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June is heating up on Max with a packed lineup of new shows, movies, and live events. From the return of hit series to powerful documentaries and exciting movie premieres, there’s something for everyone this month.

Highlights include the Season 3 debut of the HBO Original series The Gilded Age, two moving HBO documentaries, Enigma and My Mom Jayne, and the gripping docuseries The Mortician. Movie lovers can look forward to the much-anticipated Minecraft Movie, A24’s Parthenope, and The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie.

In honor of Pride Month, Max will also spotlight a wide range of Lgbtqia+ stories. Plus, sports fans can catch all the action from Roland-Garros 2025, including the men’s and women’s championships. Let’s take a closer look at what’s new on Max this June.

1. The Gilded Age S3 – June 22

Season 3 of The Gilded Age returns with eight weekly episodes,...

Warner Bros. Discovery has announced the movies, TV shows, and live sports that will be available on the Max (soon to be called HBO Max) streaming service in June. The Max June 2025 lineup includes the premieres of The Gilded Age Season 3, documentaries Enigma and My Mom Jayne, and the docuseries The Mortician.

The schedule also includes the streaming debuts of A Minecraft Movie, A24’s Parthenope, and The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. You can also celebrate Pride Month with Lgbtqia+ stories and stream Roland-Garros 2025 (aka the French Open), including men’s and women’s championships.

The Gilded Age Season 3 Featured Programming

Series

The Gilded Age Season 3 (HBO Original Drama Series)

The eight-episode season premieres on June 22 at 9 p.m. Et, and episodes debut weekly.

The American Gilded Age was a period of immense economic and social change, when empires were built, but no victory came without sacrifice.

This year’s Italian presence at Cannes – one entry in competition by veteran auteur Mario Martone and two by young directors that landed slots in Un Certain Regard – accurately reflects the current state of Cinema Italiano.

Broadly speaking, following a protracted growth spurt, there has been a slowdown in production activity caused by the fact that the government has been dithering with modifications on tax incentives for local film and TV productions, which has stalled the greenlight process, especially for bigger-budget Italian movies.

But even though getting films financed has gotten tougher, a new generation of directors is bubbling under, alongside well-known names such as Paolo Sorrentino, Luca Guadagnino, Alice Rohrwacher and Nanni Moretti.

“I have the impression that once again we are seeing young [Italian] directors emerging and this is formidable,” Thierry Fremaux noted while announcing the lineup. The Cannes boss went on to add that “Italy is historically a...

This is Mubi’s time. With studio specialty divisions almost a relic of the past and international and independent cinema soaring on the awards stage, the arthouse mini-studio founded by Efe Cakarel is cutting a growing swathe across the film landscape. Mubi is back on the Cannes Croisette with three films in Competition and another in Un Certain Regard.

Director Luca Guadagnino, a previous collaborator, is one of the company’s many fans in high places: “Mubi is a great and passionate company,” he says. “They will grow a lot as a business.”

Eye-catching growth has certainly been a hallmark of the company’s last few years.

Jason Ropell

Former investment banker and MIT graduate Cakarel founded the London-based company — then known as The Auteurs — back in 2007. These days, the headcount stands at more than 400 globally across 14 offices. And Cakarel believes that Mubi can become “many times its current size” in coming years.

UK-Ireland top five, May 9-11, 2025 Rank Film (origin) Distributor May 2-4 gross Total Week 1 Thunderbolts*(US) Disney £2.4m £11.7m 2 2 Sinners(US) Warner Bros £1.1m £13.1m 4 3 A Minecraft Movie(US) Warner Bros £621,814 £54.9m 6 4 Ocean With Davd Attenborough (UK) Altitude £321,963 £573,551 1 5 The Accountant 2(US) Warner Bros £227,269 £2.3m 3

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.31

Disney’s Thunderbolts* held the top spot at the UK and Ireland box office, on a weekend where takings were affected by warm weather across much of the territory.

Dropping 53% in its second weekend, Thunderbolts* brought in £2.4m. The latest superhero venture now stands at £11.7m, behind the £13.2m of Captain America: Brave New World...

Pope Leo Xiv celebrated his first mass on Friday in the Sistine Chapel with the cardinals who elected him, as Italian media trumpeted the historic significance of Chicago-born missionary Robert Prevost becoming the first North American pontiff.

“The American Pope: Peace” was the headline in daily Corriere Della Sera, while La Repubblica simply went with “The American Pope.” Both newspapers dedicated roughly half their pages to papal coverage and noted that when the 69-year-old Prevost emerged on St. Peter’s balcony on Thursday, he wore a traditional burgundy stole with gold embroidery draped over his shoulders. This is in contrast to Francis, his predecessor, who opted for all-white vestments upon his election in 2013.

Corriere della Sera, in a front-page editorial titled “The Mild Pope,” stated that Leo Xiv is “decidedly less pop” than Francis, in form. But it noted he could instead become so “in substance” going forward.

