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The Battle of Stalingrad is considered the largest and bloodiest combat in history. One of the most essential battles of World War II, it pitted Hitler's troops against Stalin's resistance soldiers as the Axis powers attempted to expand eastwards. The sheer numbers—millions of soldiers with over a million casualties—and individual and group stories have been a magnet for filmmakers. German Director Joseph Wilsmaier chose to focus his 1993 war film Stalingrad on the Axis soldiers' unraveling of declining morale against the backdrop of the horrors of war. Frank Wisbar made Stalingrad: Dogs, Do You Want to Live Forever? to explore survival, even if it meant disobeying out-of-touch authority. The title references a historical quote attributed to Frederick the Great: "You cursed rascals, do you want to live forever?" Meanwhile, Enemy at the Gates completely misreads the theater, failing miserably by attempting to toy with historical reality and...

Jude Law has his suave, talent, and he’s been melting hearts since his breakout days. From playing the dreamy Graham in The Holiday, (the one who made everyone swoon with his Mr. Napkin Head bit), to stealing scenes in Sherlock Holmes and Fantastic Beats, Law had quite the Hollywood ride. But how much did this dashing Brit make and is worth in 2024?

Jude Law in Skeleton Crew (Credits- Disney)

Well, with a career spanning decades, it’s no surprise the Law has been on top of his game and earning blockbuster paychecks backed by awards. Whether charming us in romantic comedies or taking on the wizarding world, he has perfectly stayed relevant in an ever-changing industry. But it’s not just acting, Law has got his hands in a few other pots.

Interestingly, Law has showcased his prowess in voice work, theatre, and even brand deals that added some...

Jude Law reflected on an impressive career of acclaimed films and performances. This is highlighted early on by The Talented Mr. Ripley, where he played the eccentric multimillionaire Dickie Greenleaf.

The Talented Mr. Ripley was a milestone in Jude Law's career, then already established by 1997's Gattaca and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. He appeared in a handful of other films at that point, but he saw his craft as a privilege while playing Richard "Dickie" Greenleaf. Law's performance earned him an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor; this confirmed he had lead actor potential, which led to a Best Actor nomination for Cold Mountain in 2003. In an interview with Collider, Law looked back at an impressive run, asserting The Talented Mr. Ripley is the one film he would love to revisit.

Related Star Wars: Skeleton Crew's Jude Law Will Be Honored With Hollywood Walk of...

World War II is a subject that has certainly been covered thoroughly in cinema, with films about the conflict coming out ever since the conclusion of the war itself in 1945. Much of the modern perception of history is shaped by the iconic images in war films, which present the Allied forces as the “Greatest Generation” that stood up against the ultimate source of terror. Films like Saving Private Ryan and Bridge on the River Kwai are renowned as all-time classics within the genre, but in reality, trench warfare was only one component of what made World War II the bloodiest combat in history. One movie that looks beyond the trenches is the underrated military thriller Enemy at the Gates, which explores a tense cat-and-mouse game between two snipers who find themselves facing off during the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942.

Rachel Weisz, the stunner, seems to still be holding a potential villainous role in the James Bond saga a possibility. Throughout her decades-long star-studded career, she has been seen delivering applaudable performances in commendable roles across action adventure masterpieces like The Mummy film series and classic thriller dramas like The Favourite.

Rachel Weisz. | Credits: The Deep Blue Sea/Protagonist Pictures.

But as much as she is loved for her heroic roles that saw her in a different light nearly each time, Weisz hasn’t eliminated the chances of her becoming a part of the same franchise of the peerless spy that her husband Daniel Craig earned worldwide recognition through. In fact, if anything, the actress confessed she was still prime to join the saga.

Rachel Weisz on Playing a Bond Villain: “I’d like to!”

Over the years, Rachel Weisz hasn’t quite ever had ‘no’ for an answer while...

Director Ridley Scott's short list of favorite films includes three sci-fi classics. He revealed how his first two picks heavily inspired Alien's premise.

Ridley Scott was pressed to name four of his favorite films in an interview with Letterboxed. His first two choices were seminal to the development of Alien, which was inspired by Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and George Lucas' Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. Scott confirmed the parallel plots of Alien and Kubrick's 1968 sci-fi classic; he described that film's AI antagonist Hal 9000 as "The computer knows that the mission is more important than the people. We copied that in Alien." All of the mainline Alien films featured different iterations of humanoid synthetics issued by the Weyland-Yutani company, one of many mega-corporations running colonies beyond the solar system. Ash (played by Ian Holm) was an android ordered to ensure the Xenomorph survives in Alien.

