News

December 2024 won’t have a lot of Christmas movies on Max, but there are still some exciting releases to look forward to. Dcu is finally starting with Creature Commandos, coming out on December 5. DC fans will also enjoy the documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. And to top it off, the classic favorite The Goonies will also be available!

Here is the list of every movie & TV show arriving on Max this December!

Arriving on December 1

Cedar Rapids (movie)

Clash of the Titans (movie)

Cop Out (movie)

Death Race (movie)

Glee The 3D Concert Movie (movie)

Hamlet 2 (movie)

How I Live Now (movie)

Invisible Stripes (movie)

It All Came True (movie)

Jupiter Ascending (movie)

Key Largo (movie)

Kid Galahad (movie)

King of the Underworld (movie)

Lightning Strikes Twice (movie)

Lord of the Rings (movie)

Man from God’s Country (movie)

Marine Raiders (movie)

Marked Woman (movie)

Meet Me in St. Louis...

December 2024 won’t bring that many Christmas titles to Max. Still, there are some interesting titles we can look forward to. Dcu finally kicks off with the release of Creature Commandos on December 5.

Furthermore, DC fans will also be pleased with the release of the documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. To spice things up, fan-favorite The Goonies also arrives on the platform!

Here is the list of every movie & TV show arriving on Max this December!

Arriving on December 1

Cedar Rapids (movie)

Clash of the Titans (movie)

Cop Out (movie)

Death Race (movie)

Glee The 3D Concert Movie (movie)

Hamlet 2 (movie)

How I Live Now (movie)

Invisible Stripes (movie)

It All Came True (movie)

Jupiter Ascending (movie)

Key Largo (movie)

Kid Galahad (movie)

King of the Underworld (movie)

Lightning Strikes Twice (movie)

Lord of the Rings (movie)

Man from God’s Country (movie)

Marine Raiders (movie)

Marked Woman (movie)

Meet Me in St.

Exclusive: Canada’s CBC has unveiled trailer and premiere date for Saint Pierre, the procedural set on a remote Atlantic island starring and created by Allan Hawco.

Saint Pierre follows Inspector Donny “Fitz” Fitzpatrick (Hawco). After digging too deeply into a local politician’s nefarious activity, he is exiled to work in Saint-Pierre et Miquelon – the French Territory nestled in the Atlantic Ocean. Fitz’s arrival disrupts the life of Deputy Chief Geneviève “Arch“ Archambault, a Parisian transplant who is in Saint-Pierre for her own intriguing reasons and is played by Joséphine Jobert (Death in Paradise). James Purefoy (Sex Education) rounds out main cast. In addition to Jobert, Hawco and Purefoy, the series includes Benz Antoine as Marcus, Erika Prevost (The Boys) as Patty and Jean-Michel Le Gal as Renuf.

Trailer can be seen above and the series...

Blue Bloods guest star Chanel Maya Banks went missing just before Halloween, according to her her loved ones.

Well, almost all of her loved ones.

The actress, who previously appeared on Gossip Girl and in the film, Twelve, was reportedly missing for two weeks. Family members had been searching for her, to no avail.

However, while good news has now turned up, family drama is bubbling to the surface – and it involves Chanel’s husband!

Chanel Banks attends the Cinema Society & 2(x)ist screening of “Twelve” at Landmark’s Sunshine Cinema on July 28, 2010. (Photo Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images) ‘Blue Bloods’ guest star Chanel Maya Banks reportedly went missing

According to a report by Eyewitness News on Wednesday, November 13, Chanel Maya Banks, credited as Chanel Farrel in past acting projects, has not been seen since October 30.

The 36-year-old actress’ mother, Judy Singh, has flown to California from New York in order to search for her.

Brett Goldstein and Imogen Poots star as two star-crossed lovers in director William Bridges’ near-future drama. Here’s our All Of You review.

All Of You, director and co-writer William Bridges’ tender romantic drama, ponders the question of whether love can be defined and determined by a test. The specifics of The Test aren’t explained, but the film is set in a near-future London where science has been able to develop such a thing. All Of You isn’t a sci-fi film, per se, but it asks us if we’re willing to go down this path of predetermined relationships in the future.

Brett Goldstein – who co-wrote – plays Simon, a journalist who is clearly harbouring feelings for his best friend Laura (Imogen Poots). Laura decides to take The Test and is soon paired with Lukas (Steven Cree). Simon does his best to move on and push his feelings for...

We all think we know Seth Rogen. He’s the stoner king, the oversized kid fighting off adulthood, the comedy icon that Judd Apatow built almost from scratch after the two met just before the turn of the millennium on the set of the woefully short-lived NBC series “Freaks and Geeks.” Yes, Rogen is all these things, but to limit his influence strictly to his talents as a funnyman is to wrongly shortchange him. At the not-so-advanced age of 40, the actor who was born on April 15, 1982 in Vancouver, British Columbia is also a prolific writer and producer of product on screens big and small. He even co-wrote an episode of “The Simpsons.”

