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Smile was an interesting film for Robert Salerno, a legendary producer whose work encompasses some of the most distinct and bold cinema of this century so far. Unlike the acclaimed directors behind those films, Parker Finn's Smile was his feature directorial debut. And yet it all worked out winningly, with Smile becoming one of the biggest horror hits of the year, both with critics and audiences.

Now, a sequel (a Salerno first) simply titled Smile 2 is coming out in less than a month. When we spoke with Salerno, we asked when he, Finn, and the whole team first knew that a Smile sequel was definitely in the cards. "Pretty early on," said Salerno, adding:

"As soon as the first one came out, it felt like it was just this lightning in a bottle. So that really was very exciting to all of us to see. I mean, we...

On a sunny day last November, the grief-stricken family and friends of producer Kevin Turen gathered at the Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale, then made their way to a reception on the Warner Bros. lot. At just 45 years old, Turen had been driving with his 10-year-old son in the car when he suddenly slumped over, having suffered a cardiac event. His son managed to stop the car and call for help.

A true cineaste with a zest for life and a long list of independent film credits (Arbitrage, The Birth of a Nation, Pieces of a Woman), Turen was beloved by many. Among the mourners that day were Robert Pattinson, Andrew Garfield and Zac Efron. Zendaya, the star of the biggest success of Turen’s career — the culture-rattling HBO series Euphoria — missed the funeral but attended the reception.

Absent from the gathering altogether was Sam Levinson, the temperamental writer and...

MaXXXine, the final chapter in Ti West's X series, features a touching dedication to producer Kevin Turen, who died unexpectedly during post-production. The film stars Mia Goth and an ensemble cast, and acts as a direct sequel to X. Turen was a key contributor to the X trilogy and had a long collaboration history with Sam Levinson, working on popular projects like Euphoria and The Idol.

The final chapter in Ti West's X series, MaXXXine, contains a touching dedication that references a key member of the franchise who never appeared on screen. The acclaimed slasher-horror trilogy stars Mia Goth in multiple roles, but MaXXXine features an ensemble cast absolutely loaded with veteran Hollywood stars including Bobby Cannavale, Michelle Monaghan, Giancarlo Esposito, Elizabeth Debicki, and Kevin Bacon. However, the "For Kevin" dedication in MaXXXine does not refer to the aforementioned A-lister.

MaXXXine acts as a direct sequel to X, and stars...

Exclusive: Ozark‘s Felix Solis has signed on to star opposite Jacob Moran, Madeleine McGraw and Violet McGraw in The Necklace, a horror film from director Juan Pablo Arias Munoz that heads into production in Atlanta in late May.

Written by John Ducey, The Necklace watches as the Davis family navigates through tough times in 1960. Laura Davis has separated from her husband Frank due to his unpredictable temper, fueled by alcohol. As Laura returns to work as a nurse, her daughters, 11-year-old Ellen (Violet McGraw) and 16-year-old Judy (Madeleine McGraw), grapple with the changes in their family dynamics. The plot thickens when Frank attempts to win Laura back with a beautiful antique necklace, which turns out to be a conduit for the tormented soul of an evil boy from long ago, putting Laura and her daughters in grave danger.

Solis will play the role of Detective Callahan. Daniel Aspromonte and...

Richard Gere is back onscreen with his own mini renaissance.

The legendary actor leads the English language remake of Savi Gabizon’s 2017 Israeli drama “Longing” alongside Diane Kruger. The Lionsgate/Grindstone film “follows Daniel Bloch (Gere) who is shocked to discover a secret from his past and is immediately consumed by the extraordinary twists of a new life he never could have imagined. Daniel continues to dive into the mystery of his own identity until he arrives at a crossroad in his own life,” per the official synopsis.

Writer/director Gabizon returns to helm the remake, which co-stars Suzanne Clément. The original “Longing” premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where writer/director Gabizon won the Bnl People’s Choice Award. The film went on to screen at TIFF.

Gabizon made his feature debut “Shuroo” in 1991, followed by “Lovesick on Nana Street” in 1995. Both features won Israeli Academy Ophir Awards. Gabizon...

Kevin Turen, the producer of HBO shows Euphoria and The Idol, died from multiple heart issues, according to a medical examiner’s report.

The official cause of death was acute cardiac dysfunction and hypertrophic heart disease, with coronary artery disease also cited.

Turen was driving his Tesla on a California freeway when stricken. His 10-year-old son managed to stop the car and take it to the side of the road. Turen was then taken to the hospital and died there.

Turen first produced Larry Clark’s Wassup Rockers, and later went on to work with Sam Levinson to produce Malcolm and Marie, Trey Shultz’s Waves, Nicholas Jarecki’s Arbitrage, Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation, Kornel Mondruczo’s Pieces of a Woman, Ramin Bahrani’s 99 Homes, and Ti West’s X trilogy.

