Netflix’s new limited series Black Rabbit has added 11 to its cast, led by stars and executive producers Jude Law and Jason Bateman. The additions include Academy Award-winning actor Troy Kotsur, Abbey Lee, Odessa Young and Robin De Jesus.
From Zach Baylin and Kate Susman, Black Rabbit follows the owner of a New York City hotspot (Law) who allows his turbulent brother (Bateman) back into his life, opening up the door to escalating dangers that threaten to bring down everything he’s built.
In addition to Law and Bateman, Cleopatra Coleman, Amaka Okafor, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Dagmara Dominczyk and Chris Coy also star.
Kotsur will play “Joe Mancuso,” a local bookie with ties to organized crime and the brothers’ past. Lee will play “Anna,” a formidable NYC bartender. Young will play “Gen,” an...
From Zach Baylin and Kate Susman, Black Rabbit follows the owner of a New York City hotspot (Law) who allows his turbulent brother (Bateman) back into his life, opening up the door to escalating dangers that threaten to bring down everything he’s built.
In addition to Law and Bateman, Cleopatra Coleman, Amaka Okafor, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Dagmara Dominczyk and Chris Coy also star.
Kotsur will play “Joe Mancuso,” a local bookie with ties to organized crime and the brothers’ past. Lee will play “Anna,” a formidable NYC bartender. Young will play “Gen,” an...
- 4/30/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Jim Parsons has starred in several other movies and shows over the years, but his most notable work continues to be The Big Bang Theory even after so many years since the last season aired. This is perhaps because his involvement with the series never ended as he serves as the narrator and producer on the spin-off series Young Sheldon.
Jim Parsons and Taylor Kitsch in The Normal Heart
In a recent interview in which he discussed his appearance in the finale of the series, he addressed a rumor that suggests he was married to singer Rihanna. In the process of debunking the theory, he said something that makes one wonder if his husband doubts his capability of dating someone like Rihanna.
Jim Parsons Debunked the Rumors of His Marriage to Rihanna
Rihanna in a still from the music video This Is What You Came For
The internet is a continuous rumor-churning mill.
Jim Parsons and Taylor Kitsch in The Normal Heart
In a recent interview in which he discussed his appearance in the finale of the series, he addressed a rumor that suggests he was married to singer Rihanna. In the process of debunking the theory, he said something that makes one wonder if his husband doubts his capability of dating someone like Rihanna.
Jim Parsons Debunked the Rumors of His Marriage to Rihanna
Rihanna in a still from the music video This Is What You Came For
The internet is a continuous rumor-churning mill.
- 4/10/2024
- by Ankita
- FandomWire
Jim Parsons, Zoey Deutch and Katie Holmes will star in the Broadway revival of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town this fall.
In the production, directed by Kenny Leon, Parsons will play the role of Stage Manager, Deutch will play Emily Webb and Holmes will play Mrs. Webb. They lead a cast of 28 actors, who also include Richard Thomas (The Waltons, To Kill a Mockingbird) as Mr. Webb, Ephraim Sykes (Ain’t Too Proud, Hairspray Live!) as George Gibbs and Billy Eugene Jones (Purlie Victorious) as Dr. Gibbs.
The play will begin previews at the Barrymore Theatre on Sept. 17, ahead of an Oct. 10 opening.
Known for his role as Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, Parsons also has extensive stage credits, including a role in Mother Play, which begins Broadway previews April 3. He has previously appeared on Broadway in productions including The Boys in the Band, An Act of God and The Normal Heart.
In the production, directed by Kenny Leon, Parsons will play the role of Stage Manager, Deutch will play Emily Webb and Holmes will play Mrs. Webb. They lead a cast of 28 actors, who also include Richard Thomas (The Waltons, To Kill a Mockingbird) as Mr. Webb, Ephraim Sykes (Ain’t Too Proud, Hairspray Live!) as George Gibbs and Billy Eugene Jones (Purlie Victorious) as Dr. Gibbs.
The play will begin previews at the Barrymore Theatre on Sept. 17, ahead of an Oct. 10 opening.
Known for his role as Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, Parsons also has extensive stage credits, including a role in Mother Play, which begins Broadway previews April 3. He has previously appeared on Broadway in productions including The Boys in the Band, An Act of God and The Normal Heart.
- 4/3/2024
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jim Parsons is one of the most well-known TV actors. He is most popular for his performance as the socially awkward science genius Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. He has received numerous accolades for his portrayal of Sheldon.
Sheldon Cooper became such a beloved character over the twelve seasons of the sitcom that it spawned a spin-off named Young Sheldon. After airing for seven seasons, the spin-off is finally coming to an end with a finale that will see Parsons reprising his role as Sheldon. He recently opened up about his feelings regarding this.
The Big Bang Theory Was Jim Parsons’ Big Break
Jim Parsons in The Big Bang Theory
Much like his character Sheldon Cooper who happens to be a genius but struggles with fitting into society, Jim Parsons too struggled with finding his place in the entertainment industry. According to the Houston Chronicle,...
