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Mafia: The Old Country just went full nerd mode, and honestly? It’s about time. Hangar 13’s latest developer diary reads like they hired actual historians instead of just Googling “Sicily 1900s” and calling it research.

This isn’t some half-hearted authenticity marketing speak. These developers are out here tracking down century-old knife-making techniques like they’re writing a dissertation.

With 68 days left until August 8, the countdown’s ticking faster than a Lupara reload. And if this research obsession pays off, we might finally get the Sicilian crime story that doesn’t feel like a Hollywood fever dream.

When developers become historians

Most studios would slap some sepia filters on generic Mediterranean architecture and call it authentic Sicily. Not Hangar 13. They’ve gone completely overboard with their research for Mafia: The Old Country, and it’s genuinely impressive how far they’re willing to dig.

The team traveled to Sicily multiple times,...

Back to the Future Rejected 40+ Times: How This 93% Sci-Fi Classic Finally Made It to Screens ( Photo Credit – Amazon Prime Video )

Diehard cinephiles have heard countless stories about how some of the greatest films ever made initially struggled to get a green light before becoming cult classics. From Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, to Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky, to Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, it’s a surprisingly long list. Today, we are talking about one such movie. It’s a film that is regarded by many movie buffs as the most entertaining and rewatchable movie ever made. Amazingly, it was rejected dozens of times before finally going into production. That film is the 1985 sci-fi adventure classic Back to the Future.

Why Was Back to the Future Rejected Over 40 Times?

According to a report by Esquire, Robert Zemeckis’ time-travel film went through a production nightmare and was...

The Bentonville Film Festival in Arkansas has announced additional programming for the 11th annual edition of the event that runs June 16-22.

Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix, the most decorated track and field athlete of all time, will participate in the festival’s Shaping the Narrative conversation in partnership with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Ingeborg Initiatives. She Runs the World, a documentary about Felix directed by Perri Peltz and Matthew O’Neill, will screen at Bff on Wednesday, June 18.

The festival describes the film as “an impassioned look at the advocacy of Allyson Felix… At the peak of her career, she faced a life-threatening pregnancy—and a 70% pay cut from her sponsor, exposing a sports industry without maternal protections. But Allyson turned adversity into action, redefining what it means to be a champion and sparking a movement far beyond the track. Felix’s rejection of the status quo...

After a 24-year wait followed by a $462 million box office run, Ridley Scott’s 2024 historical epic - Gladiator II - is a global streaming hit. But the director is no stranger to making period films after all; indeed, Scott’s very first movie, The Duellists, was set in 19th Century France. The filmmaker later transported audiences to the days of Columbus in 1492: Conquest of Paradise, but the epic movie was met mostly with shrugs.

Undeterred by his period films’ mixed box office performance, Scott continued pursuing the genre, right up to the present day. Kingdom of Heaven depicted the Crusades, and was deemed a failure until a director’s cut boosted its reputation. The fearless Scott gave new takes on classic stories with his Robin Hood and Exodus: Gods and Kings. He returned to France for the medieval drama The Last Duel, and made another foray to that nation for his 2023 epic Napoleon.

A Look At Selena Gomez’s Weight Loss Journey ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Selena Gomez is a famous pop culture icon, and with such immense fame comes unwanted attention and scrutiny. Over the years, the songstress has often grabbed headlines for her looks, whether when she gained weight or lost some kilos. Her appearance has always been a topic of discussion. While she faced a lot of criticism over her physical journey, she has also inspired millions of women across the globe to be confident in their own skin.

During Gomez’s 2025 awards season run, she appeared gorgeous in stunning gowns and dresses at various events. While many appreciated her fit, some internet users pointed out her drastic weight loss. Some even started to speculate whether the songstress took Ozempic or some other drugs to lose those extra pounds. However, the singer and actress addressed the speculations and discussed her weight loss journey.

The Godfather Casting Battle ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Francis Ford Coppola had a vision for The Godfather, but turning that vision into reality was anything but smooth. According to The Mirror, long before cameras started rolling, the film nearly took shape with a completely different cast. Today, it’s hard to picture anyone other than Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, or Diane Keaton in their roles, but things could have gone very differently.

Al Pacino Was Almost Fired From The Godfather Early In Production

Coppola had to push hard to keep his preferred actors in the film. Even Al Pacino, now iconic as Michael Corleone, was nearly fired after the first week, as the studio wasn’t convinced he could carry the role. Coppola, feeling the pressure himself, sat down with Pacino to review the early footage, and much to his displeasure, it wasn’t landing the way he hoped. Pacino later...

Who Inspired The Voice Of Marlon Brando’s Vito Corleone In The Godfather? (Photo Credit – Netflix)

Vito Corleone appears in The Godfather with a voice that barely rises above a whisper, yet no one dares ignore him. Marlon Brando made sure of that. His performance in the role elevated the film and became one of the main reasons the gangster genre found new life and lasting respect.

