The Book of Clarence, Jeymes Samuel’s follow-up to all-Black Western The Harder They Fall, is, without doubt, the funkiest biblical epic ever put on screen. The film, which opened across the U.S. on Friday, Jan. 12 — nicely nestled between Christmas and Easter — is a combination of comedy, drama and satire, at turns sacred and profane, a mash-up of Monty Python’s Life of Brian with sword-and-sandal epics of another era, from The Ten Commandments to The Robe.
Lakeith Stanfield leads an A-list cast — which includes James McAvoy, David Oyelowo, Anna Diop, Benedict Cumberbatch and Alfre Woodard — as the titular Clarence, a street hustler and religious skeptic in early A.D. Jerusalem who spots Jesus Christ preaching to the masses and thinks imitating a Messiah might be a way to make some easy cash. This is not your father’s biblical epic. Clarence likes to get high. A lot. There...
Lakeith Stanfield leads an A-list cast — which includes James McAvoy, David Oyelowo, Anna Diop, Benedict Cumberbatch and Alfre Woodard — as the titular Clarence, a street hustler and religious skeptic in early A.D. Jerusalem who spots Jesus Christ preaching to the masses and thinks imitating a Messiah might be a way to make some easy cash. This is not your father’s biblical epic. Clarence likes to get high. A lot. There...
- 1/15/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jeymes Samuel can take the heat when it comes to commentary about his work. And he’s expecting plenty to follow the release of his latest film, The Book of Clarence, a biblical epic set for release on Jan. 12 about a man who, witnessing the rising popularity of Jesus the Messiah, attempts to cash in on that fame by performing fake miracles to get out of debt.
“People always see things the wrong way and they call it backlash,” says the director who also wrote and produced the film and its accompanying soundtrack, which arrives Friday along with the feature. “It’s conversation. I like the smoke. Let’s talk.”
Lakeith Stanfield stars in the lead role of Clarence, which reunites him with his The Harder They Fall co-star R J Cyler among a large ensemble cast that includes Omar Sy, Caleb McLaughlin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anna Diop and James McAvoy.
“People always see things the wrong way and they call it backlash,” says the director who also wrote and produced the film and its accompanying soundtrack, which arrives Friday along with the feature. “It’s conversation. I like the smoke. Let’s talk.”
Lakeith Stanfield stars in the lead role of Clarence, which reunites him with his The Harder They Fall co-star R J Cyler among a large ensemble cast that includes Omar Sy, Caleb McLaughlin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anna Diop and James McAvoy.
- 1/12/2024
- by Brande Victorian
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s not every day that a filmmaker will rise up during an interview and recite Old Testament tales and sing out their favorite hymn. Well, hallelujah, brother Jeymes Samuel for spreading the gospel’s good news.
The director’s spectacular Jesus in the hood movie, The Book of Clarence, starring a mighty fine Lakeith Stanfield playing a charlatan wannabe Messiah, shakes up the toga and peepy toe genre.
Samuel’s movie has its world premiere Wednesday at the BFI London Film Festival. The Legendary Pictures production is released through Tristar with congregations taking their pews from January 12, 2024.
The movie’s thrilling prologue kicks off with a rip-roaring, wheel-screeching chariot race with Mary Magdalene thrashing the lads.
The moment was of course inspired by the iconic chariot scene between Charlton Heston’s Judah Ben-Hur and Stephen Boyd’s Messala in William Wyler...
The director’s spectacular Jesus in the hood movie, The Book of Clarence, starring a mighty fine Lakeith Stanfield playing a charlatan wannabe Messiah, shakes up the toga and peepy toe genre.
Samuel’s movie has its world premiere Wednesday at the BFI London Film Festival. The Legendary Pictures production is released through Tristar with congregations taking their pews from January 12, 2024.
The movie’s thrilling prologue kicks off with a rip-roaring, wheel-screeching chariot race with Mary Magdalene thrashing the lads.
The moment was of course inspired by the iconic chariot scene between Charlton Heston’s Judah Ben-Hur and Stephen Boyd’s Messala in William Wyler...
- 10/11/2023
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Tarak Ben Ammar has big plans for Italy. The Franco-Tunisian film and TV mogul is already a major player in the Italian industry thanks to Eagle Pictures, the production and distribution group he acquired in 2007 that is now Italy’s largest independent distributor due to exclusive distribution deals with Paramount and Sony Pictures for the territory. Ben Ammar joined Tom Cruise on the Rome red carpet for the June 19 world premiere of Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One and later introduced Cruise to new Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni. “The meeting [between Cruise and Meloni] was very interesting. The prime minister knows a lot about cinema,” says Ben Ammar about the far-right leader.
Alongside Eagle’s distribution deals, the company has also partnered with Sony to co-produce six films together, including The Equalizer 3, the latest in Antoine Fuqua’s action franchise starring Denzel Washington that was shot entirely in Italy.
Alongside Eagle’s distribution deals, the company has also partnered with Sony to co-produce six films together, including The Equalizer 3, the latest in Antoine Fuqua’s action franchise starring Denzel Washington that was shot entirely in Italy.
- 8/3/2023
- by Pino Gagliardi
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: The prayers of The Chosen fans have been answered with news that season four of the popular Jesus of Nazareth series has been granted a waiver from SAG to continue filming amid the strike.
The series’ official Twitter account tweeted yesterday afternoon Pst: “Great news! We just received word from SAG that we have been approved for a waiver. We’ll continue shooting on Monday.”
The Utah-shot series barely missed a beat, only having to film a day or two without cast. The series includes multiple SAG actors, including star Jonathan Roumie who plays Jesus.
Update: Great news! We just received word from SAG that we have been approved for a waiver. We’ll continue shooting on Monday.
— The Chosen (@thechosentv) July 16, 2023
A recent Instagram post by creator Dallas Jenkins implored SAG for an exemption: “We’ve submitted all the requested paperwork immediately. We fit all qualifications for an exemption.
The series’ official Twitter account tweeted yesterday afternoon Pst: “Great news! We just received word from SAG that we have been approved for a waiver. We’ll continue shooting on Monday.”
The Utah-shot series barely missed a beat, only having to film a day or two without cast. The series includes multiple SAG actors, including star Jonathan Roumie who plays Jesus.
Update: Great news! We just received word from SAG that we have been approved for a waiver. We’ll continue shooting on Monday.
— The Chosen (@thechosentv) July 16, 2023
A recent Instagram post by creator Dallas Jenkins implored SAG for an exemption: “We’ve submitted all the requested paperwork immediately. We fit all qualifications for an exemption.
- 7/17/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Lionsgate has taken sub-licensing distribution rights worldwide to The Chosen, the hit Jesus of Nazareth drama widely regarded as the most successful crowdfunded TV series of all time.
Lionsgate will shop all three seasons of Dallas Jenkins’ hit globally, having already had more than 110 million viewers in 175 countries and with plans to make it available in 600 languages, according to the studio.
The historical drama tells the story of Jesus through the eyes of those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Jewish oppression in first-century Israel, it shares an authentic and intimate look at Jesus’ revolutionary life and teachings.
The Chosen started out as a crowdfunded project as Jenkins’ desired to create a bingeable series about Jesus, and has since amassed a huge following, roundly considered to be the most successful crowdfunded TV series of all time. Seasons 1 and 2 are available on Peacock and Amazon Prime Video and the...
