Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been in a ton of controversies since its announcement. While locking quests behind a day-one-season pass bundle worth $109.99 was one of them, there’s another problem that has taken priority in almost all the discourse surrounding the title.
The existence of the samurai Yasuke in the game, one of the two protagonists of the game that you can play as, has rubbed many the wrong way, being that he is a man of African origin. While it might seem like a forced connection out of context, history says otherwise.
Was Yasuke from Assassin’s Creed Shadows a Samurai in Real Life?
Someone has to end the Assassin’s Creed Shadows debate around this character
The Yasuke from Shadows is based on a real-life figure in history. What we do know about him is that he was likely a slave but was a free man when...
The existence of the samurai Yasuke in the game, one of the two protagonists of the game that you can play as, has rubbed many the wrong way, being that he is a man of African origin. While it might seem like a forced connection out of context, history says otherwise.
Was Yasuke from Assassin’s Creed Shadows a Samurai in Real Life?
Someone has to end the Assassin’s Creed Shadows debate around this character
The Yasuke from Shadows is based on a real-life figure in history. What we do know about him is that he was likely a slave but was a free man when...
- 5/16/2024
- by Vibha Hegde
- FandomWire
In the "Futurama" episode "A Fishful of Dollars", Fry (Billy West) remembers that he had 93 cents in his savings account when he was cryogenically frozen in 1999. After a thousand years of .25% interest, however, that amount had grown into a fortune of 4.3 billion dollars. Thankfully, inflation hasn't kept pace, and Fry is suddenly one of the wealthiest people on the planet. As anyone with abrupt access to a massive fortune might, Fry immediately begins to squander his riches on frivolous things. He buys the Mona Lisa merely so he may use it as a clay pigeon for skeet shooting. He tries to recreate a slobby, 20th-century apartment just as he remembered it. Most notably, he buys an ancient can of anchovies at auction, a valuable commodity indeed, given that anchovies went extinct many years before. The anchovies, still sealed, are guaranteed to be edible.
Unbeknownst to Fry, however, the anchovies are...
Unbeknownst to Fry, however, the anchovies are...
- 5/9/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.Newsa Man of Integrity.Having banned producers of and actors in Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024) from leaving the country in an apparent attempt to pressure the director to pull the film from the Cannes Film Festival, Iranian authorities have now sentenced Rasoulof to eight years in prison, whipping, a fine, and confiscation of property, his lawyer announced today, adding that the courts consider the director’s films examples of collusion with the intention of committing a crime against the nation’s security.A group of about 200 French festival workers called Sous les écrans la dèche (“Under the screens the waste”) announced Monday that it will move ahead with plans for a strike during Cannes,...
- 5/8/2024
- MUBI
Following Raw and Titane, Julia Ducournau has set her third feature with Alpha. Though no plot details have been unveiled this far, Golshifteh Farahani and Tahar Rahim (A Prophet) will lead the film, Deadline reports. “Alpha is Julia’s most personal, profound work yet, and we are looking forward to a global audience discovering the story with as much excitement as we did,” said Filmnation and Charades, while the producers added, “Alpha is a new page in Julia Ducournau’s corpus that is both very consistent with the previous ones and entirely new in its tone.”
Following All of Us Strangers, Andrew Haigh is stepping up to a major studio project with a Leonardo da Vinci film set up at Universal Pictures. The film is based on Walter Isaacson‘s 2017 biography, which showed “how Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity,...
Following All of Us Strangers, Andrew Haigh is stepping up to a major studio project with a Leonardo da Vinci film set up at Universal Pictures. The film is based on Walter Isaacson‘s 2017 biography, which showed “how Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity,...
- 5/3/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Is one renaissance man about to take on another? Apparently so, as IndieWire has confirmed that Andrew Haigh has been tapped to helm a highly anticipated adaptation of Walter Isaacson’s lauded 2017 biography of Leonardo Da Vinci. Paramount had initially won the film rights when the book was first released and even cast the world’s 2nd most famous Leonardo, Di Caprio, in the lead role. Unfortunately, its version eventually went into turnaround allowing Universal to swoop in (perhaps with the use of Da Vinci’s ornithopter) and create a fresh package with Haigh. Initially it was announced that Christopher Hampton would be scripting the piece, but with Haigh now onboard, Universal looks to be giving him full creative oversight, perhaps in an effort to summon the spirit of Da Vinci himself.
Walter Isaacson is the preeminent biographer of the modern era. The former CEO of CNN and editor of Time,...
Walter Isaacson is the preeminent biographer of the modern era. The former CEO of CNN and editor of Time,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Universal Pictures has tapped renowned British filmmaker Andrew Haigh (All of Us Strangers) to write and direct a Leonardo da Vinci film based on Walter Isaacson’s bestselling 2017 biography of the artist, Deadline can confirm.
Based on thousands of pages from Da Vinci’s notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, the biography looks to connect his art to his science, showing how Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy.
An icon of the Italian Renaissance, Da Vinci was not only a prolific painter but also a polymath excelling in various fields including science, engineering, and anatomy. His masterpieces, the “Mona Lisa,” and “The Last Supper” are among the most recognizable and influential works of art in history.
Christopher Hampton wrote a previous draft of the Da Vinci script.
Based on thousands of pages from Da Vinci’s notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, the biography looks to connect his art to his science, showing how Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy.
An icon of the Italian Renaissance, Da Vinci was not only a prolific painter but also a polymath excelling in various fields including science, engineering, and anatomy. His masterpieces, the “Mona Lisa,” and “The Last Supper” are among the most recognizable and influential works of art in history.
Christopher Hampton wrote a previous draft of the Da Vinci script.
- 5/2/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Universal Pictures has found its director for the high-priority Leonardo da Vinci film. “All of Us Strangers” helmer Andrew Haigh has signed on to direct and adapt Walter Isaacson’s acclaimed biography of the Renaissance man.
Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Isaacson’s book became one of the hottest literary properties when it hit the market in 2017. At the time, Universal was outbid by Paramount, which developed the project with Leonardo DiCaprio for years before putting it in turnaround. Universal quietly picked it up last year. The runaway bestseller connects da Vinci’s transcendent art, which includes the Mona Lisa painting hanging in the Louvre, to his trailblazing science — and shows how his genius was driven by an insatiable curiosity, careful observation and a whimsical imagination. The Italian icon lived from 1452-1519 during the height of the Renaissance,...
Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Isaacson’s book became one of the hottest literary properties when it hit the market in 2017. At the time, Universal was outbid by Paramount, which developed the project with Leonardo DiCaprio for years before putting it in turnaround. Universal quietly picked it up last year. The runaway bestseller connects da Vinci’s transcendent art, which includes the Mona Lisa painting hanging in the Louvre, to his trailblazing science — and shows how his genius was driven by an insatiable curiosity, careful observation and a whimsical imagination. The Italian icon lived from 1452-1519 during the height of the Renaissance,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
Shueisha announced that they will be fully revamping its long-selling history manga series “Learning Through Manga: World History,” with all 18 volumes to be released on Oct 4.
The new version, which will be the first major revamp in 22 years since its release in 2002, will change the format from the previous large-format hardcover to a more portable softcover and will also completely renew the content.
The cover illustrations for all 18 volumes is drawn by 16 popular manga artists, including Hirohiko Araki (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure), Tatsuya Endo (Spy x Family), and Kohei Horikoshi (My Hero Academia).
Below are the titles of all 18 volumes, the manga artists responsible for the cover & the illustrations:
1. Civilizations of the Orient and Mediterranean – Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece
Cover Illustrator: Yasuhisa Hara Figure depicted: Rameses II
2. The Beginning of Chinese Civilization and Empire – From Yellow River to Tang Dynasty
Cover illustrator: Hiroyuki Asada Figure depicted: Qin Shi Huang
3. The Glory...
The new version, which will be the first major revamp in 22 years since its release in 2002, will change the format from the previous large-format hardcover to a more portable softcover and will also completely renew the content.
The cover illustrations for all 18 volumes is drawn by 16 popular manga artists, including Hirohiko Araki (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure), Tatsuya Endo (Spy x Family), and Kohei Horikoshi (My Hero Academia).
