% drop in its second weekend. Thus far, the video game adaptation has made just $21 million on a reported $115 million budget — and that's before the marketing cost is accounted for. A very rough estimate typically puts marketing at around half a film's production budget, so we're looking at a movie that likely cost in the region of $170 million, making less than a quarter of that at the box office ahead of its fast-approaching streaming debut.

With this in mind, you might be starting to see how much of a historic blunder we're witnessing with "Borderlands." But that's just the box office. Plenty of movies...

This article is part of IndieWire’s 2000s Week celebration. Click here for a whole lot more.

Putting together best-of lists is both a pleasure and a pain — you are always going to “leave something out” or “forget about” one of the all-time greats, and even if you’re able to cull through every possible iteration and entry, ranking and rating the merit of anything in any artistic realm is bound to draw dissent. And, yes, we just keep doing it.

This summer, we’re all about the aughts. And what a time for on-screen performances, the kind that belong not only on this list, but any list of best-to-ever-do-it. In the early 2000s, we saw all manner of breakthroughs on the big screen, be it Javier Bardem burrowing into our collective nightmares or Adam Sandler continuing to proof his salt as a full-stop Great Dramatic Actor. Heath Ledger became our most chilling supervillain.

This article is part of IndieWire’s 2000s Week celebration. Click here for a whole lot more.

Much like the decade that produced them, the movies of the 2000s were shaped in response to such profound and irrevocable change that it’s difficult to assign them a cohesive identity of their own; it can be tempting to think of them as a long suspension bridge between then and now rather than as a well-defined era unto itself. When the sun rose on the start of the new millennium, the vast majority of films were shot and projected on film, superhero movies were still considered an outlandish gamble, middle-class malaise was American cinema’s preoccupying crisis, and James Cameron was the biggest director on the planet. By the time the smoke cleared 10 years later, digital had pushed celluloid to the brink of extinction, Marvel was beginning to exert an iron grip on the multiplex,...

One of the great benefits of being a Film Independent Member is that you get to go to our Film Independent Presents screenings. We do the hard work of finding some of the freshest new voices out there, we screen their films for you weeks before they release wide, and you get to see them for free! Oh, and afterwards there are Q&As with the creatives behind the project. Wow, that seems like a pretty good deal.

Here are just a few of the most recent Q&As from our Film Independent Presents screenings.

Recently, our own Josh Welsh spoke with, actors Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin, producer Monique Walton, and writer/director Greg Kwedar, about the transformative power of art in A24’s new film Sing Sing. starring an ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors. In theaters now.

In a riotous Q&a, Carlos Aguilar get under the...

Clarence Maclin gives a star-making performance in his feature film debut, playing himself in A24’s Oscar hopeful “Sing Sing.” Following its premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, the movie directed by Greg Kwedar was released July 12 in the United States. The scene-stealing actor brings his own story to the big screen, earning Oscar buzz for his emotional portrayal as “Divine Eye,” an incarcerated drug dealer who finds hope in Rehabilitation Through the Arts (Rta), a nonprofit founded by Katherine Vockins at Sing Sing in 1996.

Colman Domingo stars as John “Divine G” Whitfield, imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn’t commit. He finds purpose by acting in the theatre group alongside other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art.

See ‘Sing Sing’ reviews: Colman Domingo is ‘stupendous’ in ‘rare and precious’ film

Should Maclin earn a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance,...

The Bentonville Film Foundation, in collaboration with founding partner Walmart and presenting sponsor Coca-Cola, have announced the winners of their narrative, documentary, short film and episodic categories from this year’s competition program.

The festival, which ran from June 10-16 in Bentonville, Ark., aims to amplify female, non-binary, Lgbtqia+, Bipoc and people with disabilities’ voices in entertainment.

“Suze” from Linsey Stewart and Dane Clark won the award for best narrative feature, and “Daughters,” directed by Natalie Rae and Angela Patton, took home the prize for best documentary feature.