Brando, despite being surrounded by an already legendary cast, including the likes of Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton, still managed to leave the deepest mark in the movie. He didn’t need much screen time to do it, either. He brought gravity and an unforgettable presence to a man who never had to shout to be heard.

The Real-Life Inspiration Behind Marlon Brando’s Vito Corleone Voice In The Godfather

Long before the cameras rolled, Brando had been digging deep.

Francis Ford Coppola In The Godfather (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Francis Ford Coppola approached The Godfather with a bold vision. He didn’t always stick to the plan, which made all the difference. While certain rules were set for the shoot, especially around how the camera should move and what it should show, Coppola knew when to bend those rules and, more importantly, when to ignore them completely.

How Coppola Broke the Rules for Vito Corleone’s Shooting Scene

One major example comes during the attempt on Vito Corleone’s life. Most of the film was shot at eye-level, which served as a perfect choice to pull viewers straight into the rooms with the Corleone family.

According to Screenrant, this approach came from cinematographer Gordon Willis, who wanted the audience to feel like quiet observers inside the mafia world. However, Francis Ford Coppola had something else in mind for the moment when Vito gets shot.

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Spoilers for "Andor" to follow.

Now that "Andor" is over, Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) is likely to go down as one of the show's best creations. The Rebellion Alliance may not want to remember Luthen's legacy in helping to build it, but it's a legacy "Star Wars" fans won't forget. "Star Wars" has been political from the beginning, but "Andor" threads the needle like never before. A lot of that is Luthen's presence; he's a Rebel who feels like an actual revolutionary.

There's no Death Star yet in "Andor," but the Rebels have challenges aplenty — real challenges, like factionalist infighting and compromises for greater goods. Luthen saying in "One Way Out" that "I burn my life to make a sunrise I know I'll never see" is one of the most succinct and beautiful sentiments explaining political resistance I've heard — knowing...

It could be argued that HBO put gangsters out of business, or at least we thought they did.

Wait, what the hell do we mean by that? The Sopranos was so definitive, it rose above and reimagined the great movies that came before it, i.e. The Godfather and Goodfellas.

Max

Then along comes HBO Max and DC’s The Penguin. Yes, it’s about Colin Farrell getting lost in the tubby suit. However, we knew that from Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Yet, it’s Cristin Milioti’s tragic-yet-acerbic Mafia donna, Sofia Falcone, who steals the show. She’s the type who’d have no problem putting several bullets into Sonny Corleone, that is if they lived in the same universe.

On today’s Crew Call, we speak with The Penguin EP and showrunner, Lauren LeFranc who reveals how she zigged from the gangster genre’s zag.

“I never wrote a crime drama before,...

This summer, Dorothy and Toto are going to skip down the Yellow Brick Road in the same cutting-edge Las Vegas arena that’s hosted everything from Phish and Backstreet Boys concerts to Mma fights. That’s right, one of Hollywood’s most beloved films, “The Wizard of Oz,” is coming to the Sphere.

But updating the cinema classic for the venue’s massive 16K resolution wraparound interior LED screen required more than a dozen visual effects houses, teams of researchers and archivists, and Jane Rosenthal, the superstar producer behind “The Irishman” and “Meet the Parents.”

As part of this week’s Variety cover story, Rosenthal offered a first look at the secretive project ahead of “The Wizard of Oz at Sphere’s” Aug. 28 opening.

1.) Yes, It Uses AI

The 1939 version of “The Wizard of Oz” was made for a much, much smaller screen than the 160,000-foot one that the Sphere holds.

When moviegoers fall madly in love with a film, at a certain point it's not enough just to watch it over and over again. They need to devour every morsel of trivia and every behind-the-scenes anecdote. They dive deep into the origins of the production, and speculate as to how the film might've played if different actors had been cast or a different director had been hired. They might even take the next step and tap out fan fiction, which can be quite profitable as E.L. James proved when her "Twilight" erotica became a publishing phenomenon called "Fifty Shades of Grey."

For those who don't have an S&m-infused novel about their favorite characters in them, the next step in heightening one's personal fan experience might be to visit the actual filming locations. If your favorite movie happens to be James Cameron's "Ghosts of the Abyss," I would strongly advise against this,...

Paramount+ has a lot to offer this June. The biggest highlight is the 78th Annual Tony Awards, which airs on June 8. It’s hosted by Wicked star Cynthia Erivo and features stars from TV like Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Snook, and George Clooney.

Another big release is Love Me, a new movie starring Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun. It comes out on June 16.

There are also many great movies coming to the service this month, like But I’m a Cheerleader, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, No Country for Old Men, and The Godfather trilogy. Keep reading to see the full list!