Below are the titles of all 18 volumes, the manga artists responsible for the cover & the illustrations:
1. Civilizations of the Orient and Mediterranean – Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece
Cover Illustrator: Yasuhisa Hara Figure depicted: Rameses II
2. The Beginning of Chinese Civilization and Empire – From Yellow River to Tang Dynasty
Cover illustrator: Hiroyuki Asada Figure depicted: Qin Shi Huang
3. The Glory...
- 4/24/2024
- by Ami Nazru
- AnimeHunch
If you've ever wanted to see famous historical figures like Winston Churchill, Napoleon Bonaparte, Leonardo Da Vinci and Vladimir Lenin drawn by the creators of your favorite manga, then you've come to the right place. As part of their 100th anniversary celebrations, Japanese publisher Shueisha announced that a revamped edition of educational series Gakushu Manga: Sekai no Rekishi ("Manga Learning: World History") will be released on October 4, 2024 with 18 new covers drawn by famous manga illustrators. Here's the full collection and volume guide: Civilizations of the Orient and Mediterranean - Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece by Yasuhisa Hara ( Kingdom ) The Beginning of Chinese Civilization and Empire - From Yellow River to Tang Dynasty by Hiroyuki Asada ( Renka ) The Glory of the Colossal Roman Empire - Ancient Rome and Byzantine by Kohei Horikoshi ( My Hero Academia ) Islamic World and India - The Rise and Fall of Dynasties and Religion by Kozueko Morimoto ( Gokusen ) Christianity...
- 4/24/2024
- by Liam Dempsey
- Crunchyroll
Before passing away, Kentarou Miura gifted the fans one of the best manga ever. He created a masterpiece with one of the most iconic rivalries ever. His presence of mind and creativity were very well depicted in his magnum opus. Guts’ journey to put an end to his former friend has kept the anime fans busy for more than three decades.
Berserk has one of the most beautiful drawings, and the minute details were done so well. But the mangaka said that he was not good at drawing manga panels. It may sound surprising, but during an old interview, he confirmed that he had a problem drawing manga panels. Kentarou Miura really went from being bad at creating manga panels to becoming one of the best mangakas.
Kentarou Miura’s Manga Panels Were Not up To the Mark Berserk (Credit: Nippon TV)
Kentarou Miura had a knack for drawing during his childhood.
Berserk has one of the most beautiful drawings, and the minute details were done so well. But the mangaka said that he was not good at drawing manga panels. It may sound surprising, but during an old interview, he confirmed that he had a problem drawing manga panels. Kentarou Miura really went from being bad at creating manga panels to becoming one of the best mangakas.
Kentarou Miura’s Manga Panels Were Not up To the Mark Berserk (Credit: Nippon TV)
Kentarou Miura had a knack for drawing during his childhood.
- 4/22/2024
- by Priyanko Chakraborty
- FandomWire
Michael Jackson‘s brother, Jermaine Jackson of The Jackson 5, made a bold statement about the King of Pop. Jermaine felt his brother’s life would have been saved if he had made one decision. Interestingly, it is a decision Jermaine made himself.
Michael Jackson’s brother, Jermaine Jackson, wanted him to convert to another religion
During a 2010 BBC interview quoted by Praise 102.1, Jermaine said a conversion to Islam would have saved the “Thriller” singer. “God is so powerful,” Jermaine said. “[Michael] was studying. He was reading a lot of books, because I brought him books from Saudi Arabia. I brought him books from Bahrain.”
Jermaine explained he wanted Michael to relocate to Bahrain, a small Muslim nation. “I was the one who originally put him in Bahrain because I wanted him to get out of America because it was having a cherry-picking time on my brother,” he revealed.
Jermaine went on...
Michael Jackson’s brother, Jermaine Jackson, wanted him to convert to another religion
During a 2010 BBC interview quoted by Praise 102.1, Jermaine said a conversion to Islam would have saved the “Thriller” singer. “God is so powerful,” Jermaine said. “[Michael] was studying. He was reading a lot of books, because I brought him books from Saudi Arabia. I brought him books from Bahrain.”
Jermaine explained he wanted Michael to relocate to Bahrain, a small Muslim nation. “I was the one who originally put him in Bahrain because I wanted him to get out of America because it was having a cherry-picking time on my brother,” he revealed.
Jermaine went on...
- 4/16/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed is one of the most popular franchises, and fans often discuss which of the games are the best. This is hard as several titles have impressed players for various reasons. One main reason players like the game are the protagonists; and Ezio Auditore tops that chart.
Ezio is the most known Master Assassin in the series, and probably the games wouldn’t have been this successful if not for the protagonist. The recent appearance by Ezio Auditore in a new release has fans confused, especially about his outfit, which many don’t recognize.
Fans Are Clueless About Ezio’s Appearance in Assassin’s Creed
Ezio Auditore returns in Assassin’s Creed and fans are confused.
Ezio Auditore da Firenze is returning in the new Magic: The Gathering Assassin’s Creed official expansion, which is slated for launch in July this year. A fan took to the game’s...
Ezio is the most known Master Assassin in the series, and probably the games wouldn’t have been this successful if not for the protagonist. The recent appearance by Ezio Auditore in a new release has fans confused, especially about his outfit, which many don’t recognize.
Fans Are Clueless About Ezio’s Appearance in Assassin’s Creed
Ezio Auditore returns in Assassin’s Creed and fans are confused.
Ezio Auditore da Firenze is returning in the new Magic: The Gathering Assassin’s Creed official expansion, which is slated for launch in July this year. A fan took to the game’s...
- 3/27/2024
- by Rohit Tiwari
- FandomWire
When Adam Changes, a Canadian animated film about an awkward teenager in suburban Quebec, won the Grand Prix at the Niigata International Animation Film Festival (Niaff).
The festival, now in its second year, ran from March 15-20 in Niigata, a port city two hours north of Tokyo.
Written and directed by Joël Vaudreuil, When Adam Changes premiered at last year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival. “Coming here and meeting so many people, and being able to meet and talk with the other competition directors was a gift in itself,” said Vaudreuil, acceping the award at Niaff’s closing ceremony.
The festival, now in its second year, ran from March 15-20 in Niigata, a port city two hours north of Tokyo.
Written and directed by Joël Vaudreuil, When Adam Changes premiered at last year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival. “Coming here and meeting so many people, and being able to meet and talk with the other competition directors was a gift in itself,” said Vaudreuil, acceping the award at Niaff’s closing ceremony.
- 3/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
Unsupported assertions and gormless naivety drive this mishmash of pseudoscience and manipulated religious doctrine
Clearly scheduled to give vegetarians and vegans ammunition to shame carnivorous family members around the Easter and Passover dinner table, this passionate but unpersuasive documentary argues that Jesus was probably a vegetarian. Ultimately, the theory gets largely traced back to the apocryphal Gospel of the Ebionites, a text that’s been around since the second century; director Kip Andersen, however, makes a whole song and dance out of “discovering” this notion in a roundabout way, making for an entertainingly barmy quest. By the end, we’re informed that scientists have found the supposedly “happiest human on Earth”: a vegan Buddhist monk named Matthieu Ricard who spends most of his time meditating on compassion and has “high-amplitude gamma activity” in his brain which means it “fires on the highest levels”.
This particular mishmash of pseudoscientific buzz...
Clearly scheduled to give vegetarians and vegans ammunition to shame carnivorous family members around the Easter and Passover dinner table, this passionate but unpersuasive documentary argues that Jesus was probably a vegetarian. Ultimately, the theory gets largely traced back to the apocryphal Gospel of the Ebionites, a text that’s been around since the second century; director Kip Andersen, however, makes a whole song and dance out of “discovering” this notion in a roundabout way, making for an entertainingly barmy quest. By the end, we’re informed that scientists have found the supposedly “happiest human on Earth”: a vegan Buddhist monk named Matthieu Ricard who spends most of his time meditating on compassion and has “high-amplitude gamma activity” in his brain which means it “fires on the highest levels”.
This particular mishmash of pseudoscientific buzz...
- 3/19/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Mar 8-10)Total gross to dateWeek 1. Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros) £5.8m £19.3m 2 2. Wicked Little Letters (Studiocanal) £894,841 £6.1m 3 3. Bob Marley: One Love (Paramount) £828,871 £15.1m 4 4. Migration (Universal) £670,028 £18.4m 6 5. Imaginary (Lionsgate) £650,705 £650,705 1
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.28
Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two neared £20m on its second weekend at the UK-Ireland box office; as Lionsgate horror Imaginary was the leading new title in fifth place.
