Martin Scorsese Directed 1 Michael Jackson Song That Also Featured Marvel’s Blade Icon Wesley Snipes
Martin Scorsese is one master storyteller known for his incredible works like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Raging Bull, and the most recent, Killers of the Flower Moon. A filmmaker like no other, Scorsese’s innovative use of camera work, meticulous attention to detail, and thought-provoking narrative makes him stand out from the rest.
Martin Scorsese at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival 2024 | image: Wikimedia Commons
A multiple-award-winning filmmaker, it is unusual to imagine that Scorsese would have directed a music video, that too for a pop icon like Michael Jackson. But that is what happened back in the 1980s when he collaborated with Jackson for the music video of his critical hit, Bad, which also coincidentally starred Wesley Snipes.
When Martin Scorsese Directed a Music Video for Michael Jackson A still from Michael Jackson’s Bad music video
Michael Jackson‘s Thriller album was one of his best hits, and the...
Martin Scorsese at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival 2024 | image: Wikimedia Commons
A multiple-award-winning filmmaker, it is unusual to imagine that Scorsese would have directed a music video, that too for a pop icon like Michael Jackson. But that is what happened back in the 1980s when he collaborated with Jackson for the music video of his critical hit, Bad, which also coincidentally starred Wesley Snipes.
When Martin Scorsese Directed a Music Video for Michael Jackson A still from Michael Jackson’s Bad music video
Michael Jackson‘s Thriller album was one of his best hits, and the...
- 5/18/2024
- by Maria Sultan
- FandomWire
Demi Moore hit the Cannes red carpet on Friday for the first time in nearly 30 years, having last attended with then-husband Bruce Willis for the premiere of The Fifth Element in 1997. This year is all about Moore as she has a film in the competition courtesy of Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance and official duties on behalf of Chopard.
It was the latter commitment that brought her to the Palais last night. Moore joined the luxury jeweler’s co-president and artistic director Caroline Scheufele and rising stars Mike Faist and Sophie Wilde ahead of the late-night Trophée Chopard gala ceremony at Carlton Beach. Moore was tapped to serve as the godmother of the festivities, a role that saw her take the stage and present the trophies, which are given to next-generation talents. Faist is coming off the success of Challengers and before that, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. Wilde...
It was the latter commitment that brought her to the Palais last night. Moore joined the luxury jeweler’s co-president and artistic director Caroline Scheufele and rising stars Mike Faist and Sophie Wilde ahead of the late-night Trophée Chopard gala ceremony at Carlton Beach. Moore was tapped to serve as the godmother of the festivities, a role that saw her take the stage and present the trophies, which are given to next-generation talents. Faist is coming off the success of Challengers and before that, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. Wilde...
- 5/18/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Note: This article discusses sexual misconduct and abuse.
As much as I roll my eyes at Joe Russo blaming Marvel's pandemic-era box office woes on the children, he's right about one thing: Hollywood, like the world at large, is at a crossroads at the time of this writing. Superhero films, which have been the bread and butter of the industry for most of the 21st century, are no longer a reliable draw. We also find ourselves in a curious place where franchise fatigue seems to be settling in, yet it remains challenging for anything that isn't based on an IP to find financial success. At the same time, the growing popularity of smaller and scrappier fare from studios like A24 could point to a way forward.
It's a lot like the 1960s, when you think about it. By the end of that decade, the American New Wave was in full swing.
As much as I roll my eyes at Joe Russo blaming Marvel's pandemic-era box office woes on the children, he's right about one thing: Hollywood, like the world at large, is at a crossroads at the time of this writing. Superhero films, which have been the bread and butter of the industry for most of the 21st century, are no longer a reliable draw. We also find ourselves in a curious place where franchise fatigue seems to be settling in, yet it remains challenging for anything that isn't based on an IP to find financial success. At the same time, the growing popularity of smaller and scrappier fare from studios like A24 could point to a way forward.
It's a lot like the 1960s, when you think about it. By the end of that decade, the American New Wave was in full swing.
- 5/17/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Whether you like Quentin Tarantino's wild and idiosyncratic approach to filmmaking or not, it's hard to deny that his work has made an immeasurable contribution to the development of pop culture as we know it today. But none of this would be the case if Tarantino weren't arguably one of the biggest movie buffs in the modern film industry. So if you haven't seen these 20 movies personally recommended by Quentin Tarantino, we suggest you do so as soon as possible!
20 Great Movies Tarantino Recommends Watching
20. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
19. Apocalypse Now
18. The Bad News Bears
17. Black Sabbath
16. Dazed and Confused
15. Deep Red
14. Easy Rider
13. Enter the Void
12. Frances Ha
11. The Great Escape
10. Mad Max: Fury Road
9. Rio Bravo
8. The Skin I Live In
7. The Social Network
6. Sorcerer
5. There Will Be Blood
4. Top Gun: Maverick
3. Toy Story 3
2. Unfaithfully Yours
1. West Side Story
The filmmaker's oeuvre is characterized by...
20 Great Movies Tarantino Recommends Watching
20. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
19. Apocalypse Now
18. The Bad News Bears
17. Black Sabbath
16. Dazed and Confused
15. Deep Red
14. Easy Rider
13. Enter the Void
12. Frances Ha
11. The Great Escape
10. Mad Max: Fury Road
9. Rio Bravo
8. The Skin I Live In
7. The Social Network
6. Sorcerer
5. There Will Be Blood
4. Top Gun: Maverick
3. Toy Story 3
2. Unfaithfully Yours
1. West Side Story
The filmmaker's oeuvre is characterized by...
- 5/16/2024
- by louise.everitt@startefacts.com (Louise Everitt)
- STartefacts.com
Challengers star Mike Faist and Talk to Me breakout Sophie Wilde have a date with Chopard during this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The luxury jeweler has selected the actors to receive the prestigious Trophée Chopard, an award doled out since 2001 at the invitation of the house’s Caroline Scheufele as a way to honor cinema’s rising stars. Faist and Wilde will receive the trophies during a glitzy dinner at Carlton Beach on May 17. As previously announced, godmother Demi Moore will take the stage and present the pair with the honors.
The winners are selected by an academy comprising previous winners as well as those who have served as godmothers and godfathers at the ceremony. Winners have included Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux, Diane Kruger, Niels Schneider, Florence Pugh, Jessie Buckley, Naomie Ackie and Daryl McCormack.
Faist can currently be seen on screen in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers opposite Zendaya and Josh O’Connor.
The luxury jeweler has selected the actors to receive the prestigious Trophée Chopard, an award doled out since 2001 at the invitation of the house’s Caroline Scheufele as a way to honor cinema’s rising stars. Faist and Wilde will receive the trophies during a glitzy dinner at Carlton Beach on May 17. As previously announced, godmother Demi Moore will take the stage and present the pair with the honors.
The winners are selected by an academy comprising previous winners as well as those who have served as godmothers and godfathers at the ceremony. Winners have included Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux, Diane Kruger, Niels Schneider, Florence Pugh, Jessie Buckley, Naomie Ackie and Daryl McCormack.
Faist can currently be seen on screen in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers opposite Zendaya and Josh O’Connor.
- 5/10/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Universal Pictures has unveiled a new trailer for the upcoming feature film, ‘The Bikeriders.’ The feature was written and directed by Jeff Nichols. We loved the film, and gave it a glowing review.
This gripping drama film tells the story of a fictional 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club and their journey through the eyes of its members.
Drawing inspiration from Danny Lyon’s renowned photography book, ‘The Bikeriders’, the movie immerses you in the gritty, grease-covered world of ’60s motorcycle riders. Kathy, a strong member of the Vandals, is married to the wild and reckless Benny, a fellow bike rider. Over a decade, Kathy recounts the club’s evolution from a local group of outcasts united by their love for bikes and good times, to a more dangerous gang. As tensions rise and the club’s future becomes uncertain, Kathy, Benny, and Johnny (the steady leader of the club) must make...