Italian media...

When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, the go-to fictional work for Vatican intrigue was "The Godfather Part III." The final film in Francis Ford Coppola's crime saga drew inspiration from the sudden (some say suspicious) death of the newly elected Pope John Paul I in 1978, as well as the Banco Ambrosiano scandal of the early 1980s. There was nothing suspicious about Pope Francis' selection as the head of the Catholic Church, but the funny-hatted fellas can serve for decades (Pope John Paul II held this holiest of holy positions for 27 years). So, when there's a new election, it's fun to dive into dark papal intrigue.

For whatever reason, though, there has been a surge in Pope fiction over the last 12 years. When Pope Francis fell ill earlier in 2025, there was likewise a renewed interest in Edward Berger's critically acclaimed film adaptation of Robert Harris' novel "Conclave." Suddenly, a...

Maura Delpero’s Italian WW2 drama Vermiglio won best film at the 70th David Di Donatello awards, Italy’s version of the Oscars, held at Rome’s historic Cinecittà film studio on Wednesday night. Delpero also took best directing honors en route to a 7-trophy sweep.

The film, which had its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival last year, beat out the two award frontrunners, Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope, a sumptuous, occasionally surreal tribute to his hometown of Naples, and Andrea Segre’s The Great Ambition, a political biopic about Italian Communist Party leader Enrico Berlinguer, which lead the pack going into the David awards with 15 nominations each. Parthenope went away empty-handed, but The Great Ambition took two awards: Best actor for Elio Germano, who play Berlinguer, and best editing for Jacopo Quadri.

Tecla Insolia won best actress for her starring role in Nicolangelo Gelormini’s Sicilian...

Timothée Chalamet underlined the impact of Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me by Your Name” on his career as he received Italy’s David Award for Cinematic Excellence during the event’s 70th edition on Wednesday evening at Rome’s Cinecittá studios.

“Luca is probably the most important person in my career,” said Chalamet, who attended Italy’s top film award show with girlfriend Kylie Jenner — marking the first time they’ve walked a red carpet together despite being linked for two years — and his father Marc Chalamet. When Chalamet earned his first best actor nomination in 2017 for Guadagnino’s “Call Me” at 22, he was the third-youngest nominee ever in that category.

“I started out as a 20-year-old kid from New York who was having a hard time breaking out in the American film industry,” Chalamet said. “My career happened overnight thanks to Luca Guadagnino and the chance he took on...

UK-Ireland top five, May 2-4, 2025 RankFilm (origin)DistributorMay 2-4 grossTotalWeek 1 Thunderbolts* (US) Disney £5m £7.8m 1 2 Sinners (US)

Warner Bros £2.5m £11.3m 3 3 A Minecraft Movie (US)

Warner Bros £2.1m £54.1m 5 4 The Accountant 2 (US)

Warner Bros £636,852 £1.9m 2 5 Until Dawn (US)

Sony £331,788 £1.3m 2

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.33

Disney’s Thunderbolts* struck top spot at the UK-Ireland Bank Holiday weekend box office, with a £5m Friday-to-Sunday opening, as Ryan Coogler’s Sinners continued to soar.

Playing in 668 locations, Thunderbolts* took a £7,446 average. Including previews and Monday 5 screenings, the film – which was ‘retitled’ The New Avengers this weekend in a marketing stunt – has £7.8m.

It had to happen: the Empire podcast has finally gone to hell — quite literally in this case, as this particular show is episode 666. Perhaps appropriately then, James Dyer is in the driving seat for this one, embracing this demonically anointed episode to bring you such thematically relevant discussions as a Mount Rushmore of movie Satans and an off-topic discussion as to why subtitles are also the devil’s work. (Editor's Note: The opinions on subtitles expressed in this week's episode of the pod are the podcasters' own.)

But that’s not all, because while Chris Hewitt isn’t here in body, having hopped over to Ireland for a few rounds of golf, he is here in spirit, not least of all as he interviews all of this week’s guests, specifically three of the Thunderbolts* — Hannah John-Kamen, Wyatt Russell and David Harbour [57:36 — 1:13:09 approx]— Another Simple Favour director Paul Feig [11:21 — 23:48 approx], and Ryan Coogler...

Marvel leads the new releases in UK and Ireland cinemas this weekend as Disney’s Thunderbolts* launches in 668 locations.

The 36th title in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is in more sites than predecessorCaptain America: Brave New World,which debuted in 616 sites back in February for a healthy £6.4m opening.

Along with last summer’s mega-hitDeadpool & Wolverine, which debuted on £12.6m from over 700 sites, Marvel is hoping for an upward trend after what has been a bumpy few years for the franchise.In 2023,The Marvelsscored the third-lowest MCU opening on £3.5m and followedAnt-Man And The Wasp: QuantumaniaandGuardians Of The Galaxy...