Additionally, The See It, Be It Award, was presented to Phoebe-Rae Taylor, star of “Out of My Mind.” This award, which has been presented every year since the beginning of the festival, is given to someone who has opened doors for people like them through their work and influenced the entertainment industry and pop culture through the creation of content that empowers stories that are otherwise underrepresented.

The Bentonville Film Festival, this year celebrating its tenth anniversary, has announced its award winners to close out its latest edition. In collaboration with its founding partner, Walmart, and presenting sponsor, Coca-Cola, the fest’s winners include films and episodic offerings in narrative, documentary, short film, and episodic categories. The annual festival is a globally recognized platform amplifying female, non-binary, Lgbtqia+, Bipoc, and people with disabilities’ voices in entertainment.

The festival’s top two awards went to Linsey Stewart and Dane Clark’s “Suze” (Best Narrative Feature) and Natalie Rae and Angela Patton’s “Daughters” (Best Documentary Award), with the festival’s See It, Be It Award going to Phoebe-Rae Taylor, the star of festival opener “Out of My Mind.” This award, which has been presented every year since the beginning of the festival is, per the festival, “given to someone who has opened doors for people like them through...

“Garfiosa”? “Furiofield”?

Whatever the portmanteau for this Memorial Day weekend’s dual release of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “The Garfield Movie,” the two newcomers are aiming to jolt the sluggish summer season.

“Furiosa,” the fifth entry in director George Miller’s post-apocalyptic “Mad Max” series, looks to lead the way with $40 million to $45 million from 3,750 venues over the four-day holiday weekend. Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie” should trail in second with $30 million to $35 million from 4,000 venues between Friday and Monday. Box office comparisons to the same holiday weekend in 2023 will be tough given that Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” remake took the crown with $118 million.

Warner Bros. spent $168 million on “Furiosa,” not including the many millions to market the movie. It’s not expected to live up to the debut of its predecessor, 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road,” which captured $45 million over three days. That film, led...

Brimming with must-see screenings, immersive experiences, special guests, and a tarantula experience that had to be seen (and felt) to be believed, this year's Overlook Film Festival was the biggest one yet, and if you've been following Daily Dead's Instagram and Twitter accounts, then you know we had yet another unforgettable time at the "summer camp for horror fans."

Be sure to keep an eye on Daily Dead for more coverage of Overlook 2024, and in the meantime, the festival revealed their juried and audience winners for features and short films, including Oddity, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, and The Looming!

Press Release: April 11, 2024 | New Orleans, LA – The Overlook Film Festival announced today the winners of the audience and juried prizes, as well as festival highlights, from the most heavily-attended edition yet of the annual celebration of all things horror.

The feature film Audience Award, voted on by festival attendees,...

After spending the majority of the 2010s working on hifs sublime sci-fi trilogy World of Tomorrow, animation genius Don Hertzfeldt hinted he desired to work on a larger scale: “I’m not getting any younger. You just want to work faster. I’m jealous of actors, of musicians, of people able to put out multiple things in one year. To take two years to make a short film is just absurd. I don’t want to use a Marvel term, but we’re expanding the universe,” he told The Guardian. “I don’t relish doing this alone! I can’t be drawing little round heads by myself for the rest of my life.”

While his large-scale animation Antarctica fell apart, it looks like he’ll get his crack another big project soon. At the Overlook Film Festival for the premiere of his latest short, the dialogue-free musical Me (which may...

Maestro star Bradley Cooper was the victim of brutal trolls this awards season, most of which came out of an alleged rivalry with Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy. While Cooper never made any ill comments towards his awards competitors, the actor’s several actions clearly suggest that he yearns for Oscar recognition. He was famously snubbed for the Best Actor Award at the 94th Academy Award for the film Nightmare Alley, which fans are celebrating on X now.

Bradley Cooper in Maestro (2023)

Many fans believed that Cooper was also snubbed for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar the same year for his brief appearance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza. The Guardians of the Galaxy actor is currently among the Oscar nominees for his performance as Leonard Bernstein in Maestro.

Fans Hail Bradley Cooper For His Performance In Nightmare Alley Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett in Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley...