This gripping drama film tells the story of a fictional 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club and their journey through the eyes of its members.
Drawing inspiration from Danny Lyon’s renowned photography book, ‘The Bikeriders’, the movie immerses you in the gritty, grease-covered world of ’60s motorcycle riders. Kathy, a strong member of the Vandals, is married to the wild and reckless Benny, a fellow bike rider. Over a decade, Kathy recounts the club’s evolution from a local group of outcasts united by their love for bikes and good times, to a more dangerous gang. As tensions rise and the club’s future becomes uncertain, Kathy, Benny, and Johnny (the steady leader of the club) must make...
- 5/10/2024
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
North.Five.Six has come on to handle international sales of “Dutch & Razzlekahn” and will introduce the project to buyers at Cannes later this month. CAA Media Finance will represent domestic rights.
BAFTA-nominated Jon S. Baird will direct from a screenplay by Logan Miller and Noah Miller. Chloë Grace Moretz, Lewis Pullman and Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose will star.
Andrew Lazar’s Mad Chance Productions is producing, with Michael Rothstein and Samuel Hall from North.Five.Six executive producing. Production is scheduled to begin this summer.
Based on the 2022 Business Insider article “The $4.5 Billion Question” by Rob Price and Becky Peterson, “Dutch & Razzlekahn” tells the true story of the most expensive heist in history, with Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan (Moretz) and Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein (Pullman), relentlessly pursued by the FBI and blackmailed master hacker Carla Vargas (DeBose).
DeBose, who won an Oscar for her role as Anita in “West Side Story,” is...
BAFTA-nominated Jon S. Baird will direct from a screenplay by Logan Miller and Noah Miller. Chloë Grace Moretz, Lewis Pullman and Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose will star.
Andrew Lazar’s Mad Chance Productions is producing, with Michael Rothstein and Samuel Hall from North.Five.Six executive producing. Production is scheduled to begin this summer.
Based on the 2022 Business Insider article “The $4.5 Billion Question” by Rob Price and Becky Peterson, “Dutch & Razzlekahn” tells the true story of the most expensive heist in history, with Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan (Moretz) and Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein (Pullman), relentlessly pursued by the FBI and blackmailed master hacker Carla Vargas (DeBose).
DeBose, who won an Oscar for her role as Anita in “West Side Story,” is...
- 5/6/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
Ariana DeBose, Lewis Pullman, and Grace Moretz will star in the heist thriller Dutch & Razzlekahn, with North.Five.Six introducing to international buyers in Cannes next week.
Jon S. Baird, whose credits include Filth and Stan & Ollie, will direct from a screenplay by Logan Miller and Noah Miller, the writers behind Yann Demange’s White Boy Rick.
Based on the 2022 Business Insider article ‘The $4.5 Billion Question’ by Rob Price and Becky Peterson, Dutch & Razzlekhan recounts the true story of the most expensive heist in history.
Moretz and Pullman will portray Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan and Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein, who are pursued by the...
Jon S. Baird, whose credits include Filth and Stan & Ollie, will direct from a screenplay by Logan Miller and Noah Miller, the writers behind Yann Demange’s White Boy Rick.
Based on the 2022 Business Insider article ‘The $4.5 Billion Question’ by Rob Price and Becky Peterson, Dutch & Razzlekhan recounts the true story of the most expensive heist in history.
Moretz and Pullman will portray Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan and Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein, who are pursued by the...
- 5/6/2024
- ScreenDaily
North.Five.Six is set to handle international sales for the true-life heist pic Dutch & Razzlekhan, on which we were first to report. Starring Chloë Grace Moretz (The Peripheral), Lewis Pullman (Lessons in Chemistry) and Ariana DeBose (West Side Story), the film will be introduced to buyers at Cannes later this month, with CAA Media Finance repping domestic rights.
Based on the 2022 Business Insider article “The $4.5 Billion Question” by Rob Price and Becky Peterson, Dutch & Razzlekhan is the explosive and unbelievably true story of the most expensive heist in history, with Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan (Moretz) and Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein (Pullman) — lovers, hipsters, and aspiring rapper-entrepreneurs — at its center. DeBose plays Carla Vargas, the master hacker who was blackmailed by the FBI to help track down the duo.
After stealing over $4 billion worth of cryptocurrency, the millennial couple was caught by the Department of Justice and charged with conspiracy to launder the stolen...
Based on the 2022 Business Insider article “The $4.5 Billion Question” by Rob Price and Becky Peterson, Dutch & Razzlekhan is the explosive and unbelievably true story of the most expensive heist in history, with Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan (Moretz) and Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein (Pullman) — lovers, hipsters, and aspiring rapper-entrepreneurs — at its center. DeBose plays Carla Vargas, the master hacker who was blackmailed by the FBI to help track down the duo.
After stealing over $4 billion worth of cryptocurrency, the millennial couple was caught by the Department of Justice and charged with conspiracy to launder the stolen...
- 5/6/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The live-action Masters of the Universe reboot is finally going to see the light of day after being in and out of development for many years.
After numerous false starts, Netflix was all set to develop a feature take on the beloved animated series back in 2022, but we recently got word that the latest attempt to get the project off the ground had also fallen by the wayside.
However, we'd later learn that Amazon/MGM Studios had acquired the movie, with Bumblebee director Travis Knight in talks to helm. Now, multiple trades are reporting that Knight has officially signed on, and the movie is set to hit theaters on June 5, 2026.
Chris Butler rewrote the script from an initial draft by David Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). Previously, the Nee Brothers (The Lost City) were attached to direct.
An updated synopsis has also been revealed, it sounds...
After numerous false starts, Netflix was all set to develop a feature take on the beloved animated series back in 2022, but we recently got word that the latest attempt to get the project off the ground had also fallen by the wayside.
However, we'd later learn that Amazon/MGM Studios had acquired the movie, with Bumblebee director Travis Knight in talks to helm. Now, multiple trades are reporting that Knight has officially signed on, and the movie is set to hit theaters on June 5, 2026.
Chris Butler rewrote the script from an initial draft by David Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). Previously, the Nee Brothers (The Lost City) were attached to direct.
An updated synopsis has also been revealed, it sounds...
- 5/3/2024
- ComicBookMovie.com
Luca Guadagnino believes filmgoers will endorse his Zendaya movie Challengers because it delivers “a canon of Hollywood golden age comedy – seductive fun with queerness.” The movie’s “big sell” is a shot of Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor kissing one another in various configurations.
Challengers is establishing itself as a Gen Z “date movie,” with a 75% female audience, mostly under the age of 24. Its high-powered social media campaign triggered a $25 million opening weekend globally, defying the pre-summer box office torpor.
The movie has also been well received by Gen Z reviewers who are faithful to their lexicon of film criticism – male characters are approvingly deemed “heteroflexible,” females “polyamorous,” etc.
It was a surprise to his fans that Guadagnino, an Italian filmmaker, set out to make an American-set sports movie (he is not a sports fan) about a tennis world to which he was alien. As with his other films,...
Challengers is establishing itself as a Gen Z “date movie,” with a 75% female audience, mostly under the age of 24. Its high-powered social media campaign triggered a $25 million opening weekend globally, defying the pre-summer box office torpor.
The movie has also been well received by Gen Z reviewers who are faithful to their lexicon of film criticism – male characters are approvingly deemed “heteroflexible,” females “polyamorous,” etc.
It was a surprise to his fans that Guadagnino, an Italian filmmaker, set out to make an American-set sports movie (he is not a sports fan) about a tennis world to which he was alien. As with his other films,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament is back. While studios during Covid wildly embraced the theatrical day-and-date model when cinemas were closed, they soon realized there’s nothing more profitable than a theatrical release and the downstreams that come with it. If anything, theatrical is the advertisement for a movie’s longevity in subsequent home entertainment windows. Entering the conversation in 2023 were the streamers, such as Apple, who have also realized the necessity of theatrical to eventize their movies. The financial data pulled together here for Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament is culled by seasoned and trusted sources.