Lionsgate will shop all three seasons of Dallas Jenkins’ hit globally, having already had more than 110 million viewers in 175 countries and with plans to make it available in 600 languages, according to the studio.
The historical drama tells the story of Jesus through the eyes of those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Jewish oppression in first-century Israel, it shares an authentic and intimate look at Jesus’ revolutionary life and teachings.
The Chosen started out as a crowdfunded project as Jenkins’ desired to create a bingeable series about Jesus, and has since amassed a huge following, roundly considered to be the most successful crowdfunded TV series of all time. Seasons 1 and 2 are available on Peacock and Amazon Prime Video and the...
- 5/22/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Angel Studios — the studio behind the equity-crowdfunded, faith-based series The Chosen, which has done major business both online and in movie theaters — has today announced its launch of a theatrical division, as well as its appointment of Brandon Purdie as Vice President of Theatrical Distribution.
Related Story ‘Loving Vincent’ Distributor Good Deed Entertainment Launches Production Division Overseen By Phil Garrett Related Story 'BTS: Yet To Come' Sings Green On Screen – Specialty Box Office Related Story Jordan Walker Ross Says His Disability Took His Character On 'The Chosen' To New Level
Purdie joins Angel’s Global Distribution team headed up by SVP Jared Geesey, with plans to help the company continue to disrupt the typical film model by carving out its own network direct to theaters. He comes to Angel Studios with nearly 15 years’ experience running his own distribution outfit, Purdie Distribution, which has overseen the release of...
Related Story ‘Loving Vincent’ Distributor Good Deed Entertainment Launches Production Division Overseen By Phil Garrett Related Story 'BTS: Yet To Come' Sings Green On Screen – Specialty Box Office Related Story Jordan Walker Ross Says His Disability Took His Character On 'The Chosen' To New Level
Purdie joins Angel’s Global Distribution team headed up by SVP Jared Geesey, with plans to help the company continue to disrupt the typical film model by carving out its own network direct to theaters. He comes to Angel Studios with nearly 15 years’ experience running his own distribution outfit, Purdie Distribution, which has overseen the release of...
- 3/15/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
From The Video Archives Podcast, writer/director Roger Avary and writer/producer Gala Avary discuss a few of their favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Taxi Driver (1976)
Star Wars (1977)
Matinee (1993)
Dune (1984)
Terror On A Train a.k.a. Time Bomb (1953)
Licorice Pizza (2021)
Batman (1989)
Yentl (1983)
Nuts (1987)
Spaceballs (1987)
Die Hard (1988)
Top Gun (1986)
Cocksucker Blues (1972)
Mijn nachten met Susan, Olga, Albert, Julie, Piet & Sandra (1975)
Straw Dogs (1971)
The Godfather (1972)
A History Of Violence (2005)
Day Of The Dolphin (1973)
Babylon (2022)
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022)
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979)
Carrie (1976)
Indictment: The McMartin Trial (1995)
Blow Out (1981)
The Matrix (1999)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Killing Zoe (1993)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
The Tenant (1976)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Bugsy Malone (1976)
Phantom Of The Paradise (1974)
The Muppet Movie (1979)
The Rules Of Attraction (2002)
The Sound Of Music (1965)
Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)
Giant (1956)
The Andromeda Strain (1971)
Babe (1995)
Time Bandits...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Taxi Driver (1976)
Star Wars (1977)
Matinee (1993)
Dune (1984)
Terror On A Train a.k.a. Time Bomb (1953)
Licorice Pizza (2021)
Batman (1989)
Yentl (1983)
Nuts (1987)
Spaceballs (1987)
Die Hard (1988)
Top Gun (1986)
Cocksucker Blues (1972)
Mijn nachten met Susan, Olga, Albert, Julie, Piet & Sandra (1975)
Straw Dogs (1971)
The Godfather (1972)
A History Of Violence (2005)
Day Of The Dolphin (1973)
Babylon (2022)
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022)
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979)
Carrie (1976)
Indictment: The McMartin Trial (1995)
Blow Out (1981)
The Matrix (1999)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Killing Zoe (1993)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
The Tenant (1976)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Bugsy Malone (1976)
Phantom Of The Paradise (1974)
The Muppet Movie (1979)
The Rules Of Attraction (2002)
The Sound Of Music (1965)
Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)
Giant (1956)
The Andromeda Strain (1971)
Babe (1995)
Time Bandits...
- 2/28/2023
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Pippo Zeffirelli, the son of the late Italian director Franco Zeffirelli, has publicly criticized the two lead actors of his father’s 1968 Shakespeare adaptation Romeo and Juliet for their decision to sue the film’s producer, Paramount Pictures, for child abuse over a nude scene in the movie.
Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, who were 15 and 16, respectively, when they shot the film, allege that Zeffirelli coerced them into doing a bedroom scene in the nude after they had originally agreed to wear flesh-colored body suits. The scene, which included images of Whiting’s buttocks and Hussey’s bare breasts, was highly controversial at the time.
Hussey and Whiting, both now in their 70s, recently filed a lawsuit in Santa Monica Superior Court, accusing Paramount of sexually exploiting them and distributing nude images of adolescent children. They claim the director, who died in 2019, warned them that “the film would fail” if...
Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, who were 15 and 16, respectively, when they shot the film, allege that Zeffirelli coerced them into doing a bedroom scene in the nude after they had originally agreed to wear flesh-colored body suits. The scene, which included images of Whiting’s buttocks and Hussey’s bare breasts, was highly controversial at the time.
Hussey and Whiting, both now in their 70s, recently filed a lawsuit in Santa Monica Superior Court, accusing Paramount of sexually exploiting them and distributing nude images of adolescent children. They claim the director, who died in 2019, warned them that “the film would fail” if...
- 1/9/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A lawsuit filed by “Romeo and Juliet” actors Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, accusing Paramount of sexually exploiting them as teenagers starring in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film, is drawing ire from Italy’s Franco Zeffirelli Foundation.
The foundation’s president, Pippo Zeffirelli, who is the late director’s adoptive son, over the weekend reacted with disdain to the suit filed in a Santa Monica court last week, which claims that Zeffirelli tricked the actors while shooting a bedroom scene that includes images of Whiting’s buttocks and Hussey’s bare breasts. The “Romeo and Juliet” actors at the time were, respectively, 16 and 15 years old. The film was a hit and nominated for four Academy Awards.
“It is embarrassing to hear that, today, 55 years after filming, two elderly actors who owe their notoriety essentially to this film wake up to declare that they have suffered an abuse that has caused them...
The foundation’s president, Pippo Zeffirelli, who is the late director’s adoptive son, over the weekend reacted with disdain to the suit filed in a Santa Monica court last week, which claims that Zeffirelli tricked the actors while shooting a bedroom scene that includes images of Whiting’s buttocks and Hussey’s bare breasts. The “Romeo and Juliet” actors at the time were, respectively, 16 and 15 years old. The film was a hit and nominated for four Academy Awards.
“It is embarrassing to hear that, today, 55 years after filming, two elderly actors who owe their notoriety essentially to this film wake up to declare that they have suffered an abuse that has caused them...
- 1/9/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Pippo Zeffirelli, son of Romeo and Juliet director Franco Zeffirelli, is criticizing the lawsuit brought by that film’s stars, Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting.