Marvel leads the new releases in UK and Ireland cinemas this weekend as Disney’s Thunderbolts* launches in 668 locations.

The 36th title in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is in more sites than predecessorCaptain America: Brave New World,which debuted in 616 sites back in February for a healthy £6.4m opening. Both films follow the success of last summer’s mega-hit Deadpool & Wolverine, debuting on £12.6m from over 700 sites.

Thunderbolts*,which opened yesterday (May 1),will compete with the likes of Warner Bros’ A Minecraft Movie and Sinners – both of which are holding strong at the box office.

Florence Pugh and...

Timothée Chalamet will receive the David for Cinematic Excellence during the 70th edition of the David di Donatello Awards, Italy’s leading film prizes.

The honor will be conferred on May 7 during the awards ceremony, aired live in primetime on national broadcaster Rai 1 from the Cinecittà Studios in Rome. The event will be hosted by actor Elena Sofia Ricci and singer Mika. It will also be live on Rai Radio2, hosted by Carolina Di Domenico and Claudio Santamaria.

“Timothée Chalamet’s European origins and American background make him one of the most unpredictable and talented protagonists of international cinema today, capable of being both an auteur performer and a star generating trends and styles,” said Piera Detassis, president and artistic director of the Academy of Italian Cinema.

“The academy is delighted to award him the David for Cinematic Excellence, which is meant to be an acknowledgement of the great...

Warner Bros.’ “A Minecraft Movie” continues its domination at the U.K. and Ireland box office, topping the chart for a fourth straight weekend with £2.4 million ($3.3 million), according to Comscore. The film has amassed $68.7 million to date, firmly establishing itself as one of the biggest hits of 2025.

Close behind, Warner Bros.’ “Sinners” maintained its momentum, earning $3.2 million in its second weekend for a $9.6 million total.

In third place, the reissue of “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith” from 20th Century Fox delivered a powerful showing earning $2.3 million over the weekend.

Another Warner Bros. title, “The Accountant 2,” opened in fourth with $1.2 million. The sequel to the 2016 action thriller, starring Ben Affleck, launched solidly ahead of the May blockbuster season.

Event cinema continued to prove popular, with “Pink Floyd at Pompeii – McMlxxii” from Trafalgar Releasing landing in fifth place with $905,671. The remastered concert film celebrates the legendary band...

Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope, the director’s sumptuous, occasionally surreal tribute to his hometown of Naples, and Andrea Segre’s The Great Ambition, a political biopic about Italian Communist Party leader Enrico Berlinguer, are the frontrunners for this year’s David Di Donatello awards, Italy’s version of the Oscars.

Parthenope and The Great Ambition picked up 15 nominations each, including for best film and best director. In the best film category, they will face up against Maura Delpero’s Italian WW2 drama Vermiglio and Valeria Golino and Nicolangelo Gelormini’s L’arte della gioia (The Art of Joy), which received 14 nominations each, and the Francesca Comencini-directed drama The Time It Takes, which received four nominations. Other multiple nominees include Margherita Vicario’s debut feature Gloria!, about women musicians at a Church-run establishment in early-1800s Italy, which scored nine nominations, and Francesco Costabile’s crime thriller Familia, with eight.

In the best international film category,...

Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope and Andrea Segre’s The Great Ambition have taken the lead at the nomination stage for Italy’s upcoming 70th David di Donatello awards.

The titles have secured 15 nominations each including for best film and director.

Maura Delpero’s Vermiglio and Valeria Golino and Nicolangelo Gelormini’s The Art Of Joy received 14 nominations each, followed by Gloria! and Familia with nine and eight nominations respectively.

Sorrentino’s Parthenope, following a woman from her birth in 1950 to the current day against the backdrop of Naples, world premiered in Cannes.

Biopic The Great Ambition stars Elio Germano as 1970s and 1980s left-wing political leader Enrico Berlinguer, who nearly led the Communist party into power.

Vermiglio world premiered in Venice where it won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize and went on to be Italy’s 2025 Oscars submission. Set in a remote mountain village in 1944, the drama revolves around...

Fruit Tree, the production company set up by Emma Stone and her husband Dave McCary that has worked on projects include Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain” and Yorgos Lanthimos’ upcoming “Bugonia,” has signed a first-look and development deal for TV with Fremantle.

Under the partnership, Fremantle — which has already signed similar deals with a growing number of major names — will become the primary home for all of Fruit Tree’s scripted television projects and unscripted docuseries, with the company looking to grow its slate and expand overseas will help from Fremantle’s global drama division.

“We’re thrilled to join forces with the brilliant team at Fremantle, a studio that continues to be at the forefront of independent television with a deep commitment to inventive storytelling,” Stone and McCary said in a statement. “We’re so excited to build a creative home together and develop original narratives that challenge...