Paramount has announced the lineup of movies, TV shows, and live sports coming to the Paramount+ streaming service in July. The Paramount Plus July 2024 schedule includes season two of Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, the music documentary Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken, the espionage docuseries Mafia Spies, a 24/7 stream of Big Brother, and more.

It’s been 25 years since SpongeBob SquarePants first made a splash, and we all got swept away in his underwater hijinks. In July, brand-new adventures are in store for the seafaring superstar and the residents of Bikini Bottom when Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years returns for a second season.

Paramount+ is marking SpongeBob SquarePants’ silver anniversary in style with several unique activations. Audiences can customize their profiles with over 15 new SpongeBob avatars, explore the refreshed SpongeBob Universe collection along with special carousels curated for the franchise’s most beloved characters, and check out the SpongeBob takeover on the Paramount+ app.

Guy Ritchie‘s Young Sherlock series adds more players to the television project, focusing on the early days of Arthus Conan Doyle’s legendary detective, Sherlock Holmes, with Joseph Fiennes and Natascha McElhone. The duo joins the series as Sherlock’s parents. Fiennes plays Sherlock’s father, Silas, while Elhone plays the protagonist’s mother, Cordelia. Hero Fiennes Tiffin stars as the young Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock’s father is a scientist, explorer, and self-made businessman. His mother is an artist and the matriarch of the Holmes family unit. Ritchie’s Young Sherlock takes inspiration from Andy Lane’s novels. Prime Video’s eight-episode series follows a nineteen-year-old Sherlock, known as a disgraced, raw, unfiltered, and unformed genius. When he finds himself caught up in a murder mystery at Oxford University that threatens his freedom, Sherlock feels compelled to solve the case. Young Sherlock joins the investigator when he’s at his most undisciplined.

Joseph Fiennes and Natascha McElhone have joined the cast of Amazon Prime Video’s “Young Sherlock” as series regulars.

Fiennes — the uncle of Hero Fiennes Tiffin, who plays Sherlock Holmes — has been cast as Silas Holmes, Sherlock’s father, who is described as a “scientist, explorer and self-made businessman.”

McElhone will play Cordelia Holmes, described as “Sherlock’s devoted mother, artist and matriarch of the Holmes clan.”

Fiennes is best known for playing William Shakespeare in 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love” and Commander Fred Waterford in the first four seasons of Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” His other prominent credits include starring in “The Mother” opposite Jennifer Lopez, the Cate Blanchett-led biopic “Elizabeth” and Jean-Jacques Annaud’s “Enemy at the Gates.” Most recently, he led the James Graham play “Dear England.” Fiennes is repped by the Artists Partnership and WME.

McElhone is best known for playing Karen Van Der Beek...

It has been some time since viewers last saw Stranger Things star Sadie Sink on-screen. Last appearing in Brendan Fraser's big comeback film The Whale, Sink has been hard at work with the rest of the cast in Hawkins on the massive final season of the hit 80s-soaked horror series. However, she'll grace theaters again this month thanks to the new psychological thriller A Sacrifice and Collider has an exclusive sneak peek at her role in the movie. The footage sees her come face-to-face with Enemy At the Gates star Sophie Rois, who gives her an unsettling briefing about what her group stands for.

Peacock has announced the lineup of movies, TV shows, and live sports that will be available on the streaming service in May. The Peacock May 2024 schedule includes The Tattooist of Auschwitz, a new series inspired by the real-life love story of Jewish Holocaust survivors Lali and Gita Sokolov. It is based on the novel by Heather Morris.

Also coming are Love Undercover, a new reality dating show that follows an elite group of international soccer stars as they go undercover to find true love without the glitz and glamor of their notoriety), the second season of the critically acclaimed We Are Lady Parts, and the spellbinding streaming debut of The American Society of Magical Negroes.

You’ll be off to the races on May 4 for the 150th Kentucky Derby, streaming live on Peacock at 2:30 p.m. Et. If horsepower is more your speed, Peacock will also stream the 108th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday,...

Kicking October to the curb and bringing in some November goodness is a fresh slate of new content headed to Paramount Global’s streamer Paramount+, including the sequel to the hit 1997 film “Good Burger.”

Paramount+ started off November by adding more than 30 titles to its library, some of which include “Above the Rim,” Season 15 of “Ink Master,” “Gladiator” and “The Color Purple.”

And if you’re looking for some holiday movies to watch with the family, you can deck the halls with “Happy Christmas,” “Mistletoe Ranch” or “Christmas Eve.” When the kids go to sleep, adult-friendly treats like “Bad Santa” and “Bad Santa 2” are also available.