“Kneecap,” the wildly raucous comedy biopic about the Irish rap group that became one of the unexpected hits of this year’s Sundance, has scored more international sales.

The film, the debut feature of director Rich Peppiatt starring the band members as themselves along with Michael Fassbender, was already picked up in Park City by Sony Pictures Classics, which acquired all rights to the title for North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Turkey and the Middle East.

Now, the Irish-language feature has landed further territories deals for Charades, including Germany (Atlas Films), Australia and New Zealand (Madman), Spain (Filmin), Portugal (Pris Audiovisuals), Greece (Cinobo), Benelux (September Film Distribution), Switzerland (Atlas Film) and Airlines (Aardwold). Variety understands that the sales company is currently in discussion with distributors in the Nordics. Meanwhile, the film will be distributed by Curzon in the U.K. and Wildcard in Ireland, both having backed the film’s production.

Chinese filmmaker Lin Jianjie’s debut feature “Brief History of a Family,” which is being sold by Films Boutique, has debuted its trailer (below), following its world premiere in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section of the Sundance Film Festival.

The film, which will make its European premiere in the Panorama program of the Berlin Film Festival, was received warmly by Variety critic Carlos Aguilar. In the review, Aguilar says the suspenseful drama was “elevated by its consistent visual inventiveness.” He adds that although at first it seems to be the story of a “cunning infiltrator wreaking havoc in an unsuspecting household,” it then “reveals itself as a tale of wish fulfillment for everyone involved.” Aguilar says that it is this approach which “turns Lin’s debut into an engrossing brain-tickler.”

The drama is put in motion by an incident at the high school attended by Wei, an outgoing only son from a middle-class family,...

In hindsight, it shouldn’t be surprising that the cinema of 2023 was so preoccupied with the unknown, as the first proper year after the start of the pandemic was always going to find the movie industry plunging into a brave new world.

Some of the most pressing questions we had at the start of January were answered with resounding force. Would the studios — some of which had fatally diluted their brands with streaming options in a desperate bid to appease the stock market — find that once-reliable franchises had lust their luster? Yes. Would audiences — so eager for a different breed of “event film” that they had already started to redefine the term themselves — actually follow through on the “Barbenheimer” meme that first spread across social media in late 2022? Yes. Would titans like Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, and Wes Anderson make good on the breathless chatter that surrounded their latest projects...

What's Netflix thrown up for us this week? "Knights of the Zodiac" of course! What is that? Well, I'll be honest, I had no idea either. But I've taken a quick look-see and as it turns out, this Japanese fantasy film is proving pretty popular with Netflixers stateside.

A live-action adaptation of Masami Kurumada's manga, "Saint Seya," "Knights of the Zodiac" stars Japanese actor Mackenyu, alongside Madison Iseman and Nick Stahl. The film is also noteworthy for reuniting Sean Bean and Famke Janssen almost 30 years after they shared the screen in "GoldenEye." Co-produced by Toei and directed by "The Witcher" illustrator/producer Tomasz Tomek Bagiński, the film also features stunt and fight choreography from former Jackie Chan stunt team member and the man behind the action in Marvel's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," Andy Cheng.

Starting to sound like it might be ok, right? Well you...

Gael García Bernal transformed into an iconic gay amateur wrestler, luchador Saúl Armendáriz, for “Cassandro,” based on Armendáriz’s legacy as the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.”

“Cassandro” follows Armendáriz as he upends not just the macho wrestling world but also his own life. The film is based on a true story, with “Life, Animated” Oscar winner Roger Ross Williams directing from a script he co-wrote with David Teague. The real-life Armendáriz served as a consultant on the film.

In addition to Bernal, Roberta Colindrez, Perla de la Rosa, Joaquín Cosío, and Raúl Castillo also star, with with special appearances from El Hijo del Santo and Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.

Director Williams previously collaborated with Armendáriz for 2016 Prime Video documentary short “The Man Without a Mask.” Williams was inspired to fictionalize Armendáriz’s story to showcase the dichotomy of macho Mexican culture along with Armendáriz’s fandom.

“All of these macho guys were embracing him backstage,...