Dune: Part Two added £5.8m – a 37.1% drop, that brings it to £19.3m total. This is a slightly bigger drop than 2021’s Dune, which fell 30.7% on its second weekend; but it is far ahead of...
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.28
Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two neared £20m on its second weekend at the UK-Ireland box office; as Lionsgate horror Imaginary was the leading new title in fifth place.
Dune: Part Two added £5.8m – a 37.1% drop, that brings it to £19.3m total. This is a slightly bigger drop than 2021’s Dune, which fell 30.7% on its second weekend; but it is far ahead of...
- 3/11/2024
- ScreenDaily
Stephen Fry donnishly voices the Italian genius in this somewhat storyless family film about his life and explorations
‘Excommunication is too good for him! I should boil him in his own drawing ink!” Pope Leo X (voiced by Toast of London’s Matt Berry) is very cross indeed with Leonardo da Vinci for dissecting cadavers. “It makes my stomach all queasy-weasy!” Berry’s papal peevishness is a spark of joy in an otherwise drab kids movie about Leonardo in his later years, made using a mix of stop-motion and hand-illustrated animation. It’s a bit of a bore and a chore, and feels like the kind of “educational” film that will be foisted on kids in class during wet playtime on rainy days.
The man himself is voiced by Stephen Fry (not bothering with an Italian accent; the script drops in the odd per favore and grazie to compensate). The film opens in Rome,...
‘Excommunication is too good for him! I should boil him in his own drawing ink!” Pope Leo X (voiced by Toast of London’s Matt Berry) is very cross indeed with Leonardo da Vinci for dissecting cadavers. “It makes my stomach all queasy-weasy!” Berry’s papal peevishness is a spark of joy in an otherwise drab kids movie about Leonardo in his later years, made using a mix of stop-motion and hand-illustrated animation. It’s a bit of a bore and a chore, and feels like the kind of “educational” film that will be foisted on kids in class during wet playtime on rainy days.
The man himself is voiced by Stephen Fry (not bothering with an Italian accent; the script drops in the odd per favore and grazie to compensate). The film opens in Rome,...
- 3/4/2024
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
As Britain’s pre-eminent brainbox voices Leonardo da Vinci in new stopmotion film The Inventor, he answers readers’ questions on dinner parties, trivia quizzes and getting old
People regularly invoke your name as someone they’d like to join them at the perfect dinner party. Are you such a fantastic guest? hhhhssss
When people say that, I usually reply: “Ah, you haven’t seen me eat.” It’s a very charming thing to hear, a way people get, I guess, to list qualities of their heroes or people they admire and imagine very kindly that I’m a good speaker or that I’m a wit of some sort, and hope I’m friendly. The list usually includes Winston Churchill and Oscar Wilde and I always feel extremely unworthy, but I don’t want to bore anybody with, you know, the usual British modesty ritual. I’ll just say that...
People regularly invoke your name as someone they’d like to join them at the perfect dinner party. Are you such a fantastic guest? hhhhssss
When people say that, I usually reply: “Ah, you haven’t seen me eat.” It’s a very charming thing to hear, a way people get, I guess, to list qualities of their heroes or people they admire and imagine very kindly that I’m a good speaker or that I’m a wit of some sort, and hope I’m friendly. The list usually includes Winston Churchill and Oscar Wilde and I always feel extremely unworthy, but I don’t want to bore anybody with, you know, the usual British modesty ritual. I’ll just say that...
- 2/29/2024
- by As told to Rich Pelley
- The Guardian - Film News
In the new issue of the Film Stories magazine, we spoke to The Inventor director Jim Capobianco. Here’s a little taster of that chat.
Delightful and eccentric stop-motion movie The Inventor is the first feature film from Jim Capobianco, the director of Pixar’s Ratatouille short, Your Friend The Rat.
I recently had the pleasure to speak with him at length for Film Stories magazine – order your copy now, go on, why don’t you. The interview was so lengthy, in fact, that lots of interesting bits were left on the cutting room floor.
What follows are two short sections that might be of particular interest. Here, not only does Jim explain why he found it hard to get Italian producers to back his film about the great Italian Leonardo da Vinci, but he also answers my questions about casting Stephen Fry, Matt Berry and Daisy Ridley in light...
Delightful and eccentric stop-motion movie The Inventor is the first feature film from Jim Capobianco, the director of Pixar’s Ratatouille short, Your Friend The Rat.
I recently had the pleasure to speak with him at length for Film Stories magazine – order your copy now, go on, why don’t you. The interview was so lengthy, in fact, that lots of interesting bits were left on the cutting room floor.
What follows are two short sections that might be of particular interest. Here, not only does Jim explain why he found it hard to get Italian producers to back his film about the great Italian Leonardo da Vinci, but he also answers my questions about casting Stephen Fry, Matt Berry and Daisy Ridley in light...
- 2/14/2024
- by Brendon Connelly
- Film Stories
World on Fire has come to an end after two seasons, Masterpiece on PBS executive producer Susanne Simpson revealed at the Television Critics Association winter press tour on Monday.
Simpson added that the BBC decided not to renews the British series for “many different reasons.”
More from TVLineGillian Anderson Grills Rufus Sewell in Scoop Trailer - Get Release Date for Drama About Infamous Prince Andrew InterviewThe Thundermans Report for Super Duty in Revival Movie Trailer - WATCHThe Bear Season 3 to Premiere in June, Will Likely Be a Binge Release Again
World on Fire was a World War II drama that...
Simpson added that the BBC decided not to renews the British series for “many different reasons.”
More from TVLineGillian Anderson Grills Rufus Sewell in Scoop Trailer - Get Release Date for Drama About Infamous Prince Andrew InterviewThe Thundermans Report for Super Duty in Revival Movie Trailer - WATCHThe Bear Season 3 to Premiere in June, Will Likely Be a Binge Release Again
World on Fire was a World War II drama that...
- 2/12/2024
- by Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
Ken Burns’ two-part, four-hour documentary Leonardo da Vinci is set to air on November 18-19 from 8-10 p.m. Et on PBS. The project, co-directed with Sarah Burns and Dave McMahon, is Burns’ first non-American subject.
The film explores the life and work of the 15th century artist and how he influenced and inspired future generations. The musician and composer Caroline Shaw recorded original music for the film performed by Attacca Quartet, Sō Percussion and Roomful of Teeth. The voice of da Vinci is read by Italian actor Adriano Giannini. Keith David serves as the film’s narrator.
Leonardo da Vinci will reveal a significant change in the Burns team’s filmmaking style, which includes using split screens with images, video and sound from different periods to further contextualize da Vinci’s art and scientific explorations.
“No single person can speak to our collective effort to understand the world and ourselves,...
The film explores the life and work of the 15th century artist and how he influenced and inspired future generations. The musician and composer Caroline Shaw recorded original music for the film performed by Attacca Quartet, Sō Percussion and Roomful of Teeth. The voice of da Vinci is read by Italian actor Adriano Giannini. Keith David serves as the film’s narrator.
Leonardo da Vinci will reveal a significant change in the Burns team’s filmmaking style, which includes using split screens with images, video and sound from different periods to further contextualize da Vinci’s art and scientific explorations.
“No single person can speak to our collective effort to understand the world and ourselves,...
- 2/12/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Ken Burns has already cracked the code for being synonymous with highbrow documentary filmmaking, but now the award-winning director is taking on an unprecedented feat: capturing the life and legacy of Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci.
Burns’ upcoming PBS film “Leonardo da Vinci” marks the director’s first non-American subject. The two-part, four-hour documentary will debut November 18 and 19, as Burns codirects with daughter Sarah Burns and Dave McMahon.
Per the official synopsis, “Leonardo da Vinci” follows the 15th century polymath’s life and evolution as a draughtsman and painter, scientist and engineer, who used notebooks to explore an astonishing array of subjects including painting, philosophy, engineering, warfare, anatomy, and geography, among many others. Set against the rich and dynamic backdrop of Renaissance Italy, at a time of skepticism and freethinking, regional war and religious upheaval, “Leonardo da Vinci” brings the artist’s towering achievements to life through his prolific personal notebooks,...
Burns’ upcoming PBS film “Leonardo da Vinci” marks the director’s first non-American subject. The two-part, four-hour documentary will debut November 18 and 19, as Burns codirects with daughter Sarah Burns and Dave McMahon.