June 1

3:10 to Yuma (With Showtime)

12 Years a Slave

Bad News Bears

BlacKkKlansman

Boogie Nights

But I’m a Cheerleader

Call Me By Your Name

Carol

Carriers

Center Stage

Changing Lanes

Chasing Amy

Cloverfield

Crawlspace

Daddy Day Camp

Dance Flick

Dog Day Afternoon

Double Jeopardy

Eagle Eye...

There are certain chunks of a film's production budget that are either unexpected or clandestinely factored into the final numbers. When it comes to the latter, you've probably heard tales of films made during the 1970s and 1980s having a cocaine budget. Some films absolutely did. In a 2011 interview with Reuters, Dennis Quaid, a recovering cocaine addict himself, revealed that the expense of the peppy powder got hidden as petty cash. "People would make deals," he explained. "Instead of having a cocktail, you'd have a line."

Given that cocaine is just as illegal in the United States today as it was a half-century ago, it probably won't surprise you to learn that filmmakers have struck all kinds of not-quite-on-the-level deals to get their movies made. I mean, it shouldn't surprise you. Shady bookkeeping and under-the-table payments are the cornerstone of the so-called legitimate business world. And now that the United States government...

Directed by the twin duo of Tarzan and Arab Nasser, “Once Upon a Time in Gaza” is about a collaboration of a different sort: a small-time drug scheme concocted by timid university student Yahya (Nader Abd Alhay) and burly restaurant owner Osama (Majd Eid). Although set in 2007, the well-meaning, tongue-in-cheek drama has a penchant for connecting its setting to the contemporary political zeitgeist, which it vocalizes loudly and overtly. However, its self-reflexive, bifurcated story — about using cinematic images to create a revolution — ends up ironically flaccid.

Captured with careful compositional intent, the movie’s first half sees Osama, the brains of the operation, sending Yahya to acquire pain meds using forged prescriptions, which they plan to sell by hiding them in pita sandwiches from Osama’s hole-in-the-wall falafel joint. As this plot unfolds, it’s buoyed by the light and humorous tension of the duo’s disagreements — which the Nassers...

With four features under his belt, three of them ambitious and sprawling ensemble pieces, 35-year-old Iranian wunderkind Saeed Roustaee is the kind of director who takes a big swing for the fences with each new film. His 2019 drug thriller, Just 6.5, was like The French Connection meets The Wire in contemporary Iran. His 2022 family epic, Leila’s Brothers — which, like his new film, premiered in competition in Cannes — had hints of both The Godfather and the searing social dramas of Asghar Farhadi, with some of the best acting in any movie that year.

Roustaee attempts another big swing with Mother and Child, a grandiose modern melodrama filled with love, death, heartache, anger, jealousy, vengeance and possible murder. It’s a lot to take in, and not all of it works despite some more great performances, including from regular leading man Payman Maadi (also an early Farhadi regular in About Elly and...

Superhero movies box office(Photo Credit –Prime Video/Facebook)

While it’s no surprise that Avengers: Endgame — the formerly highest-grossing film of all time — is the most successful superhero movie at the global box office, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe the biggest draw in cinema history, one may wonder what set the precedent for such dominance. Decades before billion-dollar franchises became the norm, silver screen adaptations of legacy comic book characters like Superman and Batman paved the way with unprecedented success.

From Marvel’s web-slinging Spider-Man to DC’s brooding The Dark Knight in styles of Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan, the genre has grown into a diverse powerhouse, expanding rapidly with fourth-wall-breaking hit comedies like Deadpool to gritty, R-rated triumphs like Joker, and even culturally trailblazing hits like Black Panther and Wonder Woman. This timeline explores how the title of highest-grossing superhero movie changed hands, with some reigning for decades,...

“Nouvelle Vague” is not like any other movie you’ve seen. It’s not a prequel, sequel, or remake of Jean-Luc Godard’s debut film “Breathless” (“À Bout de Souffle”). It’s not a documentary about the making of the film, nor is it based on any known IP. You could conjure memories of the fictional “Day for Night,” from Godard’s fellow Cahiers du Cinéma critic and French New Wave member François Truffaut, which takes place on a movie set, or the recent Paramount series “The Offer,” which chronicles the production of “The Godfather” from the Pov of producer Al Ruddy (Miles Teller). Some have compared Linklater’s ensemble of icons from French cinema to Woody Allen’s ex-pat literary figures from “Midnight in Paris.”

The fact that Richard Linklater wanted to recreate the 1959 filming of “Breathless” on the streets of Paris, in French, in black and white, in the Academy aspect ratio,...

Paramount has announced the lineup of movies, TV shows, and live sports coming to Paramount+ in June. The Paramount Plus June 2025 schedule includes the post-apocalyptic film Love Me and the Tony Awards, as well as Pride Month, Juneteenth, and Father’s Day collections featuring the best in movies and series.