The 44-year-old producer is survived by his wife, Evelina, and his two sons, Jack and James.

Michele Civetta is the director of feature films “Agony” and “The Gateway” and music videos for Lou Reed, Sean Lennon, and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros.

We came from a generation…

With aspirations of what cinema is as an art form, what it can do to provoke change, illuminate dreams of individual stories, and propel cultural narratives. Inspired by the American New Wave of Cinema, living under the banner of the Cahiers du Cinema auteur theory, a world where writers, directors, and producers created stories in the emerging screen revolution colliding between world cinema and the 90s independent film boom. Looking inside the cinematic kaleidoscope, imagining how to penetrate the dream factory, Kevin Turen was born to be a maverick as he surmounted this unpaved road for our generation of friends and filmmaking talent. As New York City Kids, we crossed the threshold into our professional years. Kevin helped out...

Kevin Turen, producer of films “Arbitrage” and “X” and HBO shows “Euphoria” and “The Idol,” has died, according to multiple media reports. He was 44.

His death was confirmed Sunday evening by Penske Media Corp. CEO Jay Penske. No cause was given.

“Despite his many achievements in Hollywood, Kevin’s greatest passion was his family and friends,” Penske, a close friend of Turen’s, said in a statement to THR, Deadline and other Pmc outlets. “He was so proud of his children. He and his wife, Evelina, were resolved that their children grow up with great values and ensured they make a difference in the broader world. Our collective heart breaks for them, and we all feel such a profound sense of loss. We will miss Kevin so much, and this town lost one of its brightest rising stars today.”

Turen co-founded Little Lamb Productions, producer of nine-time Emmy winner “Euphoria,...

Kevin Turen, a producer on HBO’s Euphoria and The Idol and Ti West’s X, Pearl and MaXXXine, has died. He was 44.

A spokesperson for Penske Media Corp., the parent company of The Hollywood Reporter, confirmed Turen’s death. No other details were immediately available.

“Despite his many achievements in Hollywood, Kevin’s greatest passion was his family and friends,” Jay Penske, CEO of Pmc and a close friend of Turen, said in a statement. “He was so proud of his children. He and his wife, Evelina, were resolved that their children grow up with great values and ensured they make a difference in the broader world. Our collective heart breaks for them, and we all feel such a profound sense of loss. We will miss Kevin so much, and this town lost one of its brightest rising stars.”

Turen was closely associated with Sam and Ashley Levinson. The trio co-founded Little Lamb Productions,...

Maybe I Do Image: Vertical Entertainment Dry wit and sexy repartee may, lamentably, be considered “old school” in cinema today, particularly in that wittiest and sexiest of genres, the romantic comedy. But Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon, who have chemistry to spare both on screen in Michael Jacobs’ rom-com Maybe I Do...

Plot: Michelle and Allen have reached the point in their relationship to take the next steps toward marriage. Thinking it is a good idea to invite their parents to finally meet, they set a dinner and make it a family affair. To everyone’s surprise, the affair takes on a whole new meaning as the parents already know each other all too well-they’ve been cheating on their spouses for months…with each other. Trapped in this precarious predicament, they try to hide their dalliances from the kids while confronting their spouse’s lovers head-on. Let the games begin!

Review: I went into Maybe I Do with no expectations. These days, the stars of this film have appeared in countless romantic comedies, some of which have been received better than others. When you make that many rom-coms, they tend to blend together, so unless you are a dedicated fan of the genre,...

Documentary

Liam Gallagher will feature with his sons Lennon and Gene in one-hour Sky special “Liam Gallagher 48 Hours at Rockfield,” where the former Oasis band member heads to the Rockfield Studios in Wales for 48 hours of music and memories. The show is ahead of the release of Gallagher’s new album “C’Mon You Know” and a summer of gigs including a return to Knebworth. Gallagher will perform exclusive tracks from the upcoming album, plus two Oasis classics. In-between the studio sessions Gallagher chats candidly about music, song writing and his upcoming tour.

Gallagher said: “It was great to go back to Rockfield after all these years and see the old firm looking so well. It brought back many memories.”

“Liam Gallagher 48 Hours at Rockfield” was commissioned by Zai Bennett, MD of content for Sky U.K. and Ireland and Phil Edgar-Jones, director of Sky Arts and Entertainment. Shirley Jones is commissioning editor for Sky.

New position will see Saudi producer step up involvement in festival to spearhead its growth and that of local film and TV industry.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) has appointed producer Mohammed Al Turki as CEO in a role making him directly involved in the day-to-day running and development of the event.

Saudi-born Al Turki worked as a producer in Hollywood for 12 years, taking executive producer credits on titles such as Arbitrage, 99 Homes, What Maisie Knew and Crisis.