The Film
Wonka
Warner Bros
As moviegoers returned post-Covid, movie musicals were thought dead after the dismal performances of feature takes of Broadway musicals West Side Story, Dear Evan Hansen and In the Heights. Then along comes Wonka, an original feature musical with songs from Divine Comedy lead singer Neil Hannon,...
The Film
Wonka
Warner Bros
As moviegoers returned post-Covid, movie musicals were thought dead after the dismal performances of feature takes of Broadway musicals West Side Story, Dear Evan Hansen and In the Heights. Then along comes Wonka, an original feature musical with songs from Divine Comedy lead singer Neil Hannon,...
- 4/30/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
John Leguizamo has portrayed a wide range of characters in his career, from comic book villains to Shakespearean legends to drag queens. Despite his versatility, fans have never seen him as dark and unsettling as he is in the new TV series “The Green Veil.”
His portrayal of the 1950s FBI agent Gordon Rogers was already rattling audiences after the premiere of the first four episodes of the new drama at Variety‘s TV FYC Screening Series on April 26 in West Hollywood. Following the screening, one fan revealed that it was difficult to witness Leguizamo’s character inflict trauma after trauma and asked how he managed to act out the scripted atrocities.
“I don’t need people to like me in this role,” Leguizamo responded. “That’s not what I want. I want it to be understood, understood how a person becomes this vile and twisted.” This powerful performance set...
His portrayal of the 1950s FBI agent Gordon Rogers was already rattling audiences after the premiere of the first four episodes of the new drama at Variety‘s TV FYC Screening Series on April 26 in West Hollywood. Following the screening, one fan revealed that it was difficult to witness Leguizamo’s character inflict trauma after trauma and asked how he managed to act out the scripted atrocities.
“I don’t need people to like me in this role,” Leguizamo responded. “That’s not what I want. I want it to be understood, understood how a person becomes this vile and twisted.” This powerful performance set...
- 4/30/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: CAA has signed Tony and Olivier-Award winning director Ivo van Hove in all areas.
Belgian-born van Hove has built a reputation for experimental revisions of Hollywood and Broadway classics including Broadway revival productions of Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge, for which he received a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award, and The Crucible as well as Lee Hall’s Network (starring Bryan Cranston and Tatiana Maslany), All About Eve (with Gillian Anderson in the Bette Davis role) and Stephen Sondheim’s West Side Story.
Last year, van Hove teamed with John Wells to develop Doll at Warner Bros. Television. The project is described as a psychological thriller series set in the ruthless world of a modern music conservatory. The former’s artistic collaborator, Jan Versweyveld, was set to serve as production and lighting designer on the project, which marks the duo’s first foray into scripted television.
Belgian-born van Hove has built a reputation for experimental revisions of Hollywood and Broadway classics including Broadway revival productions of Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge, for which he received a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award, and The Crucible as well as Lee Hall’s Network (starring Bryan Cranston and Tatiana Maslany), All About Eve (with Gillian Anderson in the Bette Davis role) and Stephen Sondheim’s West Side Story.
Last year, van Hove teamed with John Wells to develop Doll at Warner Bros. Television. The project is described as a psychological thriller series set in the ruthless world of a modern music conservatory. The former’s artistic collaborator, Jan Versweyveld, was set to serve as production and lighting designer on the project, which marks the duo’s first foray into scripted television.
- 4/29/2024
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
Josh O’Connor has his sights set on his dream role: playing a “darker version” of Willy Wonka.
Much like his “Challengers” co-star and “West Side Story” alum Mike Faist, O’Connor is looking to lean into the musical theater elements of the famed fictional chocolatier. Timothée Chalamet most recently played the Roald Dahl character in “Wonka,” with Johnny Depp and Gene Wilder leading other iterations of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
In a recent WSJ Magazine video, O’Connor revealed that Wonka is his ideal part.
“I would love to play Willy Wonka, but like a dark Willy Wonka,” he said. “I know they’ve just made a ‘Wonka’ film with Timothée Chalamet, but I would really like to play a story of darker version of him.”
According to O’Connor, the original portrayal of the character by actor Wilder is a haunting performance.
“I think Gene Wilder’s version of him is very dark.
Much like his “Challengers” co-star and “West Side Story” alum Mike Faist, O’Connor is looking to lean into the musical theater elements of the famed fictional chocolatier. Timothée Chalamet most recently played the Roald Dahl character in “Wonka,” with Johnny Depp and Gene Wilder leading other iterations of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
In a recent WSJ Magazine video, O’Connor revealed that Wonka is his ideal part.
“I would love to play Willy Wonka, but like a dark Willy Wonka,” he said. “I know they’ve just made a ‘Wonka’ film with Timothée Chalamet, but I would really like to play a story of darker version of him.”
According to O’Connor, the original portrayal of the character by actor Wilder is a haunting performance.
“I think Gene Wilder’s version of him is very dark.
- 4/29/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
If there was any doubt at all that Zendaya is one of her generation's biggest A-list stars, this past weekend just squashed it. The actress had a bunch of big hits to her name, including the most recent "Spider-Man" trilogy, but she had yet to have the opportunity to open an original movie with her as the central star. Well, she did just that over the weekend as the R-rated, original tennis drama "Challengers" hit theaters and topped the box office with a $15 million take domestically. Very few non-horror, original movies have broken through in the pandemic era big enough to take the number one spot on the charts. That was just the tip of the iceberg.
While Zendaya's latest was topping the charts, "Dune: Part Two" still found itself in the top ten in its ninth weekend of release. Director Dennis Villeneuve's sequel to 2021's "Dune" added $1.9 million to its ever-growing total domestically,...
While Zendaya's latest was topping the charts, "Dune: Part Two" still found itself in the top ten in its ninth weekend of release. Director Dennis Villeneuve's sequel to 2021's "Dune" added $1.9 million to its ever-growing total domestically,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Mike Faist is about to become an even bigger star thanks to his role as Art Donaldson in the new movie Challengers, so fans are likely going to search for more info about his personal life.
The 32-year-old actor got his start on Broadway as a member of the original cast of Newsies and later the original cast of Dear Evan Hansen. He earned a Tony nomination for playing Connor Murphy in the acclaimed musical.
Mike had his first major on-screen role in the West Side Story remake and also starred in the Prime Video series Panic. Now, he’s in the spotlight thanks to Challengers.
While Mike used to be active on social media and publicly shared details about a previous relationship, that has changed in recent years.
Keep reading to find out more…
“I don’t go on the internet, I don’t have social media,” Mike told IndieWire.
The 32-year-old actor got his start on Broadway as a member of the original cast of Newsies and later the original cast of Dear Evan Hansen. He earned a Tony nomination for playing Connor Murphy in the acclaimed musical.
Mike had his first major on-screen role in the West Side Story remake and also starred in the Prime Video series Panic. Now, he’s in the spotlight thanks to Challengers.
While Mike used to be active on social media and publicly shared details about a previous relationship, that has changed in recent years.
Keep reading to find out more…
“I don’t go on the internet, I don’t have social media,” Mike told IndieWire.
- 4/26/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
A central scene in director Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers wasn’t in Justin Kuritzkes’ original script.
In the film, Zendaya plays Tashi Duncan, a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion, Art (West Side Story‘s Mike Faist), on a losing streak, Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (The Crown‘s Josh O’Conner) – his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.
Key to the film is the love triangle between the characters and its power dynamics. The scene in question has the trio relaxing in a hotel room, flirting.
“How often does this happen, going after the same girl?” asks Tashi.
“Not as often as you think,” replies Art, before Patrick explains, “We usually have different types.”
It ends with the...
In the film, Zendaya plays Tashi Duncan, a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion, Art (West Side Story‘s Mike Faist), on a losing streak, Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (The Crown‘s Josh O’Conner) – his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.