The highly-anticipated “Good Burger 2,” which stars Kel Mitchell, Keenan Thompson, Shar Jackson, Carmen Electra, Josh Server, Alex R. Hibbert, Lori Beth Denberg and Lil Rel Howery, hits the platform on Nov. 22

Here’s everything coming to Paramount+ this November, from “The Truman Show” to “Paw Patrol.

Jean-Jacques Annaud has worked with an impressive roster of actors across his 60-year career including big names such as Sean Connery, Tony Leung and Brad Pitt as well as Christian Slater and Jane Marsh, who were emerging talents when he cast them in The Name Of The Rose and L’Amant respectively.

Talking at a masterclass at the Lumière Film Festival in Lyon on Sunday, the French director revealed how he found the casting process one of the most exhausting stages of making a film.

“I never write with an actor in mind because a character often evolves, someone that starts out as 60-years-old, may end up working better as a 35-year-old… I don’t want to ensnare myself. I wait until my ideas are clear,” said Annaud.

The director – whose varied filmography also spans the 1976 Africa-set Oscar winner Black and White In Color, The Bear, Enemy At The Gates, Wolf Totem...

War movies often begin with scenes that capture the chaos and brutality of battle, but they can also incorporate drama, suspense, and dark comedy. The greatest opening scenes in war movie history can employ any genre to introduce the film's premise and foreshadow events. These opening scenes set the tone for the films and explore themes of survival, heroism, the dehumanizing effects of war, and the complexities of the battlefield.

The greatest opening scenes in war movie history examine warfare from different angles. Typically, the most memorable introductory scenes from war films are the ones that focus on the sheer chaos of a real-world battlefield. However, while many great war films begin with actual fights, this isn't always the case.

From the most famous and best war movies of all time, to war films that have gone under the radar in recent years, the introductions of these movies come in all shapes and genres.

World War II has served as inspiration for some of the greatest movies ever made. The intense and gruesome war lasted from 1939 to 1945, with all the world's major powers playing a role. The war spilled onto almost every continent, with battles ranging from North Africa to East Asia. Many nations, even outside the United States, have their own mythologies around the war that influence their war movies.

The Second World War has inspired a range of films virtually every decade since the war ended. Many acting careers have peaked in WWII films, which are naturally full of emotion and pain – requiring great tonal range. The war has also been responsible for some of the biggest productions in cinema to capture its enormous scale.

Related: 10 Best Movies Of The Last Decade That Are Already Modern Classics

The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen is an iconic WWII movie that follows a team...

The Mother is a 2023 action drama produced by Netflix and starring Jennifer Lopez, who leads a strong cast of actors. In The Mother, a deadly assassin has left the criminal world and lived quietly, avoiding contract killers who seek her out. After one too many failed assassination attempts, the contract killers get her out of hiding by targeting the woman’s daughter, whom she gave up at birth. Originally hoping to keep the daughter away from her criminal life, the Mother is forced to confront her past to save her daughter. The Mother is Niki Caro’s eighth feature film after Whale Rider (2002) and Mulan (2020), among others.

While avoiding these contract killers, the Mother and her daughter have the almost equally dramatic tension of repairing a fundamentally broken relationship. It’s a globetrotting movie that goes from snow-filled mountains to sunny locales as the characters fight and flee from their pasts.

Exclusive: Robert Walak and Alisa Tager will be leaving their posts as Presidents of Film & Television at AC Studios, the independent film and TV production studio that sits inside Anonymous Content, when their contracts are up in a couple of months.

Walak and Tager are expected to continue producing projects for AC Studios through an arrangement whose terms are still being worked out.

There are no details yet about the duo’s replacement though I hear UCP veteran Garrett Kemble, who joined Anonymous Content as EVP of Development for AC Studios last summer, reuniting with former UCP President Dawn Olmstead who is now CEO of Anonymous Content, is poised for a bigger role in light of Walak and Tager’s pending exit.

“Alisa and Robert are brilliant producers,” said Anonymous Content Cco David Levine. “It has been a pleasure working with the two of them these past few years to...

Jean-Jacques Annaud is an Oscar-winning director whose career spans more than four decades. With great hits like Enemy at the Gates, Two Brothers, and Seven Years in Tibet, the director has had a celebrated history. Fans of Annaud generally look to catch his list of credits that have the best audience reception, and IMDb offers that insight.