He returned home following the lifting of Saudi Arabia’s 35-year cinema ban at the end of...

In Goalpost Pictures’ gold rush drama New Gold Mountain, Alyssa Sutherland plays a widow who overcomes the trauma of an abusive marriage and embarks on a quest for greater independence in 1850s Australia.

While it may be easy to classify her turn as Belle Roberts as a strong female character, the actress told If it was a description she was hoping to avoid.

“I like the attention we put on having much more well-rounded female characters but I get a little bee in my bonnet sometimes when all this focus gets put on these ‘strong female characters’,” she said.

“Women are just strong – that’s how it is.

“All the women in my life are very interesting and compelling people – it’s just taken a while to see the same thing on screen.”

Filmed at Sovereign Hill and around Melbourne and regional Victoria last year, New Gold Mountain follows the...

Royalty is in vogue. Amazon Prime reported that its Eddie Murphy sequel “Coming 2 America,” per Screen Engine/Asi, had the most opening-weekend viewings of any original film in the past 12 months. Over the weekend, Prime Video also became the top downloaded Entertainment app on the App Store, and the #2 downloaded app across all free apps. Paramount Pictures initially planned to release the $60 million title in theaters last August, but sold worldwide rights to Amazon for a reported $125 million.

Another Paramount title, “SpongeBob: Sponge on the Run,” finally made its American debut as a Premium VOD for $19.99. It bested all premium titles and took #1 on the revenue-based FandangoNow chart. It’s the latest breakout success among animated films that includes “The Croods: A New Age,” “Soul,” and “Tom & Jerry.”

“Raya and the Last Dragon” also debuted this weekend in theaters and on Disney+ for those subscribers willing to pay...

The first trailer for the upcoming thriller “Crisis” has been released.

Set against the backdrop of the opioid epidemic, “Crisis” features three interwoven stories that highlight the greed, violence and tragedy of the drug war. An agent named Jake Kelly (Armie Hammer) is tracking down a drug trafficker that arranged a multi-cartel Fentanyl smuggling operation between Canada and the U.S. His mission appears to intertwine with Claire Reimann’s (Evangeline Lilly), who is an architect recovering from an oxycodone addiction searching for the truth behind her son’s involvement with narcotics and subsequent disappearance. Meanwhile, Dr. Tyrone Brower (Gary Oldman) is a university professor who battles unexpected revelations about his employer, a pharmaceutical giant bringing a new “non-addictive” painkiller to market.

Additional cast members include Greg Kinnear, Michelle Rodriguez, Luke Evans, Lily-Rose Depp, Kid Cudi, Duke Nicholson, Veronica Ferres and Martin Donovan. “Crisis” is writer and director Nicholas Jarecki...

Taking just a tad bit more time in post-production and lining up for what would be some Gary Oldman Mank buzz, the acquisitions friendly sophmore feature Dreamland went into production in Montreal in March of 2019 with Oldman being joined by Armie Hammer, Evangeline Lilly, Greg Kinnear, Michelle Rodriguez, Lily-Rose Depp, Luke Evans, Indira Varma and Kid Cudi. His 2012 debut film Arbitrage was a Sundance selection, so the timing sounds a bit right here.

Gist: This follows three colliding stories: A drug trafficker (Hammer) arranges a multi-cartel Fentanyl smuggling operation between Canada and the U.S.; an architect (Lilly) recovering from an OxyContin addiction tracks down the truth behind her son’s involvement with narcotics; and a university professor (Oldman) battles unexpected revelations about his employer, a drug company with deep government influence bringing a new “non-addictive” painkiller to market.…...

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Blake Lively, Richard Gere and Diane Keaton are attached to star in the romantic comedy “The Making Of,” with Endeavor Content handling sales at the upcoming Toronto Intl. Film Festival.

Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz are producing through their Bedford Falls Company banner with production planned for the spring. The duo is also writing the script, which revolves around a pair of married filmmakers (played by Gere and Keaton) casting actors (portrayed by Lively and Miranda) to play the younger versions of themselves — while their own marriage is falling apart.

The Toronto festival will open its 45th edition on Sept. 10 with a mixture of physical events and virtual screenings, and will showcase many movies in drive-ins as a way to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Zwick and Herskovitz have collaborated on the features “Traffic,” “Legends of the Fall,” “About Last Night” and “The Last Samurai” and the television...

French actress Laetitia Casta ("Arbitrage") poses for the Summer 2020 issue of "Madame Figaro" (France) magazine:

Casta was a "Guess? Girl" in 1993, a 'Victoria's Secret Angel' 1998-2000 and spokesperson for cosmetics company "L'Oreal".

She has appeared on over 100 magazine covers including "Cosmopolitan", "Vogue", "Elle" and "Glamour", while modeling for fashion designers Yves Saint Laurent...