Key to the film is the love triangle between the characters and its power dynamics. The scene in question has the trio relaxing in a hotel room, flirting.
“How often does this happen, going after the same girl?” asks Tashi.
“Not as often as you think,” replies Art, before Patrick explains, “We usually have different types.”
It ends with the...
- 4/26/2024
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
When determining what films have any chance of winning the Oscar for Best Picture, or even being in contention for it, there recently has been a returned focus toward the delicate balance of art and commerce. As theatrical exhibition continues to rebuild and reform in wake of the global pandemic, the last two Best Picture winners, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Oppenheimer,” were celebrated not just for being inventive, but for proving that audiences were still willing to come out in droves for a film without a colon or numeral toward the end of the title.
All that to say, if “Challengers” does well during its opening weekend at the box office, which is not a given, it will be much harder to ignore during awards season. As of now, there’s simply not much else down the line on the 2024 release calendar that fits into that sweet spot...
All that to say, if “Challengers” does well during its opening weekend at the box office, which is not a given, it will be much harder to ignore during awards season. As of now, there’s simply not much else down the line on the 2024 release calendar that fits into that sweet spot...
- 4/26/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Luca Guadagnino isn’t exactly known for mainstream box office success, with credits on his resume like Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria and Bones and All. However, you take a young rising star like Zendaya and create a sexy love triangle around her in a sports setting, then as the late great Carl Weathers would say, “Baby, you got a stew going!” Guadagnino’s sports romance drama, Challengers, would open to $1.9 million at the box office in Thursday night previews.
According to Variety, while the R-rated film isn’t going to bust any blocks, as romance dramas rarely do, but the Amazon MGM movie is expected to win the weekend with an estimated $12 million to $15 million gross. Challengers is expected to overtake Civil War for the number one spot at the box office for the week. Civil War would enjoy two weeks at the top, becoming the biggest earner...
According to Variety, while the R-rated film isn’t going to bust any blocks, as romance dramas rarely do, but the Amazon MGM movie is expected to win the weekend with an estimated $12 million to $15 million gross. Challengers is expected to overtake Civil War for the number one spot at the box office for the week. Civil War would enjoy two weeks at the top, becoming the biggest earner...
- 4/26/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
“Challengers” is getting ready to serve at the box office.
Director Luca Guadagnino’s sexy tennis drama made $1.9 million at the the box office in Thursday previews.
The Amazon MGM film, which stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, is expected to make between $12 million and $15 million in its opening weekend. It’s poised to take the number one spot this weekend and beat A24’s “Civil War,” which has conquered the box office the last two weeks.
The trio of young stars play tennis pros caught in a personal and professional entanglement. Zendaya, who’s coming off the sci-fi blockbuster “Dune: Part Two,” plays Tashi Duncan, a former prodigy who had to retire from tennis after a serious injury. Mike Faist, who played Riff in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” is Art Donaldson, another tennis pro caught in a losing streak who later marries Tashi and is coached by her.
Director Luca Guadagnino’s sexy tennis drama made $1.9 million at the the box office in Thursday previews.
The Amazon MGM film, which stars Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, is expected to make between $12 million and $15 million in its opening weekend. It’s poised to take the number one spot this weekend and beat A24’s “Civil War,” which has conquered the box office the last two weeks.
The trio of young stars play tennis pros caught in a personal and professional entanglement. Zendaya, who’s coming off the sci-fi blockbuster “Dune: Part Two,” plays Tashi Duncan, a former prodigy who had to retire from tennis after a serious injury. Mike Faist, who played Riff in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” is Art Donaldson, another tennis pro caught in a losing streak who later marries Tashi and is coached by her.
- 4/26/2024
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
[Editor’s note: The following interview includes some spoilers for “Challengers.”]
Justin Kuritzkes managed to hit an ace with the first feature-length screenplay he’d ever written “that I felt good enough to share with anybody,” he joked during a recent interview with IndieWire over Zoom.
The playwright, author, and to some most memorably “Potion Seller,” credits the controversial 2018 U.S. Open final between Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams that began to devolve after an umpire penalized the latter tennis legend for allegedly receiving coaching from the sidelines.
“She immediately got really upset and said, ‘I didn’t do that. I would never do that.’ And I had never heard this rule before because I wasn’t massively into tennis. But immediately, this struck me as intensely cinematic,” said Kuritzkes. “You’re all alone on the court and there’s this one person in the stands who cares as much about what happens to you as you do, but you can’t talk to them.
Justin Kuritzkes managed to hit an ace with the first feature-length screenplay he’d ever written “that I felt good enough to share with anybody,” he joked during a recent interview with IndieWire over Zoom.
The playwright, author, and to some most memorably “Potion Seller,” credits the controversial 2018 U.S. Open final between Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams that began to devolve after an umpire penalized the latter tennis legend for allegedly receiving coaching from the sidelines.
“She immediately got really upset and said, ‘I didn’t do that. I would never do that.’ And I had never heard this rule before because I wasn’t massively into tennis. But immediately, this struck me as intensely cinematic,” said Kuritzkes. “You’re all alone on the court and there’s this one person in the stands who cares as much about what happens to you as you do, but you can’t talk to them.
- 4/25/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
With his new highly-anticipated film Challengers bowing this weekend, Mike Faist looks to have found a new agent and manager as he as signed with WME and Brillstein Entertainment Partners for representation. He will continue to work with former agent Samantha Stoller, who transitioned to management in February.
Faist can next be seen in Luca Guadagnino’s tennis drama Challengers alongside Zendaya and Josh O’Connor in theaters April 26, 2024. His breakout role came as Riff in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story. His other credits include The Grief of Others, The Atlantic City Story and Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game.
Also an acclaimed stage actor, Faist originated the role of Connor Murphy in the international megahit Dear Evan Hansen, which earned him a Grammy Award and a Tony nomination. Last summer, Faist starred as Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain at London’s Soho Palace featuring songs by...
Faist can next be seen in Luca Guadagnino’s tennis drama Challengers alongside Zendaya and Josh O’Connor in theaters April 26, 2024. His breakout role came as Riff in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story. His other credits include The Grief of Others, The Atlantic City Story and Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game.
Also an acclaimed stage actor, Faist originated the role of Connor Murphy in the international megahit Dear Evan Hansen, which earned him a Grammy Award and a Tony nomination. Last summer, Faist starred as Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain at London’s Soho Palace featuring songs by...
- 4/25/2024
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Challengers releases April 26th, 2024.
The cast and creative team behind one of the most anticipated films of the year sat down to discuss the creative process that brought it to life just ahead of its upcoming release. Challengers — directed by acclaimed filmmaker Luca Guadagnino — stars Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home), Josh O’Connor (The Crown) and Mike Faist (West Side Story) as talented athletes caught up in a web of seduction, betrayal and tennis. You can check out my review of the film here.
Challengers Explores the Steamy Side of Tennis
Mike Faust (left) Zendaya (center) and Josh O’Connor (right)
Luca Guadagnino follows up his cannibal romance Bones and All with a very different story of love. While Bone and All was undeniably smaller in scale, Challengers is a film of excess. From its pulse-pounding musical score, unpredictable camera movements and its over-the-top melodrama, it’s an indulgent and captivating...
The cast and creative team behind one of the most anticipated films of the year sat down to discuss the creative process that brought it to life just ahead of its upcoming release. Challengers — directed by acclaimed filmmaker Luca Guadagnino — stars Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home), Josh O’Connor (The Crown) and Mike Faist (West Side Story) as talented athletes caught up in a web of seduction, betrayal and tennis. You can check out my review of the film here.
Challengers Explores the Steamy Side of Tennis
Mike Faust (left) Zendaya (center) and Josh O’Connor (right)
Luca Guadagnino follows up his cannibal romance Bones and All with a very different story of love. While Bone and All was undeniably smaller in scale, Challengers is a film of excess. From its pulse-pounding musical score, unpredictable camera movements and its over-the-top melodrama, it’s an indulgent and captivating...