Moreover, the Rogen that audiences saw in “The Fabelmans” from director and co-writer Steven Spielberg bears little resemblance to the Rogen who entered the zeitgeist in such fun-loving, maturity-challenged raunchfests as “Superbad” and “Pineapple Express” more than a decade ago.

At least one live-action Disney remake just took a major step backward. Last year, we learned that the Oscar-winning Sarah Polley ("Women Talking") was set to direct a new live-action reimagining of the 1940s classic "Bambi." Now, it's been revealed that Polley has left the project. There is currently no word on who will replace her and, not to get too ahead of ourselves here, but the answer may be nobody.

According to a report from The Wrap, Polley has quietly left the remake. It's unclear when the filmmaker departed or why she split from Disney on this one. The report also notes that it's equally unclear if the movie will still move forward. Part of that has to do with the recent departure of Sean Bailey, the former president of Walt Disney Motion Picture Production. Bailey was largely responsible for the deluge of live-action remakes of animated classics that...

Stars: Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Luke Kirby, Sarah Silverman, Jennifer Podemski, Diane D’Aquila, Vanessa Carter, Graham Abbey | Written and Directed by Sarah Polley

Opening on a soft focus into a kitchen, Margot (Michelle Williams) is busy baking something. While the light shining through the window gives the scene a cosy feeling, this seemingly perfect scenario is contrasted by the unsatisfied look on the lead’s face. Writer/Director Sarah Polley uses this interesting opening to draw viewers into Take This Waltz and question what has resulted in the unfolding scenario.

While she is abroad for work, freelance writer Margot makes a charming connection with artist and rickshaw driver, Daniel (Luke Kirby). She is upfront about being married to Lou (Seth Rogen), her loving husband of five years, although the momentary spark is troubled by the revelation that Daniel lives across the street from the couple.

A lesser film would have...

Generally, when I enter the small sauna room at my local Ymca after a workout, I’m prone to eavesdrop on a group of men opining on topics such as Andrew Tate. In comparison, the Sundance-winning documentary Smoke Sauna Sisterhood presents the steamy (not in that way) space as something genuinely holy. 89 minutes of, ahem, women talking, director Anna Hints’ film is a noble effort from whom you can easily appreciate the overall gesture. But for veering into the cosmic or transcendental to often corny effect, one doesn’t really feel it conceptualizing in some intelligent fashion.

Taking us to a cabin in rural Estonia that’s been officially deemed a place of cultural importance by Unesco, we maybe get a subtle advertisement cloaked inside images that at times resemble the avant-garde concoctions of director Philippe Grandrieux. If one thinks of naked old bodies, in cinematic terms, as a shock effect in horror films,...

Long Shot is a delightful romantic comedy-drama with a talented ensemble cast that includes Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron. One of the highlights of the film is the chemistry between Rogen and Theron, but the diverse supporting cast, including Andy Serkis and Bob Odenkirk, also shines. The film showcases the comedic charm of Rogen, the versatility of Theron, and the talent of O'Shea Jackson Jr., with cameos from Boyz II Men and Lil Yachty.

Long Shot is a delightful comedy with a cast that includes genre stalwarts like Seth Rogen and critically acclaimed superstars like Charlize Theron. Set to the backdrop of an American presidential campaign, the romantic comedy-drama finds Rogen playing a journalist who crosses paths with his former babysitter — only now the babysitter is the U.S. Secretary of State and aiming for a shot at the White House. Sparks fly as the unlikely duo starts working together,...

On Seth Rogen’s first trip to TIFF, he supported a pair of films, including one with a challenging goal: cracking jokes about cancer.

In 2011, the Vancouver native made his way to Toronto for the premieres of Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz — which focused on marital challenges for Rogen and onscreen wife Michelle Williams — and Jonathan Levine’s 50/50. The latter was loosely based on the real-life experiences of screenwriter Will Reiser and followed a radio personality played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt who gets diagnosed with spinal cancer (the film’s title references the survival rate). Rogen was a producer and played Gordon-Levitt’s supportive best friend alongside co-stars Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard and Anjelica Huston.

One pivotal scene involved shaving Gordon-Levitt’s head, which the team had one chance to nail. “It was the first day of filming, and we improvised the whole thing, which is not wise when...

We might be entering the dog days of summer but Hulu isn’t slowing down. The streamer’s list of new releases for August 2023 is a pretty impressive collection of content.

The biggest Hulu original this month is season 3 of true crime comedy Only Murders in the Building on Aug. 8. This time around Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd are joining the already-stacked cast that features Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. This season’s central murder appears to take place at a theater (outside the building) but I think we’ll let it slide.

That’s far from the only worthwhile original in August as Aug. 2 sees the premiere of the third and final season of superb comedy Reservation Dogs. That will be followed by South Korean sci-fi series Moving on Aug. 9, Solar Opposites season 4 on Aug. 14, and A Murder at the End of the World on Aug. 29. Of course,...