...Jean-Paul Gaultier, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, J. Crew, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy...

...Roberto Cavalli and Vivienne Westwood. Fragrance commercials include Nina Ricci.

Casta is also an established film actress, appearing in numerous films including "Gainsbourg (A Heroic Life)", "Face", "Blue Bicycle", "Arbitrage", the upcoming "Beyond The Horizon (2019) and TV series "Une île".

Click the images to enlarge...

Exclusive: Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games), Bryce Gangel (Crisis), Curtiss Cook (The Chi), and Darren Pettie (Sneaky Pete) are set as series regulars opposite Lena Headey in Showtime dramedy pilot Rita, based on Christian Torpe’s award-winning Danish series. Torpe will pen the pilot and serve as showrunner. Rita is a co-production of Showtime and Platform One Media.

In Rita, Headey will play the title character, a headstrong, unconventional teacher and single mother who takes on every kind of authority – as well as her family – in a messy and unfiltered way.

Hutcherson will play Ricco, Rita’s oldest son, a former bad boy who can do no wrong in her eyes. Gangel April, Ricco’s girlfriend, a psych major who enjoys the challenge of domesticating Ricco. Cook will portray Spencer, the sensitive and professional principal at the school where Rita teaches. Pettie is Tom, April’s father whose past relationship...

Amazon Prime Video is out with its list of everything new coming to the streaming service in January 2020.

New Prime Original, “Troop Zero,” is out Jan. 17. It stars Viola Davis and Allison Janney and “tells the story of a misfit girl dreaming of life in outer space but living in rural 1977 Georgia. When a national competition offers her a chance at her dream, to be recorded on Nasa’s Golden Record, she recruits a makeshift troop of Birdie Scouts, forging friendships that last a lifetime and beyond,” according to Amazon.

Other Prime Originals include the five-part docuseries “Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer,” out Jan. 31, and new standup special “Ilana Glazer: The Planet is Burning,” out Jan. 3.

Also Read: 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' Renewed For Season 4 at Amazon

Here is the full list of titles coming to Amazon Prime Video in January.

January 1

Amores Perros (2000)

Arbitrage (2012)

Captivity (2007)

Cinderfella (1960)

The Conspirator...

Hulu is kicking off the new year with a mix of new and old movies and TV shows that will be added to the streaming service in January.

Reality series including “The Bachelor,” “Project Runway” will release this month, along with “Cooks vs. Cons” and “Cutthroat: Kitchen.”

On the film front, “13 Going on 30,” “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Forrest Gump” and “Little Miss Sunshine” are arriving early in January.

Several children’s classics will be added on the platform as well. “Dennis the Menace,” which stars a young Mason Gamble as a neighborhood hooligan, and the animated saga “An American Tail,” starring an adventurous mouse named Fievel, will be available to stream.

See a complete list of movies and TV shows coming to Hulu in January 2020:

Jan. 1

Bring It!: Season 4

Brockmire: Season 3

Damages

Deputy: Series Premiere

Divided States

Fox’s New Year’s Eve Special with Steve Harvey

Glam...

French actress Laetitia Casta ("Arbitrage") poses for "Elle" (Russia) magazine, wearing Dolce & Gabbana and a whole lot more, photographed by Arseny Jabiev:

Casta became a "Guess? Girl" in 1993, was a 'Victoria's Secret Angel' from 1998-2000 and spokesperson for cosmetics company "L'Oreal".

She has appeared on over 100 magazine covers including "Cosmopolitan", "Vogue", "Elle" and "Glamour", while modeling for fashion designers Yves Saint Laurent...

...Jean-Paul Gaultier, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, J. Crew, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy...

...Roberto Cavalli and Vivienne Westwood, plus fragrance commercials including Nina Ricci.

Casta is also an established film actress, appearing in numerous films including "Gainsbourg (A Heroic Life)", "Face", "Blue Bicycle", "Arbitrage", the upcoming "Beyond The Horizon (2019) and TV series "Une île".

Click the images to enlarge...

Hulu is out with its list of everything new coming in January, as well as everything that’s leaving at the end of the month.

Highlights include the Season 24 premiere of “The Bachelor,” available the day after it airs first on ABC — so Jan. 7 for Hulu subscribers. Get ready to see Peter Weber in all his glory.

“Homeland” Seasons 6 and 7 will be available Jan. 10, following CIA officer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) and her mentor, Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin).

Also Read: 'The Bachelor' Goes Retro in Cheesy 70s-Themed Promo (Video)

U.K.’s “Love Island” Season 6 will premiere on Jan. 20, sans Caroline Flack. The second seasons of “Lodge 49” and “Shrill” premiere Jan. 13 and the 24th respectively.

Leaving on Jan. 31 are “The Fantastic Four,” “Crazy For Christmas,” and a handful of others.