Related: The 10 Highest-Grossing MCU Movies, Ranked By IMDb

With votes from thousands of users, IMDb scores reflect the undisputed best from Jean-Jacques Annaud as far as fans’ reception is concerned. Whether it’s a gritty backdrop like Enemy at the Gates or a sentimental romance like The Lover, viewers can line up their binge-watch of the director’s films as represented by their IMDb scores.

Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has called for the country to ban all the work of Ukraine-born super-producer Alexander Rodnyansky as well as any film and TV work of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Russian news site The Insider.

In the report, Shoigu, who is part of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, is said to have sent an official letter (pictured below) to Russia’s minister of culture asking for both Rodnyansky and Zelensky’s work to be “excluded from the cultural agenda” in Russia. The move comes as various informal cultural sanctions have been issued upon Russia since the country began its invasion into Ukraine on February 24.

The letter, which was leaked to the press, has been translated to Deadline from a well-known source. It states the following:

“As part of a special operation, the Ministry of Defence is taking measures to shape a positive public opinion...

Two-time Oscar-nominated producer Alexander Rodnyansky said he felt “unbearably ashamed” and “incredibly, deeply sad” when his son called from Kyiv on Thursday with news that the Russian invasion of Ukraine had begun.

“Of course, I realized before that the situation might go this way, but I still couldn’t believe that missiles are exploding in Kyiv,” Rodnyansky told Variety by email. “I couldn’t imagine that Kyiv, my native town, where my relatives, friends and colleagues live, where my parents and grandparents are buried, will be struck by missiles of the country where I have been living and working for the last 20 years, together with my family and friends.”

The Moscow-based producer was born in the Ukrainian capital, which was under siege by Russian troops on Friday. He said that “after the first shock” of Thursday’s invasion passed, he wrote an Instagram post in which he said he was...

Russian production and distribution powerhouse Central Partnership will launch two new animated features at this year’s European Film Market, along with a live-action film that will have its world premiere in competition at SXSW next month.

“The Swiss Adventure” (pictured) is the first big-screen animated film from Smf Animation Studio, the venerable Russian animation house formerly known as Soyuzmultfilm. It tells the story of a 16-year-old servant who falls in love with the daughter of a wealthy merchant, who’s determined to marry her off to a rival of high social standing and low moral values. After being forcibly separated from her, the boy is sent to join General Alexander Suvorov’s army on its legendary Swiss expedition, where he earns the respect and loyalty of his fellow soldiers while thwarting a treacherous enemy plot.

Proving that anyone can be a hero if they are driven by love, “The...

With its list of new releases for January 2022, Amazon Prime Video is keeping things pretty simple. The streaming giant is rolling out a couple of original films, one big TV effort, and a whole host of library content, then calling it a day. And really, that’s all you need!

The two Amazon original films this month are of the family friendly variety. The Tender Bar, based on a memoir of the same name and directed by George Clooney, premieres on Jan. 7. This is followed on Jan. 14 by Hotel Transylvania: Transformania. This is the fourth installment in the animated Hotel Transylvania series, hammering home the fact that if you bring Adam Sandler and Genndy Tartakovsky aboard you project, things are gonna go pretty smoothly.

The one Amazon original TV series this month is As We See It. This project comes from Friday Night Lights head writer Jason Katims and is...

When the Soyuz Ms-19 spaceship blasts off from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome on Oct. 5, bound for the International Space Station, Vadim Vereschagin – CEO of production and distribution giant Central Partnership – believes his company’s prospects will likewise lift into the stratosphere.

Onboard the ship will be director Klim Shipenko and actor Yulia Peresild, who are setting out on a 12-day mission to film scenes from the upcoming drama “The Challenge” aboard the station. Produced by public broadcaster Channel One and leading studio Yellow, Black and White, in collaboration with the Russian space agency Roscosmos, the first-of-its-kind feature will be distributed by Central Partnership.

Vereschagin says the cosmic shoot is a “dream” for him personally, as well as a fitting milestone for a company that’s celebrating its quarter-century anniversary this year. “This project, for us, is the pinnacle of all the 25 years that we’ve done so far,” he says.

The veteran Russian producer is attending the Venice Film Festival with Vladimir Bitokov’s Mama I’m Home.

Alexander Rodnyansky is Russia’s busiest and most prolific producer, making films for both the international arthouse market and for local Russian audiences including those who run more mainstream in their tastes.

The 60-year-old Kiev-born mogul had two features in official selection in Cannes earlier this summer: Kira Kovalenko’s Unclenching The Fists, which won the Un Certain Regard prize, and Ari Folman’s animated feature Where is Anne Frank, which screened out of competition.