If there’s one thing we hope that this year’s ‘80s Week package better illuminates, it’s the incredible depth and range on display in the films of the decade. While the iconic movies and stars of the totally radical ‘80s tend to most easily remembered for neon-tinted, big-haired, Tangerine Dream-set turns, consider this: the decade included all-time work from major performers like Meryl Streep, Ossie Davis, Jessica Lange, Robert De Niro, Gena Rowlands, Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Newman, Jackie Chan, and Whoopi Goldberg.

These are the kind of stars who show up and show out no matter the year, but it’s in the ‘80s in which they all captured the incredible essence of what makes them greats.

But they’re hardly alone on this list, which also includes indelible work from stars like David Byrne, Sandrine Bonaire, Babak Ahmadpour, Seret Scott, Mieko Harada, Ken Ogata, and even Divine...

Whether or not you agree with Quentin Tarantino’s unsparing assertion that “’80s cinema is, along with the ’50s, the worst era in Hollywood history,” there’s a curiously undeniable truth to his follow-up statement: “Matched only by now! Matched only by the current era.” Revisiting the defining movies of the ’80s from our current perspective at the height of Barbenheimer summer, two things become abundantly clear.

The first is that modern Hollywood would probably need a Barbenheimer every month in order to equal the creative output of a studio system that used to be capable of releasing “Blade Runner” and “The Thing” on the same night as if it were just another Friday. The second is that, in a wide variety of different ways both negative and not, the ’80s provide a perfect match for the movies of our current moment — if not the current moment itself.

Perhaps that...

WrapPRO is free this week. See the inside scoops, expert analysis and exclusive data subscribers get daily. Click here for more information.

As the summer movie season heated up with splashy red carpets, film critics set Twitter abuzz with complaints about the arrival of social media influencers at the premieres of “Barbie” and Disney’s “Haunted Mansion.”

The actors’ strike has amped up the controversy, with studios looking to find ways to bring excitement to events without stars. But the smartphone-wielding video creators also play into worries about the movie audience’s shifting media habits, as traditional reviews make way for short TikTok clips that play off film soundtracks and outfits.

It’s “weird” to see “influencers do red carpet interviews instead of journalists who have been on their grind for years and years and aren’t allowed the same opportunity,” tweeted independent film critic Shannon McGrew.

But the line...

Chris Rock’s new comedy special, which debuts Saturday live on Netflix at 7 p.m. Pt/10 p.m. Et, includes riffs on his ongoing bad blood with Will Smith after last year’s infamous Oscars slap.

According to the New York Post, Rock joked, “I rooted for Will Smith my whole life. The other day, I watched ‘Emancipation’ just so I could watch him getting whipped.”

In “Emancipation,” Smith plays an escaped slave who was known in real life as “Whipped Peter,” due to a photograph of his horrifically scarred back. TheWrap reviewer Carlos Aguilar called the film “unflinchingly grim.” While the bleak Apple TV+ period drama directed by Antoine Fuqua drew praise for Smith’s harrowing performance, it did not get any major awards traction.

Also Read:

Will Smith Pokes Fun at Oscars Slap on TikTok (Video)

Rock has been trying out some of his post-slap material during his “Ego Death” tour,...

Joel Coen and Steven Spielberg aren’t the only filmmakers drawing from William Shakespeare as of late. Matías Piñeiro, who has playfully done so for much of his career, beautifully expands his filmography with Isabella, which arrives this month following stops at Berlinale and NYFF. Ahead of a theatrical release on August 27 at NYC’s Film at Lincoln Center and on September 3 at LA’s Laemmle Royal, we’re pleased to debut the exclusive trailer and poster, courtesy Cinema Guild.

In the film, Mariel (María Villar) longs to play the role of Isabella in a local theater troupe’s production of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, but money problems prevent her from preparing for the audition. She thinks of asking her brother for financial help, but is worried about being too direct. Her solution is to ask her brother’s girlfriend, Luciana (Agustina Muñoz), also an actress and a more self-assured one,...

After leading the box office over the weekend, Disney now wants a “Free Guy” sequel, according to the film’s star Ryan Reynolds.