Related Story Paramount Hit With 100M Sexual Abuse Suit By Stars Of 1968‘s ’Romeo & Juliet' Movie Related Story 'Election' Sequel 'Tracy Flick Can't Win' In Works For Paramount+; Reese Witherspoon To Produce And Return As Title Character, With Alexander Payne Directing Related Story 'Top Gun: Maverick's Jerry Bruckheimer, Joseph Kosinski, Miles Teller & Jennifer Connelly On Training And Shooting "Everything For Real" – Contenders L.A.
The actors are alleging sexual exploitation and child abuse in a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures over a famous nude scene in the 1968 Zeffirelli film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play.
Hussey and Whiting, now 71 and 72, earlier this week filed suit against Paramount. They alleged that Franco Zeffirelli violated their consent by filming them nude without their knowledge. Hussey...
Related Story Paramount Hit With 100M Sexual Abuse Suit By Stars Of 1968‘s ’Romeo & Juliet' Movie Related Story 'Election' Sequel 'Tracy Flick Can't Win' In Works For Paramount+; Reese Witherspoon To Produce And Return As Title Character, With Alexander Payne Directing Related Story 'Top Gun: Maverick's Jerry Bruckheimer, Joseph Kosinski, Miles Teller & Jennifer Connelly On Training And Shooting "Everything For Real" – Contenders L.A.
The actors are alleging sexual exploitation and child abuse in a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures over a famous nude scene in the 1968 Zeffirelli film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play.
Hussey and Whiting, now 71 and 72, earlier this week filed suit against Paramount. They alleged that Franco Zeffirelli violated their consent by filming them nude without their knowledge. Hussey...
- 1/8/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
The son of Romeo and Juliet director Franco Zeffirelli has criticized that film’s stars Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting after the actors filed a sexual exploitation and child abuse lawsuit against Paramount Pictures over a nude scene in the 1968 big screen adaptation.
Earlier this week, Hussey and Whiting, now 71 and 72, sued Paramount, claiming that Zeffirelli — who died in 2019 — violated their consent by filming them nude without their knowledge; Hussey and Whiting were 15 and 16 years old at the time of shooting.
“What they were told and what went on were two different things,...
Earlier this week, Hussey and Whiting, now 71 and 72, sued Paramount, claiming that Zeffirelli — who died in 2019 — violated their consent by filming them nude without their knowledge; Hussey and Whiting were 15 and 16 years old at the time of shooting.
“What they were told and what went on were two different things,...
- 1/8/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Two former child movie stars are seeking closure and not “vengeance” in a 500,000 lawsuit for nude scenes they say they were forced to perform by celebrated director Franco Zeffirelli, their manager has claimed.
Olivia Hussey, was just 15, and Leonard Whiting 16, back in 1968 when they featured in Romeo and Juliet, directed by the late Italian filmmaker, and distributed by Paramount Pictures.
In a lawsuit alleging they were the unknowing victims of sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud, the British pair claim Zeffirelli told them they would wear flesh-colored undergarments in scenes set in a bedroom.
But on the morning of filming, the young actors were told they would be protected only by flesh-coloured make up, though the film would be shot from such an angle as not to reveal their nudity.
“Defendants were dishonest and secretly filmed the nude or partially nude minor children without their knowledge, in violation of the...
Olivia Hussey, was just 15, and Leonard Whiting 16, back in 1968 when they featured in Romeo and Juliet, directed by the late Italian filmmaker, and distributed by Paramount Pictures.
In a lawsuit alleging they were the unknowing victims of sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud, the British pair claim Zeffirelli told them they would wear flesh-colored undergarments in scenes set in a bedroom.
But on the morning of filming, the young actors were told they would be protected only by flesh-coloured make up, though the film would be shot from such an angle as not to reveal their nudity.
“Defendants were dishonest and secretly filmed the nude or partially nude minor children without their knowledge, in violation of the...
- 1/4/2023
- by Andrew Buncombe
- The Independent - Film
Almost 55 years after Franco Zeffirelli Oscar-nominated adaptation of Romeo & Juliet came out, the then-young stars of the film are now suing Paramount Pictures for more than 100 million for alleged sexual abuse, negligence and more.
“Defendants were dishonest and secretly filmed the nude or partially nude minor children without their knowledge, in violation of the state and federal laws regulating said child sexual abuse and exploitation,” the filing from Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting states. “Plaintiffs have suffered and will continue to suffer physical pain and mental pain along with extreme and severe mental anguish and emotional distress,” the suit (read it here) over the Best Picture Oscar-nominated movie based on William Shakespeare’s classic doomed lovers tale goes on to say.
In a Shakespearean drama of their own and estimating the studio has made over 500 million off the Zeffirelli adaptation, Hussey and Whiting are seeking punitive and exemplary damages of more than 100 million.
“Defendants were dishonest and secretly filmed the nude or partially nude minor children without their knowledge, in violation of the state and federal laws regulating said child sexual abuse and exploitation,” the filing from Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting states. “Plaintiffs have suffered and will continue to suffer physical pain and mental pain along with extreme and severe mental anguish and emotional distress,” the suit (read it here) over the Best Picture Oscar-nominated movie based on William Shakespeare’s classic doomed lovers tale goes on to say.
In a Shakespearean drama of their own and estimating the studio has made over 500 million off the Zeffirelli adaptation, Hussey and Whiting are seeking punitive and exemplary damages of more than 100 million.
- 1/4/2023
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Ever the bad boy even into his 80s, director Paul Verhoeven stirs the pot and turns the heat up to the boiling point in Benedetta, a medieval brew of religious fervor, illicit lesbian sex in a convent, Catholic church politics and — to incidentally add a contemporaneous touch — a plague sweeping the land. Shot three summers ago in Tuscany and delayed in its Cannes Film Festival premiere by a year due to the 2020 edition’s cancellation, the film, like all the director’s work, is wild, intelligent, pulsating, provocative and vibrantly alive. Cecil B. DeMille would be outraged, while Ken Russell would be wildly jealous.
Verhoeven followers will recall that, in contrast to his ribald reputation, he came out with a scholarly book in 2008 called Jesus Of Nazareth, which was generally praised as a deeply researched and intelligent investigation in Jesus’ life and thoughts. When he decided not to pursue that as a film,...
Verhoeven followers will recall that, in contrast to his ribald reputation, he came out with a scholarly book in 2008 called Jesus Of Nazareth, which was generally praised as a deeply researched and intelligent investigation in Jesus’ life and thoughts. When he decided not to pursue that as a film,...
- 7/9/2021
- by Todd McCarthy
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s long been known that Paul Verhoeven, the man behind such taboo-breaking movies as Basic Instinct, Showgirls and Elle, has been fascinated by the life of Jesus Christ.
He was once a member of the highbrow Jesus Seminar, founded by American biblical scholar Robert Funk, and at some point he was supposed to make a film called Jesus: The Man before the project wound up falling through. He even co-authored a book, Jesus of Nazareth, which was published in 2007 and translated into several languages.
But just because Verhoeven is a scholar, of sorts, on the teachings of Christianity, it doesn’t mean he isn’t willing to ...
He was once a member of the highbrow Jesus Seminar, founded by American biblical scholar Robert Funk, and at some point he was supposed to make a film called Jesus: The Man before the project wound up falling through. He even co-authored a book, Jesus of Nazareth, which was published in 2007 and translated into several languages.
But just because Verhoeven is a scholar, of sorts, on the teachings of Christianity, it doesn’t mean he isn’t willing to ...
It’s long been known that Paul Verhoeven, the man behind such taboo-breaking movies as Basic Instinct, Showgirls and Elle, has been fascinated by the life of Jesus Christ.