Although Freaks and Geeks met an early demise, series executive producer Judd Apatow made it his mission to see the series' young cast succeed. According to the new book by Thea Glassman Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson’s Creek: How Seven Teen Shows Transformed Television (via IndieWire), actor Jason Segel, who starred in the cult classic series as Nick Andopolis, says Apatow embarked on "a ‘Count of Monte Cristo’–style revenge mission" to make everyone in the cast a star. Apatow worked on his mission by including cast members in future projects.

Freaks and Geeks debuted on NBC in 1999, but was set in the 1980 to 1981 high school year, and followed Lindsay Weir (Linda Cardellini) and her brother Sam (John Francis Daley) as they navigated high school. Lindsay befriends a group of freaks, portrayed by Segel, James Franco, Seth Rogen and Busy Philipps, while younger brother Sam is part of the geek group,...

The raucous period drama “Firebrand” was the official opening-night film at the 57th annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on Friday night in the spa resort town outside Prague, but there was a lot more going on in and around the Grand Hall at the Hotel Thermal than just the on-screen battle between Alicia Vikander’s Catherine Parr and Jude Law’s King Henry VIII.

It also included the presentation of awards to Vikander and Russell Crowe, the usual complement of opening-night speeches, an extended dance number that appeared to be performed on ice skates (though it wasn’t on ice but on an artificial surface that mimicked ice but could be walked on safely) and, during breaks and after the movie, complete concerts by the British band Morcheeba and by Crowe’s nine-piece band, Indoor Garden Party.

If you missed that last part, don’t worry: Crowe was filming...

Martin Scorsese is unquestionably one of the best directors in film history, as his legacy of classics is nearly unmatched compared to any other filmmaker. Scorsese has redefined the industry time and time again, and it’s often that he pushed the boundaries of the medium when other filmmakers don’t have the energy to do so. While Scorsese is best known for classics such as Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Casino, The Departed, The Wolf of Wall Street, and The Irishman, his track record goes even deeper than that.

Scorsese’s masterpiece The King of Comedy is a timeless classic about the perils of media obsession that clearly inspired Todd Phillips’ creation of the comic book film Joker, and Scorsese met some of the most significant backlash of his career when he pushed the boundaries of religious expressionism with his depiction of the life of Jesus Christ in the...

Sarah Polley is in talks to direct a live-action remake of Walt Disney’s “Bambi,” TheWrap has learned. Details on the project are scarce, but she will work off a recent screenplay draft penned by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster and the film will be a musical featuring music from Kacey Musgraves.

The news comes as Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” is lighting up the box office and could follow in the footsteps of the photoreal CG-filled “The Lion King” and “The Jungle Book.” While those films were blockbusters, it has not been confirmed as to whether this seemingly less epic offering will be intended for theaters or, as we saw with “Pinocchio,” “Lady and the Tramp” and “Peter Pan and Wendy,” Disney+.

Sarah Polley is coming off an Oscar win for Best Adapted Screenplay for the critically acclaimed “Women Talking,” which was her first directorial effort in over a...

Still fresh off her Academy Award for Best Screenplay for 2022’s “Women Talking,” (which was also nominated for Best Picture), Canadian writer/director Sarah Polley may have found her next gig. However, it’ll be one that surprises and possibly shocks some. Polley will be writing and directing a live-action adaptation of the animated “Bambi” story for Disney.

The move may surprise those that know Polley for her indie and dramatic work, films like “Take This Waltz,” the documentary “Stories We Tell,” last year’s aforementioned “Women Talking,” and the Academy Award-nominated “Away From Her.”

Read More: ‘Women Talking’ Director Sarah Polley Developing A Film Inspired By Her Awards Season Run

You could call it the Barry Jenkins “get that bag” move if you’re cynical (he’s gone from beloved indies to directing a—presumably highly-lucrative— live-action prequel adaptation of Disney’s “The Lion King.

Continue reading ‘Bambi’:...

The gears are turning on a live-action Bambi movie at Disney, as a director is getting locked down for the project. Deadline reports that Sarah Polley, who won an Oscar this year for her Women Talking screenplay, is now in talks to direct the Bambi remake. Disney previously addressed plans to give Bambi the live-action treatment, and it would seem that the project is finally making some traction with these new plans to place Polley in the director's chair. Back in 2020, it was reported that Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Lindsey Beer would be co-writing the screenplay, but given the passage of time and the ongoing writers strike, it's unclear if they're still on board.

Before writing and directing Women Talking, Polley had also helmed the feature film Away from Her, which was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars in 2008. She also wrote and directed Take This Waltz and Stories We Tell,...

Sarah Polley — who earlier this year won the best-adapted screenplay Oscar for her feature Women Talking — is in talks to direct the live-action Bambi film for Disney, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

The project is still in development, but should it happen, it would join Disney’s lucrative classic animation–to–live-action roster, the most recent addition to which was The Little Mermaid, which has made over $400 million at the box office to date.