Per the official synopsis, “Leonardo da Vinci” follows the 15th century polymath’s life and evolution as a draughtsman and painter, scientist and engineer, who used notebooks to explore an astonishing array of subjects including painting, philosophy, engineering, warfare, anatomy, and geography, among many others. Set against the rich and dynamic backdrop of Renaissance Italy, at a time of skepticism and freethinking, regional war and religious upheaval, “Leonardo da Vinci” brings the artist’s towering achievements to life through his prolific personal notebooks,...
- 2/12/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
It’s a semi-annual tradition during the PBS executive session at the Television Critics Assn.: Asking president/CEO Paula Kerger about the state of funding for the public broadcaster. And so it went on Monday, during the public broadcaster’s portion of the winter 2024 press tour — and despite the ongoing gridlock in Washington, Kerger said things, at least for now, are going “Ok.”
“We are advanced funded, and that we always have been,” Kerger told reporters. “And the idea behind it is that you need to know that when you finish a project, you’re going to actually have the funds for it. So we we actually know what our funding is right now. Now, that’s not to say someone can come in and try to rescind some of the funding, and that happened to us some years back.”
Some years, the political climate is bleak enough that...
“We are advanced funded, and that we always have been,” Kerger told reporters. “And the idea behind it is that you need to know that when you finish a project, you’re going to actually have the funds for it. So we we actually know what our funding is right now. Now, that’s not to say someone can come in and try to rescind some of the funding, and that happened to us some years back.”
Some years, the political climate is bleak enough that...
- 2/12/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
On Sunday, hunger activists threw canned soup at Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic painting, Mona Lisa, at the Louvre in Paris.
Two women came to the museum with thermoses of soup and splashed the painting. The masterpiece, protected by a glass barrier, was unharmed.
One woman wore a t-shirt with the words, “Riposte Alimentaire,” which translates to “Food Response” in French.
Riposte Alimentaire is an activist group that advocates for food security. The two women have been identified by their first names – Sasha, 23, and Marie-Juliette, 63. After launching the soup, the pair stood behind the painting’s barrier and addressed the crowd.
“What is more important, art or the right to a healthy and sustainable diet?”
Louvre security immediately came to the scene as museum attendees evacuated the area. Following the incident, Riposte Alimentaire posted to social media.
In French: “In France, one in three people skip meals due to lack of means.
Two women came to the museum with thermoses of soup and splashed the painting. The masterpiece, protected by a glass barrier, was unharmed.
One woman wore a t-shirt with the words, “Riposte Alimentaire,” which translates to “Food Response” in French.
Riposte Alimentaire is an activist group that advocates for food security. The two women have been identified by their first names – Sasha, 23, and Marie-Juliette, 63. After launching the soup, the pair stood behind the painting’s barrier and addressed the crowd.
“What is more important, art or the right to a healthy and sustainable diet?”
Louvre security immediately came to the scene as museum attendees evacuated the area. Following the incident, Riposte Alimentaire posted to social media.
In French: “In France, one in three people skip meals due to lack of means.
- 1/30/2024
- by Ann Hoang
- Uinterview
In 2023 (January to November) there were over 2 billion plays of radio, music and podcasts on BBC Sounds, as listeners continue to enjoy a wide range of audio content from across the BBC.
Podcast listening saw an uplift of 34% on BBC Sounds compared to the same period last year. New and popular returning podcast titles helped drive listeners to BBC Sounds with something for everyone and a wide range of topics from history, comedy, current affairs, drama and true crime.
Podcasts Detail The top ten most popular podcasts of 2023 in the UK
(based on BBC Sounds plays between January and November)
Newscast Just One Thing – with Michael Mosley You’re Dead To Me Uncanny Limelight Gangster: The Story Of John Palmer Sliced Bread I’m Not a Monster – The Shamima Begum Story Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley Americast
Jonathan Wall, Director of BBC Sounds said: “It’s fantastic to see the...
Podcast listening saw an uplift of 34% on BBC Sounds compared to the same period last year. New and popular returning podcast titles helped drive listeners to BBC Sounds with something for everyone and a wide range of topics from history, comedy, current affairs, drama and true crime.
Podcasts Detail The top ten most popular podcasts of 2023 in the UK
(based on BBC Sounds plays between January and November)
Newscast Just One Thing – with Michael Mosley You’re Dead To Me Uncanny Limelight Gangster: The Story Of John Palmer Sliced Bread I’m Not a Monster – The Shamima Begum Story Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley Americast
Jonathan Wall, Director of BBC Sounds said: “It’s fantastic to see the...
- 12/27/2023
- Podnews.net
Almost three years have passed since it was announced that Promising Young Woman and Saltburn writer/director Emerald Fennell had been hired to write the screenplay for a film based on the DC Comics character Zatanna. Set up at the Max streaming service, this movie would have been a collaboration between Warner Bros.’ DC Films and J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions… and of course, due to the changes at DC Films, Zatanna has since been scrapped. But during an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Fennell revealed that she did complete the script for the project, and described it as being “reasonably demented”.
As JoBlo’s Steve Seigh previously reported, “Zatanna, created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, is known throughout the Dcu as a powerful Homo Magi, meaning she’s a sub-race of naturally magic-wielding humans. As the daughter of magician Giovanni “John” Zatara and Sindella, Zatanna...
As JoBlo’s Steve Seigh previously reported, “Zatanna, created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, is known throughout the Dcu as a powerful Homo Magi, meaning she’s a sub-race of naturally magic-wielding humans. As the daughter of magician Giovanni “John” Zatara and Sindella, Zatanna...
- 12/22/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Every few years, the Academy tweaks the rules for its animated feature category, with the net result that the nominees tend to skew ever more mainstream. That makes it tough for most of this year’s hopefuls: A record-setting number of animated features submitted. Those who pick the noms are required to watch roughly a third before ranking their top five, which can include additional titles they might have seen on their own. Blockbusters naturally benefit, though “Flee” and “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” earned nominations in 2022 and 2023, respectively, suggesting that artful indies still stand a chance.
The Boy and the Heron
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Voices: Luca Padovan, Robert Pattinson
Studio: Studio Ghibli
Distributor: GKids
Rumors of Miyazaki’s retirement were greatly exaggerated, as the unstoppable creative force (who won an Oscar for “Spirited Away” in 2003) returns with a story inspired by his childhood memories during wartime. More fanciful than “The Wind Rises,...
The Boy and the Heron
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Voices: Luca Padovan, Robert Pattinson
Studio: Studio Ghibli
Distributor: GKids
Rumors of Miyazaki’s retirement were greatly exaggerated, as the unstoppable creative force (who won an Oscar for “Spirited Away” in 2003) returns with a story inspired by his childhood memories during wartime. More fanciful than “The Wind Rises,...
- 12/5/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Everyone has them. The movie opinions that earn them bewildered stares at parties. The movie opinions that end promising dates after the first round of cocktails. The movie opinions that get even beloved friends shouting at you. But you stand your ground. You dig in your heels. You believe this often unpopular take because you know, deep in your heart, that it's true. The rest of the world is wrong. You are the only sane one left.Welcome to /Film's list of our Hottest Takes, a collection of opinions that will likely baffle, frustrate, and infuriate many of you. And you'll probably quietly nod along with a few of them. We asked the entire /Film team to pitch the takes that they know get them annoyed glances at best and furious monologues at worst. But this isn't a list built to anger anyone, and there is no entry on this...
- 12/4/2023
- by SlashFilm Staff
- Slash Film
Graphic: Images: IMDb
This list was compiled using data provided by IMDb.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
As a new threat to the galaxy rises, Rey, a desert scavenger, and Finn, an ex-stormtrooper, must join Han Solo and Chewbacca to search for the one hope of restoring peace.
This list was compiled using data provided by IMDb.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
As a new threat to the galaxy rises, Rey, a desert scavenger, and Finn, an ex-stormtrooper, must join Han Solo and Chewbacca to search for the one hope of restoring peace.
- 11/3/2023
- avclub.com
Christopher Hampton, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “The Father” and “Dangerous Liaisons,” is set to adapt Walter Isaacson’s acclaimed biography “Leonardo Da Vinci” for Universal Pictures.
Universal Pictures had fiercely chased rights to the hot literary property six years ago, and was outbid by Paramount, which developed the project with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way. Now that Universal has finally secured those rights, it has tapped Hampton to pen the adaptation, which seems to be the perfect material for the Oscar winning writer whose movies typically lure A-list talent.