Sheldon Cooper became such a beloved character over the twelve seasons of the sitcom that it spawned a spin-off named Young Sheldon. After airing for seven seasons, the spin-off is finally coming to an end with a finale that will see Parsons reprising his role as Sheldon. He recently opened up about his feelings regarding this.
The Big Bang Theory Was Jim Parsons’ Big Break
Jim Parsons in The Big Bang Theory
Much like his character Sheldon Cooper who happens to be a genius but struggles with fitting into society, Jim Parsons too struggled with finding his place in the entertainment industry. According to the Houston Chronicle,...
- 3/31/2024
- by Ankita
- FandomWire
Bazinga again! “The Big Bang Theory” stars Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik will guest star on the series finale of CBS’ “Young Sheldon,” reuniting as Sheldon Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowler. Details of the episode, which airs Thursday, May 16, and how Parsons and Bialik will be incorporated into it, remains a secret.
Parsons, of course, has been a part of “Young Sheldon” from the beginning, serving as the show’s narrator and as one of its executive producers. Bialik has also been heard on two episodes of “Young Sheldon” as a guest voiceover. But this reps the first time the duo has been on screen together since the May 2019 series finale of “The Big Bang Theory,” and it also marks the first on-camera appearance of their characters — as grown-up Sheldon and Amy.
“Young Sheldon” originally premiered in 2017, while “The Big Bang Theory” wrapped up its run in 2019 after launching in...
Parsons, of course, has been a part of “Young Sheldon” from the beginning, serving as the show’s narrator and as one of its executive producers. Bialik has also been heard on two episodes of “Young Sheldon” as a guest voiceover. But this reps the first time the duo has been on screen together since the May 2019 series finale of “The Big Bang Theory,” and it also marks the first on-camera appearance of their characters — as grown-up Sheldon and Amy.
“Young Sheldon” originally premiered in 2017, while “The Big Bang Theory” wrapped up its run in 2019 after launching in...
- 3/6/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Frank Whaley has signed with TalentWorks for theatrical representation. Since his acclaimed debut opposite Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson in 1987’s Ironweed, Whaley has appeared in over 80 films including, Pulp Fiction, Field of Dreams, Swimming With Sharks, Swing Kids, Career Opportunities, Born on the Fourth of July, The Doors, Broken Arrow, J.F.K., Red Dragon, School of Rock, World Trade Center, The Freshman, Hoffa, Vacancy, among many others. Recent features are Hustlers opposite Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu and Cardi B and Monster Trucks for Paramount. On television, he has recurred on Ray Donovan, Interrogation and Luke Cage. He has also appeared on The Blacklist, Gotham, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Empire, Psyche, Sneaky Pete and recently recurred on the Netflix series The Good Cop and on Amazon’s Jack Ryan. Whaley was previously with A3 and continues to be managed by Karen Forman.
Exclusive: Tuc Watkins has signed with Greene Talent for theatrical representation.
Exclusive: Tuc Watkins has signed with Greene Talent for theatrical representation.
- 3/4/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
The New Hollywood revolution was raging in 1971, and studios were rapidly transitioning from old-school leadership to boat-rocking up-and-comers who seemed to have the pulse of the Baby Boomer-driven counterculture. The age of star-studded mega-musicals and old-fashioned oaters was over; movies didn't necessarily need a serrated edge to slash into the zeitgeist, but even a weepie like Arthur Hiller's "Love Story" boasted a lived-in verisimilitude. These films, shorn of backlot artifice, were happening in the real world.
Young moviegoers weren't the only ones craving authenticity. John Schlesinger's "Midnight Cowboy" couldn't have been voted Best Picture of 1969 without significant support from gray-haired Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members. This was a film that plunged viewers into the seamiest iteration of New York City ever captured by a studio movie, that dealt with issues of sex work and homosexuality so unflinchingly that the MPAA (now known as MPA) gave it an X-rating.
Young moviegoers weren't the only ones craving authenticity. John Schlesinger's "Midnight Cowboy" couldn't have been voted Best Picture of 1969 without significant support from gray-haired Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members. This was a film that plunged viewers into the seamiest iteration of New York City ever captured by a studio movie, that dealt with issues of sex work and homosexuality so unflinchingly that the MPAA (now known as MPA) gave it an X-rating.
- 2/16/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Exploring the New Horizons of Jim Parsons Since waving goodbye to his iconic role as Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, Jim Parsons has been quite busy. He’s ventured into production with a deal with Warner Bros. to develop his own projects, a significant leap from his previous work. His acting pursuits have also been diverse, with roles in ‘Hollywood’ and ‘The Boys in the Band’ marking his transition from the beloved brainiac. Parsons has expressed an open-minded approach to his career, stating, I don’t feel singularly focused on finding — I don’t know, ‘I’ve got to play the...
- 12/11/2023
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
When LGBTQ community-gathering spaces were largely put on pause by the pandemic, those once-in-person safe havens became our streaming platforms and technical devices at home. Hyper-specific pop subcultures emerged — here’s looking at you, queer readers of the generally awful “Friends” — and reputations for streamers’ philosophies toward and commitment to LGBTQ content were widely discussed online. (Shout out to Showtime: the premium cable network still servicing lesbians everywhere.)