The Bambi project was first reported in 2020, with Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel, Tomb Raider) and Lindsey Beer (Chaos Walking) set to pen the screenplay and Depth of Field, the production banner run by Chris and Paul Weitz and Andrew Miano, on board to produce. It’s unclear if this team is still in place. (Depth of Field worked with the studio on Robert Zemeckis’ take on another classic animation, Pinocchio.)

The original movie, released in 1942, told...

It seems like Sarah Polley is ready to focus on Disney animals talking.

The “Women Talking” writer-director is currently in early talks to helm the live-action adaptation of Disney’s “Bambi,” IndieWire has confirmed. Polley won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for her 2022 feminist film “Women Talking.” The news was first reported by Deadline.

Disney first announced a live-action “Bambi” adaptation in 2020, with Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Lindsey Beer set to write the script. Depth of Field production company was attached to produce. As of now it is unclear if all parties are still behind the project, which is still in the early stages of development.

“Bambi” was the fifth animated feature film to ever be released by Disney. The 1942 movie was an adaptation of Felix Salten’s novel about a young, motherless deer who befriends fellow woodland creatures. Disney’s “Bambi” earned Oscar nominations for Best Sound, Best Song,...

The easygoing friendship between superstars Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne is on full display in Apple TV+'s Platonic. The new comedy series, created by Nick Stoller (Bros) and Francesca Delbanco, follows ex-best friends Sylvia and Will as they reconnect after the latter's divorce. Though Sylvia is happily married to Charlie (Luke Macfarlane), the reignition of her friendship with Will quickly finds her backsliding into old habits that don't necessarily do either of them any favors.

Platonic marks Byrne and Rogen's first collaboration since Neighbors, which was also directed by Nick Stroller, but it's not the last time fans will see them together in 2023. Seth Rogen co-wrote and produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which will feature Byrne voicing Leatherhead and Rogen himself as Bebop. Their offscreen camaraderie is the perfect ingredient for the new series, serving as the ideal depiction of friendship — until their fondness for each other's...

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel creators have formalized their next series under their overall deal with Amazon, and it’s got a premise that calls back to the duo’s beloved Bunheads and a couple of recognizable faces.

Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino have scored a two-season, straight-to-series order for Étoile, a drama set in the world of ballet that is set to reunite them with Maisel favorite Luke Kirby and Gideon Glick. Camille Cottin (Call My Agent!), Simon Callow (Outlander), Lou de Laâge (The Innocents) and David Alvarez (West Side Story) will star alongside Kirby and Glick.

Étoile is set in New York City and Paris and follows the dancers and artistic staff of two world-renowned ballet companies as they embark on an ambitious gambit to save their storied institutions by swapping their most talented stars.

“Well, guess that plan for early retirement will have to wait. Instead, we’ve...

Take This Waltz (2011).There is nothing particularly original about the plot of Sarah Polley's sophomore feature, Take This Waltz (2011). The film is about a woman in her late twenties, Margot (Michelle Williams), who is happily married to a great-guy-type, Lou (Seth Rogen), yet finds herself seduced and charmed by her neighbor Daniel (Luke Kirby). Lou, a cookbook author, is warm and bearish, while Daniel is lanky and caustic, a rickshaw driver with an artistic sensibility. Margot, a freelance writer, finds herself caught between safety and risk, a problem which has plagued the straight woman since time immemorial. Almost halfway into the film, Margot and Daniel sit at a bar, talking over martinis. The light is golden and soft, blurring out the sharper edges of their transgression, emphasizing the dreamlike, slightly off-kilter nature of their encounter. In lieu of actually crossing the line, Margot and Daniel relegate their desires to...

While some of his jokes haven’t always aged well among some audiences, Seth Rogen, now 39, certainly has. The comedian has racked up hit after hit, starting with the cult favorite series “Freaks and Geeks” in 1999. After minor roles in “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” to “The 40 Year-Old Virgin,” Rogen proved his leading man prowess with 2007’s “Knocked Up,” followed immediately by the critically acclaimed high-school comedy “Superbad.” Rogen’s affable straight-man persona continued in “Pineapple Express,” “This Is the End,” and “Neighbors,” with more dramatic roles including “50/50,” “Take This Waltz,” and “An American Pickle” adding to Rogen’s prolific and well-rounded career.

As for how some of his sometimes foul-mouthed, politically incorrect comedies have withstood the test of time, Rogen said on “Good Morning Britain” that it’s simply “the nature of comedy” for some humor, especially of his button-pushing variety, to curdle as time progresses...

Toronto filmmaker Sarah Polley’s Sunday night Oscars win was a glorious moment as Canadian (and global) fans shared their joy over her securing her first Academy Award for “Women Talking.”

“It was surreal and wonderful. I mean, I don’t have many words for it. It was just a really beautiful thing to get to experience,” Polley told Et Canada in an interview a day after receiving her Best Adapted Screenplay award.