Hampton’s screenplays include “Atonement,” “Dangerous Liaisons,” “A Dangerous Method” and more recently Florian Zeller’s “The Father,” which won two Oscars, for best adapted screenplay and actor (for Anthony Hopkins). Hampton has also been celebrated for his plays and musicals that have garnered two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and the New York Theatre Critics Circle Award.
Hampton completed a...
Universal Pictures had fiercely chased rights to the hot literary property six years ago, and was outbid by Paramount, which developed the project with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way. Now that Universal has finally secured those rights, it has tapped Hampton to pen the adaptation, which seems to be the perfect material for the Oscar winning writer whose movies typically lure A-list talent.
Hampton’s screenplays include “Atonement,” “Dangerous Liaisons,” “A Dangerous Method” and more recently Florian Zeller’s “The Father,” which won two Oscars, for best adapted screenplay and actor (for Anthony Hopkins). Hampton has also been celebrated for his plays and musicals that have garnered two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and the New York Theatre Critics Circle Award.
Hampton completed a...
- 11/1/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The fellows headlining Fellow Travelers both have enviable acting résumés, but perhaps their roles on the Showtime series will be their greatest yet. Based on the novel by Thomas Mallon, the decade-spanning drama stars Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer as two men whose relationship traverses the McCarthyism of the 1950s, the wartime upheaval of the ‘60s, the disco hedonism of the ‘70s, and the AIDS crisis of the ’80s, as they face obstacles both in the world and within themselves, Showtime says. And we’ve watched Bailey and Bomer travel from project to project over the last 10-plus years. Here are our picks for their best roles to date. Jonathan Bailey: Leonardo (2011–2012) Bailey played an anachronistic, sneaker-wearing version of Leonardo Da Vinci during his boy genius years in this teen Cbbc series, as immortalized in the fan edit above. “I always felt quite removed from Leonardo da Vinci,” the actor...
- 10/28/2023
- TV Insider
Kevin B. Lee (left) in conversation with Tsai Ming-liang.Even though he didn't have a new film to premiere, Tsai Ming-liang was the guest of honor at this year's Locarno Film Festival. Tsai received the Pardo alla carriera achievement award at the Piazza Grande; was the subject of Moving Portraits, an exhibition at the Il Rivellino gallery; presented a screening of his 2020 film Days; and delivered several talks and masterclasses. One such talk was “On the Future of Cinema”: the centerpiece of a Locarno Film Festival initiative exploring the medium’s technological and cultural transformations. The face of Locarno’s Future of Cinema programming is the scholar, media artist, and critic Kevin B. Lee. A prolific video essayist, Lee has produced over 350 works of audiovisual criticism, and with his award-winning Transformers: The Premake (2014), he introduced and popularized the “desktop documentary” format. Unfolding as a real-time screen recording of Lee’s MacBook,...
- 10/26/2023
- MUBI
If we are living through the Murder Mysterenaissance right now – with shows like :a[Only Murders In The Building]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/only-murders-in-the-building-season-3/' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'} and :a[The Afterparty]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/the-afterparty/' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'}, and films like Kenneth Branagh's Poirot mysteries and See How They Run lighting up our screens – then consider Rian Johnson the genre's Leonardo DaVinci. Having dazzled us with the one-two punch of 2019's :a[Knives Out]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/knives-out/' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'} and last year's star-studded sequel :a[Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/glass-onion-a-knives-out-mystery/' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'}, as well as Natasha Lyonne-starring Columbo spiritual successor :a[Poker Face]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/poker-face...
- 10/16/2023
- by Jordan King
- Empire - Movies
Bollywood’s Jawan and star Shah Ruhk Khan livened up a slow specialty market, grossing close to $2.5 million in 776 locations in week two for a cume close to $12.2 million. The Yash Raj actioner is no. 6 at the domestic box office.
Its weekend split was $694,724k Fri.; $1.024m Sat,; $775k Sunday as Jawan races to records in India, including the top box office opening last week for a Hindi film. Commentators are noting that the dubbed Telugu and Tamil versions – a key to box office in India, and Stateside — are also raking in more than they have for any other Hindi film. Indian films continue to be a gift to U.S. exhibitors as loyal audiences who follow release schedule closely turn out weekly and in force for the films that open day and date. A breathlessly awaited, well-reviewed movie there is the same here.
Sony notable Dumb Money by Craig Gillepsie, banked a projected $217k for the first leg of three-step platform release in eight theaters across six markets. The film captures the meme-stock frenzy that saw scrappy retail traders flood onto social media, egging each other on to buoy GameStop and other shares in dramatic showdown with traditional Wall Street players. It made $92K Friday, $74K Saturday and an estimated $50K Sunday for a per-screen average of $27,080. A decent number since there was zero publicity due to the actors’ strike by very marketable stars from Pete Davidson to Seth Rogen, to Paul Dano, and that hurts. Gillepsie did some Q&As in NYC and LA.
The R-rated film that premiered to strong reviews at TIFF is banking on word of mouth as it expands to 200+ screens next weekend and goes wide September 29. No social data but anecdotal reports from theaters of positive reactions from advance screenings, and high audience scores.
The original release strategy was a four-step platform that would likely have garnered significantly higher PSAs on fewer screens this weekend. But Sony condensed the plan and skipped a step to leave a few weeks for Dumb Money before the mid-October opening of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour – an event that’s hit $65 million in presales, with a $100 million opening within reach.
Paul Dano in ‘Dumb Money’
Other specialty openings: From Roadside Attractions, Camp Hide Out is posting an estimated three-day gross of $510,160 on 848 screens for a PSA of $602.
The Inventor stop-motion animation from Blue Fox Entertainment grossed an estimated $201k+ from 700 runs. From flying contraptions, war machines, and studying cadavers, Leonardo da Vinci takes on the grand meaning of life itself with the help of French princess, Marguerite de Nevarre. Directed by Jim Capobianco, the film stars Stephen Fry, Marion Cotillard, Daisy Ridley, Matt Berry & Gauthier Battoue.
Limited release: Documentary Invisible Beauty from Magnolia Pictures grossed $10,500 at the Film Forum. Expanding on Friday to LA, Chicago, Washington, DC and Atlanta. Fashion revolutionary Bethann Hardison looks back on her journey as a pioneering Black model, modelling agent and activist.
Kino Lorber’s release of Radical Wolfe grossed $8,270 at IFC Center. Based on bestselling author Michael Lewis’s 2015 Vanity Fair article, the documentary traces the author’s rise from a journalism pioneer to bestselling novelist and celebrity whose singular voice and iconic white suit made him one of the most recognizable literary figures of all time. Expands to LA, Toronto and additional markets Sept. 22.
Thriller Rebel from Yellow Veil Pictures grossed $6,500, also at IFC Center. By Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. it expands to LA’s Nuart next weekend. A young man leaves Belgium to help war victims in Syria, but once there is stranded and forced to join Isis. His younger brother back home becomes easy prey for radical recruiters who promise a reunion.
Oscilloscope’s Canary grossed $8,350 on three screens. The distributor — in partnership with Rei Co-Op Studios and Boardwalk Pictures — presents the true story of Dr. Lonnie Thompson, the world’s greatest living climatologist, in NYC, LA and Columbus, Oh. Expanding Wed. nationwide to over 140 theaters.
Noting Oscilloscope’s CatVideoFest 2023 has crossed half a million theatrical in week seven, grossing $30k on 20 screens for a cume of $502k. It’s a new best for the event that celebrates all things feline and which Oscilloscope has handled since 2019. The compilation, which has also raised over $50k for cats in need, will continue to add new engagements throughout the fall.
Holdovers: Variance Films’ expanded Amerikatsi, Armenia’s official Oscar submission for Best International Feature, grossed an estimated $91,932 on 19 screens in week two for a per-screen average of $4,839 and a new cume of $167,697.
Also Noting Bottoms from MGM is heading towards $10 million in week four. Emma Seligman’s rauchy teen comedy starring Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri has successfully reached a younger movie-going audience and racked up another $1.2M on its way to a current estimated cume of $9.87M.
And A24’s low-budget horror Talk To Me, ditto with younger fans, is still on 570 screens, where it grossed $567,472 this weekend for a cume of nearly $47 million since it opened July 28.