Even as the world has opened back up, in Hollywood, it feels like queer storytelling and community are more galvanized than ever. Nowhere is that more tidily displayed than on the carousels of “LGBTQ” offerings found across entertainment platforms. Netflix, a heavyweight in any streaming conversation (regardless of its rocky 2022), has played a significant role in green-lighting major queer-inclusive projects across television and film. Not only has the platform championed many shows that were queer in premise — see “Grace and Frankie” or...
Even as the world has opened back up, in Hollywood, it feels like queer storytelling and community are more galvanized than ever. Nowhere is that more tidily displayed than on the carousels of “LGBTQ” offerings found across entertainment platforms. Netflix, a heavyweight in any streaming conversation (regardless of its rocky 2022), has played a significant role in green-lighting major queer-inclusive projects across television and film. Not only has the platform championed many shows that were queer in premise — see “Grace and Frankie” or...
- 12/2/2023
- by Wilson Chapman, Alison Foreman and Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Peter White, known for his role as attorney Lincoln (Linc) Tyler on soap opera “All My Children” and for his role onstage and on screen in “The Boys in the Band,” died of melanoma at his home in Los Angeles on Nov. 1. He was 86.
In “Armageddon,” White played the Secretary of Defense, while he joined the U.S. government again as Secretary of Commerce in “Dave.” With a distinguished look, Whit was particularly in demand for parts as senators, college deans and ambassadors.
The actor, a graduate of Northwestern and the Yale School of Drama, got his first major acting role as an understudy for Robert Redford in the Broadway production of “Barefoot in the Park” along Myrna Loy. That role formally introduced White to the world of Broadway.
In 1968, White starred as Alan McCarthy in the play “The Boys in the Band,” about a group of gay men who attend...
In “Armageddon,” White played the Secretary of Defense, while he joined the U.S. government again as Secretary of Commerce in “Dave.” With a distinguished look, Whit was particularly in demand for parts as senators, college deans and ambassadors.
The actor, a graduate of Northwestern and the Yale School of Drama, got his first major acting role as an understudy for Robert Redford in the Broadway production of “Barefoot in the Park” along Myrna Loy. That role formally introduced White to the world of Broadway.
In 1968, White starred as Alan McCarthy in the play “The Boys in the Band,” about a group of gay men who attend...
- 11/10/2023
- by Valerie Wu
- Variety Film + TV
Peter White, an alum of TV soaps All My Children and Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, has died at 86. All My Children costar Kathleen Noone told The Hollywood Reporter that White died of melanoma at home in Los Angeles on Wednesday. White, born in New York City in 1937 and trained at Yale School of Drama, got his start playing Jerry Ames on the CBS soap The Secret Storm from 1965 to 1966. In 1968, he starred in the original, off-Broadway production of the groundbreaking Mart Crowley play The Boys in the Band — which ran for more than 1,000 performances — and reprised his part in the 1970 film adaptation, directed by William Friedkin. (The play begat a Broadway revival in 2018 and a Netflix film with the revival cast.) On CBS’ Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, White played Dr. Sanford Hiller for more than 250 episodes in 1971. And on ABC’s All My Children, White played Lincoln Tyler,...
- 11/5/2023
- TV Insider
Peter White, who portrayed Linc Tyler on the ABC soap opera All My Children over four decades and starred in the original stage production and film adaptation of The Boys in the Band, has died. He was 86.
White died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles of melanoma, his All My Children castmate Kathleen Noone (Ellen Shepherd Dalton on the show) told The Hollywood Reporter.
White also played Arthur Cates, the attorney for Sable Colby (Stephanie Beacham), on the first two seasons of the ABC primetime soap The Colbys in 1985-86, and he recurred as the deceased doctor dad of the characters played by Swoosie Kurtz, Sela Ward, Patricia Kalember and Julianne Phillips on the 1991-96 NBC drama Sisters.
White first portrayed Lincoln Tyler, son of stern Pine Valley matriarch Phoebe Tyler (Ruth Warrick), from 1974-80 — he was the third actor in the role, starting with James Karen — then returned...
White died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles of melanoma, his All My Children castmate Kathleen Noone (Ellen Shepherd Dalton on the show) told The Hollywood Reporter.
White also played Arthur Cates, the attorney for Sable Colby (Stephanie Beacham), on the first two seasons of the ABC primetime soap The Colbys in 1985-86, and he recurred as the deceased doctor dad of the characters played by Swoosie Kurtz, Sela Ward, Patricia Kalember and Julianne Phillips on the 1991-96 NBC drama Sisters.
White first portrayed Lincoln Tyler, son of stern Pine Valley matriarch Phoebe Tyler (Ruth Warrick), from 1974-80 — he was the third actor in the role, starting with James Karen — then returned...