“Aaaannnnd after 3 years messaging #FreeGuy as an original IP movie, Disney confirmed today they officially want a sequel. Woo hoo! #irony,” Reynolds tweeted on Saturday.

An individual with knowledge of the project confirmed the news of the sequel’s development to TheWrap.

Aaaannnnd after 3 years messaging #FreeGuy as an original IP movie, Disney confirmed today they officially want a sequel. Woo hoo!! #irony pic.twitter.com/85mMxW4owx

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 14, 2021

The film’s director, Shawn Levy also got in on the fun and quote tweeted Reynolds and added: “Yuuuuuuuup.”

Yuuuuuuuup https://t.co/c4PKRygjlk

— Shawn Levy (@ShawnLevyDirect) August 14, 2021

20th Century Studios’ “Free Guy” is performing above box office expectations, thanks to a mix of strong word of mouth and, quite possibly, its theaters-only release.

Screen among TIFF Industry Conference media partners

An industry talk with former Searchlight Pictures co-heads Nancy Utley and Steve Gilula and the first look at Ava DuVernay’s Primetime selection and Netflix series on American Football player and activist Colin Kaepernick are among latest additions to Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) programming.

The five-day TIFF Industry Conference running September 9-13 includes panel discussions presented by Screen on toxic behaviour on set and the African film business, as well as a session on Telefilm Canada’s Talent to Watch programme.

Programmers have two films to Official Selection: John Michael McDonagh’s...

In today's installment of Horror Highlights, we have details on the Haunt Collector's Edition Blu-ray release, the short film The Drawer that you can watch right now, and trailers for Triggered and Noise in the Middle!

Haunt Collector's Edition Blu-ray: "Los Angeles, CA - Ronin Flix, in partnership with Momentum Pictures, is releasing a new 2 Disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray of the “grisly horror gem” from the writers of A Quiet Place and producer Eli Roth, Haunt (2019), just in time for Halloween. Available on Blu-ray for the first time, the commemorative 2 disc set will treat fans to the Original CD Soundtrack by tomandandy, four 16” x 20” movie poster reproductions, a 16” x 20” reproduction of the haunt map, six enamel pins featuring the eerie costume masks worn by the villains in the film, four 2” x 3 ½” replica VHS box-style magnets, and over 5 hours of special features including a New To Escape the Haunt: The Making of Haunt featurette.

John Leguizamo refuses to watch the Emmys this year.

“I’m boycotting. If you don’t have Latin people, there’s no reason for me to see it,” the actor told Yahoo! Entertainment in a video interview Thursday. “What’s the point?”

“It’s unbelievable that our stories aren’t being told, and there’s one reason for that,” he added. “Executives don’t see us, don’t get us — don’t care about us.”

Latinx shows and actors were shut out of all major categories in this year’s nominations. Read more about what TheWrap’s guest blogger, actor Christian Barillas, calls a “problematic barometer” for Latinx progress here.

“It’s crazy. Like, we’re 50% of the population of Los Angeles and less than 3% of the faces in front of the camera? Less than 2% of the faces behind the camera? Less than 1% of the stories being told by Hollywood streamers and networks?...

Madrid — Mexico’s Manolo Caro, creator-director-writer of Netflix hit “La Casa de las Flores” (“The House of Flowers”), will preside the jury of the first Iberseries, one of the Spanish-speaking world’s first TV festivals to be clearly staged not only for local audiences but the whole of Ibero-America.

Focusing on Spanish-language drama series and promoted by Spain’s Secuoya Foundation, the inaugural edition of Iberseries will take place over May 25-30 in Granada, Southern Spain.

Backed by top TV networks and Svod platforms across Spain, Latin and North America – Netflix, HBO, Movistar Plus, Atresmedia, Disney España and Azteca TV figure among operators that have already confirmed their support, according to the festival organization – Iberseries will present new details of its first edition at a presentation at next week’s Natpe market in Miami on Tuesday Jan. 21.

A symbol of and driving force in the new Spanish-language content scene, Caro...