And don’t miss all the action on the pitch and court, including the UEFA Champions League Final alongside the hit Paramount+ exclusive altcast Beckham & Friends Live; WNBA games including Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky on June 7; and the final episodes of the Paramount+ docuseries Pulisic, following Usmnt star Christian Pulisic.

Premiering June 16 on the Paramount+ with Showtime plan is the post-apocalyptic romance film Love Me, starring Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun. Set in a future where humanity has been wiped out, the film follows a weather buoy and a satellite that form a unique bond while exploring remnants of human life through digital archives.

Netflix’s latest trending movie, Nonnas (2025), is a delightful blend of comedy and heartfelt storytelling that will whet your appetite for both food and familial love. Set against the backdrop of an Italian restaurant, the film serves up mouthwatering dishes and emotional moments in equal measure. As viewers are transported into the world of Enoteca Maria, they experience the warmth of community, the richness of tradition, and the healing power of cooking. This movie is not just a feast for the senses but also a tribute to the enduring bonds that tie us together.

What Is the Movie ‘Nonnas’ (2025) About?

Nonnas tells the story of Joe Scaravella, portrayed by Vince Vaughn, a man grappling with the loss of his mother. In an effort to honor her memory and reconnect with his roots, Joe embarks on a journey to open an Italian restaurant in Staten Island named Enoteca Maria. What sets...

Some time ago, veteran director Martin Scorsese stated that Marvel movies were not what you would call “Cinema” and that they were just some shiny lights against a green screen.

Well, Francis Ford Coppola, who is the director of The Godfather trilogy, went one step ahead. This time, however, Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo came to the rescue of the MCU as they had some apt reply to say to Ford Coppola, who seemed to call these movies… despicable.

When Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo defended the MCU!

We all remember when the war between Martin Scorsese and the MCU happened. The veteran director didn’t consider those movies as cinema and refused to acknowledge that they were any good.

Francis Ford Coppola is the director of The Godfather Trilogy | Credits: Paramount Pictures

Well, although there was a revolt to Scorsese’s statements, the world didn’t revolt much. At the time,...

On its 50th anniversary, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws can claim to be the most disruptive film of the last half-century, maybe even ever. While predecessors like The Godfather and The Exorcist drew theater lines around the block through word-of-mouth, Jaws was the one for which the term summer blockbuster was coined. Opening on a then-unheard-of 409 screens, the film caught the zeitgeist in an unprecedented manner, helped by marketing techniques that would center escapism as a staple of the summer movie season.

Spielberg’s film followed hard on the heels of Peter Benchley’s bestselling 1974 novel, with screenwriter Carl Gottlieb throwing out the book’s myriad subplots to focus on New England police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) and the team he assembles to stop a great white shark that is terrorizing Amity Island: intellectual oceanographer Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and salty, no-nonsense shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw).

In Spielberg’s hands,...

Marlon Brando & Jack Nicholson Smiling Together (Photo Credit – Wikipedia)

Marlon Brando, by the early 70s, was back in the spotlight. After years of erratic behavior and fading relevance, he clawed his way back with a powerhouse performance as Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather and followed it up with the bold and divisive Last Tango in Paris.

Hollywood, the never-forgiving movie industry, which had once rolled its eyes at his antics, now praised him again as the gold standard.

Jack Nicholson: The Wild New Star On Brando’s Radar

Around that same time, Brando noticed a younger face rising fast. He was a wild one with a sharp mind who was not following the usual Hollywood script. He had turned down the role of Michael Corleone, citing his non-Italian roots, and instead veered toward films that broke rules, such as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, and The Last Detail (all...

It’s hard to overstate the influence of The Godfather on the medium as a whole, and it’s also hard to pinpoint its success to just one figure. But amidst the brilliance of all the ensemble cast, whether it’s Marlon Brando’s Don Corleone or Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone, it was John Cazale’s Fredo that really was the heart of the first two movies.

Moreover, while Cazale’s career was short-lived, it left an indelible mark on cinema, and Al Pacino, arguably one of the greats of all time, was always fascinated with Cazale, even before uniting in The Godfather series.

Al Pacino recounted his fascination with John Cazale John Cazale as Fredo Corleone in The Godfather | Credit: Paramount Pictures

While Michael Corleone’s tragic descent encapsulates the themes of The Godfather, amidst Al Pacino and the rest of the cast’s brilliance, John Cazale‘s...

Spoilers for "The Last of Us" season 2, episode 6 follow.

Since the beginning of "The Last of Us" season 2, a name has been thrown around within the confines of Jacksonville that we've been keen to learn more about. This week, we finally got properly introduced to Eugene, the late husband of Gail (Catherine O'Hara), who we discovered was killed by Joel (Pedro Pascal) sometime between the show's two seasons. Much like how Frank was only referred to in the game but expanded on in season 1 thanks to the help of Murray Bartlett and his screen partner Nick Offerman as Bill, Eugene was a character that was only skimmed over in "The Last of Us Part II" video game. Explored through notes that Ellie (Bella Ramsey in the show) found on her travels, the live-action adaptation instead spent a healthy amount of time finding out about Eugene before Joel did the deed,...