- 11/4/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
While looking for a project to follow the success of his films The French Connection and The Exorcist, director William Friedkin came across a book he found to be fascinating: Cruising by Gerald Walker, about “a series of murders in the gay bars of New York, and a detective assigned to go undercover to find the killer”. But Friedkin had already made a movie that centered on gay characters, The Boys in the Band, so he let the Cruising adaptation go by. For a while, Steven Spielberg was attached to direct the film, but wasn’t able to get it into production. In his memoir The Friedkin Connection, Friedkin revealed that it wasn’t until someone he worked with on The Exorcist turned out to be a real-life serial killer that he thought of the way to approach Cruising.
Friedkin wrote in The Friedkin Connection that in 1979 he started seeing...
Friedkin wrote in The Friedkin Connection that in 1979 he started seeing...
- 10/23/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
On Friday, October 6, cinephiles were given a precious gift when Showtime dropped one last film by the late, great William Friedkin: an adaptation of Herman Wouk’s play “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.” The film is classic Friedkin, a clinic in blocking, editing, and camera movement reminiscent of earlier theatrical adaptations like “The Birthday Party,” “The Boys in the Band,” and “Bug.”
While there are many filmmaking lessons to be learned from studying the piece, one notable Friedkin disciple had the chance to examine the director’s process firsthand: Guillermo del Toro, who shadowed Friedkin throughout production as a backup in case the 87-year-old filmmaker was unable to complete the movie.
Long before he ever met Friedkin, del Toro was an admirer of his work. “He is an original,” del Toro told IndieWire. “He blends the lessons of documentary with complex and precise technology and narrative prowess. Every decision he...
While there are many filmmaking lessons to be learned from studying the piece, one notable Friedkin disciple had the chance to examine the director’s process firsthand: Guillermo del Toro, who shadowed Friedkin throughout production as a backup in case the 87-year-old filmmaker was unable to complete the movie.
Long before he ever met Friedkin, del Toro was an admirer of his work. “He is an original,” del Toro told IndieWire. “He blends the lessons of documentary with complex and precise technology and narrative prowess. Every decision he...
- 10/12/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Long before he made Popeye Doyle race a Brooklyn subway and Regan MacNeil’s head spin, William Friedkin began his career doing live TV. He’d move on to an episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, short documentaries, a Sonny-and-Cher joint (Good Times), theatrical adaptations (The Birthday Party, The Boys in the Band), and then an all-guts-all-glory double shot that instantly made him a New Hollywood power player. But like a lot of directors coming up in the early 1960s, his roots were with actors, words, conflict, and not much more.
- 10/7/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
On December 26, 1973, horror fans endured long lines for the theatrical premiere of The Exorcist – a film that’s now considered by many to be the scariest movie ever made. Directed by William Friedkin and based on the bestselling novel by William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist broke box office records in its first week of release. Theater employees reported that moviegoers were passing out, becoming ill, and heading for the exits before the credits rolled because the subject matter was so disturbing and intense.
The creation of the classic horror film, which is the gold standard for movies dealing with possession and the devil, begins with Blatty’s novel published in 1971. Blatty’s story focused on a 12-year-old girl named Regan MacNeil who went from a happy-go-lucky, horse-loving preteen to a foul-mouthed, head-spinning nightmare after being possessed by a demon. Coming to Regan’s rescue were two Catholic priests who eventually...
The creation of the classic horror film, which is the gold standard for movies dealing with possession and the devil, begins with Blatty’s novel published in 1971. Blatty’s story focused on a 12-year-old girl named Regan MacNeil who went from a happy-go-lucky, horse-loving preteen to a foul-mouthed, head-spinning nightmare after being possessed by a demon. Coming to Regan’s rescue were two Catholic priests who eventually...
- 10/6/2023
- by Kevin Finnerty
- Showbiz Junkies
Plot: A Naval officer (Jake Lacy) is on trial for mutiny. His court-appointed attorney (Jason Clarke) must prove that his captain (Kiefer Sutherland) was dangerously unbalanced and that mutiny was the only solution to protect the crew.
Review: The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is an interesting final film for the late William Friedkin. While most know him for his seventies epics, having directed at least three or four of the greatest films ever made, many don’t know that he started his career with a couple of films based on stage plays: The Birthday Party and The Boys in the Band. His most recent work, Bug and Killer Joe, were also stage adaptations (of works by Tracy Letts), but The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is more traditionally mounted than those. This is basically a stage play put to film, with no exteriors, no music and only two sets.
The play was written...
Review: The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is an interesting final film for the late William Friedkin. While most know him for his seventies epics, having directed at least three or four of the greatest films ever made, many don’t know that he started his career with a couple of films based on stage plays: The Birthday Party and The Boys in the Band. His most recent work, Bug and Killer Joe, were also stage adaptations (of works by Tracy Letts), but The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is more traditionally mounted than those. This is basically a stage play put to film, with no exteriors, no music and only two sets.
The play was written...
- 10/6/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
The trailer for Showtime’s drama “Fellow Travelers” just dropped, and it features and intense and illicit affair between Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey’s (“Bridgerton”) characters.