Its weekend split was $694,724k Fri.; $1.024m Sat,; $775k Sunday as Jawan races to records in India, including the top box office opening last week for a Hindi film. Commentators are noting that the dubbed Telugu and Tamil versions – a key to box office in India, and Stateside — are also raking in more than they have for any other Hindi film. Indian films continue to be a gift to U.S. exhibitors as loyal audiences who follow release schedule closely turn out weekly and in force for the films that open day and date. A breathlessly awaited, well-reviewed movie there is the same here.
Sony notable Dumb Money by Craig Gillepsie, banked a projected $217k for the first leg of three-step platform release in eight theaters across six markets. The film captures the meme-stock frenzy that saw scrappy retail traders flood onto social media, egging each other on to buoy GameStop and other shares in dramatic showdown with traditional Wall Street players. It made $92K Friday, $74K Saturday and an estimated $50K Sunday for a per-screen average of $27,080. A decent number since there was zero publicity due to the actors’ strike by very marketable stars from Pete Davidson to Seth Rogen, to Paul Dano, and that hurts. Gillepsie did some Q&As in NYC and LA.
The R-rated film that premiered to strong reviews at TIFF is banking on word of mouth as it expands to 200+ screens next weekend and goes wide September 29. No social data but anecdotal reports from theaters of positive reactions from advance screenings, and high audience scores.
The original release strategy was a four-step platform that would likely have garnered significantly higher PSAs on fewer screens this weekend. But Sony condensed the plan and skipped a step to leave a few weeks for Dumb Money before the mid-October opening of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour – an event that’s hit $65 million in presales, with a $100 million opening within reach.
Paul Dano in ‘Dumb Money’
Other specialty openings: From Roadside Attractions, Camp Hide Out is posting an estimated three-day gross of $510,160 on 848 screens for a PSA of $602.
The Inventor stop-motion animation from Blue Fox Entertainment grossed an estimated $201k+ from 700 runs. From flying contraptions, war machines, and studying cadavers, Leonardo da Vinci takes on the grand meaning of life itself with the help of French princess, Marguerite de Nevarre. Directed by Jim Capobianco, the film stars Stephen Fry, Marion Cotillard, Daisy Ridley, Matt Berry & Gauthier Battoue.
Limited release: Documentary Invisible Beauty from Magnolia Pictures grossed $10,500 at the Film Forum. Expanding on Friday to LA, Chicago, Washington, DC and Atlanta. Fashion revolutionary Bethann Hardison looks back on her journey as a pioneering Black model, modelling agent and activist.
Kino Lorber’s release of Radical Wolfe grossed $8,270 at IFC Center. Based on bestselling author Michael Lewis’s 2015 Vanity Fair article, the documentary traces the author’s rise from a journalism pioneer to bestselling novelist and celebrity whose singular voice and iconic white suit made him one of the most recognizable literary figures of all time. Expands to LA, Toronto and additional markets Sept. 22.
Thriller Rebel from Yellow Veil Pictures grossed $6,500, also at IFC Center. By Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. it expands to LA’s Nuart next weekend. A young man leaves Belgium to help war victims in Syria, but once there is stranded and forced to join Isis. His younger brother back home becomes easy prey for radical recruiters who promise a reunion.
Oscilloscope’s Canary grossed $8,350 on three screens. The distributor — in partnership with Rei Co-Op Studios and Boardwalk Pictures — presents the true story of Dr. Lonnie Thompson, the world’s greatest living climatologist, in NYC, LA and Columbus, Oh. Expanding Wed. nationwide to over 140 theaters.
Noting Oscilloscope’s CatVideoFest 2023 has crossed half a million theatrical in week seven, grossing $30k on 20 screens for a cume of $502k. It’s a new best for the event that celebrates all things feline and which Oscilloscope has handled since 2019. The compilation, which has also raised over $50k for cats in need, will continue to add new engagements throughout the fall.
Holdovers: Variance Films’ expanded Amerikatsi, Armenia’s official Oscar submission for Best International Feature, grossed an estimated $91,932 on 19 screens in week two for a per-screen average of $4,839 and a new cume of $167,697.
Also Noting Bottoms from MGM is heading towards $10 million in week four. Emma Seligman’s rauchy teen comedy starring Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri has successfully reached a younger movie-going audience and racked up another $1.2M on its way to a current estimated cume of $9.87M.
And A24’s low-budget horror Talk To Me, ditto with younger fans, is still on 570 screens, where it grossed $567,472 this weekend for a cume of nearly $47 million since it opened July 28.
- 9/17/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
The Inventor is a stop-motion animated adventure film directed by Jim Capobianco and Pierre-Luc Granjon from a screenplay by Jim Capobianco. The British animated film follows the story of the legendary inventor Leonardo Da Vinci as he invents many wonderous things and tackles the meaning of life itself with the help of the French princess Marguerite de Navarre.
The list of voice actors in The Inventor is quite impressive as it includes Stephen Fry as Leonardo da Vinci, Daisy Ridley as Marguerite de Navarre, Jim Capobianco as Cardinal of Aragon, Matt Berry as Pope Leon X, Marion Cotillard as Louise of Savoy, and Natalie Palamides as Pierre Nepveu and Antonio de Beatis.
The Inventor – When Did it Come Out? Credit – Blue Fox Entertainment
The Inventor had its world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on 12 June 2023. Blue Fox Entertainment acquired the rights to distribute the film in the...
The list of voice actors in The Inventor is quite impressive as it includes Stephen Fry as Leonardo da Vinci, Daisy Ridley as Marguerite de Navarre, Jim Capobianco as Cardinal of Aragon, Matt Berry as Pope Leon X, Marion Cotillard as Louise of Savoy, and Natalie Palamides as Pierre Nepveu and Antonio de Beatis.
The Inventor – When Did it Come Out? Credit – Blue Fox Entertainment
The Inventor had its world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on 12 June 2023. Blue Fox Entertainment acquired the rights to distribute the film in the...
- 9/17/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on Wbgr-fm on September 14th, 2023, reviewing “The Inventor,” an animated epic on the final days of inventor and artist Leonardo Da Vinci. In theaters on September 15th.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
The film is an animated take on the life of Leonardo da Vinci (voice of Stephen Fry). We find da Vinci at a crossroads as the church in Italy, represented by Pope Leo the 10th (Matt Berry), condemns the painter and inventor for his progressive thought. When the King of France (Gauthier Battoue) and his mother Louise de Savoy (Marion Cottillard) convince da Vinci to move to France, he finds a muse in Marguerite (Daisy Ridley) and a new passion for creation in his last days.
”The Inventor” in in select theaters since September 15th. See local listings Featuring the voices of Stephen Fry, Daisy Ridley, Matt Berry,...
Rating: 4.5/5.0
The film is an animated take on the life of Leonardo da Vinci (voice of Stephen Fry). We find da Vinci at a crossroads as the church in Italy, represented by Pope Leo the 10th (Matt Berry), condemns the painter and inventor for his progressive thought. When the King of France (Gauthier Battoue) and his mother Louise de Savoy (Marion Cottillard) convince da Vinci to move to France, he finds a muse in Marguerite (Daisy Ridley) and a new passion for creation in his last days.
”The Inventor” in in select theaters since September 15th. See local listings Featuring the voices of Stephen Fry, Daisy Ridley, Matt Berry,...
- 9/16/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Craig Gillespie’s comedy-drama Dumb Money starts its three-step platform release this weekend courtesy of Sony, opening in eight theaters in LA, NY, Chicago, DC, Boston and San Francisco ahead of an expansion next week and a Sept. 29 wide release. Gillespie (I, Tonya, Lars and the Real Girl) saw lots of love in Toronto for the premiere of his tale of meme stocks, retail traders, riches and battles won and lost. Opening week cinemas include AMC Century City and The Grove (LA); AMC Lincoln Square, Regal Union Square (NY); AMC River East (Chicago); AMC Georgetown; AMC Boston Commons; and AMC Metreon (San Francisco).
The David and Goliath story is that of a phenomenon that exploded in 2021 where ordinary people surged into the market backing specific stocks, pounded them on social media and flipped the script on Wall Street as other piled in. They turned GameStop into the world’s hottest stock for a period,...
The David and Goliath story is that of a phenomenon that exploded in 2021 where ordinary people surged into the market backing specific stocks, pounded them on social media and flipped the script on Wall Street as other piled in. They turned GameStop into the world’s hottest stock for a period,...