He was once a member of the highbrow Jesus Seminar, founded by American biblical scholar Robert Funk, and at some point he was supposed to make a film called Jesus: The Man before the project wound up falling through. He even co-authored a book, Jesus of Nazareth, which was published in 2007 and translated into several languages.
But just because Verhoeven is a scholar, of sorts, on the teachings of Christianity, it doesn’t mean he isn’t willing to ...
He was once a member of the highbrow Jesus Seminar, founded by American biblical scholar Robert Funk, and at some point he was supposed to make a film called Jesus: The Man before the project wound up falling through. He even co-authored a book, Jesus of Nazareth, which was published in 2007 and translated into several languages.
But just because Verhoeven is a scholar, of sorts, on the teachings of Christianity, it doesn’t mean he isn’t willing to ...
Dutch director Paul Verhoeven (“RoboCop,” “Total Recall,” “Elle“) will finally debut his erotic lesbian nun drama “Benedetta” at the Cannes Film Festival this week, following a year of waiting around for the Covid-19 pandemic to subside.
Read More: Watch 3 Clips From Paul Verhoeven’s Erotic Lesbian Nun Thriller ‘Benedetta’ Premiering At Cannes
During the pandemic, the director seemingly had a lot of time to consider his next couple of movies.
Continue reading Paul Verhoeven Is Making An American Spy Thriller & Plans To Turn His ‘Jesus Of Nazareth’ Book Into A Film at The Playlist.
Read More: Watch 3 Clips From Paul Verhoeven’s Erotic Lesbian Nun Thriller ‘Benedetta’ Premiering At Cannes
During the pandemic, the director seemingly had a lot of time to consider his next couple of movies.
Continue reading Paul Verhoeven Is Making An American Spy Thriller & Plans To Turn His ‘Jesus Of Nazareth’ Book Into A Film at The Playlist.
- 7/8/2021
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
“I think I’m… quite ready for another adventure!” -Bilbo Baggins
Ian Holm, esteemed knighted British actor and standout of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Alien, is dead at the age of 88, having succumbed to complications from Parkinson’s disease. Holm passed away in a London hospital peacefully near his family and caregiver, as his agent confirmed to The Guardian, referring to the late actor as “charming, kind and ferociously talented,” and that “we will miss him hugely.”
Holm stood as a peer amongst other knighted legends like Ian McKellen and Laurence Olivier, but he never saw himself as a marquee-dominating movie star type, having maintained the grounded approach of a working actor. It’s a conceit evidenced by the way in which he selected roles across his 60-year career on stage and screen, rarely revisiting thematically similar characters, lest he become typecast. However, it’s also the...
Ian Holm, esteemed knighted British actor and standout of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Alien, is dead at the age of 88, having succumbed to complications from Parkinson’s disease. Holm passed away in a London hospital peacefully near his family and caregiver, as his agent confirmed to The Guardian, referring to the late actor as “charming, kind and ferociously talented,” and that “we will miss him hugely.”
Holm stood as a peer amongst other knighted legends like Ian McKellen and Laurence Olivier, but he never saw himself as a marquee-dominating movie star type, having maintained the grounded approach of a working actor. It’s a conceit evidenced by the way in which he selected roles across his 60-year career on stage and screen, rarely revisiting thematically similar characters, lest he become typecast. However, it’s also the...
- 6/19/2020
- by Joseph Baxter
- Den of Geek
Valentina Cortese, an Italian actress who held the extremely rare distinction of having been nominated for best supporting actress for her work in a foreign film, Francois Truffaut’s 1973 classic “Day for Night,” has died, according to Italian news agency Ansa. She was 96.
In Truffaut’s “Day for Night,” considered by many to be the best movie about making movies ever made, Cortese played, in the words of Roger Ebert, “the alcoholic diva past her prime.” The New York Times said: “The performances are superb. Miss Cortese and Miss Bisset are not only both hugely funny but also hugely affecting, in moments that creep up on you without warning.”
For a two-part, Carlo Ponti-produced 1948 film adaptation of “Les Miserables,” Cortese caused a sensation by playing both female leads, Fantine and Cosette. (The film was otherwise an adequate treatment of the Victor Hugo novel.)
“With Valentina Cortese’s passing, the...
In Truffaut’s “Day for Night,” considered by many to be the best movie about making movies ever made, Cortese played, in the words of Roger Ebert, “the alcoholic diva past her prime.” The New York Times said: “The performances are superb. Miss Cortese and Miss Bisset are not only both hugely funny but also hugely affecting, in moments that creep up on you without warning.”
For a two-part, Carlo Ponti-produced 1948 film adaptation of “Les Miserables,” Cortese caused a sensation by playing both female leads, Fantine and Cosette. (The film was otherwise an adequate treatment of the Victor Hugo novel.)
“With Valentina Cortese’s passing, the...
- 7/10/2019
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
When popular artists pass on, it can often be a surprise to learn just how old they were. But the news of Franco Zeffirelli’s death, at 96, inspired a major double take. The extravagant Italian maestro of theater, opera and film lived to a vibrant old age. Yet for many of us, the name Zeffirelli will always conjure the spirit of youth. That’s because of what he brought to the Hollywood party in 1968. In “Romeo and Juliet,” he became the first film artist to make the counterculture swoon.
In a move that was at once audacious and indelible, Zeffirelli cast Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy with actors who were shockingly young and, at the same time, ridiculously gorgeous. Leonard Whiting, at 17, and Olivia Hussey, at 16, were closer to the stated age of Shakespeare’s protagonists than most of the actors who had played them. But, of course, it wasn’t...
In a move that was at once audacious and indelible, Zeffirelli cast Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy with actors who were shockingly young and, at the same time, ridiculously gorgeous. Leonard Whiting, at 17, and Olivia Hussey, at 16, were closer to the stated age of Shakespeare’s protagonists than most of the actors who had played them. But, of course, it wasn’t...
- 6/19/2019
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Franco Zeffirelli, the Italian director whose visionary interpretation of Romeo and Juliet was nominated for an Academy Award, has died. He was 96 and passed at his residence in Rome.
Zeffirelli was prolific in film, theater and opera over his long career, and was known for his epic scale in his productions. He staged more than 120 operas in his career.
Gianfranco Zeffirelli was born on February 12, 1923 on the outskirts of Florence. He was educated at the Academia di Belle Arti in Florence as an architect, but claimed later that after seeing Laurence Olivier’s Henry V, he decided on a new direction and turned to theater.
After some early acting success, Zeffirelli worked as a set designer at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence. There he met director Luchino Visconti, who became his mentor and passed along his love of opera to his young charge.
Zeffirelli devoted his time to theater...
Zeffirelli was prolific in film, theater and opera over his long career, and was known for his epic scale in his productions. He staged more than 120 operas in his career.
Gianfranco Zeffirelli was born on February 12, 1923 on the outskirts of Florence. He was educated at the Academia di Belle Arti in Florence as an architect, but claimed later that after seeing Laurence Olivier’s Henry V, he decided on a new direction and turned to theater.
After some early acting success, Zeffirelli worked as a set designer at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence. There he met director Luchino Visconti, who became his mentor and passed along his love of opera to his young charge.
Zeffirelli devoted his time to theater...
- 6/15/2019
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Mark Harrison Apr 19, 2019
As Monty Python’s heretical hit returns to cinemas for its 40th anniversary, we look back at a quintessential Easter comedy.