Here’s the full list of everything coming and going to and from Hulu in January.

Also...

Exclusive The 60th anniversary of The Twilight Zone arrives next month and the late, great Rod Serling is clearly a man in demand more than four decades after his death at age 50 in 1975.

The Twilight Zone premiered on CBS in the waning months of the Eisenhower era, but more than a half-century later the brand is enjoying a resurgence, as is Serling, the creator, host, producer and social conscience behind the pioneering anthology that specialized in “imaginative tales that are not bound by time or space or the established laws of nature.”

Few shows plant a flag in the public imagination the way The Twilight Zone did. Its name, its theme music, and many of its characters (including monotone narrator Serling) became part of the American lexicon. In 2013, the WGA named it the third-best written show in television history (behind The Sopranos and Seinfeld) while TV Guide ranked it as...

Richard Gere celebrates his 70th birthday on August 31, 2019. Whether in romantic comedies, legal dramas, action thrillers or musicals, he’s been pretty durable as a leading man in a career spanning over 40 years. But how many of his titles remain classics? In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 12 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1949, Gere kicked off his movie career with a memorable supporting turn in Richard Brooks‘ “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” (1977), followed by a leading role in Terrence Malick‘s “Days of Heaven” (1978). He became a sex symbol with Paul Schrader‘s “American Gigolo” (1982) and a romantic idol with Taylor Hackford‘s “An Officer and a Gentleman” (1982), which earned him a Golden Globe nomination as Best Drama Actor.

SEEDebra Winger movies: 10 greatest films ranked from worst to best

Despite his box office bravura, Gere has never competed at the Oscars.

Richard Gere celebrates his 70th birthday on August 31, 2019. Whether in romantic comedies, legal dramas, action thrillers or musicals, he’s been pretty durable as a leading man in a career spanning over 40 years. But how many of his titles remain classics? In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 12 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1949, Gere kicked off his movie career with a memorable supporting turn in Richard Brooks‘ “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” (1977), followed by a leading role in Terrence Malick‘s “Days of Heaven” (1978). He became a sex symbol with Paul Schrader‘s “American Gigolo” (1982) and a romantic idol with Taylor Hackford‘s “An Officer and a Gentleman” (1982), which earned him a Golden Globe nomination as Best Drama Actor.

Despite his box office bravura, Gere has never competed at the Oscars. Perhaps the closest he ever came was with his leading...

In today’s film news roundup, Bill Pullman, Eddie Izzard, Diplo and Nina Dobrov get cast and Treehouse Pictures is developing John Grisham’s “The Confession” as a movie; Uzo Adaba’s “Miss Virginia” gets sold.

Castings

Bill Pullman, Eddie Izzard and Diplo have joined the cast of the Focus Features comedy “Covers” opposite Dakota Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross and Ice Cube.

“Covers” is set within the talent, fame and fast-paced world of Hollywood’s music scene. “Late Night” director Nisha Ganatra is helming from a screenplay by Flora Greeson. Production is currently underway in Los Angeles.

Pullman’s credits include “Battle of the Sexes” and USA Networks’ “The Sinner.” Izzard most recently starred in “Victoria & Abdul.” Diplo has worked with artists including Beyoncé, Justin Bieber and Madonna. His most recent acting credit was in Detective Pikachu.

****

Nina Dobrev is executive producing and starring in the female-driven comedy “Sick Girl,...

Hulu is out with its list of new content coming in July, and highlights include the “Veronica Mars” revival and the series premiere of the new “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” We also have the list of everything that’s being removed from the streaming service at the end of July.

Season 1-3 of the original “Veronica Mars” series will be available starting July 1, so you can brush up on all the background knowledge you’ll need to fully enjoy Season 4 when it drops July 26, with Kristen Bell returning the starring role as the title character after almost 15 years. Here’s everything we know about the revival so far.

The new Mindy Kaling-produced “Four Weddings and a Funeral” series comes July 31, with “Game of Thrones” star Nathalie Emanuel in the lead role. Original star Andie MacDowell will return as a guest star.

Also Read: Summer TV Premiere Dates: Here's...

As expected, Amazon Studios will give Scott Z. Burns’ CIA thriller “The Report,” one of the company’s two seven-figure buys at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, a theatrical release this fall, opening September 27. It will open in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., before adding Amazon Prime Video on October 11. At that point, Amazon hopes to release it in a total of 150 total theaters parallel to its home availability.

Unlike rival Netflix, Amazon has has a history of making vital theatrical distribution commitments for films like their other Sundance buy, “Late Night.” Distribution head Bob Berney has made a point of honoring the standard three-month window for theater exclusivity, but this marks a shift under new Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke, who suggested at Sundance that a more flexible approach to releasing Amazon films was in the works.

“The Report,” a political thriller about the struggle...