Emma Stone and writer, producer and director Dave McCary’s Fruit Tree production company has secured a first look and TV development deal with Fremantle, the companies announced on Wednesday.

The deal will see Fremantle become the primary home for the company’s scripted TV projects and unscripted docuseries, with Fruit Tree working with the company’s global drama division and international distribution team to grow its slate and expand into new territories worldwide.

Founded in August 2020, Fruit Tree’s TV projects include Showtime’s “The Curse,” which Stone starred in alongside co-creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, and HBO’s “Fantasmas,” a six-episode surrealist comedy starring creator Julio Torres. Its next TV project will be the HBO documentary series “The Yogurt Shop Murders” directed by Margaret Brown.

Meanwhile, Fruite Free’s film slate includes Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain,” Torres’ “Problemista” and Jane Schoenbrun’s “I Saw the TV Glow.

Pan-European indie group Vuelta has expanded its footprint in the Italian market by acquiring a minority stake in Italian distribution company PiperFilm.

PiperFilm, which launched from Cannes last year as the distributor of Paolo Sorrentino’s “Parthenope,” operates with an innovative distribution model thanks to its deal with Netflix. The streaming giant has the first exclusive post-theatrical window for Italy on their titles, while Warner Bros. Entertainment Italia handles the operational distribution of their lineup of movies in Italian theaters.

They also act as global distributor of several Italian films produced by Eagle Pictures, such as recent smash hit “The Boy With Pink Pants.” PiperFilm also have a pact with Be Water, the Italian media company founded by financier and writer Guido Brera and headed by former Warner Bros. Italy country manager Barbara Salabè. Be Water owns a 12% PiperFilm stake.

Vuelta, which is headed by former Canal+ and Goldman Sachs...

European studio Vuelta Group has taken a minority stake in Italian distribution and sales company PiperFilm.

PiperFilm was launched last year by a number of high profile former Vision Distribution executives led by CEO Massimiliano Orfei. Its first release was Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope, and it also has commercial agreements to distribute films in Italy with Netflix, Warner Bros. Entertainment Italia, and Eagle Entertainments.

Vuelta’s investment in PiperFilm is in addition to a minority investment in the Italian company last year by Be Water Film.

Headed by French media veteran Jerome Levy as group chairman, Vuelta launched in 2023. Vuelta...

Directed by Academy Award nominee Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty) and written by Academy Award nominee Jeff Pope (Philomena), the Steve Coogan-starring dramedy The Penguin Lessons has the caliber of talent behind and in front of the camera to be a great film. It definitely doesn’t reach the level of greatness, but if you are willing to look past the movie’s flaws and enjoy it as a lighthearted, not-too-meaningful picture, it’s hard not to be won over by its charms.

The Penguin Lessons Review

Based on Tom Michell’s memoir, The Penguin Lessons tells the story of an English schoolteacher at a boarding school in Argentina whose life is changed after he adopts a penguin. Despite being based on a true story, the film does feel a bit comfortable in its tropes; however, it does break its formula in just enough ways that it feels worth your time as a crowd-pleaser.

European production and sales studio Vuelta Group has acquired a minority stake in Italian distribution and international sales company PiperFilm.

The new international partnership is in addition to the investment by Be Water Film, and follows commercial agreements for PiperFilm with Netflix, Warner Bros. Entertainment Italia, and Eagle Entertainments.

“Following on from Be Water Film’s initial investment, this partnership with Vuelta constitutes a further fundamental step in the growth of PiperFilm,” said PiperFilm CEO, Massimiliano Orfei.

“Vuelta is one of the most innovative players on the European film distribution market and I am particularly happy and proud that Jerome Levy, to whom I extend my thanks, has seen the ambition of PiperFilm and its team and the potential for development, collaboration, and value creation”.

Former Vision Distribution managing director Orfei launched PiperFilm in 2024, kicking off with Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope as its first acquisition.

Pan-European studio Vuelta brings together...

“What are you thinking about?” This is a question that our protagonist is repeatedly subjected to, and Paolo Sorrentino, one of the most prominent Italian filmmakers out there right now, leaves it up to his audience to decide in his latest work, Parthenope. The film can be interpreted as a meditative look at youth, desire, and beauty, and it’s not surprising that opinions are divided when it comes to how the protagonist is projected. At the center of the narrative is Parthenope, an attractive young woman named after the place where she was born; the name also happened to be derived from a siren in Greek mythology. Naples, too, is a central character in the film—the city of contradictions, a blend of the could-have-been and immense opportunities.

Spoiler Alert

How was Parthenope affected by the death of her brother?

As a woman at the peak of her youth,...