This article comes from Den of Geek UK.
There aren't a whole lot of Easter movies. It would be odd if there was, really. Sitting somewhere in between kids' films like Hop or the Easter Bunny bits of Rise Of The Guardians, and more violent fare like Mel Gibson's The Passion Of The Christ and the far more emotionally gruelling John Michael McDonagh film Calvary, (or 'The Passion Of The Brendan Gleeson') your best bet is Monty Python's Life Of Brian, which is back in cinemas for its 40th anniversary.
For those who've never seen it, the film stars Graham Chapman as a man called Brian Cohen, who was once a teenager called Brian, and a boy called Brian, and so on. Born on Christmas...
As Monty Python’s heretical hit returns to cinemas for its 40th anniversary, we look back at a quintessential Easter comedy.
This article comes from Den of Geek UK.
There aren't a whole lot of Easter movies. It would be odd if there was, really. Sitting somewhere in between kids' films like Hop or the Easter Bunny bits of Rise Of The Guardians, and more violent fare like Mel Gibson's The Passion Of The Christ and the far more emotionally gruelling John Michael McDonagh film Calvary, (or 'The Passion Of The Brendan Gleeson') your best bet is Monty Python's Life Of Brian, which is back in cinemas for its 40th anniversary.
For those who've never seen it, the film stars Graham Chapman as a man called Brian Cohen, who was once a teenager called Brian, and a boy called Brian, and so on. Born on Christmas...
- 4/19/2019
- Den of Geek
Charles Pace has worked at Fda-owned Krs Releasing for 65 years.
It is a tiny outpost of UK film distribution but one that generates over €5 million in box office revenue and around 800,000 admissions annually. Its most popular film is James Cameron’s Titanic, which grossed just under €1 million in 1997, closely followed by Bohemian Rhapsody last year.
Welcome to Malta. The island country was part of the British Empire for over 150 years and its film culture still has a distinctly UK flavour. With a population of 432,000, the frequency of cinema visits per head was 1.84 in 2018. Total box office reached £4.7m in...
It is a tiny outpost of UK film distribution but one that generates over €5 million in box office revenue and around 800,000 admissions annually. Its most popular film is James Cameron’s Titanic, which grossed just under €1 million in 1997, closely followed by Bohemian Rhapsody last year.
Welcome to Malta. The island country was part of the British Empire for over 150 years and its film culture still has a distinctly UK flavour. With a population of 432,000, the frequency of cinema visits per head was 1.84 in 2018. Total box office reached £4.7m in...
- 4/5/2019
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Vincenzo Labella, who wrote and produced the Emmy-winning miniseries “Marco Polo” and produced the miniseries “Jesus of Nazareth,’ died in Los Angeles on July 28. He was 93.
Labella was born in Vatican City, where his father was the dean of the Pontifical Halls. Having spent his childhood with access to the Apostolic Library of the Vatican, he started out as a historian, journalist and documentarian.
Producer Dino De Laurentiis asked him to serve as advisor on the 1961 film “Barabbas,” a job which led to many other history-based projects.
Franco Zeffirelli directed the 1977 NBC mini “Jesus of Nazareth,” which starred Robert Powell, Laurence Olivier, Anne Bancroft and Christopher Plummer, and was Emmy-nommed as outstanding special drama.
He also produced “Moses the Lawgiver,” starring Burt Lancaster, which started as a six-hour series and was also released as a feature film.
NBC’s 1982 “Marco Polo” was the first Western production to film in the...
Labella was born in Vatican City, where his father was the dean of the Pontifical Halls. Having spent his childhood with access to the Apostolic Library of the Vatican, he started out as a historian, journalist and documentarian.
Producer Dino De Laurentiis asked him to serve as advisor on the 1961 film “Barabbas,” a job which led to many other history-based projects.
Franco Zeffirelli directed the 1977 NBC mini “Jesus of Nazareth,” which starred Robert Powell, Laurence Olivier, Anne Bancroft and Christopher Plummer, and was Emmy-nommed as outstanding special drama.
He also produced “Moses the Lawgiver,” starring Burt Lancaster, which started as a six-hour series and was also released as a feature film.
NBC’s 1982 “Marco Polo” was the first Western production to film in the...
- 8/4/2018
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
Vincenzo Labella, an Emmy-winning producer behind the epic miniseries Jesus of Nazareth, Marco Polo and Moses the Lawgiver, has died. He was 93.
Labella died peacefully on July 28 at his home in Los Angeles, his daughter, Jennifer De Maio, announced.
Born in 1925 in Vatican City, where his father was the dean of the Pontifical Halls in the service of six popes, Labella began his professional career as an historian, journalist and documentarian. Early on, he had free access to the Apostolic Library of the Vatican where, he said, "I learned to dream back across history."
Chosen ...
Labella died peacefully on July 28 at his home in Los Angeles, his daughter, Jennifer De Maio, announced.
Born in 1925 in Vatican City, where his father was the dean of the Pontifical Halls in the service of six popes, Labella began his professional career as an historian, journalist and documentarian. Early on, he had free access to the Apostolic Library of the Vatican where, he said, "I learned to dream back across history."
Chosen ...
Vincenzo Labella, an Emmy-winning producer behind the epic miniseries Jesus of Nazareth, Marco Polo and Moses the Lawgiver, has died. He was 93.
Labella died peacefully on July 28 at his home in Los Angeles, his daughter, Jennifer De Maio, announced.
Born in 1925 in Vatican City, where his father was the dean of the Pontifical Halls in the service of six popes, Labella began his professional career as an historian, journalist and documentarian. Early on, he had free access to the Apostolic Library of the Vatican where, he said, "I learned to dream back across history."
Chosen ...
Labella died peacefully on July 28 at his home in Los Angeles, his daughter, Jennifer De Maio, announced.
Born in 1925 in Vatican City, where his father was the dean of the Pontifical Halls in the service of six popes, Labella began his professional career as an historian, journalist and documentarian. Early on, he had free access to the Apostolic Library of the Vatican where, he said, "I learned to dream back across history."
Chosen ...
Joseph Baxter Jan 23, 2020
Shogun, the novel by James Clavell adapted by the classic TV miniseries, is getting a new TV adaptation, bound for FX.
Shogun is bringing its historical English-Japanese culture clash back to television on FX.
Back in August 2018, FX initially announced that it was rebooting Shogun as a new 10-episode limited series. The classic property first arrived in the form of James Clavell’s 1975 novel, Shogun, which was subsequently adapted by NBC as an ambitiously epic 5-episode television miniseries, starring Richard Chamberlain, which aired through the week of September 15, 1980. The miniseries was the first major U.S. production to be shot entirely on location in Japan. Likewise, the new series is eyeing a shoot in Japan and the U.K.
While FX’s touted Shogun "re-adaptation" got put on hold in 2019, it appears that it will be back on track in 2020 with the network's appointment of a new writer in Justin Marks,...
Shogun, the novel by James Clavell adapted by the classic TV miniseries, is getting a new TV adaptation, bound for FX.
Shogun is bringing its historical English-Japanese culture clash back to television on FX.
Back in August 2018, FX initially announced that it was rebooting Shogun as a new 10-episode limited series. The classic property first arrived in the form of James Clavell’s 1975 novel, Shogun, which was subsequently adapted by NBC as an ambitiously epic 5-episode television miniseries, starring Richard Chamberlain, which aired through the week of September 15, 1980. The miniseries was the first major U.S. production to be shot entirely on location in Japan. Likewise, the new series is eyeing a shoot in Japan and the U.K.