Jelani Alladin (“The Walking Dead World Beyond”), Allison Williams and Noah J. Ricketts (“American Gods”) also star in the series, described as a love story and political thriller.
The series is based on the novel by Thomas Mallon and created for television by Ron Nyswaner. Season 1 will feature eight episodes.
According to the show’s description, Bomer plays the charismatic Hawkins Fuller, who maintains a financially rewarding, behind-the-scenes career in politics. Hawkins avoids emotional entanglements – until he meets Tim Laughlin (Bailey), a young man who’s brimming with idealism and religious faith. They begin a romance just as Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn declare war on “subversives and sexual deviants,” initiating one of the darkest periods in 20th-century American history. Over the course of four decades,...
Jelani Alladin (“The Walking Dead World Beyond”), Allison Williams and Noah J. Ricketts (“American Gods”) also star in the series, described as a love story and political thriller.
The series is based on the novel by Thomas Mallon and created for television by Ron Nyswaner. Season 1 will feature eight episodes.
According to the show’s description, Bomer plays the charismatic Hawkins Fuller, who maintains a financially rewarding, behind-the-scenes career in politics. Hawkins avoids emotional entanglements – until he meets Tim Laughlin (Bailey), a young man who’s brimming with idealism and religious faith. They begin a romance just as Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn declare war on “subversives and sexual deviants,” initiating one of the darkest periods in 20th-century American history. Over the course of four decades,...
- 10/3/2023
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
Somewhere, at any given moment, there’s a film director adapting a stage play to the big screen. Yet it’s rare, and fascinating, to see a filmmaker steeped to the gills in cinema as cinema who also has a grand obsession with the theater. Robert Altman was like that. His great films of the ’70s were so naturalistic they seemed to dissolve the edges of the movie frame, yet in the ’80s, starting with “Come Back to the Five & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean,” he adapted nine plays in a row, the last of which, in 1988, was a darkly solid made-for-tv version of “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.”
William Friedkin, the legendary director who passed away last month, just before his 88th birthday, represents another case like Altman’s. In the early ’70s, when Friedkin commandeered Hollywood and the world with the extraordinary one-two punch of “The French Connection” (1971) and...
William Friedkin, the legendary director who passed away last month, just before his 88th birthday, represents another case like Altman’s. In the early ’70s, when Friedkin commandeered Hollywood and the world with the extraordinary one-two punch of “The French Connection” (1971) and...
- 9/6/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Jessica Lange, Jim Parsons and Celia Keenan-Bolger will star in the world premiere of Mother Play on Broadway.
The play, written by Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel, who wrote How I Learned to Drive and Indecent, and directed by Tina Landau, will play a limited engagement at Second Stage’s Hayes Theater starting April 3, with an opening night on April 25.
This marks Lange’s first return to Broadway since she starred as Mary Tyrone in the 2016 revival of A Long Day’s Journey Into Night, for which she received a Tony Award for lead actress in a play. The American Horror Story and Tootsie star made her Broadway debut in A Streetcar Named Desire and also appeared in The Glass Menagerie on Broadway.
Parsons, who starred in the long-running sitcom The Big Bang Theory, recently appeared Off-Broadway in a revival of A Man of No Importance. He has starred on...
The play, written by Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel, who wrote How I Learned to Drive and Indecent, and directed by Tina Landau, will play a limited engagement at Second Stage’s Hayes Theater starting April 3, with an opening night on April 25.
This marks Lange’s first return to Broadway since she starred as Mary Tyrone in the 2016 revival of A Long Day’s Journey Into Night, for which she received a Tony Award for lead actress in a play. The American Horror Story and Tootsie star made her Broadway debut in A Streetcar Named Desire and also appeared in The Glass Menagerie on Broadway.
Parsons, who starred in the long-running sitcom The Big Bang Theory, recently appeared Off-Broadway in a revival of A Man of No Importance. He has starred on...
- 9/6/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jessica Lange, Jim Parsons and Celia Keenan-Bolger will star on Broadway this spring in a world premiere production of Paula Vogel’s new Mother Play, to be directed by Tina Landau.
The Second Stage Theater production will begin a limited engagement at Second Stage’s Hayes Theater on Wednesday, April 3, with an official opening on Thursday, April 25.
Mother Play by Pulitzer Prize winner Vogel (How I Learned to Drive) is described by Second Stage as “a bitingly funny and unflinchingly honest new play about the hold our family has over us and the surprises we find when we unpack the past.”
The synopsis: “It’s 1962, just outside of D.C., and matriarch Phyllis is supervising her teenage children, Carl and Martha, as they move into a new apartment. Phyllis has strong ideas about what her children need to do and be to succeed, and woe be the child who finds their own path.
The Second Stage Theater production will begin a limited engagement at Second Stage’s Hayes Theater on Wednesday, April 3, with an official opening on Thursday, April 25.
Mother Play by Pulitzer Prize winner Vogel (How I Learned to Drive) is described by Second Stage as “a bitingly funny and unflinchingly honest new play about the hold our family has over us and the surprises we find when we unpack the past.”