It’s easy to dismiss Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope, as some critics have, reducing it to a sumptuous perfume ad à la Tom Ford. The same could be said about Celeste Dalla Porta’s eponymous character, who often finds herself being pigeonholed into certain archetypes due to her striking looks, which are only rivaled by the film’s sweeping shots of the Neapolitan jagged cliffsides that abut the surrounding cerulean sea.

In this personal, intimate three-decade-spanning epic — Sorrentino’s follow-up to 2021’s lauded The Hand of God — a young Parthenope comes of age amid the backdrop of family turmoil and tragedy, pursuing a life of education and wonder. A cinematic exploration of the limitations of and privileges afforded by beauty and youth, Parthenope cascades through ‘60s and ‘70s Italy as a loose orange scarf dances in the wind, digging into criminal underbellies, the papacy and the rise and fall of divadom.

Netflix produced its first non-documentary feature in 2015. It was called Beasts of No Nation, and it was fine. However, the film did not get nominated for an Academy Award. Lots has changed in the last decade.

Your favorite streamer often gets nominated for major awards each year. 2025 is no different. Emilia Pérez has 13 nominations alone, including one for Best Picture. So far, Netflix has yet to get a win in that category, and Emilia Pérez is not the favorite this year, either.

In fact, Netflix has also almost been entirely shut out of wins in the acting categories. Only Laura Dern won, and that was for Best Supporting Actress in 2020. But the streamer does do well in some other categories. Those might not be part of the Big 6, but when it comes to documentaries, Netflix knows what it is doing. Just see below, and you'll know.

The 2025 Oscars will be held on Sunday,...

In the Greek poet Homer’s Mythological epic ‘The Odyssey’, Parthenope is one of the three alluring sirens Odysseus encounters, but unlike her fellow sirens, fails to seduce Odysseus’ crew and casts herself out into the sea for her failure. In Paolo Sorrentino’s newest film ‘Parthenope’ (2025), the titular character is metaphorically delivered from her mother’s womb in the water and taken out of the oceanic void that the mythological siren perished in. Parthenope is being taken out of the water and back into this new world that sees beauty far differently than in ancient Greek times. Beauty in all areas of life Parthenope is an exuberant young woman living in Naples who draws eyes from all around to her natural beauty. It is a set up for a character that has been seen in countless other movies, but ‘Parthenope’ turns it around and instead of having her remain an It girl,...

Mubi has picked up La Grazia from writer and director Paolo Sorrentino ahead of a spring 2025 shoot in Italy for the love story.

The streamer nabbed the worldwide rights, excluding Italy, and will retain all rights in North America, Latin America, UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Benelux, Spain, Turkey, India, Australia and New Zealand.

“Paolo Sorrentino has always been a master of cinematic poetry, but La Grazia is something truly special—profound, melancholic, and wickedly sharp in its contemplation of power, influence, and the weight of history—all told with Sorrentino’s singular elegance and wit. We at Mubi are honored to be the home for this film and cannot wait to share its brilliance with audiences worldwide,” Efe Cakarel, founder and CEO of Mubi, said in a statement on Thursday.

The streamer also plans a theatrical release for La Grazia, which stars Toni Servillo, Sorrentino’s go-to actor after earlier...

Last December we learned that Paolo Sorrentino was quickly moving back into the director’s chair for his eleventh feature film, and now Variety reports that Mubi are getting back into business with the filmmaker – landing La Grazia for several territories (including North America) for what will be a 2026 drop. With production set to begin in March in Italy, we can assume that this will be a likely competition film candidate for Cannes next year. For now, all we know is that Toni Servillo is onboard and that this is a love story set somewhere in Italy. The filmmaker saw his last feature compete for the Palme d’Or last year.…...

Mubi has acquired worldwide rights excluding Italy for Paolo Sorrentino’s upcoming La Grazia starring Toni Servillo, which will begin production this spring in Italy.

Mubi will retain all rights in North America, Latin America, UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Benelux, Spain, Turkey, India, Australia and New Zealand, with theatrical releases planned. The Match Factory will sell the remaining territories.

Efe Cakarel, founder and CEO of Mubi, said the project is “wickedly sharp in its contemplation of power, influence, and the weight of history”.

Sorrentino’s previous films include Parthenope and The Great Beauty, and La Grazia is his seventh collaboration with Servillo.

“The Substance” distributor Mubi is pursuing its buying spree with another anticipated film from an internationally celebrated auteur, Paolo Sorrentino.

The global distributor, streaming service and production company has bought Sorrrentino’s next movie “La Grazia” for worldwide rights excluding Italy and will retain all rights in North America, Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Benelux, Spain, Turkey, India, Australia and New Zealand, with theatrical release plans to be announced in the coming months. The Match Factory will sell the remaining territories.

A love story, the exact plot of which remains under wraps, “La Grazia” marks Sorrentino’s follow up to “Parthenope” which launched from Cannes and scored record-breaking grosses at the Italian box office. “La Grazia,” which translates into English as “Grace,” reteams the Oscar-winning director with “The Great Beauty” actor Toni Servillo.