- 4/25/2024
- by Joshua Ryan
- FandomWire
Trouble brews on board the International Space Station as war erupts on Earth. Here’s our I.S.S. review.
Most of my cinematic education came from browsing VHS tapes at the Finnish equivalent of a Blockbuster (it was called FilmTown). I would look at the covers for ages, treating each rental like a choice between life and death.
I.S.S. feels like a film I would have encountered back in the late 90s and early 2000s, and probably picked as well. It’s the kind of mid-budget thriller that rarely makes it to the big screen anymore, so watching I.S.S. in a cinema feels like a small victory in itself.
Ariana DeBose plays Kira Foster, a scientist who’s shuttled up to the International Space Station; the crew on board is made up of three Russians and three Americans.
It’s all going rather well at first, but I.S.S. would be a...
Most of my cinematic education came from browsing VHS tapes at the Finnish equivalent of a Blockbuster (it was called FilmTown). I would look at the covers for ages, treating each rental like a choice between life and death.
I.S.S. feels like a film I would have encountered back in the late 90s and early 2000s, and probably picked as well. It’s the kind of mid-budget thriller that rarely makes it to the big screen anymore, so watching I.S.S. in a cinema feels like a small victory in itself.
Ariana DeBose plays Kira Foster, a scientist who’s shuttled up to the International Space Station; the crew on board is made up of three Russians and three Americans.
It’s all going rather well at first, but I.S.S. would be a...
- 4/25/2024
- by Maria Lattila
- Film Stories
Game, set… but there’s not much of a match. “Challengers,” a steamy tennis drama starring Zendaya and directed by Luca Guadagnino, is poised to lead the domestic box office without much in the way of competition.
The film, from Amazon MGM, is projected to collect $12 million to $15 million from 3,400 North American theaters in its opening weekend. Although those are modest projections for any nationwide release, it’s this weekend’s only major new movie and shouldn’t have trouble claiming first place from A24’s “Civil War,” the reigning champion. Last weekend, “Civil War” topped the box office for the second consecutive frame with $11.1 million and has grossed $70 million globally to date. Overall, the domestic box office is 20% behind the same point in 2023, according to Comscore.
The steamy, R-rated “Challengers” was originally slated to premiere at 2023’s Venice Film Festival and hit the big screen last fall. But the...
The film, from Amazon MGM, is projected to collect $12 million to $15 million from 3,400 North American theaters in its opening weekend. Although those are modest projections for any nationwide release, it’s this weekend’s only major new movie and shouldn’t have trouble claiming first place from A24’s “Civil War,” the reigning champion. Last weekend, “Civil War” topped the box office for the second consecutive frame with $11.1 million and has grossed $70 million globally to date. Overall, the domestic box office is 20% behind the same point in 2023, according to Comscore.
The steamy, R-rated “Challengers” was originally slated to premiere at 2023’s Venice Film Festival and hit the big screen last fall. But the...
- 4/24/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
The month of April seemingly sailed by with far too many moderate releases, and the month ends this weekend with more of the same. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.
Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino returns with the sexy tennis drama “Challengers,” starring the powerhouse trio of Zendaya (“Euphoria”), Josh O’Connor (“The Crown”) and Mike Faist (“West Side Story”) as superstar tennis players who fall into a competitive love triangle. This is Zendaya’s first movie after “Dune: Part Two,” and it will be a real test for her as a box office star, since sports dramas can be hit or miss. “Challengers” really is riding on her popularity to avoid the pitfalls of the genre.
Tennis has had an especially tough time at the box office, as seen by Will Smith‘s Oscar-winning turn in the 2021 release “King Richard,” about the father of Venus and Serena Williams,...
Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino returns with the sexy tennis drama “Challengers,” starring the powerhouse trio of Zendaya (“Euphoria”), Josh O’Connor (“The Crown”) and Mike Faist (“West Side Story”) as superstar tennis players who fall into a competitive love triangle. This is Zendaya’s first movie after “Dune: Part Two,” and it will be a real test for her as a box office star, since sports dramas can be hit or miss. “Challengers” really is riding on her popularity to avoid the pitfalls of the genre.
Tennis has had an especially tough time at the box office, as seen by Will Smith‘s Oscar-winning turn in the 2021 release “King Richard,” about the father of Venus and Serena Williams,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
For as long as “teenager” has been a demographic, there have been stories about teens breaking free from the status quo. While a lot of the modern great teen rebellion media is confined to the world of TV — where shows like “Euphoria” attract constant buzz — the archetypal troubled teen story remains 1955’s “Rebel Without a Cause.” Starring James Dean in unquestionably his defining role, a rebellious teen struggling with his demons in L.A., Nicholas Ray’s film spoke to young people at the time with its story of high schoolers struggling with, and going against, the social pressures that bring them down. Over the years it became a touchstone because its themes and its honesty transcends generations.
As the teen film has evolved and morphed as a genre, there’s always been room for stories of iconoclastic youth who don’t fit in with the status quo. Oftentimes, these...
As the teen film has evolved and morphed as a genre, there’s always been room for stories of iconoclastic youth who don’t fit in with the status quo. Oftentimes, these...
- 4/23/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Brandon Evans and Todd Slater’s Brick Lane Entertainment - the newly-formed sales, financing and production partnership between between the US’ Convoke Media and Ireland’s Brick Lane Pictures – has added a trio of features to its slate and will sell them at Cannes.
Tiffany Kim Stevens’s Trigger Happy centres on a repressed husband attempting to murder his wife for her life insurance, starring Tyler Poelle, Elsha Kim and Christina Kirkman. Kyle Herman produces for Los Angeles-based West 36 Productions.
Matt McClung’s Inhabitants is a psychological horror starring Anna Jacoby-Heron, West Side Story’s Josh Andrés Rivera and comedian Kevin Nealon.
Tiffany Kim Stevens’s Trigger Happy centres on a repressed husband attempting to murder his wife for her life insurance, starring Tyler Poelle, Elsha Kim and Christina Kirkman. Kyle Herman produces for Los Angeles-based West 36 Productions.
Matt McClung’s Inhabitants is a psychological horror starring Anna Jacoby-Heron, West Side Story’s Josh Andrés Rivera and comedian Kevin Nealon.
- 4/23/2024
- ScreenDaily
Prominent literary organization Pen America has canceled its annual awards ceremony, which was due to be held next week, after 28 authors chose to withdraw their books from consideration. The group has faced increasing backlash over its response to the Israel-Hamas War. Among those dropping out was debut novel finalist Rachel Eliza Griffiths, wife of former Pen president Salman Rushdie, according to the Associated Press.
Of those withdrawing are also nine out of the 10 authors nominated for the Pen/Jean Stein Book Award. The Literary Estate of Jean Stein has directed Pen America to donate the $75,000 award to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, representatives said on Monday.
The decision to cancel the awards comes in the wake of escalating upset against Pen America. A series of open letters signed by Pen nominees in recent weeks have criticized the group for allegedly choosing sides against Gaza in the war that started...
Of those withdrawing are also nine out of the 10 authors nominated for the Pen/Jean Stein Book Award. The Literary Estate of Jean Stein has directed Pen America to donate the $75,000 award to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, representatives said on Monday.
The decision to cancel the awards comes in the wake of escalating upset against Pen America. A series of open letters signed by Pen nominees in recent weeks have criticized the group for allegedly choosing sides against Gaza in the war that started...
- 4/23/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Amazon MGM Studios has released the final trailer for Challengers, starring Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court.
Married to a champion on a losing streak, Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick—his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.
As their pasts and present collide and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself what it will cost to win. In addition to the trailer, you can also watch a featurette on the film’s music by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers is rated R for language throughout, some sexual content, and graphic nudity. The drama will open in theaters on Friday, April 26, 2024.
Guadagnino directed the movie from a script by Justin Kuritzkes.
Married to a champion on a losing streak, Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick—his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.