The synopsis: “It’s 1962, just outside of D.C., and matriarch Phyllis is supervising her teenage children, Carl and Martha, as they move into a new apartment. Phyllis has strong ideas about what her children need to do and be to succeed, and woe be the child who finds their own path.
- 9/6/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The Big Bang Theory has only been off the air for four years thus far, but after 12 seasons it’s hard to imagine the cast as anything other than the beloved characters they played for over a decade. While some actors have chosen to take it easy in the years since Bbt ended, others have gone full-speed ahead into roles that are wildly different from the characters we know them as.
Across film and television, here are the Big Bang Theory cast’s best post-Big Bang roles.
Johnny Galecki – The Conners
Johnny Galecki hasn’t done much since The Big Bang Theory ended, but having a child a few months before a global pandemic changes the world as we know it is as good an excuse as any. However, you can still find him playing David Healy every once in a while in the Roseanne spinoff The Conners. Aside...
Across film and television, here are the Big Bang Theory cast’s best post-Big Bang roles.
Johnny Galecki – The Conners
Johnny Galecki hasn’t done much since The Big Bang Theory ended, but having a child a few months before a global pandemic changes the world as we know it is as good an excuse as any. However, you can still find him playing David Healy every once in a while in the Roseanne spinoff The Conners. Aside...
- 9/4/2023
- by Brynnaarens
- Den of Geek
The last works by artists who have just died often acquire a strange patina of significance. Whether the deceased knew the work would be their last or not, it’s almost impossible not to read into them a foreshadowing of the maker’s imminent departure, a railing against the dying of the light or a tidy return to earlier themes.
The storied director William Friedkin passed on Aug. 7 at the age of 87, just weeks after he completed his last feature film, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. I don’t know if Friedkin was aware this would be his last when he decided to make it, but it does feel like a fitting final artistic word in many ways. Like so many of his other movies, it’s pithy, punchy, a little shouty at times, but made with brio and swagger.
From the earliest days of his filmmaking career, he was drawn to theatrical material.
The storied director William Friedkin passed on Aug. 7 at the age of 87, just weeks after he completed his last feature film, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. I don’t know if Friedkin was aware this would be his last when he decided to make it, but it does feel like a fitting final artistic word in many ways. Like so many of his other movies, it’s pithy, punchy, a little shouty at times, but made with brio and swagger.
From the earliest days of his filmmaking career, he was drawn to theatrical material.
- 9/3/2023
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
William Friedkin, one of the great directors of the New Hollywood movement, died August 7 at the age of 87. The news launched an outpouring of love for the director, whose ’70s and ’80s film work proved some of the most enduring and beloved of that cinema-redefining period.
The son of Jewish Ukrainian immigrants, Friedkin was born in 1935 and got his start as a director making documentaries for Chicago public television. In 1965 he moved out to Hollywood to advance his career and made his narrative feature debut with “Good Times,” a vehicle for Cher and Sonny Bono. Friedkin put out several generally well-received films, including the groundbreaking “The Boys in the Band” and “The Birthday Party,” but truly broke out with 1971’s “The French Connection.” Starring Gene Hackman and featuring one of the greatest car chase scenes in cinematic history, the movie earned Friedkin a Best Director Oscar and gave him the clout to pursue passion projects.
The son of Jewish Ukrainian immigrants, Friedkin was born in 1935 and got his start as a director making documentaries for Chicago public television. In 1965 he moved out to Hollywood to advance his career and made his narrative feature debut with “Good Times,” a vehicle for Cher and Sonny Bono. Friedkin put out several generally well-received films, including the groundbreaking “The Boys in the Band” and “The Birthday Party,” but truly broke out with 1971’s “The French Connection.” Starring Gene Hackman and featuring one of the greatest car chase scenes in cinematic history, the movie earned Friedkin a Best Director Oscar and gave him the clout to pursue passion projects.
- 8/8/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
I remember clearly the first time I became aware of the name William Friedkin. I was 12 years old.
I used to wander around Manhattan a lot by myself in those days. I loved bookstores and hobby shops, and in particular I loved dingy places that sold strange collectibles. One Saturday, I entered such a spot — in this case, a movie memorabilia joint on Bleecker Street — and saw an enormous poster meant for display in subway stations. The image slapped me across the face: a truck in the pouring rain, leaning impossibly to the right on a rickety rope bridge ready for collapse. It said merely: “a William Friedkin Film, Sorcerer.”
What a mysterious and wonderful piece of art! I bought it (10 dollars, all I had on me) and posted it on my wall.
Soon after, I learned that this very same director had made a film showing at the Hollywood Twin,...
I used to wander around Manhattan a lot by myself in those days. I loved bookstores and hobby shops, and in particular I loved dingy places that sold strange collectibles. One Saturday, I entered such a spot — in this case, a movie memorabilia joint on Bleecker Street — and saw an enormous poster meant for display in subway stations. The image slapped me across the face: a truck in the pouring rain, leaning impossibly to the right on a rickety rope bridge ready for collapse. It said merely: “a William Friedkin Film, Sorcerer.”