While FX’s touted Shogun "re-adaptation" got put on hold in 2019, it appears that it will be back on track in 2020 with the network's appointment of a new writer in Justin Marks,...
- 8/3/2018
- Den of Geek
In the first trailer for “Mary Magdalene,” Rooney Mara steps into the title role, bringing to life one of the most storied spiritual figures in modern history. She stars opposite fellow Oscar nominee Joaquin Phoenix depicting Jesus of Nazareth. Garth Davis (“Lion”) directs the drama, distributed in the U.S. by Sony’s Columbia Pictures on March 30, 2018. Could it be one of the first films to enter next year’s Oscar race? Ready to get cast? Check out Backstage's audition listings!
- 11/30/2017
- backstage.com
This first trailer has been released for an interesting new religious film called Mary Magdalene, and it actually looks really good. It doesn't hurt that the film has a great cast that includes Rooney Mara (The Social Network, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) in the title role and Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line, The Master) in the role of Jesus Christ.
The movie comes from Gareth Davis (Lion) and it tells the story of Mary Magdalene and the relationship she had with Jesus. Here's the synopsis:
Mary Magdalene is an authentic and humanistic portrait of one of the most enigmatic and misunderstood spiritual figures in history. The biblical biopic tells the story of Mary (Rooney Mara), a young woman in search of a new way of living. Constricted by the hierarchies of the day, Mary defies her traditional family to join a new social movement led by the charismatic...
The movie comes from Gareth Davis (Lion) and it tells the story of Mary Magdalene and the relationship she had with Jesus. Here's the synopsis:
Mary Magdalene is an authentic and humanistic portrait of one of the most enigmatic and misunderstood spiritual figures in history. The biblical biopic tells the story of Mary (Rooney Mara), a young woman in search of a new way of living. Constricted by the hierarchies of the day, Mary defies her traditional family to join a new social movement led by the charismatic...
- 11/29/2017
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
After collaborating for the first time in Spike Jonze’s Her, five years later, Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara are back together in two films. Before Gus Van Sant’s Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot arrives later in 2018, this Easter we’ll be getting a biblical epic starring the duo and today the first trailer has arrived.
Mary Magdalene features Mara as the title character and Phoenix as Jesus, which will certainly pique anyone’s interest. Direction comes from Garth Davis who recently transitioned from Top of the Lake to the Best Picture-nominated Lion and the cast also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor as Peter and Tahar Rahim as Judas. While it will be difficult for the final project to live up to this set image, one can get the first glimpse below with the debut trailer.
Set in the Holy Land in the first century C.
Mary Magdalene features Mara as the title character and Phoenix as Jesus, which will certainly pique anyone’s interest. Direction comes from Garth Davis who recently transitioned from Top of the Lake to the Best Picture-nominated Lion and the cast also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor as Peter and Tahar Rahim as Judas. While it will be difficult for the final project to live up to this set image, one can get the first glimpse below with the debut trailer.
Set in the Holy Land in the first century C.
- 11/29/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Weinstein Co. is moving one of its would-be Oscar hopefuls, Bible epic “Mary Magdalene” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara, out of the expensive awards season to focus on a less competitive spring release on March 30 timed to the Easter holiday.
It’s a fiscally responsible move — but an uncharacteristic one, as Harvey Weinstein has happily let Oscars define his business ever since “Shakespeare in Love” won best picture in 1997.
TWC has always been willing to make opportunistic changes, but taking Garth Davis’ follow-up to “Lion” out of the fall is a dramatic. It follows the company’s serial pushback of Alicia Vikander vehicle “Tulip Fever,” including many canceled press screenings, as well as a March 9, 2018 release slot for “The Untouchables” remake “The Upside,” starring Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart.
According to Harvey Weinstein, the reason for pulling “Mary Magdalene” out of the Oscar race is just a matter of time.
It’s a fiscally responsible move — but an uncharacteristic one, as Harvey Weinstein has happily let Oscars define his business ever since “Shakespeare in Love” won best picture in 1997.
TWC has always been willing to make opportunistic changes, but taking Garth Davis’ follow-up to “Lion” out of the fall is a dramatic. It follows the company’s serial pushback of Alicia Vikander vehicle “Tulip Fever,” including many canceled press screenings, as well as a March 9, 2018 release slot for “The Untouchables” remake “The Upside,” starring Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart.
According to Harvey Weinstein, the reason for pulling “Mary Magdalene” out of the Oscar race is just a matter of time.
- 8/21/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The Weinstein Co. is moving one of its would-be Oscar hopefuls, Bible epic “Mary Magdalene” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara, out of the expensive awards season to focus on a less competitive spring release on March 30 timed to the Easter holiday.
It’s a fiscally responsible move — but an uncharacteristic one, as Harvey Weinstein has happily let Oscars define his business ever since “Shakespeare in Love” won best picture in 1997.
TWC has always been willing to make opportunistic changes, but taking Garth Davis’ follow-up to “Lion” out of the fall is a dramatic. It follows the company’s serial pushback of Alicia Vikander vehicle “Tulip Fever,” including many canceled press screenings, as well as a March 9, 2018 release slot for “The Untouchables” remake “The Upside,” starring Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart.
According to Harvey Weinstein, the reason for pulling “Mary Magdalene” out of the Oscar race is just a matter of time.
It’s a fiscally responsible move — but an uncharacteristic one, as Harvey Weinstein has happily let Oscars define his business ever since “Shakespeare in Love” won best picture in 1997.
TWC has always been willing to make opportunistic changes, but taking Garth Davis’ follow-up to “Lion” out of the fall is a dramatic. It follows the company’s serial pushback of Alicia Vikander vehicle “Tulip Fever,” including many canceled press screenings, as well as a March 9, 2018 release slot for “The Untouchables” remake “The Upside,” starring Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart.
According to Harvey Weinstein, the reason for pulling “Mary Magdalene” out of the Oscar race is just a matter of time.
- 8/21/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Hollywood Reporter was a huge fan of Twin Peaks when it aired in 1990. The paper's review called David Lynch's serial drama "a provocative, stunningly photographed piece of storytelling" that was "television at its best." Where THR might have gone a bit over the top was when it said the ABC show's ratings were so good, it "creamed NBC's first installation of the Jesus of Nazareth special."
But Peaks inspired that kind of enthusiasm. Lynch's show focused on FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), who is sent to fictional Twin Peaks, Washington, to investigate the murder of...
But Peaks inspired that kind of enthusiasm. Lynch's show focused on FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), who is sent to fictional Twin Peaks, Washington, to investigate the murder of...
- 5/18/2017
- by Bill Higgins
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Real Jesus Of Nazareth is a new four part miniseries on Smithsonian Channel looking to the truth behind Jesus and his followers. This first episode looks at Jesus’ base of influence in his ministry and rise to prominence. Experts on the show theorise that it would have been the stories of miracles performed that would have spread his fame far faster and further than any preaching. It is also thought that the largest part of his followers were fishermen and farmers and his base of operations was the stunning town of Capernaum, just north of the sea of Galilee. 40 years ago...read more...