“La Grazia” was being courted by at least two other major distributors at the European Film Market,...

Yves Saint Laurent’s 1966 Le Smoking tuxedo jacket is among the most iconic fashion pieces of all time. The tuxedo jacket for women, with its satin lapels and sharp shoulders, was adopted as a symbol of liberation and revolution.

Paolo Sorrentino’s latest feature, “Parthenope” is a love letter to the director’s native Naples. Focused on the theme of “missed youth,” the film’s titular character is a young woman born in Naples — Neapolitans in Italy are also known as “Parthenopeans” — played by newcomer Celeste Dalla Porta. The film follows her journey from youth to middle age. The character’s fashion follows her through the ages, starting with youthful oranges and bright colors, to darker colors in her old age.

In following her journey, Carlo Poggioli, the film’s costume designer says Sorrentino “had a very clear idea of what visually he would like to see in front of the camera.

There are two ways one can perceive Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope. You can either conclude it’s the old man losing his marbles and making an almost two-and-a-half-hour exposition of how the male gaze works. Or it can be taken as a sort of introspection—of life, beauty, and youth. Quite naturally, the appeal of Parthenope depends on how you take it. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll be able to form an opinion about it.

Spoilers Ahead

What Happens In The Movie?

A siren that seduces sailors with her voice—that’s what ‘Perthenope’ means in Greek mythology. Going by that, being born in the waters of picturesque Naples is only fitting for the titular character. She’s named by this old aristocrat named Commander, who eventually jokes about whether Parthenope would have married him if he was forty years younger. Commander sees her affectionately, though,...

In the increasingly crowded streaming wars, Max stands apart by embracing its HBO roots. While competitors like Disney+ chase family-friendly fare and Netflix waters down content for mass appeal, Max continues serving up the bold, boundary-pushing projects that built its reputation. Though the platform offers wholesome content like Sesame Street and Studio Ghibli films, Max's true value comes from its dedication to raw, provocative storytelling.

The platform's commitment to mature content proves especially valuable as other services sanitize their libraries. Even as Max courts mainstream audiences with DC Comics and Cartoon Network classics, it remains fearless in exploring human sexuality and desire. From steamy documentaries to award-winning dramas like Euphoria and Game of Thrones, the service delivers heat that makes censors sweat and audiences swoon.

The Young Pope Is Steamy, Not Secular Religious Drama Explores the Sacred and Profane

At a glance, Paolo Sorrentino's The Young Pope and its...

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker for Wbgr-fm on February 13th, 2025, reviewing “Parthenope,” directed by Paolo Sorrentino of the series “The Young Pope.” In select theaters on February 14th.

The exquisite Celeste Dalla Porta is the title character, named for the city she was born in, not the mythical siren who in mythology who founded Naples, although Porta’s allure is siren-like. As she transitions into adulthood, she is desired by many categories of men, including her brother’s friend Sandrino (Dario Alta) and with tragic implications, her brother Raimondo (Daniele Rienzo). She is asked to be an actress, and considers it, but her first love is anthropology, as she becomes a protege of University Professor Marotta (Silvio Orlando), who possesses secrets of his own. In her life’s travels, she encounters wealthy suitors and even a Bishop (Peppe Lanzetta) who obsesses on her and desires her.

The role that Italy has played in film history is significant with Neorealist greats such as Roberto Rossellini or stylized auteurs like Federico Fellini shaping a view on the world that is both fantastical and honest. In modern Italian cinema, the most significant voice that has the same priority of both style and substance is the underrated, yet internationally recognized Italian director, Paolo Sorrentino. His filmography, as diverse and far reaching as it is, remains one of the best modern cinematic styles in both visual and thematic terms. Visual feasts and introspective looks into loss, aging, and beauty in his spiritually grounded world of cinema make him a modern day film auteur worth looking into. Things to do: Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here. Limited Time Offer – Free Subscription to The Hollywood Insider Click here to read more on The Hollywood Insider’s vision, values...

Jennifer Lawrence obviously has clout and has been using her cache for cinematic good. After declaring she wanted to work with filmmakers like tastemaking filmmakers like Ari Aster, Leos Carax and the Coen Brothers, well, she didn’t quite do that. At least not yet. However, not long before that, she had already set up similar intentions and had linked up with projects with cinephile-friendly filmmakers like Lynne Ramsay and Academy Award-winning Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino (“The Great Beauty”) on two different projects.

Continue reading Director Paolo Sorrentino Says Jennifer Lawrence Projects ‘Sue’ & Mob Girl’ Are Dead at The Playlist.