What a mysterious and wonderful piece of art! I bought it (10 dollars, all I had on me) and posted it on my wall.
Soon after, I learned that this very same director had made a film showing at the Hollywood Twin,...
- 8/8/2023
- by James Gray
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The death at 87 of the great director William Friedkin on Monday reminded me of one of the two most intense movie viewing experiences I’ve ever had in a theater. One came last year when I saw “Rrr,” which due to its massive audience participation at the Chinese Theatre was a spectacular happening.
The other one happened in 1973 when I was a wee lad of 16, when I saw “The Exorcist.”
Friedkin was a master of his craft who made several other memorable films, chiefly “The French Connection” (for which he won his Academy Award), “Cruising,” “The Boys in the Band” and “To Live and Die in L.A.” But for my money, nothing he did could ever equal the phenomenon he helmed into being with “The Exorcist,” which would earn Oscars for sound and William Peter Blatty’s adapted screenplay as well as a directing nomination for Friedkin.
But forget all...
The other one happened in 1973 when I was a wee lad of 16, when I saw “The Exorcist.”
Friedkin was a master of his craft who made several other memorable films, chiefly “The French Connection” (for which he won his Academy Award), “Cruising,” “The Boys in the Band” and “To Live and Die in L.A.” But for my money, nothing he did could ever equal the phenomenon he helmed into being with “The Exorcist,” which would earn Oscars for sound and William Peter Blatty’s adapted screenplay as well as a directing nomination for Friedkin.
But forget all...
- 8/8/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Editor’S Note: William Friedkin’s passing is a gutting experience for anyone lucky enough to have sat as he reminisced over his classic movies, with measures of regret for the recklessness, humor, and keen observations of why Hollywood’s Auteur Era gave way to the global blockbuster, and whatever it is we have today as two guilds strike seeking transparency, and residuals for writers and actors. This interview was originally published August 6, 2015 under the title ’70s Maverick Revisits A Golden Era With Tales Of Glory And Reckless Abandon. I am feeling a bit gutted by Friedkin’s passing. I looked forward to a long interview with him for his Venice-bound Showtime remake of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. After spending time with Billy and his elegant wife Sherry Lansing at Peter Bart’s 90th birthday where the back and forth between them proved the highlight of the evening, I wanted...
- 8/8/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
The recently departed William Friedkin has a fascinating relationship with the gay community, not only as the infamous director of "Cruising," but also as the director of the film adaption of "The Boys in the Band" a decade prior, a monumental work of mainstream American queer cinema (and the first Hollywood-made film to use the word "c***" on screen). It's nothing short of a miracle that a director of Friedkin's caliber is responsible for two of the most impactful queer films in history, both continually debated. But "Cruising" is on another level. Depending on who you ask, the film is either a remarkable feat or irredeemable trash, and the controversy started before Friedkin ever called "action."
Loosely based on the novel of the same name by New York Times reporter Gerald Walker about a serial killer targeting gay men in the 1970s, predominantly those in the leather scene, "Cruising" stars...
Loosely based on the novel of the same name by New York Times reporter Gerald Walker about a serial killer targeting gay men in the 1970s, predominantly those in the leather scene, "Cruising" stars...
- 8/8/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
When William Friedkin died at the age of 87 on August 7, the film world lost a singular director who continued taking risks until his final days — and a vital link between the New Hollywood innovators of the 1970s and the blockbuster era that followed.
After cutting his teeth on conventional Hollywood fare like the 1967 musical “Good Times,” Friedkin wasted no time seeking out riskier projects. He embraced provocative subject matter when he directed “The Boys in the Band” in 1970, which went down in history as one of the first films to treat gay men as nuanced characters. But despite proving a knack for intimate theatrical adaptations, Friedkin quickly pivoted to large-scale blockbusters.
Films like “The French Connection” and “Sorcerer” demonstrated Friedkin’s eye for spectacle, treating audiences to dazzling action set pieces that Hollywood has never been able to top. But Friedkin infused both films with serious character development and elements of cinema verite,...
After cutting his teeth on conventional Hollywood fare like the 1967 musical “Good Times,” Friedkin wasted no time seeking out riskier projects. He embraced provocative subject matter when he directed “The Boys in the Band” in 1970, which went down in history as one of the first films to treat gay men as nuanced characters. But despite proving a knack for intimate theatrical adaptations, Friedkin quickly pivoted to large-scale blockbusters.
Films like “The French Connection” and “Sorcerer” demonstrated Friedkin’s eye for spectacle, treating audiences to dazzling action set pieces that Hollywood has never been able to top. But Friedkin infused both films with serious character development and elements of cinema verite,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
The director’s latest film is set to premiere at the Venice festival.
William Friedkin, the Oscar-winning American director of The French Connection and The Exorcist, has died aged 87.
According to the New York Times, Friedkin’s wife Sherry Lansing, the former head of Paramount Pictures, said the filmmaker died of heart failure and pneumonia at his home in Bel Air.