He has many new films in the pipeline,...

Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week we’re speaking to super-producer Alexander Rodnyansky in advance of his upcoming fall festival run. His latest title, Mama, I’m Home, is premiering in Venice’s Horizons section while his Cannes Un Certain Regard winner Unclenching The Fists is set to screen in Telluride.

When independent producer Alexander Rodnyansky reflects on his prolific career in the media business so far, he quips that he’s “had five lives.” If you know the well-respected mogul, you’ll know that he’s on the mark. The Ukrainian-born producer is behind a slew of esteemed international festival hits, with projects like Leviathan and Loveless, from Russian helmer Andrey Zvyagintsev, both earning Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Language Film as well as Best...

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they’ve been watching, why it’s worth checking out, and where you can stream it.) The Movie: Enemy at the Gates Where You Can Stream It: Hulu, Paramount+ The Pitch: A Russian sniper faces off against Germany’s top marksman in a tense and deadly […]

The post The Daily Stream: The Beautiful Brutality of ‘Enemy at the Gates’ appeared first on /Film.

It’s summer, everyone! And with its relatively sparse list of new releases for July 2021, Hulu seems to be subtlety imploring its subscribers to go outside.

Don’t get us wrong: Hulu’s library offerings get a big upgrade this month. July 1 sees the arrival of great films like Galaxy Quest, Fargo, and Caddyshack. Bill and Ted Face the Music premieres on July 2 and its followed by Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar on July 9. Not bad stuff! It’s just that, outside of the library titles, there isn’t much to go off of.

Hulu’s only major original release this month is the FX on Hulu production American Horror Stories on July 15. As its name implies, the show is a spinoff of American Horror Story and will feature self-contained horror episodes rather than a season-long arc. If you’ll allow this geriatric millennial to deploy one truly ancient meme: “Yo dawg,...

The following The Flash article contains spoilers through Season 7, Episode 15.

The Flash Season 7 Episode 15

The Flash isn’t really the sort of show that does a lot of what you might call long-lead storytelling, so the fact that the show has been teasing the return of villainous speedster Godspeed for over a year is a fairly unprecedented event.

Granted, “Enemy at the Gates” is maybe not the episode that all that build-up deserves, since it tells us precious little about where all the Godspeed clones are coming from or what they want. But it does feature several fantastic fight sequences between Barry, Frost, new Team Flash sort of friend Mark Stevens/Chillblaine, and a half dozen Godspeeds. And though it doesn’t make a ton of sense just yet, it’s still pretty darn entertaining to watch.

Do I have any idea what these goons want from Barry or why...

For its first few seasons, The Flash’s Big Bads inevitably turned out to be speedsters. The show took a break from the pattern for a while, but now it doubles down...and that’s only the beginning. As “Enemy At The Gates” opens, there are two versions of Godspeed on the loose in Central City at once, which shouldn’t…...

The Flash Enemy At the Gates Trailer — The CW‘s The Flash: Season 7, Episode 15: Enemy At the Gates TV show trailer has been released. Cast and crew The Flash stars Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Danielle Nicolet, Tom Cavanagh, Jesse L. Martin, Kyle Secor, Chris Klein, [...]

Continue reading: The Flash: Season 7, Episode 15: Enemy At the Gates TV Show Trailer [The CW]...

For years, the Russian film and television industry has been a sleeping giant.

A top 10 world box office territory, with a population of just under 150 million and a long, rich cinema cultural tradition of genius auteurs that stretches from Sergei Eisenstein through Andrei Tarkovsky to Andrei Zvyagintsev (Leviathan, Loveless), Alexander Sokurov (Faust, Russian Ark), and Kantemir Balagov (Beanpole) — alongside commercial talents from Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted), to Fyodor Bondarchuk (Invasion, Stalingrad) to Ilya Naishuller (Nobody) — Russia has always had enormous potential.

Until recently, though, the creative and commercial energies of the country’s film and television producers have been mostly focused ...

For years, the Russian film and television industry has been a sleeping giant.

A top 10 world box office territory, with a population of just under 150 million and a long, rich cinema cultural tradition of genius auteurs that stretches from Sergei Eisenstein through Andrei Tarkovsky to Andrei Zvyagintsev (Leviathan, Loveless), Alexander Sokurov (Faust, Russian Ark), and Kantemir Balagov (Beanpole) — alongside commercial talents from Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted), to Fyodor Bondarchuk (Invasion, Stalingrad) to Ilya Naishuller (Nobody) — Russia has always had enormous potential.

Until recently, though, the creative and commercial energies of the country’s film and television producers have been mostly focused ...