As their pasts and present collide and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself what it will cost to win. In addition to the trailer, you can also watch a featurette on the film’s music by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers is rated R for language throughout, some sexual content, and graphic nudity. The drama will open in theaters on Friday, April 26, 2024.
Guadagnino directed the movie from a script by Justin Kuritzkes.
- 4/22/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
“My dream had always been to originate something and it’s really fun to just kind of make it my own,” says Grant Gustin of starring in a Broadway musical. That aspiration is now a reality as he leads the stage adaptation of “Water for Elephants” at the Imperial Theatre. The actor has amassed legions of fans who know him as the titular superhero in “The Flash,” but this latest demanding role marks Gustin’s return to his stage roots. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Gustin portrays Jacob Jankowski in “Water for Elephants,” who falls in with a traveling circus after hopping aboard their train. He is hired as the troupe’s veterinarian and soon begins to fall for the equestrian performer Marlena (Isabelle McCalla). The pair become closer as they train a brand new routine with an elephant, provoking a jealous rage from Marlena’s husband August (Paul Alexander Nolan...
Gustin portrays Jacob Jankowski in “Water for Elephants,” who falls in with a traveling circus after hopping aboard their train. He is hired as the troupe’s veterinarian and soon begins to fall for the equestrian performer Marlena (Isabelle McCalla). The pair become closer as they train a brand new routine with an elephant, provoking a jealous rage from Marlena’s husband August (Paul Alexander Nolan...
- 4/21/2024
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
“Civil War,” the new acclaimed drama from director Alex Garland, is dominating theaters everywhere, and the film’s star Kirsten Dunst gives one of her best performances in her long and varied career. In honor of her latest movie, let’s revisit her many awards races, including her first Oscar nomination for “The Power of the Dog.”
Dunst’s first role that brought the actress lots of awards attention arrived in 1994 in Neil Jordan’s “Interview with the Vampire,” starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Dunst’s performance as the young outspoken vampire Claudia earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress, up against Sophia Loren in “Prét-à-Porter,” Robin Wright Penn in “Forrest Gump,” Uma Thurman in “Pulp Fiction” and Dianne Wiest, who won the trophy for “Bullets over Broadway.”
Occasionally the academy will reward a great child performance with an Oscar nomination, the way they did with...
Dunst’s first role that brought the actress lots of awards attention arrived in 1994 in Neil Jordan’s “Interview with the Vampire,” starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Dunst’s performance as the young outspoken vampire Claudia earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress, up against Sophia Loren in “Prét-à-Porter,” Robin Wright Penn in “Forrest Gump,” Uma Thurman in “Pulp Fiction” and Dianne Wiest, who won the trophy for “Bullets over Broadway.”
Occasionally the academy will reward a great child performance with an Oscar nomination, the way they did with...
- 4/20/2024
- by Brian Rowe
- Gold Derby
The young adult novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton has captivated readers for decades, and the 1983 film adaptation, filled with rising stars, further cemented its place in popular culture. Now, a new musical adaptation at the Jacobs Theater on Broadway seeks to tap into the timeless story’s magic.
The musical, directed by Danya Taymor, possesses undeniable heart and soul, but it occasionally falls short of a truly theatrical experience. Although the plot of The Outsiders is rich in dramatic events—a clash between rival gangs, a star-crossed romance, and a climactic confrontation—the stage adaption can easily be compared to other classic stage productions, particularly Grease and West Side Story.
The script, written by Adam Rapp and Justin Levine, focuses on three orphaned brothers: Ponyboy, portrayed by Brody Grant as the narrator; the brawny and romantic Sodapop, played by Jason Schmidt; and the eldest brother, Darrel, portrayed by Brent Comer as the father figure.
The musical, directed by Danya Taymor, possesses undeniable heart and soul, but it occasionally falls short of a truly theatrical experience. Although the plot of The Outsiders is rich in dramatic events—a clash between rival gangs, a star-crossed romance, and a climactic confrontation—the stage adaption can easily be compared to other classic stage productions, particularly Grease and West Side Story.
The script, written by Adam Rapp and Justin Levine, focuses on three orphaned brothers: Ponyboy, portrayed by Brody Grant as the narrator; the brawny and romantic Sodapop, played by Jason Schmidt; and the eldest brother, Darrel, portrayed by Brent Comer as the father figure.
- 4/20/2024
- by Baila Eve Zisman
- Uinterview
Zendaya has, in just a small handful of years, asserted herself as a true A-list star in Hollywood. So much focus is paid to actors in their 40s (or much older) such as Tom Cruise, one of the many famous people named Chris, or Anne Hathaway. But Zendaya has emerged as one of our new movie stars, thanks to her work in wildly successful franchises such as "Dune" and "Spider-Man." But can her star power help turn "Challengers," an original sports drama centered around tennis, into a hit? That's the big question MGM is asking right now as the movie gets ready to make its way to theaters next weekend.
Hailing from "Call Me By Your Name" director Luca Guadagnino, "Challengers" is eyeing an opening between $7 and $12 million, per Box Office Pro. The only other big release on April 26 is Lionsgate's Christian drama "Unsung Hero." Yes, faith-based movies have...
Hailing from "Call Me By Your Name" director Luca Guadagnino, "Challengers" is eyeing an opening between $7 and $12 million, per Box Office Pro. The only other big release on April 26 is Lionsgate's Christian drama "Unsung Hero." Yes, faith-based movies have...
- 4/19/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
It’s safe to say Rita Moreno had an unforgettable experience meeting Lenny Kravitz for the first time.
The Egot winner shared on Thursday’s episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show that she was “astonished” at the legendary singer’s initial reaction to her during the Vanity Fair Oscar Party last month.
“I said to my daughter [Fernanda Luisa Gordon], ‘Oh look, there’s Lenny Kravitz. Let’s go say hello,'” Moreno recalled. “And she said, ‘Do you know him?’ I said, ‘No, but, you know, it’s a party,’ and he was all alone.”
After the West Side Story actress introduced herself to Kravitz, she said, “At that point — you’re not gonna believe this — he fell to the floor, and he got on his knees. And he just went on and on and on and on about how much he’s admired me all these years,” quipping,...
The Egot winner shared on Thursday’s episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show that she was “astonished” at the legendary singer’s initial reaction to her during the Vanity Fair Oscar Party last month.
“I said to my daughter [Fernanda Luisa Gordon], ‘Oh look, there’s Lenny Kravitz. Let’s go say hello,'” Moreno recalled. “And she said, ‘Do you know him?’ I said, ‘No, but, you know, it’s a party,’ and he was all alone.”
After the West Side Story actress introduced herself to Kravitz, she said, “At that point — you’re not gonna believe this — he fell to the floor, and he got on his knees. And he just went on and on and on and on about how much he’s admired me all these years,” quipping,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Challengers is releasing to theaters and we’re celebrating with a giveaway!
Zendaya sizzles in the steamy new film from acclaimed director Luca Guadagnino. Guadagnino — who brought us Call Me By Your Name, Bones and All, Suspiria (2018) and A Bigger Splash — combines the world of competitive tennis with the steamy messiness of a love triangle. It’s a fast paced and flashy film that marks Zendaya’s second major theatrical release of the year, following Dune: Part Two. Joining the Spider-Man: No Way Home star are Josh O’Connor (The Crown) and Mike Faist (West Side Story) as former friends now competing for the affection of the alluring Tashi.
I had the pleasure of catching an advanced screening at the beginning of the month and I had an absolute blast with this one-of-a-king film. You can check out my full review below. Originally scheduled to be released in September of 2023 before...
Zendaya sizzles in the steamy new film from acclaimed director Luca Guadagnino. Guadagnino — who brought us Call Me By Your Name, Bones and All, Suspiria (2018) and A Bigger Splash — combines the world of competitive tennis with the steamy messiness of a love triangle. It’s a fast paced and flashy film that marks Zendaya’s second major theatrical release of the year, following Dune: Part Two. Joining the Spider-Man: No Way Home star are Josh O’Connor (The Crown) and Mike Faist (West Side Story) as former friends now competing for the affection of the alluring Tashi.