Netflix may get most of the attention, but it’s hardly a one-stop shop for cinephiles who are looking to stream essential classic and contemporary films. Each of the prominent streaming platforms — and there are more of them all the time — caters to its own niche of film obsessives. From chilling horror fare on Shudder, to the boundless wonders of the Criterion Channel, and esoteric (but unmissable) festival hits on the newly launched Ovid.tv, IndieWire’s monthly guide will highlight the best of what’s coming to every major streaming site, with an eye towards exclusive titles that may help readers decide which of these services is right for them.

Here’s the best of the best for June 2019.

Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime isn’t offering its subscribers much in the way of exclusives this month, and — for reasons that aren’t entirely clear — the brunt of the platform...

Amazon Prime Video is out with its list of new titles coming in June, and it includes the new Jonas Brothers movie, “Chasing Happiness.” Featuring never-before-seen footage of the brothers’ younger years, the film offers long-time JoBros fans a personal look at Nick, Joe and Kevin’s journey to success, from a family struggling to make ends meet to their ascent to pop stardom. The Amazon Original is out June 4, just ahead of the band’s comeback album, “Happiness Begins,” out June 7.

Another June highlight is “Yardie,” which is directed by Idris Elba and set in ’70s Kingston, Jamaica and ’80s Hackney, London. “Yardie,” which will be released on June 17, centers on the life of a young Jamaican man named D who has never fully recovered from the murder of his older brother Jerry Dread. Dispatched to London where he reconnects with his childhood sweetheart, Yvonne and his daughter who...

The European Film Market just got a little more star-studded thanks to Gary Oldman, Armie Hammer and Evangeline Lilly, who are set to team up for Dreamland, an "opioid thriller" from Nicholas Jarecki and the follow-up to his 2012 debut Arbitrage.

German actress Veronica Ferres will also star in the project, written by Jarecki and billed as the first theatrical film to tackle the international opioid crisis. Principal photography is underway in Montreal and Detroit, with Lisa Wilson due to introduce buyers to the project in Berlin through her Solution Entertainment Group. William Morris Endeavor represents US rights with ...

The Foreigner is a gripping and relevant action thriller directed by a master of the smart action genre, Martin Campbell (Casino Royale and Goldeneye.) Justice, retribution and redemption are at the heart of this provocative story of two men whose hidden pasts explode in the present.

The film marks a blazing return to the screen by Jackie Chan (the Rush Hour trilogy, Skiptrace) and Pierce Brosnan (Tomorrow Never Dies, The November Man), two actors in roles that take full advantage of and build upon their legendary star status.

(Left to Right) Jackie Chan as Quan and Pierce Brosnan as Hennessy at Hennessy’s office in The Foreigner

The film tells the story of humble London restaurant owner Quan (Chan), whose long-buried past erupts in a revenge-fueled vendetta when the only person left for him to love — his teenage daughter — is taken from him in a senseless act of politically-motivated terrorism.

Based on the international best seller of the same name, The Dinner, a dark pyshological thiller about how far parents will go to protect their children, arrives on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD) and DVD on August 8th from Lionsgate. Boasting powerful performances from an all-star cast, including Golden Globe winner Richard Gere (2003, Best Actor – Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Chicago), Oscar nominee Laura Linney (2007, Best Actress, The Savages), Oscar nominee Steve Coogan (2013, Best Picture,Philomena), Oscar nominee Chloë Sevigny (1999, Best Supporting Actress, Boys Don’t Cry), and Golden Globe nominee Rebecca Hall (2009, Best Actress – Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Vicky Christina Barcelona), the film was nominated for Best Film at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival. Written and directed by Oscar nominee Oren Moverman (2009, Best Writing, Original Screenplay, The Messenger), The Dinner Blu-ray and DVD include audio commentary with Moverman and Linney and a photo gallery and will be available for...

Based on the international best seller of the same name, The Dinner, a dark pyshological thiller about how far parents will go to protect their children, arrives on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD) and DVD on August 8from Lionsgate. Boasting powerful performances from an all-star cast, including Golden Globe winner Richard Gere (2003, Best Actor – Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Chicago), Oscar nominee Laura Linney (2007, Best Actress, The Savages), Oscar nominee Steve Coogan (2013, Best Picture,Philomena), Oscar nominee Chloë Sevigny (1999, Best Supporting Actress, Boys Don’t Cry), and Golden Globe nominee Rebecca Hall (2009, Best Actress – Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Vicky Christina Barcelona), the film was nominated for Best Film at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival. Written and directed by Oscar nominee Oren Moverman (2009, Best Writing, Original Screenplay, The Messenger), The Dinner Blu-ray and DVD include audio commentary with Moverman and Linney and a photo gallery and will be available for the...