- 9/15/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
With “The Inventor,” Jim Capobianco (the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of “Ratatouille“) has managed to direct a family-friendly animated musical (in both stop-motion and 2D) about Leonardo da Vinci’s search for the meaning of life at the end of his life. That’s quite a da Vinci code to crack. That is why it took 12 years to make as a co-production with Curiosity Studio (Ireland), Foliascope (France), Aerial Contrivance Studios, and Robert Rippberger’s Sie Films.
Capobianco’s fascination with da Vinci began with the 2009 2D short “Leonardo,” after intense research into his legendary life as an inventor of flying machines, artist, and pioneer in the study of human anatomy. But what sparked Capobianco’s interest was the notion of da Vinci as “a real person struck with ideas beyond the technical, intellectual, and the societal capabilities of his time.” For him, “The Inventor” explores legacy, how you live your life,...
Capobianco’s fascination with da Vinci began with the 2009 2D short “Leonardo,” after intense research into his legendary life as an inventor of flying machines, artist, and pioneer in the study of human anatomy. But what sparked Capobianco’s interest was the notion of da Vinci as “a real person struck with ideas beyond the technical, intellectual, and the societal capabilities of his time.” For him, “The Inventor” explores legacy, how you live your life,...
- 9/15/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The September of sequels keeps rolling along with another journey into Agatha Christie territory for actor/director Kenneth Branagh with “A Haunting in Venice.” Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.
The last time Branagh donned the trademark mustache of French Inspector Hercule Poirot, it was for the 2022 release “Death on the Nile,” another star-studded ensemble whodunnit that was released just as the Omicron variant of Covid was winding down. It opened with a pitiful $12.9 million and made $130.3 million worldwide, compared to the $351.8 million of 2018’s “Murder on the Orient Express.” Now, Disney has allowed Branagh to give the franchise another go.
“A Haunting in Venice” changes locale once again, this installment delving more into the realms of horror with Branagh joined by Tina Fey as mystery writer Ariadne Oliver, Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as a medium they encounter, Jamie Dornan and Jude Hill from Branagh’s “Belfast,...
The last time Branagh donned the trademark mustache of French Inspector Hercule Poirot, it was for the 2022 release “Death on the Nile,” another star-studded ensemble whodunnit that was released just as the Omicron variant of Covid was winding down. It opened with a pitiful $12.9 million and made $130.3 million worldwide, compared to the $351.8 million of 2018’s “Murder on the Orient Express.” Now, Disney has allowed Branagh to give the franchise another go.
“A Haunting in Venice” changes locale once again, this installment delving more into the realms of horror with Branagh joined by Tina Fey as mystery writer Ariadne Oliver, Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as a medium they encounter, Jamie Dornan and Jude Hill from Branagh’s “Belfast,...
- 9/13/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
"The Inventor" is a new stop motion animated biographical feature about the final days of Leonardo da Vinci, written by Jim Capobianco and co-directed with Pierre-Luc Granjon, starring Stephen Fry, Marion Cotillard, Daisy Ridley and Matt Berry, releasing August 25, 2023 in North American theaters:
"...the film follows the life of inventor 'Leonardo da Vinci', who leaves Italy to join the French court, where he can experiment freely..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...the film follows the life of inventor 'Leonardo da Vinci', who leaves Italy to join the French court, where he can experiment freely..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 8/11/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
The Story: Eddie Hawkins (Bruce Willis) aka the Hudson Hawk is a master cat burglar recently released from prison after a long stretch. Determined to go straight, he’s nonetheless blackmailed by the psychotic Darwin (Richard E. Grant) and Minerva Mayflower (Sandra Bernhard) to undertake a series of jobs in Rome involving the components of a machine designed by Leonardo da Vinci that converts lead into gold.
The Players: Starring: Bruce Willis, Andie MacDowell, Danny Aiello, James Coburn, Richard E. Grant and Sandra Bernhard. Directed by Michael Lehman.
The History: With Bruce Willis’s sad health situation forcing him into retirement, it’s worth digging into his filmography to examine some of his less-seen gems. For me, one of the big ones is Hudson Hawk. In 1991, Bruce Willis was arguably at the peak of his fame. “Moonlighting” was done and Die Hard had made him into one of the biggest action stars in town,...
The Players: Starring: Bruce Willis, Andie MacDowell, Danny Aiello, James Coburn, Richard E. Grant and Sandra Bernhard. Directed by Michael Lehman.
The History: With Bruce Willis’s sad health situation forcing him into retirement, it’s worth digging into his filmography to examine some of his less-seen gems. For me, one of the big ones is Hudson Hawk. In 1991, Bruce Willis was arguably at the peak of his fame. “Moonlighting” was done and Die Hard had made him into one of the biggest action stars in town,...
- 8/10/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Leonardo da Vinci's painting, The Madonna of the Yarnwinder was taken from Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries and Galloway in 2003 but what really happened? The BBC podcast, The Missing Madonna marks the 20th anniversary of the art heist that set a record for the most valuable painting ever to be stolen in Britain. It’s a nine-part series from the award-winning BBC Scotland podcast team...
- 8/4/2023
- by PodcastingToday
- Podcastingtoday
by Cláudio Alves
A quarter century ago, Hollywood remade the Cinderella story as it often does. Only this time, the fairytale was without fairies or any inkling of magic beyond the mystery of love. And Leonardo da Vinci, of course, for he's something of a wizard figure in the restyled narrative in which Perrault's classic tale is reworked through the Grimms' imagination and 1990s 'girl power' impetus. Da Vinci is also the movie's Achilles Heel, a miscalculation by the writing team of director Andy Tennant, Susannah Grant, and Rick Parks. Not that the misfortune wrecks the picture – Ever After is too charming for that.
Indeed, the Drew Barrymore vehicle remains an entertaining period rom-com all these years after its release, its strengths only glowing brighter in retrospect. How can one resist Jenny Beavan's costume designs, George Fenton's impassioned score, Anjelica Huston's sharp spin on the evil stepmother archetype,...
A quarter century ago, Hollywood remade the Cinderella story as it often does. Only this time, the fairytale was without fairies or any inkling of magic beyond the mystery of love. And Leonardo da Vinci, of course, for he's something of a wizard figure in the restyled narrative in which Perrault's classic tale is reworked through the Grimms' imagination and 1990s 'girl power' impetus. Da Vinci is also the movie's Achilles Heel, a miscalculation by the writing team of director Andy Tennant, Susannah Grant, and Rick Parks. Not that the misfortune wrecks the picture – Ever After is too charming for that.
Indeed, the Drew Barrymore vehicle remains an entertaining period rom-com all these years after its release, its strengths only glowing brighter in retrospect. How can one resist Jenny Beavan's costume designs, George Fenton's impassioned score, Anjelica Huston's sharp spin on the evil stepmother archetype,...
- 8/1/2023
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
"Why can't you just be satisfied with painting pretty things?" Blue Fox Entertainment has revealed the first official trailer for a stop-motion animation creation called The Inventor, co-directed by Jim Capobianco & Pierre-Luc Granjon. This just premiered at the 2023 Annecy Film Festival, and reviews say it invokes the "Rankin/Bass animation that came before." The insatiably curious, headstrong inventor / artist Leonardo da Vinci leaves Italy to join the French court where he can freely experiment, invent flying contraptions & incredible machines, and study the human body. Joined on his adventure by Princess Marguerite, Leonardo attempts to uncover the answer to the ultimate question: "What is the meaning of life?" Starring the voices of Stephen Fry as Da Vinci, Daisy Ridley, Marion Cotillard, Gauthier Battoue, and Matt Berry. The stop-motion adventure looks like a whimsical, mainly-for-kids story about imagination and the freedom to think. It's a passion project, utilizing 2D animation & stop-motion to tell this delightfully uplifting story.
- 7/26/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Seventeen years after his breakthrough role in Into the Wild, Emile Hirsch, now 38, has, by his own admission, not abandoned the role of the unforgettable protagonist Chris McCandless.
The 2007 film directed by Sean Penn and won Hirsch critical honors and a National Board of Review award. He says he carries within him “idealism, having his heart and priorities in the right place” as well as a certain radical view of life, the acting profession, and Hollywood in general.
His career hasn’t been without controversy. In 2015 he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault after being accused of putting a female studio executive in a chokehold at a Utah nightclub during the Sundance Film Festival. He eventually served 15 days in jail for the incident.
The Californian, wearing a green T-shirt decorated with tropical motifs, giving him a “boy-next-door” look, is in Rome for the screening of Into the Wild, as part of...