About eight hours by direct flight from the seen-and-be-seen restaurants and red carpets of Hollywood is a resort on a remote speck of a private island. It was there that Barack Obama wrote his post-White House memoirs, where Kim Kardashian threw her controversial pandemic-era 40th birthday bash (to the tune of $1 million) and where Britney Spears enjoyed the calm before the storm ahead of releasing her memoir.

The locale? The Brando, about 30 miles north of Tahiti on the 12-island atoll of Tetiaroa, which Marlon Brando bought after he fell in love with the region while filming 1962’s Mutiny on the Bounty. Now over a decade old, the resort has a storied history filled with star turns. Villas start at $4,000; more booking and price options at Hotels.com and Expedia.com.

Related: Throwback Thursday: Marlon Brando Fell for Tahiti in the 1960s

Long a sanctuary for locals, Tetiora was the private vacation home for Brando’s family.

Francis Ford Coppola’s seminal work, The Godfather, faced several challenges during its production. Coppola’s life was made hell when he was filming the classic crime film. He mostly blamed the leadership at Paramount for the difficult production. However, he pushed through all the odds to make the Oscar-winning film with Marlon Brando and Al Pacino.

The Apocalypse Now director shared that most of his choices for the film were met with objections from the studio. He revealed during a 2022 interview that he was on the verge of getting fired multiple times throughout the production. Notably, Paramount was going through a rough period at the time, which probably made them question Coppola’s every demand.

Francis Ford Coppola detailed the challenges he faced during The Godfather shoot Francis Ford Coppola with Marlon Brando on the set of The Godfather | Credits: Paramount Pictures

Francis Ford Coppola had the worst experience...

For any NCIS fan, saying goodbye to Leroy Gibbs was not easy. After years of watching Mark Harmon lead the team with his signature stare and quite intensity, it was hard to imagine anyone else stepping into his shoes. So, when Gary Cole joined the show as Alden Parker, there was a mix of curiosity and let’s be honest – some hesitation.

But something about Parker’s entrance felt different, and over time, fans could see why he was the perfect replacement for Gibbs. So, what exactly made his arrival work? And why was he never meant to be a Gibbs 2.0? Let’s take a closer look.

Why was Alden Parker never meant to be another Leroy Gibbs in NCIS?

For longtime NCIS fans, the departure of Mark Harmon‘s Leroy Jethro Gibbs was quite heartbreaking. But when Gary Cole stepped in as Alden Parker, many were left worried as...

Tarak Ben Ammar, the legendary producer and distributor, said his life may have turned out very differently if a Variety reporter named Hank Werba hadn’t written about his efforts to convince filmmakers to make their movies in Tunisia.

It was that decades-old article, in which Ben Ammar pitched the North African nation as “peaceful” and “inexpensive” place to make films, that caught the attention of George Lucas, who decided to shoot parts of “Star Wars” in the country.

“[Variety] believed in this young man that was selling nonsense and dreams,” Ben Ammar said, while accepting the International Achievement in Film Award at Variety‘s annual Welcome to Cannes Party, hosted in partnership with the Gotham Film & Media Institute.

Entertainment industry movers and shakers gathered at the Majestic Hotel, Salon Croisette to celebrate Ben Ammar’s many achievements and kick off the festival in style. Guests included Sony Pictures Classics...

Coming off the success of Halloween, in 1985 Jamie Lee Curtis joined forces with John Travolta for a movie that almost derailed the latter’s career. While the general public felt Travolta was severely miscast in Perfect, the consensus surrounding Curtis’ Jessie was the polar opposite.

While her stint in horror and slashers’ outings earned her the title of scream queen, the Travolta-led Perfect turned her career trajectory for the better. But amidst onscreen highs, the movie also pushed her to a decision that she continues to regret.

Perfect‘s cinematographer left Jamie Lee Curtis embarrassed on set Trading Places | Credit: Paramount Pictures

In addition to being an ally to the LGBTQ2A+ community and staunch supporter of issues, including children, animals, and the environment, Jamie Lee Curtis has also been an outspoken advocate for natural beauty. Having undergone plastic surgery in the past, the Oscar winner has expressed regret over...

Robert De Niro Honored At Cannes 2025 ( Photo Credit – Amazon Prime Video)

Robert De Niro has long established his status as one of Hollywood’s most legendary actors. He began his acting career in the early 1960s and has spent nearly six decades in the industry. He has been part of some of the most acclaimed films, earning critical acclaim and commercial success. More recently, he also received the prestigious Honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

To celebrate legendary actor Robert De Niro and his decades of unforgettable performances, we’ve curated a list of his top-rated films that you can stream right now. This list includes only those titles where De Niro played a significant role and are currently available on Indian Ott platforms. We’ve ranked them based on their Rotten Tomatoes critics’ scores — so get ready to binge on some cinematic brilliance

10. The King of Comedy...

In the early ’70s, something shifted. Audiences were tired of squeaky-clean heroes and neat endings. They wanted grit, truth, and a little chaos. So, the cops on screen got messier, tougher, angrier, and more real. But while most were busy bending the law to get justice, one dared to challenge the whole system from the inside.