Even though the writer/director was a frontrunner and a strong Oscar contender, she wasn’t sure she would win, she said. “In fact, I was in an Oscar pool where I bet on ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ and was genuinely shocked. Because it just felt like both from watching how things were going to go to how many more people saw ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’, and then surely throughout the night, they...

Sarah Polley is already working on her next project.

On Sunday night, the Canadian director won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for “Women Talking”, and apparently the whole awards season has inspired her.

Read More: Toronto’s Sarah Polley Wins Her First-Ever Oscar For ‘Women Talking’

“I’ve been developing a project based on my experiences going through awards season — I’m not kidding,” she told Deadline on the red carpet. “I know all of your names and I have all of your numbers, you will be hearing from me.”

Polley added, “I’ve had basically a hotline with all the filmmakers and writers in the race, who text and email me things as they happen all night long — I have this informal writers room which has been amazing.”

Read More: Radical Dialogue And Open Roads In Sarah Polley’s ‘Women Talking’

This wasn’t Polley’s first awards season experience,...

Growing up, I knew Sarah Polley as both Beverly Cleary's lively, imaginative heroine, Ramona Geraldine Quimby in the 1980s "Ramona" TV series, and then as the equally spirited Sara Stanley on the '90s Canadian (and Disney Channel) TV period drama staple, "Road to Avonlea." Nowadays, of course, Polley is better known for her celebrated efforts as a writer-director on the relationship dramas "Away from Her" and "Take This Waltz." Her latest venture behind the camera, "Women Talking," has even secured a Best Picture nod at the 2023 Academy Awards ceremony, in addition to landing Polly a nomination for her adapted screenplay.

Based on Miriam Toews' 2018 novel of the same name (which was itself inspired by horrifying real-life events), "Women Talking" takes place in an isolated Mennonite colony circa 2010. When it's discovered the men have been drugging and sexually assaulting the community's women in their sleep, the local authorities intervene,...

Content Warning: This article contains discussions of physical abuse and sexual violence.

Women Talking was one of the most critically acclaimed drama films of 2022. Directed by Sarah Polley (known for the films Stories We Tell and Take This Waltz), the film is adapted from the 2018 novel by Miriam Toews. Women Talking has been nominated for the 2023 Academy Award for Best Picture and the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sarah Polley.

The movie has a notable ensemble cast of acclaimed, primarily female actors. These include three-time Academy Award winner Frances McDormand, Academy Award Nominees Jessie Buckley and Rooney Mara, as well as Emmy Winner Claire Foy. The film follows a community of women from the real-life Mennonite community in Manitoba Colony, Bolivia. Women Talking had a limited theatrical release in December 2022. Now, the film is available in theaters as part of a wider, international release in the run-up to the Academy Awards.

February ushers in a new slate of movies and TV shows making their way to HBO and HBO Max, from a slew of James Bond movies to the recently released Olivia Colman-led “Empire of Light” to, yes, the Puppy Bowl.

“The Terminator,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Footloose,” “Taxi Driver” and “The Silence of the Lambs” all mark notable library offerings this month, in addition to “Superbad,” “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” and “Eighth Grade.”

Despite HBO Max pulling a number of originals from its roster over the past several months, HBO Max originals premiering on the platform this month include a Dionne Warwick documentary, an adult European animated series titled “Poor Devil” and “Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special” based on the popular animated series.

HBO Max is also beefing up its sports offerings by streaming soccer matches featuring the U.S. national teams,...

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and HBO Max got the memo. With its list of new releases for February 2023, the HBO streamer is bringing a very special Valentine’s Day episode into the fold.

Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special premieres on Feb. 9 and finds Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy celebrating their first Valentine’s Day together. Consider this a fun little aperitif for the fast approaching Harley Quinn season 3 – which will feature none other than freshly-installed DC czar James Gunn. Other HBO Max original series this month include another C.B. Strike special on Feb. 6 and Spanish-language animated comedy Poor Devil a.k.a. Pobre Diablo on Feb. 17.

February also looks to be a jam-packed month for movies on HBO Max. February 1 sees the arrival of many appealing library titles like Birdman, Casino Royale, The Silence of the Lambs, and The Terminator. Later on HBO Max...

“ I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.”

– 1 Timothy 2:12

Numerous explanations have been given for the Apostle Paul’s harsh teaching. Some scholars feel he was responding to cultural concerns in a patriarchal society. Others believe he was addressing a conflict inside local churches. It’s also possible he was simply a raging misogynist. Whatever his intentions, it’s undeniable that this verse and interpretations of it have caused irreparable harm and devastation, creating cultures where women are seen as unequal to men and excusing horrendous abuse.

It’s a verse that the characters of Women Talking would know quite well, although they’ve never read it with their own eyes. Raised in a strict Mennonite community, they’re not permitted to read or write, and they have no voice in governing their small village. Although Paul...

