“Sinners,” “Frankenstein” and “One Battle After Another” took home the top prizes in the Feature Motion Pictures categories at the Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild (IATSE Local 706) Awards. “One Battle After Another” took home two awards winning best contemporary make-up (Heba Thorisdottir, Mandy Artusato) and best contemporary hair styling (Ahou Mofid, Gina Maria […]
Variety
Horror Thriller ‘Hellcat’ Sells to Shudder for North America (EXCLUSIVE)
Shudder has secured North American rights to “Hellcat,” a psychological horror thriller that marks the feature directorial debut of Brock Bodell, Blue Finch Films revealed at Berlin’s European Film Market. The streamer plans to release the film later this year following its premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival, where it received positive critical reception. […]
Paramount Sends ByteDance Cease-and-Desist Letter Over Seedance AI Videos, Alleging Intellectual Property Infringement
Paramount Skydance accused ByteDance of engaging in “blatant infringement” of its intellectual property with its Seedance video and Seedream image generative AI platforms, alleging the Chinese internet giant is illegally ripping off IP including “South Park,” “Star Trek,” “The Godfather,” “Dora the Explorer” and more. The media company sent a cease-and-desist letter Saturday to ByteDance, […]
‘Filipinana’ Director Rafael Manuel on ‘White Lotus’ Comparisons, Jia Zhangke’s Influence and Making Violence Relatable
Rafael Manuel spent seven or eight years developing “Filipinana,” his debut feature about a teenage girl working at an elite Manila country club — years before HBO’s “The White Lotus” turned the luxury resort satire into prestige television gold. “I get the comparisons, of course, because ‘White Lotus’ is one of the biggest series ever […]
Providence Equity ‘Fully Committed’ to Supporting Wasserman Agency Amid Sale Transition
Providence Equity is aiming to calm the waters within the Wasserman agency after Friday night’s surprise news that the firm will be put up for sale and founder Casey Wasserman will leave amid the furor over his appearances in the Epstein files. Casey Wasserman’s position as a leader in media and sports has been rocked […]
Mexico’s Cinemex Nabs ‘Abracadaver’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Cinemex, the Mexican film distribution-exhibition giant, has set a second-quarter release date for “Abracadaver,” the final movie from writer-actor-director Pancho Rodríguez (“Looking for an Angel”), who died Nov. 13. Already a Walt Disney Co. pickup for North America with Hulu controlling U.S. streaming rights, “Abracadaver” has also been acquired by Vic Films Corp. for […]
Charli xcx Brings ‘Brat’ to Berlin With ‘The Moment’ Premiere and Says She’s Ready for a New Era: ‘But I Don’t Know What That Is’
Charli xcx said she’s ready for a new era at the Berlin Film Festival premiere of “The Moment” – but she’s still figuring out just what that is. Following the screening at Zoo Palast, which was filled to the brim with her fans, the pop star appeared on stage alongside the mockumentary’s director, Aidan Zamiri. […]
Barack Obama Reacts to Donald Trump’s AI Video Depicting Him as an Ape: ‘There Doesn’t Seem to Be Any Shame About This’
During a recent appearance on Brian Tyler Cohen’s podcast, Barack Obama gave his reaction after an AI video was posted to Donald Trump’s Truth Social account that depicted the former president and his first lady, Michelle, as apes. Obama opened his thoughts by calmly stating that it’s “important to recognize that the majority of the […]
‘Nightborn’ Review: Rupert Grint and Seidi Haarla Headline an Effective Blend of Finnish Mythology and Cronenbergian Horror
Motherhood can be… a lot, as both Mary Bronstein’s “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” and Lynne Ramsay’s “Die My Love” reminded us last year. Now, here comes a riposte in the horror genre: Hanna Bergholm’s Berlinale competition entry “Nightborn,” which brings a Finnish sensibility to a taut and accessible chiller in which babies […]
Margot Robbie’s Skin Was Photographed to Become Cathy’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ Wallpaper; How Filmmakers Made the Walls Sweaty and Moist
“Wuthering Heights” production designer Suzie Davies was excited to get a call from Emerald Fennell, since she’d worked on period dramas from this era before — not to mention on Fennell’s lavish “Saltburn.” “I thought it’d be fun,” Davies says. But Fennell had a different vision for adapting the Emily Bronte classic. Not only did […]