Frank Serpico, a different kind of cop for a different kind of story. Just an officer willing to risk everything to call out the corruption around him. He wasn’t out for glory, he was out for the truth.

Taking on the challenge on screen was Al Pacino, still early in his rise but already chasing roles that meant something. Fresh off the success of The Godfather, he could’ve played it safe, but instead, he dove headfirst into the life of a man who stood alone. So what pulled him into Frank Serpico’s world?...

Whether or not you have strong Italian roots, Netflix's Nonnas is for you. Most people can identify with comfort food when it's needed. With Nonnas, which was released on your favorite streamer on May 9, the comfort comes from taste and preparation.

The story was written by Liz Maccie and directed by her husband, Stephen Chbosky. The movie is a drama, but ultimately a heartwarming one. It's about family and friends and finding those people all over again.

As far as the cast, you will recognize most of the actors. In fact, you probably have seen much of their work. These are the people you need to know.

Cast of Nonnas is as delicious as the foodLorraine Bracco as Roberta

Bracco actually lives in Sicily part of the year, so she was perfectly cast for the role of Roberta, an outspoken nonna who has issues dealing with her Bolognese counterparts.

Francis Ford Coppola is a brand name when it comes to Hollywood and the film industry in general. Despite some recent flops, he is a giant who has brought us timeless classics such as The Godfather trilogy, The Conversation, and Apocalypse Now.

In recent years, though, he has been struggling, and his most recent outing, the political satire Megalopolis, flopped in a major way. And while Coppola is adamant about defending his movie, Megalopolis is really below the great director’s capabilities.

But, as you know, Coppola is not giving up and is planning to make two more movies. At the same time, he is giving interviews, and in a recent one, he criticized Trump’s planned movie tariffs.

Related: Coppola Confirms His Next Movie, ‘Glimpses of the Moon,’ Is in Pre-Production

As you probably know, President Donald Trump has been in a state of tariff frenzy in recent weeks and months,...

During a press event in Seoul promoting Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Tom Cruise declined to respond to a question concerning former President Donald Trump’s proposed tariff policy on films produced abroad. The question referred to the film’s international shooting locations and whether the production might be subject to such tariffs.

“I’d like to ask this question to anybody who’s up for it,” the reporter began, according to a translated exchange at the event. “I saw that it was filmed in many different locations around the world, including Africa. We all are aware of the tariffs that President Trump has been imposing on overseas productions and films. So, is this particular movie under that tariff? And how much of the film was shot overseas?”

Cruise responded off-mic to the moderator: “We’d rather answer questions about the movie. Thank you.” The moderator acknowledged the direction and moved the conversation forward.

Matt Damon is one of the most sought-after stars currently working in Hollywood. The actor was last seen in The Instigators and will be leading Christopher Nolan’s ensemble in The Odyssey. He got his breakthrough with Good Will Hunting, for which he co-wrote the screenplay with Ben Affleck and won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

Damon was also nominated for Best Actor, along with Robin Williams, who won the Award for Best Supporting Actor. However, in the same year, Damon starred in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Rainmaker, which has since its release been considered an underrated masterpiece. The legal drama was based on a novel by popular legal thriller writer John Grisham.

Matt Damon gave two memorable performances in the same year, one of which was Good Will Hunting Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting | Credits: Miramax Films

Matt Damon is best known for his role as...

It’s crazy to think that The Godfather almost didn’t have Al Pacino in it, mostly because Pacino himself couldn’t wrap his head around why Francis Ford Coppola even wanted him. The guy who went on to own the very role of Michael Corleone was seriously confused about being cast in one of cinema’s most iconic films.

At the time, he was just a stage actor with barely any screen time under his belt. But Coppola saw something no one else did. And that one gamble changed Pacino’s life and gave us one of the coolest slow-burn transformations in movie history.

Al Pacino still wonders why Coppola bet on him for The Godfather Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II | Credits: Paramount Pictures

Al Pacino still can’t quite believe it. Reflecting on the The Godfather casting that changed cinema history during an interview with The Talks,...

Imagine a world where Han Solo had a little thick voice, and he carried a gun similar to a gangster with a leaned-in posture. Doesn’t look right, right? However, that would have been the character of Han Solo had Al Pacino not refused the script for Star Wars!

The actor, who talked about his regrets (which he prefers to call ‘mistakes’), talked about turning down the role of Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise, having life lessons learnt the hard way, and more in an interview.