Director Joel Alfonso Vargas made Filmmaker‘s 25 New Faces list in 2024 on the basis of his short film, Mad Bills to Pay, which is now a debut feature selected for both the 2025 Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals. “A shoestring-budget production” realized by a “minimal team,” Mad Bills to Pay is also a debut feature for producer Paolo Maria Pedullà, a UK National Film and Television School graduate whose previous work includes associate producing Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God as well as shorts and various high-end TV shows. Below, Pedullà discusses […]

The post “Only Four Weeks for Prep — Including Casting — and 16 Days to Shoot the Entire Film”: Paolo Maria Pedullà on Producing Mad Bills to Pay first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Director Joel Alfonso Vargas made Filmmaker‘s 25 New Faces list in 2024 on the basis of his short film, Mad Bills to Pay, which is now a debut feature selected for both the 2025 Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals. “A shoestring-budget production” realized by a “minimal team,” Mad Bills to Pay is also a debut feature for producer Paolo Maria Pedullà, a UK National Film and Television School graduate whose previous work includes associate producing Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God as well as shorts and various high-end TV shows. Below, Pedullà discusses […]

The post “Only Four Weeks for Prep — Including Casting — and 16 Days to Shoot the Entire Film”: Paolo Maria Pedullà on Producing Mad Bills to Pay first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

The 97th Academy Awards ceremony is fast approaching, with Conclave nominated in a number of prestigious categories. Edward Berger's latest film focuses on the Vatican's efforts to elect a new Pope, a process that was similarly addressed in HBO's hit series The Young Pope. Its creator, Paolo Sorrentino, has kept busy ever since the Jude Law show hit the masses to widespread critical acclaim. The beloved Italian auteur's latest film, Parthenope, is now playing in North American theaters. MovieWeb recently caught up with Sorrentino, alongside interpreter Lilia Pino Blouin, while he was promoting the film, and the Oscar-winning filmmaker also weighed in on his funny little connection to Conclave:

I haven't had a chance to see [Conclave] yet. I do know that they used my own Sistine Chapel, the one that I had built, but I haven't watched the movie yet.

And since the director created the...

Super Bowl weekend is notoriously tough for cinemagoing but fans turned out and tuned in for music documentary concert film Becoming Led Zeppelin from Sony Pictures Classics, which rocked the top ten. A Complete Unknown and The Brutalist are holding. Neon saw a bump for its Parasite re-release. Documentary No Other Land had a nice expansion.

Long-gestating Becoming Led Zeppelin, an early version of which premiered at Venice in 2021, charged to more than $2.6 million on 369 Imax screens and the no. 7 spot, the only indie in the top 10 this weekend.

That’s the biggest ever opening weekend domestically for an Imax-exclusive music release. Crowds are showing love across North America with strong results from both coasts as well as markets like Toronto, Cleveland, St. Louis and Dallas.

Also from SPC, Walter Salles I’m Still Here topping $1 million in week 4 on 704 screens, a big expansion from 93 last week, and Pedro Almodovar’s...

If it makes anyone feel better, the $55 million total box office was the best for any Super Bowl weekend since 2020. It also continues year to date improvement, besting 2024 by close to 50 percent.

“Dog Man” (Universal) repeated as #1 with $13.7 million but unexpectedly dropped 62 percent in its second weekend after a surprisingly strong opening. “Heart Eyes” (Sony) and “Love Hurts” (Universal), two new wide releases, combined managed $15 million.

The DreamWorks animated film opened about the same as “The Wild Robot,” with a similar A Cinemascore. It was unlikely that “Dog Man” would reach the $144 million “The Wild Robot” attained, but based on precedent (similar films usually triple their openings), it seemed like it could become a $100 million grosser. With its steep drop, $85 million feels more likely.

The year has seen nine non-franchise studio wide releases to date, most mid-sized or lower budgets, but only “Dog Man” and “One of Them Days” (Sony...

Oscar-winning filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino's new film throws a lot at you in its 137 minutes, not just in terms of themes and story developments, but new characters along the way as well. Parthenope stars the wondrous Italian actress Celeste Dalla Porta in the eponymous role, with the sprawling narrative chronicling her free-spirited life virtually from start to finish. Throughout her various endeavors across native Naples and more, she stumbles upon a vast array of characters who simply cannot look away from Parthenope's intoxicating beauty. That includes the well-dressed, wealthy poor soul of a man, John Cheever, portrayed by none other than Academy Award winner Gary Oldman.

MovieWeb recently spoke with Dalla Porta, alongside interpreter Lilia Pino Blouin, to learn more about pulling off Parthenope's standout scenes with Cheever against a picturesque Italian backdrop — under Sorrentino's masterful direction. "Naturally, working with Gary Oldman for me was one of the most emotional moments of my life,...