The 2007 film directed by Sean Penn and won Hirsch critical honors and a National Board of Review award. He says he carries within him “idealism, having his heart and priorities in the right place” as well as a certain radical view of life, the acting profession, and Hollywood in general.
His career hasn’t been without controversy. In 2015 he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault after being accused of putting a female studio executive in a chokehold at a Utah nightclub during the Sundance Film Festival. He eventually served 15 days in jail for the incident.
The Californian, wearing a green T-shirt decorated with tropical motifs, giving him a “boy-next-door” look, is in Rome for the screening of Into the Wild, as part of...
- 7/19/2023
- by Arianna Di Cori
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Blue Fox Entertainment has picked up U.S. rights to the stop-motion adventure comedy The Inventor, starring Stephen Fry as Leonardo da Vinci. Also starring Daisy Ridley, Marion Cotillard, Gauthier Battoue and Matt Berry, the film is set for an exclusive release in theaters nationwide on August 25th.
World premiering in competition at last month’s Annecy Animation Film Festival, The Inventor marks the directorial debut of Oscar-nominated Ratatouille scribe Jim Capobianco. A co-production among the United States, France and Ireland, it follows inventor and artist Da Vinci as he leaves Italy to join the French court where he can freely experiment, invent flying contraptions and incredible machines, and study the human body. Joined in his adventures by the audacious Princess Marguerite (Ridley), Leonardo attempts to uncover the answer to the ultimate question: “What is the meaning of life?”
Capobianco directed from his own script, with Pierre-Luc Granjon serving as co-director.
World premiering in competition at last month’s Annecy Animation Film Festival, The Inventor marks the directorial debut of Oscar-nominated Ratatouille scribe Jim Capobianco. A co-production among the United States, France and Ireland, it follows inventor and artist Da Vinci as he leaves Italy to join the French court where he can freely experiment, invent flying contraptions and incredible machines, and study the human body. Joined in his adventures by the audacious Princess Marguerite (Ridley), Leonardo attempts to uncover the answer to the ultimate question: “What is the meaning of life?”
Capobianco directed from his own script, with Pierre-Luc Granjon serving as co-director.
- 7/10/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
mk2 handles international rights.
Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired US rights to animated comedy adventure and Annecy selection The Inventor featuring a voice cast led by Stephen Fry, Daisy Ridley, Marion Cotillard, Gauthier Battoue, and Matt Berry.
Directed by Oscar-nominated Ratatouille co-screenwriter Jim Capobianco in his feature debut, the stop-motion feature tells the story of Leonardo da Vinci (voiced by Fry) as he leaves Italy to join the French court where he can experiment, invent flying contraptions and other machines, and study the human body.
Joined in his adventure by the audacious Princess Marguerite (Ridley), da Vinci attempts to uncover...
Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired US rights to animated comedy adventure and Annecy selection The Inventor featuring a voice cast led by Stephen Fry, Daisy Ridley, Marion Cotillard, Gauthier Battoue, and Matt Berry.
Directed by Oscar-nominated Ratatouille co-screenwriter Jim Capobianco in his feature debut, the stop-motion feature tells the story of Leonardo da Vinci (voiced by Fry) as he leaves Italy to join the French court where he can experiment, invent flying contraptions and other machines, and study the human body.
Joined in his adventure by the audacious Princess Marguerite (Ridley), da Vinci attempts to uncover...
- 7/10/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“The Inventor,” a new stop-motion animated feature starring Daisy Ridley and Marion Cotillard, has secured U.S. theatrical distribution at Blue Fox Entertainment.
Having premiered in competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June, the feature is about Leonardo da Vinci and marks the directorial debut of Pixar vet Jim Capobianco. “The Inventor” will be released nationwide on Aug. 25.
Capobianco is a longtime animation stalwart who worked on movies during the so-called Disney Renaissance before moving to Pixar, where he wrote on “Ratatouille” (and was subsequently nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Oscar) and worked in the story department for “Inside Out,” “Coco” and “Finding Dory.” Capobianco wrote “The Inventor” and directed alongside Pierre-Luc Granjon.
In addition to Ridley and Cotillard, the stop-motion film features the voices of Stephen Fry, Gauthier Battoue and Matt Berry, with the story following da Vinci as “he leaves Italy to join the...
Having premiered in competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June, the feature is about Leonardo da Vinci and marks the directorial debut of Pixar vet Jim Capobianco. “The Inventor” will be released nationwide on Aug. 25.
Capobianco is a longtime animation stalwart who worked on movies during the so-called Disney Renaissance before moving to Pixar, where he wrote on “Ratatouille” (and was subsequently nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Oscar) and worked in the story department for “Inside Out,” “Coco” and “Finding Dory.” Capobianco wrote “The Inventor” and directed alongside Pierre-Luc Granjon.
In addition to Ridley and Cotillard, the stop-motion film features the voices of Stephen Fry, Gauthier Battoue and Matt Berry, with the story following da Vinci as “he leaves Italy to join the...
- 7/10/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Few people lived a life as bold and controversial as Leonardo da Vinci. It’s easy to forget sometimes he was also a human being with doubts who struggled with the same things that trouble just about all of us.
In animated feature “The Inventor,” writer/director Jim Capobianco, who shared an original screenplay Oscar nomination with Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava for “Ratatouille,” was always interested in the more personal side of the famed painter and inventor. “The Inventor” combines traditional 2D and stop-motion animation as well as original music and lyrics by Alex Mandel.
“I’m telling the story of [da Vinci] at the end of his life and years in France,” says Capobianco. “I knew he was going to die [at the end of the story] and I was asking what that means to a man like Leonardo da Vinci. Having researched him, I learned that he believed that he procrastinated a lot...
In animated feature “The Inventor,” writer/director Jim Capobianco, who shared an original screenplay Oscar nomination with Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava for “Ratatouille,” was always interested in the more personal side of the famed painter and inventor. “The Inventor” combines traditional 2D and stop-motion animation as well as original music and lyrics by Alex Mandel.
“I’m telling the story of [da Vinci] at the end of his life and years in France,” says Capobianco. “I knew he was going to die [at the end of the story] and I was asking what that means to a man like Leonardo da Vinci. Having researched him, I learned that he believed that he procrastinated a lot...
- 6/9/2023
- by Karen Idelson
- Variety Film + TV
This year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival looks to break records with a wider international reach and greater studio participation than ever before. Already set to overtake last year’s attendance, the French lakeside fest, runs June 11-17 and had run up 13,300 guests by late May — among them a U.S. delegation more than 700 strong.
“[This year marks] the most important U.S. presence ever at Annecy,” says artistic director Marcel Jean. “We’re taking in historical players such as Disney, DreamWorks and Pixar who will still come, as well as global platforms such as Netflix, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery. And [we’re welcoming] a number of big titles.”
Disney, celebrating its 100th anniversary over the course of the year, plans a special screening of “Fantasia 2000” before offering Annecy’s famously boisterous and youthful crowd a first look at the upcoming animated musical “Wish.” Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery will present behind-the- scenes peeks...
“[This year marks] the most important U.S. presence ever at Annecy,” says artistic director Marcel Jean. “We’re taking in historical players such as Disney, DreamWorks and Pixar who will still come, as well as global platforms such as Netflix, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery. And [we’re welcoming] a number of big titles.”
Disney, celebrating its 100th anniversary over the course of the year, plans a special screening of “Fantasia 2000” before offering Annecy’s famously boisterous and youthful crowd a first look at the upcoming animated musical “Wish.” Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery will present behind-the- scenes peeks...
- 6/9/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
One of the most astonishing things about "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is that the filmmakers, through some sort of miraculous, creative happenstance, remembered that animation is an unlimited medium. There is a tendency among certain well-regarded animation studios (cough Disney cough), to push its animation style and character designs over to a very specific place. It's rare in, say, "Frozen," for scenes to dip into the abstract, or for characters to look genuinely striking and odd. In Disney films, especially the CGI animated ones, the characters tend to be like puppets. They can only squash and stretch so far, and they will never be off-model.
The characters in "Across the Spider-Verse" meanwhile, all seem to have emerged from their own private universes -- which, by the premise's dictates, they did. There is a character who looks like a drawing out of Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks. Another seems to be...
The characters in "Across the Spider-Verse" meanwhile, all seem to have emerged from their own private universes -- which, by the premise's dictates, they did. There is a character who looks like a drawing out of Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks. Another seems to be...
- 6/3/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.