- 4/15/2017
- by April Neale
- Monsters and Critics
Sunday is Easter, so let’s watch a guy who played Jesus watch himself portray the Son of God. Robert Powell played the titular role in “Jesus of Nazareth” 40 years ago. Today, he’s returning to the Holy Land to learn more about Jesus Christ, and filming it all for Smithsonian Channel. Four-part miniseries “The Real Jesus of Nazareth” debuts Easter Sunday, April 16 at 8 p.m. on the cable network. TheWrap‘s got an exclusive clip from this weekend’s premiere, in which Powell watches his iconic performance from the 1977 TV event — still an Easter and Christmas television tradition for...
- 4/12/2017
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Smithsonian Channel has announced its new TV series, The Real Jesus of Nazareth will premiere on Easter Sunday, April 16th, at 8:00pm Et. The docu-series features Robert Powell, who played Jesus in Franco Zeffirelli's 1977 mini-series, Jesus of Nazareth. The original mini-series also starred Anne Bancroft, Ian McShane, Sir Laurence Olivier, and James Earl Jones.The Real Jesus of Nazareth follows Powell on this trip to the Holy Land to investigate the historical Jesus.Read More…...
- 4/4/2017
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
The Smithsonian Channel has set the premiere date for the four-part docuseries “The Real Jesus of Nazareth.” The series, hosted by Robert Powell, who played the biblical figure in the 1977 miniseries “Jesus of Nazareth,” will premiere on Easter Sunday, April 16 at 8 p.m. The premiere is timed to the 40th anniversary of the Emmy-nominated miniseries, which also starred Anne Bancroft, Ian McShane, Sir Laurence Olivier and James Earl Jones. In the Smithsonian series, Powell will return to the Holy Land to seek out clues to the real historical figure who inspired Christianity. “The Real Jesus of Nazareth” aims to draw parallels between the.
- 3/28/2017
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
A year after it released Garth Davis’ Oscar-nominated Lion, The Weinstein Co. will bring the director’s second feature, Mary Magdalene, to the screen Nov. 24 — the new film, starring Rooney Mara as the biblical heroine, will effectively open on the same weekend on the calendar that TWC used to launch Lion last year.
Mary also stars Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus of Nazareth and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Peter. It tells the tale of how Mary became one of Jesus’ followers. The film was written by Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett, and after opening in limited release in November will expand throughout December.
Staking out another spot on the awards...
Mary also stars Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus of Nazareth and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Peter. It tells the tale of how Mary became one of Jesus’ followers. The film was written by Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett, and after opening in limited release in November will expand throughout December.
Staking out another spot on the awards...
- 3/17/2017
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Weinstein Company adds trio of films to 2017 pipeline.
Lion director Garth Davis’s follow-up Mary Magdalene will open in limited release on November 24 and expand throughout December, the Weinsteins announced on Friday.
Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix star in the biblical biopic that recounts how Mary broke free from the strictures of her life to follow the movement led by Jesus of Nazareth that ultimately led her to Jerusalem.
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tahar Rahim, and Ryan Corr also star. Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett wrote the screenplay.
The Current War stars Benedict Cumberbatch as pioneer Thomas Edison and is set to open on December 22.
Michael Shannon plays rival George Westinghouse in the story of the battle for electricity supply in the late 1880s. Alfonso Gomez‐Rejon directs from a screenplay by Michael Mitnick.
Katherine Waterston, Nicholas Hoult, Tom Holland, Matthew Macfayden, and Tuppence Middleton also star. The Current War will get a “moderate” expansion on January 19, 2018.
Taylor Sheridan...
Lion director Garth Davis’s follow-up Mary Magdalene will open in limited release on November 24 and expand throughout December, the Weinsteins announced on Friday.
Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix star in the biblical biopic that recounts how Mary broke free from the strictures of her life to follow the movement led by Jesus of Nazareth that ultimately led her to Jerusalem.
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tahar Rahim, and Ryan Corr also star. Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett wrote the screenplay.
The Current War stars Benedict Cumberbatch as pioneer Thomas Edison and is set to open on December 22.
Michael Shannon plays rival George Westinghouse in the story of the battle for electricity supply in the late 1880s. Alfonso Gomez‐Rejon directs from a screenplay by Michael Mitnick.
Katherine Waterston, Nicholas Hoult, Tom Holland, Matthew Macfayden, and Tuppence Middleton also star. The Current War will get a “moderate” expansion on January 19, 2018.
Taylor Sheridan...
- 3/17/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Weinstein Company has dated its Rooney Mara-starring biblical biopic Mary Magdalene, setting a November 24 limited release for the pic from Lion director Garth Davis. Joaquin Phoenix plays Jesus of Nazareth, and Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Peter. Meanwhile, the company today also set its Benedict Cumberbatch-Michael Shannon pic The Current War for December 22. TWC also slated its Sundance pickup, Taylor Sheridan's directorial debut Wind River starring Jeremy Renner and…...
- 3/17/2017
- Deadline
Read More: 2018 Oscar Predictions
It’s way too early to make any predictions.
But a scan of upcoming projects yields a long list of Best Actor candidates. They range from such lauded industry heavyweights as Steve Carell, Benedict Cumberbatch, Matt Damon, Michael Fassbender, Gary Oldman, and Joaquin Phoenix, to rising stars looking to get their first Oscar break (Chadwick Boseman, Timothée Chalamet, Jason Clarke, Armie Hammer, Domnhall Gleeson).
Back in January, Sundance broke Chalamet and Hammer in Luca Guadignino’s critics’ darling “Call Me By Your Name,” which Sony Pictures Classics will push hard with audiences and Academy voters. Other well-reviewed Sundance performances include writer-comedian Kumail Nanjiani (Amazon Studios’ “The Big Sick”), Jason Clarke (Netflix’s “Mudbound”), and veteran Sam Elliott (The Orchard’s “The Hero”).
As always, Cannes and the fall festivals will bring the race into clearer focus. Boseman, Carell, Cumberbatch, and Oldman are in period biopic mode as young Justice Thurgood Marshall,...
It’s way too early to make any predictions.
But a scan of upcoming projects yields a long list of Best Actor candidates. They range from such lauded industry heavyweights as Steve Carell, Benedict Cumberbatch, Matt Damon, Michael Fassbender, Gary Oldman, and Joaquin Phoenix, to rising stars looking to get their first Oscar break (Chadwick Boseman, Timothée Chalamet, Jason Clarke, Armie Hammer, Domnhall Gleeson).
Back in January, Sundance broke Chalamet and Hammer in Luca Guadignino’s critics’ darling “Call Me By Your Name,” which Sony Pictures Classics will push hard with audiences and Academy voters. Other well-reviewed Sundance performances include writer-comedian Kumail Nanjiani (Amazon Studios’ “The Big Sick”), Jason Clarke (Netflix’s “Mudbound”), and veteran Sam Elliott (The Orchard’s “The Hero”).
As always, Cannes and the fall festivals will bring the race into clearer focus. Boseman, Carell, Cumberbatch, and Oldman are in period biopic mode as young Justice Thurgood Marshall,...
- 3/10/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
May 2015 was the last time Harvey Weinstein hosted a Cannes presentation at the Majestic Hotel. Among the titles was a preview of Justin Chadwick’s “Tulip Fever,” with the then white-hot Swedish actress Alicia Vikander on hand. A romantic triangle period piece costarring Christoph Waltz and Dane DeHaan, Weinstein later pushed the release from July 2016 to February 2017. Now, two years later, it’s booked for August 25 — the dog days of summer.