I had the pleasure of catching an advanced screening at the beginning of the month and I had an absolute blast with this one-of-a-king film. You can check out my full review below. Originally scheduled to be released in September of 2023 before...
- 4/17/2024
- by Joshua Ryan
- FandomWire
Miami-based Mge Media has scooped up international distribution rights to Katherina Harder’s feature debut, “La Pérgola de las Flores,” produced by Parox, the Chilean producer of mini-series “Allende, The Thousand Days” (“Los mil días de Allende”), which is nominated for three Premios Platino.
The prestigious Ibero-American awards event takes place April 20 in Cancun, Mexico where “Allende…” has been nominated for best series, best actor for Alfredo Castro, who plays the doomed socialist president Salvador Allende, and best actress for Aline Kuppenheim.
Written by Parox producer and showrunner Leonora González and Catalina Calcagni, “La Pérgola de las Flores” is an adaptation of the wildly popular 1960 stage musical that has enthralled three generations in Chile. “Even our grandparents know the lyrics by heart, it’s our ‘Westside Story,’” said Parox producer Sergio Gandara who will be attending the Premios Platino along with Kuppenheim and González, who also created and showran “Allende…...
The prestigious Ibero-American awards event takes place April 20 in Cancun, Mexico where “Allende…” has been nominated for best series, best actor for Alfredo Castro, who plays the doomed socialist president Salvador Allende, and best actress for Aline Kuppenheim.
Written by Parox producer and showrunner Leonora González and Catalina Calcagni, “La Pérgola de las Flores” is an adaptation of the wildly popular 1960 stage musical that has enthralled three generations in Chile. “Even our grandparents know the lyrics by heart, it’s our ‘Westside Story,’” said Parox producer Sergio Gandara who will be attending the Premios Platino along with Kuppenheim and González, who also created and showran “Allende…...
- 4/16/2024
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Remakes have become rampant in the film industry but the worst part is most of them lack any sense of originality. Filmmakers are constantly coming up with movies that rely solely on the nostalgia factor in order to bring the audience to the theatres. More often than not, the remakes aren’t met with positive feedback which just goes on to say that it is about time Hollywood should move on to bigger and better things.
Steven Spielberg | Credits: Wikimedia Commons
However, before it does so, the film industry might need to take a step back and look into two of the best remakes Hollywood has had to offer in the past years – War of the Worlds and West Side Story. Directed by none other than legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, both films are perfect examples of how a remake should be done.
How Steven Spielberg Mastered the Art of Remakes...
Steven Spielberg | Credits: Wikimedia Commons
However, before it does so, the film industry might need to take a step back and look into two of the best remakes Hollywood has had to offer in the past years – War of the Worlds and West Side Story. Directed by none other than legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, both films are perfect examples of how a remake should be done.
How Steven Spielberg Mastered the Art of Remakes...
- 4/16/2024
- by Mishkaat Khan
- FandomWire
Heartstopper‘s Kit Connor and West Side Story‘s Rachel Zegler will star in the new Broadway production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet this fall, directed by Tony Award winner Sam Gold, with music by Grammy Award winner Jack Antonoff and movement by Tony winner Sonya Tayeh.
Producers Seaview made the announcement today.
The production should not be confused with yet another high-profile revival of the star-crossed lovers = the West End production of Romeo & Juliet starring Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, which also is eyeing a Broadway staging. Jamie Lloyd directs that one.
The Gold fall production will mark the Broadway debuts of Connor, Zegler and Antonoff, who in February won his third consecutive Grammy Award for Producer of the Year.
More information including theatre, dates, design team and additional casting will be announced at a later date.
Gold said, “With the presidential election coming up in November,...
Producers Seaview made the announcement today.
The production should not be confused with yet another high-profile revival of the star-crossed lovers = the West End production of Romeo & Juliet starring Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, which also is eyeing a Broadway staging. Jamie Lloyd directs that one.
The Gold fall production will mark the Broadway debuts of Connor, Zegler and Antonoff, who in February won his third consecutive Grammy Award for Producer of the Year.
More information including theatre, dates, design team and additional casting will be announced at a later date.
Gold said, “With the presidential election coming up in November,...
- 4/16/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
West Side Story‘s Rachel Zegler and Heartstopper‘s Kit Connor are set to make their Broadway debuts in a new production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo+Juliet with original music by Jack Antonoff!
The production will be directed by Sam Gold, who shared, “With the presidential election coming up in November, I felt like making a show this fall that celebrates youth and hope, and unleashes the anger young people feel about the world they are inheriting.” The show will also feature movement by Tony Award winner Sonya Tayeh.
Keep reading to find out more…
Here’s the official tagline: “The youth are f-cked. Left to their own devices in their parents’ world of violent ends, an impulsive pair of star-crossed lovers hurtle towards their inescapable fate. The intoxicating high of passion quickly descends into a brutal chaos that can only end one way.”
The show is expected to open...
The production will be directed by Sam Gold, who shared, “With the presidential election coming up in November, I felt like making a show this fall that celebrates youth and hope, and unleashes the anger young people feel about the world they are inheriting.” The show will also feature movement by Tony Award winner Sonya Tayeh.
Keep reading to find out more…
Here’s the official tagline: “The youth are f-cked. Left to their own devices in their parents’ world of violent ends, an impulsive pair of star-crossed lovers hurtle towards their inescapable fate. The intoxicating high of passion quickly descends into a brutal chaos that can only end one way.”
The show is expected to open...
- 4/16/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor will make their Broadway debuts in a new production of Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet this fall.
The production will feature music by Grammy Award winner Jack Antonoff, who is also making his Broadway debut, movement by Sonya Tayeh (Moulin Rouge! The Musical) and direction by Sam Gold. Exact dates and a theater have yet to be announced, but tickets are set to go on sale in May.
While few details have been released about this version of the Shakespeare classic, the production is using the tagline “The Youth Are Fucked” and promises an angrier take on the tale.
“With the presidential election coming up in November, I felt like making a show this fall that celebrates youth and hope, and unleashes the anger young people feel about the world they are inheriting,” said Gold, who is helming this season’s An Enemy of the People.
The production will feature music by Grammy Award winner Jack Antonoff, who is also making his Broadway debut, movement by Sonya Tayeh (Moulin Rouge! The Musical) and direction by Sam Gold. Exact dates and a theater have yet to be announced, but tickets are set to go on sale in May.
While few details have been released about this version of the Shakespeare classic, the production is using the tagline “The Youth Are Fucked” and promises an angrier take on the tale.
“With the presidential election coming up in November, I felt like making a show this fall that celebrates youth and hope, and unleashes the anger young people feel about the world they are inheriting,” said Gold, who is helming this season’s An Enemy of the People.
- 4/16/2024
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist – West Side Story), Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh O’Connor – The Crown) – his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.
Opens in Theatres Nationwide on April 26th. Rated R.
The St. Louis advance screening is 7Pm on Wed, April 24, at the Alamo Drafthouse
Pass Link: https://mgmscreenings.com/bsfVA62475
Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.
Zendaya as Tashi in Challengers, directed by Luca Guadagnino, a Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film.
Opens in Theatres Nationwide on April 26th. Rated R.
The St. Louis advance screening is 7Pm on Wed, April 24, at the Alamo Drafthouse
Pass Link: https://mgmscreenings.com/bsfVA62475
Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.
Zendaya as Tashi in Challengers, directed by Luca Guadagnino, a Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film.
- 4/15/2024
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Zendaya Led Challengers Receive Positive Reviews Ahead Of Its Theatrical Release. (Photo Credit – IMDb)
Zendaya-led Challengers has received positive reviews from critics, and it will have an amazing impact on its theatrical release, which is still a few days away. The actress recently received much praise for her performance in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two and now in this Luca Guadagnino directorial. Scroll below to find out what the critics are saying about it.