Another day, another celebrity wedding to report! It’s confirmed that French model-turned-actress Laetitia Casta tied the knot to French actor Louis Garrel in a very intimate, super-secret ceremony in Lumio, Corsica.

Le nozze segrete di #LaetitiaCasta e #LouisGarrel; il nuovo amore di @FinallyMario; le confessioni di @_AnnaTatangelo_ … #SolosuChi pic.twitter.com/VcI5g7hrKZ

— Chi Magazine (@chimagazine) June 14, 2017

They said ‘I do’ on Saturday at a ceremony at the mayor’s office and afterward partied at a beach-themed reception on the island of Spano. They matched the bohemian theme of the wedding with their simple, relaxed style choices. Casta...

Author: Stefan Pape

Quietly, Richard Gere is consistently making rather good movies, telling interesting stories and taking on nuanced, intriguing roles. From The Benefactor to Arbitrage (let’s just forget The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for now) – he’s tackling intimate character studies, and his latest, Joseph Cedar’s Norman, is no different.

Gere plays the eponymous protagonist, a professional chancer and over-enthused fixer – only problem is, nobody will actually let him get close enough to fix anything. Until he meets Eshel (Lior Ashkenazi), an Israeli politician spending some time in New York, touched by Norman’s offer to buy him a pair of shoes. Three years pass, and Eshel is now an influential world leader, as the Prime Minister of his native country, and when he returns to the States to meet the President, Norman shows up at a function – and they remember each other well. To have...

Author: Scott Davis

One of the very best actors of his generation, Richard Gere has appeared in over 50 films in a career that spans four decades. Famed for his roles in such classics as An Officer and A Gentleman, Pretty Woman and Chicago, the Golden Globe winner has taken on some smaller films in recent years that have gained him a new audience such as Time Out of Mind, Arbitrage and his new film, Norman, which is released in UK cinemas this week.

The film tells the story of Norman Oppenheimer (Gere), a small time “fixer” who becomes close to a young Israeli politician. Over the course of three years, their relationship changes and when the politician becomes a hugely influential world leader, Norman’s life (and his lies) begin to unravel…

Speaking exclusively to HeyUGuys’ Scott Davis, Gere talks about his love of the quirky films he has been involved with recently,...

Newly minted blockbuster superstar Gal Gadot was hardly a household name when she was picked to play Wonder Woman in DC’s Extended Universe, including turns in “Batman v Superman” and “Justice League” and a starring role in the studio’s newest smash hit, “Wonder Woman.” Best known to action-loving audiences for her supporting roles in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, the former Israeli soldier is now a bonafide breakout, thanks to her work in the long-awaited and instantly beloved superhero film. Fortunately, she’s not the only actress who made the jump from rising star to tentpole leading lady.

Oscar winner Alicia Vikander is toplining the newly re-launched “Tomb Raider” franchise, while “Kingsman” and “Star Trek Beyond” standout Sofia Boutella will star in the upcoming “The Mummy” reboot and presumably continue on in the planned “Dark Universe” franchise. Daisy Ridley has handily taken over chief badass status on the...

It’s a high drama between salad and entree in filmmaker Oren Moverman’s The Dinner. Set in the kind of restaurant that you have to kill someone to get a reservation, two couples meet for great food and even better conversation. And none of them will ever be the same by the time the check arrives. Richard Gere and Laura Linney head the cast as two alpha characters in roles that are a standard part of each actor’s standard repertoire. Think Gere in Arbitrage and Linney in Mystic River. Gere is a popular Congressman on the eve of his run for...read more...

Filmmaker Eugene Jarecki has signed with UTA, The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively learned. He previously was with CAA.

Both of his documentaries — Why We Fight, about the rise of the military-industrial complex, and The House I Live In, about the war on drugs — won Sundance Grand Jury Prizes and Peabody Awards. His other credits include the Emmy-winning HBO documentary Reagan and The Trials of Henry Kissinger, which won an award from Amnesty International and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.

Jarecki, the brother of fellow filmmakers Andrew Jarecki (The Jinx) and Nicholas Jarecki (Arbitrage), will...

Together, writer/director Joseph Cedar and lead actor Richard Gere craft a singularly memorable character in Norman Oppenheimer, a lonely New York “businessman” with loose connections and an insatiable drive for success. Cedar builds his film Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer as a modern adaptation of the “Court Jew” archetype, in which a Jewish figure befriends a man of power, only to be betrayed in the end.

It’s not really a spoiler if it’s all in the title. There’s to be only sadness at the end of this funny, bittersweet story. Norman sports white Apple headphones hanging from his ears as he makes phone call after phone call, bending the truths of his friendships and influences to whoever will listen. He’s got a nephew (Michael Sheen) who appeases him and a slew of Jewish men who wield power and...