The selection of titles for HBO Max in February 2023 will include the continuation of hit TV shows, premieres of holiday specials, and Oscar nominees. HBO Max’s January 2023 additions kicked off the new year with the premieres of TV shows like The Last of Us, which broke HBO records for having the highest jump in viewership for its second episode, and the original series Velma. The month also brought The Menu (2022) and the John Wick franchise to the platform’s library, with plenty more classic films and new releases set to drop on HBO Max in February.

In February 2023, HBO Max will host the streaming premieres of two 2023 Oscar nominees: Sam Mendes’ drama Empire of Light (February 7), which earned Roger Deakins a Best Cinematography nod, and HBO documentary All That Breathes (February 7), which is up for Best Documentary Feature. Also coming to HBO Max in 2023 are the premieres of Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special...

Photo: 'Women Talking'

The headline "women-directed" drama migth be jarring, but absolutely necessary. Sarah Polley has been a well-known actress that has made her mark in the acting world. She has been a child actress by appearing in the show ‘Road to Avonlea.’ As she got older, she was recognized in movies such as ‘Dawn of the Dead’ (2004). Around 2006, she released her debut film ‘Away From Her.’ Around 2011, she made her second film ‘Take This Waltz,’ which features Michelle Williams as a suburban housewife who is bored from her marriage to a loving but neglecting husband (played by Seth Rogen). A year later, she made her first documentary ‘Stories We Tell,’ which focuses on the enigmatic tales of her enigmatic mother which have been told by her friends and family members that knew her the best. Ten years later, she returned to the director’s chair by making ‘Women Talking,...

Over a career that has taken her from child actor to the director’s chair, Canadian filmmaker Sarah Polley has spent enough time on set to have a feel for the standard rhythms of a shoot.

But there was something different about the female-led production of “Women Talking,” Polley said, of the first feature she has directed in more than a decade.

Tasks that would typically take 45 minutes would be done in seven, with crew members holding competitions to see who could help set up a shot the fastest, she recalled.

From the stars to the grips, everyone on the call sheet seemed to be galvanized by a sense of collective mission that went beyond adding another credit to their resume, Polley said.

Read more: ‘The People’s Joker,’ reimagining of Gotham City, pulled from TIFF over rights issues

“We felt like we were part of a movement, not a movie,...

The following review includes reference to domestic abuse and sexual assault. Please proceed with caution.

In a world where abortion rights feel tenuous, men's sexual appetites endless, and domestic abuse cases ubiquitous, we need movies like "Women Talking." The confident, fearless film is a testament to female empowerment, depicting a colony of vulnerable women banding together to change their lives for the better — facing the unknown in order to improve the situation not just out of their own self-interest, but out of love for their fellow sisters in Christ. It's a beautifully shot, skillfully acted story that sends a powerful message about choosing a better future.

The film was written and directed by Sarah Polley, a Canadian storyteller with a knack for exploring broken relationships. Her films "Away From Her" and "Take This Waltz" are evocative, intimate portraits of domestic partnerships, interrupted by chance; the former centers on a long marriage disrupted by dementia,...

With Women Talking, Sarah Polley adapts Miriam Toews’ 2018 novel in a way that feels like a response to the last several years. The book, which concerns women in a Mennonite colony deciding whether to leave their community and the men who spent years assaulting and raping them, published after the downfall of Harvey Weinstein and the formation of the #MeToo movement, which made its subject and themes reverberate around topics that were, and still are, at the forefront of media and public discourse. Polley leans hard into the bigger ideas, making her film less of a chamber piece and more a fumbled commentary on where we are now. Schematic in its intent and pedestrian in its execution, Women Talking is a well-meaning drama that’s obvious in all the wrong ways.

Women Talking largely takes place in the hayloft of the village’s barn, where two families of women gather...

The Telluride Film Festival wrapped on Labor Day, with many of the season’s mystery films getting a first look from critics, journalists and festivalgoers. But what did we learn from the four-day fest? Do we have an Oscar frontrunner?

Four narrative films world premiered in the Colorado mountains – “Women Talking” from MGM/Uar, “Empire of Light” from Searchlight Pictures and “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” and “The Wonder” from Netflix. Other Venice titles also made their North American debuts such as Netflix’s “Bardo” and Focus Features’ “Tar.”

Here are five things we learned at Telluride.

Polley Want an Oscar?

Writer, actor and director Sarah Polley received a tribute at the top of the festival, with her film “Women Talking” making its debut. Clips of her acting performances were part of the montage. Featured more prominently were her three films as a director – the documentary “Stories We Tell” and her two indie gems,...

Following the early promise of her exceptional directorial debut, Away From Her, the mature complexity of her sophomore feature, Take This Waltz, and the raw power of her third feature, the intimate and personal documentary, Stories We Tell, moviegoers have spent a long time wondering when actress-turned-filmmaker Sarah Polley would return to the director's chair. It's been a long decade since her work has been on the silver screen. While she has kept herself active with a few projects, including Netflix's mini-series, Alias Grace, and the Canadian web series, Hey Lady!, Polley has notably been absent in the film scene, and her fourth feature has been long overdue. Thankfully, the time has come for Polley's much-awaited return. She's back with Women Talking, a surely-sterling adaptation of Miriam Toews' 2018 novel of the same name, and it's expected to be a big awards contender. It's rapidly approaching its Telluride Film Festival premiere,...