Cast of Challengers-
Emmy winners Zendaya and Josh O’Connor are featured in the sports drama as Tashi and Patrick. The Spider-Man: Homecoming actress is one of the rising stars in Hollywood, and West Side Story fame Mike Faist will also support her.
About Challengers-
It is a sports romance drama featuring Zendaya as the lead, and the story revolves around her character, Tashi. She is a former tennis player who took her husband Art,...
Zendaya-led Challengers has received positive reviews from critics, and it will have an amazing impact on its theatrical release, which is still a few days away. The actress recently received much praise for her performance in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two and now in this Luca Guadagnino directorial. Scroll below to find out what the critics are saying about it.
Cast of Challengers-
Emmy winners Zendaya and Josh O’Connor are featured in the sports drama as Tashi and Patrick. The Spider-Man: Homecoming actress is one of the rising stars in Hollywood, and West Side Story fame Mike Faist will also support her.
About Challengers-
It is a sports romance drama featuring Zendaya as the lead, and the story revolves around her character, Tashi. She is a former tennis player who took her husband Art,...
- 4/13/2024
- by Esita Mallik
- KoiMoi
Amazon MGM Studios’ latest featurette for Challengers features the film’s stars – Zendaya (Dune Parts 1 and 2), Mike Faist (West Side Story), and Josh O’Connor (The Crown) – discussing the R-rated drama. Zendaya, the center of a love triangle in the mesmerizing sports drama, says the film’s a rollercoaster of emotions that challenges the audience.
Oscar nominated director Luca Guadagnino describes the film as a “passionate love story where the rules of the game of tennis become the rules of the game of seduction.” And Zendaya considers tennis to be just the outlet for the characters to express their chaos.
Mike Faist as Art, Zendaya as Tashi and Josh O’Connor as Patrick in ‘Challengers’ (Photo Credit © 2023 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc)
“From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court.
Oscar nominated director Luca Guadagnino describes the film as a “passionate love story where the rules of the game of tennis become the rules of the game of seduction.” And Zendaya considers tennis to be just the outlet for the characters to express their chaos.
Mike Faist as Art, Zendaya as Tashi and Josh O’Connor as Patrick in ‘Challengers’ (Photo Credit © 2023 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc)
“From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court.
- 4/12/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Director Steven Spielberg has delivered many blockbusters, and has touched many lives with his art. The filmmaker is known for extremely personal films on a blockbuster scale, with films such as Jaws, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, and Jurassic Park being some of his most acclaimed films. He has also won the Oscar twice for Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan.
While Spielberg has been known for his blockbusters, he was also reportedly clairvoyant in predicting the cultural phenomenon that George Lucas’ Star Wars was going to be. The Indiana Jones filmmaker reportedly believed in the legendary space opera’s success even more than Lucas himself, who only believed that it was a hit after the first weekend.
Steven Spielberg Was The Only One Who Believed In Star Wars A still from Star Wars
George Lucas’ Star Wars became a pop cultural phenomenon upon its release in 1977. The beginning of a multi-billion dollar franchise,...
While Spielberg has been known for his blockbusters, he was also reportedly clairvoyant in predicting the cultural phenomenon that George Lucas’ Star Wars was going to be. The Indiana Jones filmmaker reportedly believed in the legendary space opera’s success even more than Lucas himself, who only believed that it was a hit after the first weekend.
Steven Spielberg Was The Only One Who Believed In Star Wars A still from Star Wars
George Lucas’ Star Wars became a pop cultural phenomenon upon its release in 1977. The beginning of a multi-billion dollar franchise,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Nishanth A
- FandomWire
Luca Guadagnino, the man credited for launching Timothée Chalamet’s hugely successful career in the exquisite 2017 LGBTQ-themed movie Call Me By Your Name, is back with the single most anticipated title of the year yet. First scheduled to premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival in 2023, Challengers was eventually pulled out of the festival due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. The film eventually premiered in in Sydney, Australia last month and will be released in the UK later this month.
Starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, it tells the story of a passionate love triangle between three professional tennis players. Zendaya is also credited as producer on the film.
Tashi (Zendaya) Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach, is married to Art Donaldson (Faist), a once promising champion who finds himself on a losing streak. Her ballsy strategy to get her husband winning again takes a rather surprising...
Starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, it tells the story of a passionate love triangle between three professional tennis players. Zendaya is also credited as producer on the film.
Tashi (Zendaya) Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach, is married to Art Donaldson (Faist), a once promising champion who finds himself on a losing streak. Her ballsy strategy to get her husband winning again takes a rather surprising...
- 4/12/2024
- by Linda Marric
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Anyone who’s ever played tennis knows the game starts with love and escalates fast. In Luca Guadagnino’s hip, sexy and ridiculously overheated “Challengers,” the rivals are former doubles partners Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor), best friends since the age of 12, who went their separate ways after both players fell for the same woman. Patrick got there first, but Art wound up marrying her — and their sense of competition has only intensified since.
As bunkmates at the same tennis academy, the guys must have heard this old groaner: What do you call a girl who stands between two players on a tennis court? In Guadagnino’s erotic drama, Zendaya plays the gal in that position, seated at precisely the midpoint between Art and Patrick in their big match. The camera doesn’t turn, but her head does, swiveling with each shot. This is Tashi Duncan,...
As bunkmates at the same tennis academy, the guys must have heard this old groaner: What do you call a girl who stands between two players on a tennis court? In Guadagnino’s erotic drama, Zendaya plays the gal in that position, seated at precisely the midpoint between Art and Patrick in their big match. The camera doesn’t turn, but her head does, swiveling with each shot. This is Tashi Duncan,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers opens in an intentionally disorienting manner: We are in New Rochelle, New York for a tennis challenger. Wearing cheap shorts that resemble boxers, Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) battles Art Donaldson (Mike Faist), clad in head-to-toe Uniqlo, while the glamorous Tashi Donaldson (Zendaya) watches tensely from the stands. Flashbacks, first from a few days prior, and then way back to 13 years ago, slowly fill in the gaps on how these two former best friends ended up in such a position: playing against one another in a mid-tier tennis challenger comically sponsored by a tire brand.
Even as Challengers zips back and forth in time with boundless energy, the narrative, to Guadagnino and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes’ credit, is never hard to follow. Sometimes the foreknowledge afforded by time jumps end up sacrificing drama, but in Challengers this sacrifice makes space for us to feel the burden of these broken relationships.
Even as Challengers zips back and forth in time with boundless energy, the narrative, to Guadagnino and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes’ credit, is never hard to follow. Sometimes the foreknowledge afforded by time jumps end up sacrificing drama, but in Challengers this sacrifice makes space for us to feel the burden of these broken relationships.
- 4/12/2024
- by Caleb Hammond
- The Film Stage
If, as Blanche Dubois once said, “The opposite of death is desire,” then Luca Guadagnino will live forever, and his latest film — a transcendently sweaty tennis love triangle so turned on by the heat of competition that its sex scenes feel like foreplay and its rallies feel like porn — is possibly the most unbridled portrait of resurrection since “The Passion of the Christ.”
It’s definitely the horniest story ever set within the purgatorial concrete nothing of New Rochelle, NY, which is where this movie’s three main characters all happen to cross paths during the final match of a dingy U.S. Open qualifier that’s being sponsored by a local tire store. They’ve been fucking each other on and off the court for more than a decade by the time “Challengers” unleashes its first serve, and yet, despite winning on every level of their chosen sport, these...
It’s definitely the horniest story ever set within the purgatorial concrete nothing of New Rochelle, NY, which is where this movie’s three main characters all happen to cross paths during the final match of a dingy U.S. Open qualifier that’s being sponsored by a local tire store. They’ve been fucking each other on and off the court for more than a decade by the time “Challengers” unleashes its first serve, and yet, despite winning on every level of their chosen sport, these...
- 4/12/2024
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
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