Al Pacino regrets turning down the script for Star Wars!

Visionary director George Lucas directed and released Star Wars: Episode IV -A New Hope in 1977. The film featured Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford as the main leads and went on to earn millions at the global box office.

Harrison Ford portrayed the role of Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise | Credits: Lucasfilm

However,...

The ingredients are simple, the cooking process unhurried and the history rich. The Italian dishes honored in director Stephen Chbosky’s sentimental dramedy “Nonnas” don’t come from professionally trained chefs, but from women of Italian heritage whose flavors have been perfected over generations. Each forkful packs a tasty homage to where they come from and to the people who loved them. And some of the film’s components are indeed authentic: Liz Maccie’s screenplay provides a fictionalized take on how Jody Scaravella opened Enoteca Maria, a real-life Italian restaurant where grandmothers cook.

Mta worker Joe (Vince Vaughn) has just lost his mother. The opening sequence shows him as a child observing as his mother and “nonna” (or grandmother) cook a feast for friends and family. Those halcyon days appear soaked in an ethereal lighting to convey nostalgia. In the present, when everyone has left the funeral, it’s...

As a producer, Madhu Mantena has an impeccable track record of creative and commercial success. Subhash K Jha lists his five picks for the best of the best Madhu Mantena.

1.Ghajini (2008):

The first 100-crore success of Indian cinema. Ghajini, directed by A R Murugadoss, is not for the squeamish. The violence is prolonged, sadistic, and often done with the elaborate abundance and eye-catching elan of a staged opera (Ravi Chandran’s camerawork glistens and bristles with optimum optical glory). And yet women in the audience seemed to love the film. Ghajini is at heart a love story of a cocooned tycoon who discovers love in a working-class environment. Aamir Khan’s expressions of bewilderment, curiosity, pleasure, and acceptance in Asin’s company remind you of a baby that’s just discovered mother-love.

2. Rakht Charitra (2010):

Marking the Hindi debut of Tamil superstar Suriya, this is another violent but stunning study of human avarice.

Today, Tom Cruise can do whatever he wants in his movies, and no one can tell him he can’t have the ending he wants. But when he was new in the business, he had to yield and agree to studios and producers who wanted different narratives.

Cruise continues to be on top of his game even after decades of making movies in Hollywood. He certainly has that charm that attracts people of all ages. We may know him from his work on the Mission: Impossible franchise, but he rose to fame after starring in 1983’s Risky Business.

Tom Cruise reveals original ending of Risky Business

One of the biggest A-listers in Tinseltown, Tom Cruise, came from humble beginnings before rising to the top. His first minor role was in the 1981 romantic drama Endless Love, but it was his performance in 1983’s romantic comedy Risky Business that propelled him to stardom.

Returning for a 5th collaboration with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee’s upcoming movie Highest 2 Lowest, after almost two decades since Inside Man, is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. The movie is a modern-day version of High and Low from 1963 by Akira Kurosawa. It is set in current-day New York City and takes a deep dive into the moral ambiguities in the music industry.

Washington will be seen in the role of a famous music mogul who finds himself entangled in a life and death situation when he’s targeted for ransom. Viewers await this modern twist on a classic tale with bated breath, and you can expect nothing short of fireworks when the film makes its debut in Cannes on May 19th, 2025.

Stellar star-studded cast of Highest 2 Lowest

The film boasts a stellar cast that includes Ilfenesh Hadera, A$AP Rocky, Ice Spice, and Jeffery Wright.

Shia Labeouf is set to star in the crime thriller ‘God of the Rodeo’.The ‘Transformers’ star, 38, has signed on to lead director Rosalind Ross’ upcoming movie, which will be based on the reports of Daniel Bergner from inside the deadliest prison in the American South.Set in the harsh confines of Louisiana’s Angola Prison in 1967, ‘God of the Rodeo’ follows Buckkey, a hardened inmate who discovers a faint hope of redemption through an unexpected chance - the prison’s first inmate rodeo. As Buckkey and his fellow prisoners train for what may be their final shot at dignity, they come to realise the rodeo is no heroic contest, but a brutal spectacle.Designed to entertain the public and feed the warden’s messianic ambitions, it becomes a punishing battle for survival masked as sport.As well as directing ‘God of the Rodeo’, Ross is set to write the movie’s script.

‘Thunderbolts*’ writer Eric Pearson doesn’t think Scarlett Johansson will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).The 40-year-old actress had starred in the franchise from 2010’s ‘Iron Man 2’ until ‘Black Widow’ in 2021 as the Avenger Natasha Romanoff, though Pearson doesn’t believe that her character will appear in any future movies in the MCU.When The Hollywood Reporter asked the scribe whether Johansson’s Black Widow would return to the film series in the future, he said: "I will preface by saying that I have no idea, but I don’t think so. "I feel like her end in ‘Endgame’ and then her epilogue with our ‘Black Widow’ prequel were so lovely. "So I would be surprised, but I know nothing about that. I have very little knowledge of what’s going on with ‘Doomsday’ right now."Pearson added that while the sacrifice of Natasha Romanoff was important...