Exclusive: Marlee Matlin has tapped three Deaf actors, Stephanie Nogueras (Killing It), Joshua Castille and Lauren Ridloff, to star in the episode she’s directing in the upcoming Fox anthology drama series Accused. Megan Boone also stars in her first major television role since The Blacklist, along with Aaron Ashmore (Locke & Key), Jean-Michele Le Gal (Take This Waltz) and Daphne Rubin-Vega (Allswell) in the series from Homeland EPs Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, and David Shore. The episode is written by novelist and short-story writer Maile Meloy.

Nogueras stars in the lead role of Ava, a Deaf woman who becomes a surrogate for a couple, Jenny (Boone) and Max (Ashmore) and commits a crime of advocacy and protection.

Castille will play Ava’s boyfriend, Kj, who is hard of hearing. The episode also stars Le Gal and Ridloff as Ava’s public...

(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: "Take This Waltz"

Where You Can Stream It: Hulu

The Pitch: On a business trip for her job writing tourist pamphlets, Margot (Michelle Williams) has a meet-cute with Daniel (Luke Kirby), a fellow traveler with whom she strikes up an instant connection. On her flight home, Daniel happens to sit right next to her, and they bicker a little and flirt, cracking jokes and revealing intimate secrets. They share a cab from the airport together...

The post The Daily Stream: Take This Waltz Dances Around the Ennui of Romance appeared first on /Film.

There are diverse streaming releases slates and then there is Hulu’s list of new releases for May 2022. There are no big franchises here, no big themes – just a whole bunch of original and library titles for everyone to enjoy.

Hulu’s major original releases in May come in the middle of the month. Candy premieres on May 9 and stars Jessica Biel as your friendly neighborhood axe murderer. If that sounds a bit outlandish, bear in mind that this limited series is based on the real life story of Candy Montgomery and her victim, the tragically named Betty Gore. On May 15, Hulu will play host to Conversations with Friends. This is the latest adaptation of the works of Sally Rooney. After the breakaway success of Normal People, Hulu is undoubtedly hoping for more lightning in a bottle.

On the movie side of things, May will welcome The Valet on May...

Spectrum Originals has ordered the dramedy series “Panhandle” starring Luke Kirby and Tiana Okoye, Variety has learned.

Set in the Florida panhandle, the series follows agoraphobic arm-chair detective Bell Prescott (Kirby) and reluctant traffic cop Cammie Lorde (Okoye) as they wrestle with personal demons, shocking twists, and a few Florida gators on their journey to heal themselves and their town.

Spectrum has ordered an eight-episode first season of the series, which will shoot in Savannah, Ga. It will have a nine month exclusive ad-free run on Spectrum before an ad-supported second window on The Roku Channel.

Nicholas Stoller and Carla Kettner created the series and will serve as executive producers. Conor Welch also serves as an executive producer. Colin Bucksey will direct the pilot. Sony Pictures Television is the studio behind the series.

“Nick and Carla are an electric team who have crafted a story that is a love letter...

For the past 25 years, Variety editors and staff have compiled annual lists of industry talent to look out for, stretching various capacities, including directors, writers, producers, cinematographers, and comics. When looking back on the lists from each year, it’s striking to see how many impactful names have blossomed with hugely successful careers within Hollywood, and with some of the individuals taking a surprising route to stardom. It also underscores the innate ability of the Variety team to discover and take early note of the many talented people who have become entertainment icons over several generations.

The first 10 Actors to Watch list was released in 1998, with Luke Wilson (“Rushmore”), Sarah Polley (“Go!”), Adrien Brody (“The Thin Red Line”), Patricia Clarkson (“High Art”), Larenz Tate (“Why Do Fools Fall in Love?”), and Samantha Morton (“Under the Skin”) finding inclusion. It’s interesting to note that Polley would later be selected for...

Next month’s Mubi lineup for the U.S. has been unveiled and a number of our recent festival favorites that were awaiting distribution will be coming to the service, including Mr. Bachmann and His Class, Ballad of a White Cow, Madalena, Taste, The Monopoly of Violence, and For Lucio.

One of last year’s great films, Hong Sangsoo’s The Woman Who Ran, will also be arriving, alongside Abel Ferrara’s Ms. 45, the Safdies’ Heaven Knows What, Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz, and Leo McCarey’s Love Affair, with the latter two pairing for a Valentine’s Day double feature.

Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.

February 1 | The Monopoly of Violence | David Dufresne | From France with Love

February 2 | Looking for Venera | Norika Sefa | Festival Focus: Rotterdam

February 3 | Madalena | Madiano Marcheti | Festival Focus: Rotterdam

February 4 | Honey Cigar | Kamir Aïnouz | From France with Love

February 5 | …and...