Exclusive: Former Focus Features President Robert Walak and veteran producer Alisa Tager have joined the executive team at Anonymous Content as Presidents of AC Studios. In their new roles, the duo will oversee development and production on projects across film, television, documentaries, doc series and podcasts.

AC Studios is the premium independent film and TV production studio that sits inside Anonymous Content. Recent projects include the Peabody Award winning series Dickinson and the George Clooney-directed limited series Catch-22; as well as Paradise Lost and Home Before Dark, which just wrapped filming on its second season; Defending Jacob starring Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery; and the upcoming film Swan Song, with Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Awkwafina and Glenn Close.

We understand there are further significant projects to come, with both in- and out-of-house talent and with industry tastemakers Walak and Tager eager to get going in nimble fashion.

In their new posts,...

Brad Peyton, who directed Dwayne Johnson movies “San Andreas” and “Rampage,” is attached to helm character-driven action thriller “Sniper Elite,” inspired by the stealth-shooter game franchise, which has sold more than 30 million units.

The movie will see an elite Allied sniper, Karl Fairburne, engage in a cat-and-mouse chase through the streets of London at the height of the Blitz during World War II, as he tries to save British Prime Minister Winston Churchill from a Nazi assassin.

The movie is being produced by Marla Studios’ Jean-Julien Baronnet and Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion, the game’s producer. Baronnet is the former CEO of Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp – whose titles during his time in charge included “Taken” – and the former CEO of Ubisoft Motion Pictures, where he produced Fox’s “Assassin’s Creed,” starring Michael Fassbender.

Rebellion’s games also include “Aliens vs. Predator,” and it owns the rights to the “Judge Dredd” comic-book franchise.

Major Russian distributor Central Partnership wraps up European Film Market (EFM) with a bunch of global sales. “Chernobyl”, a high-budget actioner directed by Danila Kozlovsky, goes to China to air on iQIYI, and will also travel to Taiwan and European territories.

“Chernobyl” is the first major Russian film dedicated to the disaster and its aftermath. The story follows fireman Alexey, accompanied by an engineer and a military diver, on a perilous mission to drain water from a reservoir under the burning reactor. They descend into the depths of the reactor building, prepared to sacrifice their own lives to prevent an even greater catastrophe. “Chernobyl” stars actor-turned-director Danila Kozlovsky (“Vikings”), Oksana Akinshina, Philipp Avdeev and others.

“We tried to tell a powerful story of love between particular people, in a particular family, that happened in the times of a horrifying global-scale disaster. We are not trying to appoint who’s guilty or give a verdict,...

Central Partnership clinched several new deals on the project during the EFM.

Following last week’s EFM, leading Russian distributor Central Partnership has announced several new deals on its big budget action/disaster feature Chernobyl, directed by Danila Kozlovsky.

The film has gone to platform iQIYI for China in what Central Partnership CEO Vadim Vereshchagin described as “a big step towards promoting Russian cinema to international markets and [improving] our strategic partnership with China.”

Further deals clinched during the EFM include French-speaking Europe (Kinovista), Taiwan (Moviecloud), Czech Republic and Slovakia (Joj). These follow on from already announced sales to the US (MPI Media Group), South Korea,...

Soaring local box office has pushed the Russian film industry to new heights in recent years, even despite a downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but Vadim Vereshchagin, CEO of leading production and distribution company Central Partnership, says introducing fresh Russian talent to the world remains his outfit’s top priority.

“For us, it’s business as usual—boosting that potential,” Vereshchagin tells Variety. “We’re getting more experience on which titles we should be making. Right now, every big-budget title we make, we’re thinking about the international market as well.” The challenge, he says, “is to get the right stories being made which would be appealing to general international audiences.”

With a library that includes films from top U.S. and European studios, as well as an extensive catalog of arthouse and commercial Russian movies, Central Partnership has been a leading distributor for nearly two decades. After ramping up production in recent years,...

“The Chinese team has used Russian footage to tell a new story.”

Jin Cai, founder and CEO of Beijing-based Turbo Film Corporation, did not panic when she discovered how heavily pirated her sci-fi title, a Russian film called Coma, had been.

Instead, she read the comments and altered the film accordingly. Over 20,000 users had posted reviews on Douban, the Chinese equivalent to IMDb, and clips had been viewed more than 100 million times on TikTok.

Turbo’s planned theatrical release in the summer of 2020 had been postponed due to the pandemic but, given the levels of piracy, showing the film in...