Believe it or not, there used to be a time where movie sequels were actually an incredibly rare thing. As it was, audiences felt that movies and even tv shows should have definitive stories and points that they were trying to make and why would anybody bother making a sequel to what should have been a conclusive story? But now, in an era where Hollywood values established IP and fanbases more than any potential original project, sequels have become the norm. It isn’t necessarily a bad thing that sequels have taken over cinemas, provided that the sequels are just as good as the originals and come out with their own original plot-lines. Like all movies, whether or not a person might enjoy a surplus of sequels is preferential and is more so dependent on the subject material, especially if it’s regarding a franchise that the audience has taken a liking too.

Annual critics’ lists are important, sure. But when the world’s most successful filmmaker picks a favorite movie, people listen.

At the AFI’s annual 50th Life Achievement Award event held April 26 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Steven Spielberg was among friends and collaborators who couldn’t refuse offering kudos to honoree Francis Ford Coppola. When Spielberg and fellow helmer George Lucas presented the AFI honor to Coppola, the Schindler’s List and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial director said onstage that Coppola’s 1972 Oscar-winning classic The Godfather was, to him, “The greatest American film ever made.”

Certainly, a solid choice (who wants to get metaphorically whacked like Sonny Corleone at the toll booth for saying otherwise?). And Spielberg did clarify his statement as The Godfather being the best American film, setting it apart from world cinema. While great directors frequently change up their top films, many have stated the ones that hold prime spots.

Max‘s May film acquisitions include gems that came out both 80 years ago and as recently as just a few months ago. Indeed, the streaming service’s new movies range from 2024’s longest Best Picture contender to a classic Hollywood musical and an Oscar-winning, genre-bending 2004 drama. In case that was not enough, a pair of iconic horror movies and one fantasy masterpiece have also made their way to the platform this month.

Here are seven of the best movies that are now streaming on Max in May.

“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (Focus Features) “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004)

When he was promoting “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” Jim Carrey equated getting Charlie Kaufman’s script for the film with watching Moses come down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments and winning the lottery. They are apt metaphors for a film that feels, quite simply, miraculous.

Jack Nicholson Turned Down Michael Corleone In The Godfather ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

The release of The Godfather marked the entry of a true cinematic marvel in theatres. With its rich and nuanced storytelling, the story became a classic hit, thanks to the powerful performance delivered by its actors. One such signature character from the movie was Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino.

But here’s something not everyone knows: the role of Michael Corleone, Pacino’s iconic breakout, almost went to someone else entirely. And not just anyone, it practically went to Jack Nicholson, arguably Hollywood’s most charismatic actor of his generation. Before Pacino ever delivered that cold-blooded line, “It’s not personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business,” the role was of Jack’s to take.

Jack Nicholson, riding high off the success of Easy Rider and already becoming a household name, was in a prime position. Studio heads saw the commercial appeal.

Sylvester Stallone’s Hunter Movie ( Photo Credit – Flickr )

Many years ago, veteran Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone acquired the film rights to a 1999 science fiction novel titled Hunter, written by James Byron Huggins. The Oscar-nominated actor-filmmaker purportedly intended to use the novel’s plot for ‘Rambo: Last Blood’. But later, the Rambo movie’s plot was changed to Rambo rescuing a girl from the clutches of a Mexican human trafficking gang, and it was released in 2019.

Even now, if Stallone somehow still makes the film, it could well be the grand theatrical comeback the Rocky actor must be hoping for. After delivering a critically acclaimed performance as Rocky Balboa in Creed II, the charismatic actor’s big-screen acting projects in the last few years have received a lacklustre response. He has starred in films like Backtrace, Escape Plan: The Extractors, Expend4bles, Armor, and Alarum, and all of them got not-so-encouraging feedback.

Did Martin Scorsese almost direct The Godfather Part II?(Photo Credit –Instagram/Prime Video)

It’s one of Hollywood’s biggest what-ifs, Martin Scorsese almost helming The Godfather Part II instead of Francis Ford Coppola. At first glance, it sounds like an enticing alternate timeline, two titans of American cinema colliding over the same mythic underworld but if you dig deeper, it becomes clear that the reality we got may have been the best-case scenario.

Francis Ford Coppola’s Fatigue and the Scorsese Suggestion

Back in the early ’70s, Coppola was fresh off surviving the chaotic, pressure-cooked set of The Godfather. Studio battles, shady financing, production headaches, it all left him drained. When discussions for a sequel surfaced, he was hesitant, almost ready to walk and tensions with producer Bob Evans didn’t help either.

Coppola pitched a then-rising Scorsese to take over the reins, a suggestion that says more...