This is the story of how two Israeli filmmakers transformed a Buddhist movie star into Bob Dylan, a New York homeless man, a Manhattan Jewish fixer, and a politician with family issues. It started when Oren Moverman wrote “I’m Not There” with director Todd Haynes, who cast Richard Gere as one of six versions of Bob Dylan.

Several years later, Gere spotted Moverman across a crowded room. “It was an Academy event in New York,” Gere said. “It was a cocktail thing for new members.” Moverman introduced him to Oscar-nominated Joseph Cedar (”Footnote”). They wound up talking Middle East politics. “The three of us were getting along great,” said Gere, who told the men, “If you want to do something that has to do with the Middle East, even in a tangential way, talk to me.”

Read More: ‘Arbitrage’: Richard Gere Talks Indie Filmmaking and VOD

Before they parted ways,...

This is the story of how two Israeli filmmakers transformed a Buddhist movie star into Bob Dylan, a New York homeless man, a Manhattan Jewish fixer, and a politician with family issues. It started when Oren Moverman wrote “I’m Not There” with director Todd Haynes, who cast Richard Gere as one of six versions of Bob Dylan.

Several years later, Gere spotted Moverman across a crowded room. “It was an Academy event in New York,” Gere said. “It was a cocktail thing for new members.” Moverman introduced him to Oscar-nominated Joseph Cedar (”Footnote”). They wound up talking Middle East politics. “The three of us were getting along great,” said Gere, who told the men, “If you want to do something that has to do with the Middle East, even in a tangential way, talk to me.”

Read More: ‘Arbitrage’: Richard Gere Talks Indie Filmmaking and VOD

Before they parted ways,...

Oren Moverman is responsible for two of the most impressive American screenplays of the past 10 years, “I’m Not There.” and “Love & Mercy,” both of which turn ambitious approaches to personal stories into surprisingly accessible dramas. As a director, Moverman has shown a rougher edge.

His first two features, “The Messenger” and “Rampart,” were gritty, intimate stories of angry men screwed by the system that employs them (the military and the police force, respectively), while 2014’s “Time Out of Mind” took a similar approach to a man rejected by the system altogether (Richard Gere, playing a decrepit homeless man in New York). Moverman assembles these rickety dramas in piecemeal, gradually developing psychological tension out from the moments that form their lives, like a series of sparklers ignited one by one until they form a blazing whole.

His latest effort, “The Dinner,” is a firecracker from the start. While hobbled by...

I was curious to see how “The Birth of a Nation” — which I first saw at Sundance, where it drew two standing ovations and won the jury and audience prizes — would play for a real audience; in this case, at UCLA Extension’s fall screening series Sneak Previews.

As I watched the film again, I recognized the power of this handsomely mounted movie. Writer-director Nate Parker carefully crafted the (mostly) historically accurate story to show how, in 1831, the charismatic and educated slave Nat Turner (Parker) preached the gospel around his Virginia county, to the enrichment of his childhood playmate and master Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), in order to placate the local restless slave population, many of them living under far worse conditions.

He witnessed horror after horror, including the brutal gang rape of his beloved wife (Aja Naomi King), which eventually sent him on a mission of righteous vengeance from the Lord.

I was curious to see how “The Birth of a Nation” — which I first saw at Sundance, where it drew two standing ovations and won the jury and audience prizes — would play for a real audience; in this case, at UCLA Extension’s fall screening series Sneak Previews.

As I watched the film again, I recognized the power of this handsomely mounted movie. Writer-director Nate Parker carefully crafted the (mostly) historically accurate story to show how, in 1831, the charismatic and educated slave Nat Turner (Parker) preached the gospel around his Virginia county, to the enrichment of his childhood playmate and master Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), in order to placate the local restless slave population, many of them living under far worse conditions.

He witnessed horror after horror, including the brutal gang rape of his beloved wife (Aja Naomi King), which eventually sent him on a mission of righteous vengeance from the Lord.

Here's a tough question: Do you judge Nate Parker's The Birth of a Nation as a film, or put the man behind it on trial as a former student at Penn State in 1999 who was accused of raping an 18-year-old woman – a crime for which he was acquitted. I'll leave the playing God stuff to social media, where it thrives, and stick to what's onscreen which, by any standard, is a monumental achievement.

The Birth of a Nation is a passion project for Parker, who labored for seven years...

Nate Parker became an overnight sensation in Hollywood after his film The Birth of a Nation, which he wrote, starred in, directed and produced, earned universal praise, scoring an unprecedented $17 million deal at the Sundance Film Festival and earning him glowing comparisons to Orson Welles. But the acclaim has been overshadowed by his involvement in a 1999 rape case after recent reports surfaced that the woman had committed suicide in 2012, shining a harsh spotlight on a man who endured a troubled childhood before charting his path to stardom. Birth of a Nation, a historical drama that tells the story of Nat Turner's famous 1831 slave revolt,...