A new year means a new start. But in its list of new year releases for January 2021, Hulu is sending a message of…eh, we’ll get the year started in February. Not to be overly rude to the usually sturdy streaming service, but there’s not much going on for Hulu in 2021’s first month.

Perhaps the biggest release of note is something that already enjoyed a successful release for ITV in the U.K. The Sister is the lates thriller from Neil Cross (Luther) and it makes its U.S. debut on Hulu on Jan. 22. 2020 comedies Save Yourselves and Like a Boss both arrive on Jan. 1. Hulu original film The Ultimate Playlist of Noise premieres on Jan. 15 and TV series Everyone is Doing Great arrives on Jan. 13.

Thankfully Hulu’s library titles are a bit livelier this month. Jan. 1 sees the arrival of Blade Runner: The Final Cut,...

Hulu is kicking off the new year in style next month, with January set to deliver a ton of fresh titles to the Disney-owned streaming service. There’s a bunch of original content landing throughout the first few weeks of 2021, but probably the highlight is the incredible number of classic movies that are going up on the site on New Year’s Day. Whether you’re in the mood for iconic comedies, dramas, animated efforts or sci-fi flicks, there’s something for you on the way.

There are well over 100 films being added to Hulu’s library on January 1st, so let’s just pick out a few notable titles. The full Austin Powers trilogy is among them, and if you can’t get enough of Mike Myers, the first Shrek likewise becomes available. For dramas, there’s Robert Downey Jr. biopic Chaplin, Johnny Depp vehicle Donnie Brasco and Jim Carrey’s The Truman Show.

When it comes to adding new content, the biggest haul for any given streaming service is typically found on the first of the month, and that’s no different with Netflix.

Indeed, thanks to a huge day for new movies/TV shows on October 1st, the past week has seen the current leader in the industry add a whopping 74 films and 31 television series, ensuring that subscribers have plenty to entertain themselves with. From hidden gems to all-time classics and a few underrated titles that definitely deserve another look, there’s much to get excited about here and the full list of every new release that arrived this week can be found below.

74 New Movies

28 Days (2000) A Chaster Marriage (2016) A Toot-Toot Cory Carson Halloween (2020) Netflix Original A.M.I. (2019) Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995) All Because of You (Pasal Kau) (2020) Netflix Original Along Came a Spider (2001) Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part...

It’s a brand new month, and that means that the cycle of Netflix content drops begin anew, with a wide selection of original programming and classics headed our way. And with the first day always bringing the biggest new collection of movies and shows to enjoy, there’s some great stuff that can be checked out right away.

For instance, comedy fans are sure to appreciate that they can now watch the beloved Jim Carrey sequel Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and Dane Cook’s underrated Employee of the Month. Meanwhile, the 1996 classic black comedy Fargo is available, too, and though it has loose connections to the popular FX show of the same name, it’s a great standalone film that’s very much worth a watch.

If you’re looking for solid dramas to get wrapped up in, you can now catch the emotional Clint Eastwood pic Gran Torino...

Netflix has a whole lot of spooks up its sleeve for the month of October.

From Adam Sandler’s “Hubie Halloween” (Oct. 7) to the “Hill House” follow-up “The Haunting of Bly Manor” (Oct. 9), the Halloween-themed goodness is in high supply next month. Watch Netflix’s little teaser reel above.

If you want a gory horror film, try “Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight” (Oct. 28). Other new creepy flicks include “His House” (Oct. 30) “Cadaver” (Oct. 22) and Spanish-language film “The Day of the Lord” (Oct. 30).

For a younger audience, there’s “Vampires vs. the Bronx” (Oct. 2) and “The Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting” (Oct. 15).

In terms of TV, get ready for Volume 2 of Netflix’s “Unsolved Mysteries” reboot series (Oct. 19), and also check out Season 1 of CBS’ “Evil” (Oct. 1) about a forensic psychologist who comes face to face with evidence that challenges her disbelief in supernatural phenomena.

For some non-Halloween-themed content,...

It’s almost spooky season, and the various streaming services are making sure that subscribers have got plenty of great horror content for all ages available to watch this Halloween. Given the current state of the world, this All Hallow’s Eve will see more folks staying in than ever before, so we’ll need as much choice when it comes to finding a perfect movie or TV show to dive into as possible. Thankfully, Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video have got us covered.

Of course, there’s much more beyond just horror content arriving across the streaming world this October, with the first day of the month launching hundreds of new titles on all the various sites. There are also a few key highlights scattered throughout the month. Arguably the biggest is Aaron Sorkin’s much-anticipated all-star drama based on real events, The Trial of the Chicago 7,...