A24's latest offering takes us overseas to all that Italy has to offer. More specifically, the city of Naples is in focus for the gorgeously crafted feature Parthenope, written and directed by Oscar-winner Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty). Maybe you've seen some of the film's promotional material, which consistently centers on the beautiful eponymous heroine. Yes, her fictional life-spanning journey is the central story at hand. And while two hours of simply watching rising-star Italian actress Celeste Dalla Porta might just be enough for some, Sorrentino will tell you firsthand that his film is about much more than that.

MovieWeb recently caught up with the renowned filmmaker to learn more about Parthenope, which throws a whole lot at its viewers by the time the credits roll. It was thus a pleasure to confirm with Sorrentino — with the help of interpreter Lilia Pino Blouin — his new film's true, underlying motif...

Meet Parthenope: a beautiful woman who was born in the sea, and who just can't seem to travel far from the shoreline. No, we're not talking about the tragic Siren from Greek mythology, but rather a more modern-day heroine from Oscar-winner Paolo Sorrentino's new A24 film, hitting U.S. theaters today. One look at his female protagonist and you might just be forever starstuck — something that is addressed again and again in the reviews of countless film critics discussing Parthenope. With the help of interpreter Lilia Pino Blouin, MovieWeb recently spoke with the rising star of Parthenope, Celeste Dalla Porta, who shared her reaction to how so many critics have zeroed in on her arresting on-screen presence in the eponymous role.

"Well, actually, I believe that the Parthenope project is a project that focused on trying to pay tribute to this beautiful character, and beautiful not just in an...

Led Zeppelin on Imax, Parthenope by Paolo Sorrentino and Armand starring Renate Reinsve, both Cannes premieres, and Barry Koeghan in Irish drama Bring Them Down headline an interesting specialty weekend.

Sony Pictures Classics debuts Bernard MacMahon’s hybrid docu concert film Becoming Led Zeppelin exclusively in Imax at 369 locations this week, opening wide next week on over 1,000 screens. Powered by never-before-seen footage, performances and music, the film is billed as an experiential cinematic odyssey exploring Led Zeppelin‘s creative, musical, and personal origin story. It’s told in Led Zeppelin’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.

An early version premiered at the Venice Film Festival back in 2021 as a work in progress to a 10-minute standing ovation. It subsequently incorporated a brand-new sound mix, newly unearthed material from the archives of all four band members (including home movies and family photos), and exclusive interviews with Jimmy Page,...

In Paolo Sorrentino’s “Parthenope,” the title character is constantly asked by the men in her life what she’s thinking. Only a few are actually interested in her thoughts, which Parthenope (Celeste Dalla Porta) rarely reveals anyway. As the actress explained to IndieWire, that’s just one of the ways she never shows her hand.

“Sometimes, as a woman, you find yourself before people that make yourself feel insecure, and Parthenope is like a snake that wiggles out of all of that in very beautiful ways without ever having the feeling that she needs to explain herself,” she said of the film, which premiered in competition at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

The Naples set coming-of-age drama follows Parthenope over decades — first, as a young woman summering in Capri with her beloved brother Raimondo (Daniele Rienzo) and his best friend Sandrino (Dario Aita) in a sordid, not-so-family-oriented love triangle. The...

Beauty, we’re told, is in the eye of the beholder. There are some types of beauty that go beyond the subjective, however — the kind that stops traffic, turns modest men into Tex-Avery-style wolves and have entire feature films centered around them. This is the category that the title character of Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope falls into. She is named after the beguiling siren of Greek and Roman mythology, as well as the ancient handle for Sorrentino’s hometown of Naples. She is introduced emerging from the sea as if...

Paolo Sorrentino is a filmmaker who is no stranger to spectacle and has succeeded thus far in merging maximalist viscerality with surprisingly sensitive examinations of the human condition. Although it is easy to compare his dreamlike, esoteric work to other international auteurs like Frederico Fellini or Michelangelo Antonioni, it would be disingenuous to suggest that Sorrentino lacks perspective. In fact, the wry sense of humor, interest in pop music, and playful skips through time that may have once been derided as lazy have become integral to his style. Indulgence in itself is not a bad thing, as Sorrentino usually finds a way to justify waxing poetic about the past.

Although much of Sorrentino’s work thus far has been purposefully reflective of his own past, “Parnthenope” dives deep into Greek mythology as a source of inspiration. Set throughout the second half of the 20th century, the film focuses on the...

Paolo Sorrentino is obsessed with beauty… and youth… and pretty much everything else that is fleeting, including the audience’s attention. The Italian filmmaker’s maximalist tendencies have never been more on display than in his latest work, Parthenope, a work of extreme aestheticism that is so indulgent it borders on pointless. However, the film’s undeniable beauty makes it hard to dismiss entirely.

Parthenope Review

Parthenope follows a young woman of the same name who is studying to be an anthropologist but finds that the world around her constantly stops, completely transfixed by her beauty. If you’re wondering if there is more to the story than that… not really. It’s mostly just the protagonist being in Italy and swatting off the advances of men as things happen to her.

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