The first trailer for Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman has One Tree Hill and Riverdale star Chad Michael Murray stalking and killing as the infamous serial killer. Delivering his lines with a gravelly voice and a constantly changing hair and moustache style, Murray is clearly hoping to leave the soft-edged heartthrob persona to one side and instead liken himself as much as possible to the monster who was once dubbed The Campus Killer.

Deatiling the murders themsevles as well as the race to catch him, a specter roams the highways of a gritty and decadent 1970s America in Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman. Hunting for his next prey-his name is Ted Bundy (Chad Michael Murray), and tracking him down are the intrepid female detective Kathleen McChesney (Holland Roden), working out of the Seattle Police bureau, and rookie FBI profiler Robert Ressler (Jake Hays), the government agent who coined the term "serial killer.

After a string of stellar films with Away from Her, Take This Waltz, and Stories We Tell, actor-turned-director Sarah Polley stepped away from movie-making for nearly a decade. The Canadian artist will now be making a triumphant return with a major project, an adaptation of Miriam Toews’ bestseller Women Talking that has assembled quite a cast.

Led by Frances McDormand, the rest of the ensemble has been unveiled with Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Sheila McCarthy, Michelle McLeod, Ben Whishaw, and newcomers August Winter, Liv McNeil, Kate Hallett, Deadline reports. Backed by MGM’s Orion Pictures and Plan B Entertainment, the film follows a group of women in an isolated religious colony as they struggle to reconcile their faith with a series of sexual assaults committed by the colony’s men.

Check out the novel’s official synopsis below and pick up the book here.

One evening,...

“Women Talking,” the drama from director Sarah Polley that stars Frances McDormand, has rounded out its cast, assembling an impressive group that includes Rooney Mara, Claire Foy and Jessie Buckley, an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.

Also joining the cast of “Women Talking” are Judith Ivey, Sheila McCarthy, Michelle McLeod and Ben Whishaw. August Winter, Liv McNeil and Kate Hallett, all in their feature film debuts, are on board as well.

The film, which is based on a novel by Miriam Toews, is set up at MGM’s Orion Pictures and is being produced by Plan B. McDormand is also producing via her Hear/Say Productions.

Women Talking Full Cast: Line 1 L-r: Frances McDormand (Alison Rosa), Rooney Mara (Thomas Whiteside), Claire Foy (Charlotte Hadden), Jessie Buckley (Charlotte Hadden); Line 2 L-r: Judith Ivey (Tess Steinkolk), Sheila McCarthy (Peg McCarthy), Michelle McLeod (Kristina Ruddick), Ben Whishaw (Tomo Brejc); Line 3 L-r:...

One Tree Hill and Riverdale star Chad Michael Murray has signed on to play an infamous serial killer in Voltage Pictures' upcoming thriller Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman. Murray will join the likes of NCIS star Mark Harmon and most recently Zac Efron, who earned much critical acclaim for his portrayal of the '70s killer in 2019's Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.

While Chad Michael Murray may seem a surprising choice to play Bundy, the studio has confidence in the casting choice. "Ted Bundy is such a fascinatedly divisive character and is the true personification of evil," said Voltage Pictures president and COO Jonathan Deckter. "Murray is so talented and expertly captures Bundy's charm and seductive nature, traits that the notorious killer exploited to win the trust of his victims as well as society. It's fantastic to continue working with the very gifted Lucas and Dan on this feature...

Frances McDormand is producing and starring in a film adaptation of the novel “Women Talking,” with Sarah Polley directing for MGM’s recently relaunched Orion Pictures.

Orion and Plan B announced the project on Thursday. Polley will direct from her own script, based on Miriam Toews’ bestselling novel. McDormand is producing via her Hear/Say Productions. She brought the project initially to Plan B after acquiring the rights.

“Women Talking,” which was published in 2018, follows a group of women in an isolated Mennonite religious colony in Bolivia as they struggle to reconcile their faith with a series of sexual assaults committed by the colony’s men. The book was named to several best-of-2018 lists, including those by The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The Washington Post and The New York Times.

McDormand stars in Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland,” a top contender for awards in the coming months. It’s the...

Exlcusive: MGM’s Orion Pictures and Plan B has set Academy Award-nominee Sarah Polley to write and direct a feature adaptation of Miriam Toews’ bestselling novel Women Talking, with Academy Award-winner Frances McDormand to star and produce via her Hear/Say productions. McDormand brought the project initially to Plan B after acquiring the rights.

“We are thrilled to continue our relationship with Plan B with Women Talking. Sarah and Frances collaborating to bring this incredible book to life on the big screen is something we are excited to be part of,” said Michael De Luca, MGM’s Film Group Chairman, Pamela Abdy, MGM’s Film Group President, and Alana Mayo, Orion Pictures’ President jointly.

The novel follows a group of women in an isolated religious colony as they struggle to reconcile their faith with a series of sexual assaults committed by the colony’s men. Published in 2018, the novel was...