The theatrical industry is still struggling to return to normal, and matters aren’t helped as the studios continue to pull major releases from the calendar and send them to next year. There might not be a lot of content available on the big screen, but luckily the streaming wars remain in full swing, and as the market leaders, Netflix are constantly updating their library to retain their position at the front of the pack.

Enola Holmes has become the latest of the platform’s originals to dominate the conversation, but the usual array of forgotten titles have also been posting a strong showing as subscribers occupy their downtime with a variety of movies and TV shows, not all of which need to be the subject of critical acclaim or even good reviews.

Next week takes us into October, meaning that the first day of the month brings a huge...

Netflix was ahead of the game for October, releasing its “Netflix and Chills” horror lineup in anticipation of the Halloween season. Now the streaming giant has unveiled its full lineup for October, and believe it or not: horror remains at the forefront of its strategy.

The biggest release this month is undoubtedly The Haunting of Bly Manor, Mike Flanagan’s long-awaited followup to terrifying Haunting of Hill House. That arrives on Oct. 9. The film side of things is where most of Netflix’s other horror originals reside, with Hubie Halloween (Oct. 7), A Babysitters’ Guide to Monster Hunting (Oct. 15), and Rebecca (Oct. 22) all making their debut.

Some non-horror originals of note this month include high school drama Grand Army (Oct. 16) and the Anya-Taylor Joy-starring chess story The Queen’s Gambit (Oct. 26). Aaron Sorkin’s latest film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, arrives on Oct. 16.

Netflix is adding new library movies like Fargo,...

The full list of everything that’s coming to Netflix in October has been released today and as we’re facing the prospect of a Halloween spent at home, the streaming site is making sure that we’ve got more than enough spooky content to keep us occupied. In fact, there’s a huge amount of new movies and TV shows arriving on the service next month as part of the “Netflix and Chills” season.

October 1st also delivers a lot of great newly licensed content, too, which you won’t want to miss. Sticking with the Halloween theme, though, the haul features a few horrors/thrillers including Cape Fear, House of 1000 Corpses and You Have Always Lived in the Castle. Then, on the 2nd, new original movie Vampires vs. the Bronx lands. And skipping ahead to the 7th, be sure to catch Adam Sandler’s latest comedy, Hubie Halloween.

Though the Russian film “Sputnik” is a sci-fi movie that begins in the vastness of space, the goal for Arman Yahin and his VFX team at Main Road Post was a narrow one: to build out the alien hitchhiker that one of the cosmonauts unwittingly brings home.

The film centers on Konstantin Sergeyevich, the lone survivor of a mysterious space accident, who returns with a creature inside him that emerges at night and can reenter his body. First set to run in the Tribeca Film Festival, the movie, a record-breaking VOD hit in Russia, debuts via IFC Midnight in select theaters and on demand Aug. 14.

Konstantin is being held at a military medical facility when Tatiana Yurievna is brought in to assess him and the creature. He’s an “interesting case,” the colonel in charge tells her. The military intends to use the alien as a weapon — but will they control it,...

The Russian outfit is also launching sales on airborne thriller ‘Row 19’.

At the start of the Marché, Moscow-based sales and distribution outfit Central Partnership has announced further deals on Russian horror Baba Yaga, Terror Of The Dark Forest, which is produced by Alexander Rodnyansky and Sergei Melkumov alongside Ivan Kapitonov and Svyatoslav Podgaevsky.

Koch Media has taken Italian rights, Kinovista has acquired all French-speaking territories and Moviecloud has acquired the urban horror tale for Taiwan.

The film follows a young family who move to a new apartment on the outskirts of the city where they hire a sinister nanny to look after their young daughter.

Exclusive: Pathé will launch sales at the Cannes virtual market on Notre Dame On Fire, a big-canvas movie drama about the fire at the iconic Notre Dame in 2019, which shocked people around the world.

Wolf Totem, Enemy At The Gates and Seven Years In Tibet director Jean-Jacques Annaud is teaming up with A Prophet and Rust And Bone scribe Thomas Bidegain on the ambitious French-language feature, which will combine archive footage with filmed drama to tell the story of the fateful day.

One of the most widely recognized symbols of the city of Paris and France, the medieval cathedral has previously featured in a host of movies including Cary Grant-Audrey Hepburn starrer Charade, cult horror American Werewolf In Paris, animated film The Hunchback Of Notre Dame and Oscar-nominated romance Before Sunset. But this will be the monument’s close up.

Set over 24 hours and against the backdrop of national ‘gilets jaunes’ unrest,...