Last year, the Weinstein Co. had so few bonafide Oscar contenders on the docket that they didn’t mount their usual Cannes show-and-tell at all. Garth Davis’s “Lion” did yield six nominations and, like critics’ darling “Carol” the year before, no wins. The lengthy awards season did pay off for “Lion” at the box office; it’s made $103 million worldwide. However, it also represents a rare tick in the ‘win’ column for TWC, which is struggling to maneuver in these challenging times.
Last year, the Weinstein Co. had so few bonafide Oscar contenders on the docket that they didn’t mount their usual Cannes show-and-tell at all. Garth Davis’s “Lion” did yield six nominations and, like critics’ darling “Carol” the year before, no wins. The lengthy awards season did pay off for “Lion” at the box office; it’s made $103 million worldwide. However, it also represents a rare tick in the ‘win’ column for TWC, which is struggling to maneuver in these challenging times.
- 3/9/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
May 2015 was the last time Harvey Weinstein hosted a Cannes presentation at the Majestic Hotel. Among the titles was a preview of Justin Chadwick’s “Tulip Fever,” with the then white-hot Swedish actress Alicia Vikander on hand. A romantic triangle period piece costarring Christoph Waltz and Dane DeHaan, Weinstein later pushed the release from July 2016 to February 2017. Now, two years later, it’s booked for August 25 — the dog days of summer.
Last year, the Weinstein Co. had so few bonafide Oscar contenders on the docket that they didn’t mount their usual Cannes show-and-tell at all. Garth Davis’s “Lion” did yield six nominations and, like critics’ darling “Carol” the year before, no wins. The lengthy awards season did pay off for “Lion” at the box office; it’s made $103 million worldwide. However, it also represents a rare tick in the ‘win’ column for TWC, which is struggling to maneuver in these challenging times.
Last year, the Weinstein Co. had so few bonafide Oscar contenders on the docket that they didn’t mount their usual Cannes show-and-tell at all. Garth Davis’s “Lion” did yield six nominations and, like critics’ darling “Carol” the year before, no wins. The lengthy awards season did pay off for “Lion” at the box office; it’s made $103 million worldwide. However, it also represents a rare tick in the ‘win’ column for TWC, which is struggling to maneuver in these challenging times.
- 3/9/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Forty years after the 1977 miniseries Jesus of Nazareth premiered, the Smithsonian Channel has greenlit The Real Jesus Of Nazareth, a four-part series which will debut sometime next year. The show follows Robert Powell, the British actor who played Jesus in the original, as he returns to the Holy Land to seek out clues to the real historical figure who inspired Christianity. "Jesus of Nazareth is a cultural phenomenon, and essentially created a new image of Jesus for the…...
- 10/14/2016
- Deadline TV
I may be a secular heathen these days, but I still vividly recall walking the Stations of the Cross as a young Catholic, reliving the betrayal, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth through grim art and the words of my priest. It was equal parts captivating and horrifying and it sticks with me, years […]
The post Prepare to Witness the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ in Virtual Reality appeared first on /Film.
The post Prepare to Witness the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ in Virtual Reality appeared first on /Film.
- 8/23/2016
- by Jacob Hall
- Slash Film
Three weeks out from its release, MGM and Paramount are looking to hit rocky waters with Timur Bekmambetov's upcoming "Ben-Hur" remake.
Jack Huston stars as the disgraced nobleman who becomes a Roman slave after he's betrayed by his adoptive brother. Years later, he challenges his accuser to a great chariot race but is changed forever after a series of meetings with Jesus of Nazareth.
The first tracking figures for the film are out with it headed for a decidedly underwhelming $14-15 million opening weekend when it launches August 19th.
Made on a reported budget of just under $100 million, Paramount has to push its marketing on this hard and will likely target faith-based moviegoers in coming weeks.
Source: THR...
Jack Huston stars as the disgraced nobleman who becomes a Roman slave after he's betrayed by his adoptive brother. Years later, he challenges his accuser to a great chariot race but is changed forever after a series of meetings with Jesus of Nazareth.
The first tracking figures for the film are out with it headed for a decidedly underwhelming $14-15 million opening weekend when it launches August 19th.
Made on a reported budget of just under $100 million, Paramount has to push its marketing on this hard and will likely target faith-based moviegoers in coming weeks.
Source: THR...
- 7/29/2016
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Clip It: Each day, Jon Davis looks at the world of trailers, featurettes and clips and puts it all in perspective. You may be paying more attention to announcements at San Diego Comic-Con or the unpredictable thrills of Donald Trump's Republican National Convention. But if you are reading this in the archives, you already know that the most important event of this historical month in July, 2016 was Big Brother 18's Battle Back Week. Five houseguests who have already been kicked out of the game will get an opportunity to win their way back into the house. Pretty exciting. We have Glenn, Jozea, Victor, Bronte and a fifth houseguest to be determined tonight, most likely Tiffany, although my predictions have been wrong before. Can you see why I don't want to drive to Comic-Con and party with my close friends? And miss this? Let me tell you the best two...
- 7/21/2016
- by Jon Davis
- Hitfix
Every once in a while we bear witness to the cinematic resurrection of the messiah. He is absent from the silver screen for a period of years, and then, all at once, it’s as if Hollywood suddenly remembers that there is a market for film adaptations of Bible stories. We find ourselves on the cusp of one such movie wave, as last year saw the release of Last Days In The Desert, February gave us Risen by Kevin Reynolds, news has broken of a Mary Magdalene biopic in development, and now, Oscar nominated screenwriter Randall Wallace has confirmed plans for a sequel to 2004’s The Passion Of The Christ.
Directed by Academy Award winner Mel Gibson, and co-written by Gibson and Benedict Fitzgerald, The Passion Of The Christ is a brutal, graphic depiction of the final 12 hours of the life of Jesus Of Nazareth – featuring torture and crucifixion – adapted...
Directed by Academy Award winner Mel Gibson, and co-written by Gibson and Benedict Fitzgerald, The Passion Of The Christ is a brutal, graphic depiction of the final 12 hours of the life of Jesus Of Nazareth – featuring torture and crucifixion – adapted...
- 6/10/2016
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
Inherent Vice star Joaquin Phoenix is in final negotiations to board The Weinstein Company’s Mary Magdalene biopic as Jesus Christ, according to Deadline.
Directed by Garth Davis, the religious feature has already tapped Rooney Mara (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network) as the titular Christian figure, and while the addition of Phoenix would certainly be a major casting coup for the studio’s awards-friendly picture, Deadline cautions that a deal is still a ways away from being finalized due to the actor’s schedule.
Portrayed by Spectre star Monica Bellucci for Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ and, before that, Barbara Hershey in The Last Temptation Of Christ, Mary of Magdala became a deeply controversial figure throughout the Middle Ages, when it was suggested the devout follower of Christ was a unforgivable prostitute. Neither of the four gospels mention any such fact; instead, we...
Directed by Garth Davis, the religious feature has already tapped Rooney Mara (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network) as the titular Christian figure, and while the addition of Phoenix would certainly be a major casting coup for the studio’s awards-friendly picture, Deadline cautions that a deal is still a ways away from being finalized due to the actor’s schedule.
Portrayed by Spectre star Monica Bellucci for Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ and, before that, Barbara Hershey in The Last Temptation Of Christ, Mary of Magdala became a deeply controversial figure throughout the Middle Ages, when it was suggested the devout follower of Christ was a unforgivable prostitute. Neither of the four gospels mention any such fact; instead, we...
- 4/22/2016
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
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