Born in Chicago in 1935, Friedkin moved to Hollywood in 1965 and began directing television shows, including an episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
His early features included The Night They Raided Minsky’s and The Boys In The Band, but Friedkin...
William Friedkin, the Oscar-winning American director of The French Connection and The Exorcist, has died aged 87.
According to the New York Times, Friedkin’s wife Sherry Lansing, the former head of Paramount Pictures, said the filmmaker died of heart failure and pneumonia at his home in Bel Air.
Born in Chicago in 1935, Friedkin moved to Hollywood in 1965 and began directing television shows, including an episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
His early features included The Night They Raided Minsky’s and The Boys In The Band, but Friedkin...
- 8/7/2023
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
The director’s latest film is set to premiere at the Venice festival.
William Friedkin, the Oscar-winning American director of The French Connection and The Exorcist, has died aged 87.
According to the New York Times, Friedkin’s wife Sherry Lansing, the former head of Paramount Pictures, said the filmmaker died of heart failure and pneumonia at his home in Bel Air.
Born in Chicago in 1935, Friedkin moved to Hollywood in 1965 and began directing television shows, including an episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
His early features included The Night They Raided Minsky’s and The Boys In The Band, but Friedkin...
William Friedkin, the Oscar-winning American director of The French Connection and The Exorcist, has died aged 87.
According to the New York Times, Friedkin’s wife Sherry Lansing, the former head of Paramount Pictures, said the filmmaker died of heart failure and pneumonia at his home in Bel Air.
Born in Chicago in 1935, Friedkin moved to Hollywood in 1965 and began directing television shows, including an episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
His early features included The Night They Raided Minsky’s and The Boys In The Band, but Friedkin...
- 8/7/2023
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
William Friedkin was an acclaimed American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He gained recognition for directing notable films such as “The French Connection” (1971) and “The Exorcist” (1973), the former of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Director. Friedkin’s filmography also includes “The Boys in the Band” (1970), “Sorcerer” (1977), “Cruising” (1980), “To Live and Die in L. . (1985), “Blue Chips” (1994), “Jade” (1995), “Rules of Engagement” (2000), “The Hunted” (2003), “Bug” (2006), and “Killer Joe” (2011).
In 1965, Friedkin relocated to Hollywood and released his debut feature film, “Good Times,” featuring Sonny and Cher. He continued to make artistic films, such as the adaptation of Mart Crowley’s “The Boys in the Band,” as well as “The Birthday Party,” based on an unpublished screenplay by Harold Pinter, which he adapted from his own play. However, Friedkin aimed to establish himself as a director of action and serious drama, exploring themes of crime, hypocrisy, the occult, and amorality within the...
In 1965, Friedkin relocated to Hollywood and released his debut feature film, “Good Times,” featuring Sonny and Cher. He continued to make artistic films, such as the adaptation of Mart Crowley’s “The Boys in the Band,” as well as “The Birthday Party,” based on an unpublished screenplay by Harold Pinter, which he adapted from his own play. However, Friedkin aimed to establish himself as a director of action and serious drama, exploring themes of crime, hypocrisy, the occult, and amorality within the...
- 8/7/2023
- by Movies Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
It’s not a movie chase scene so much as the movie chase scene: a breakneck race against time between a criminal on an elevated subway and a cop in a commandeered car, careening through the streets of Brooklyn at ridiculous speeds.
Related William Friedkin, Oscar-Winning Director of 'The French Connection' and 'The Exorcist,' Dead at 87 Flashback: 'The Exorcist' Gets a Face Full of Pea Soup Vomit No Sympathy for the Devil: 'The Exorcist' Director William Friedkin Looks Back
The bad guy...
Related William Friedkin, Oscar-Winning Director of 'The French Connection' and 'The Exorcist,' Dead at 87 Flashback: 'The Exorcist' Gets a Face Full of Pea Soup Vomit No Sympathy for the Devil: 'The Exorcist' Director William Friedkin Looks Back
The bad guy...
- 8/7/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
For the director who gave cinema the ultimate car chase in “The French Connection,” William Friedkin was remarkably at ease with films set in a single room, bringing several plays to the screen over the course of his career. The director — who died August 7 at age 87 — will have his final film screened out of competition in the Venice Film Festival next month, fittingly an adaptation of Herman Wouk’s play “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.”
Friedkin made his name (and won an Oscar) for “The French Connection,” followed immediately by the instantly iconic “The Exorcist,” but he never lost an abiding interest in live performance, even directing operas off and on for the last 25 years.
In fact, Friedkin was so taken with the 2004 Off-Broadway premiere of Tracy Letts’ play “Bug” that he phoned Letts directly to say he’d like to adapt it into a film — with star Michael Shannon. In one fell swoop,...
Friedkin made his name (and won an Oscar) for “The French Connection,” followed immediately by the instantly iconic “The Exorcist,” but he never lost an abiding interest in live performance, even directing operas off and on for the last 25 years.
In fact, Friedkin was so taken with the 2004 Off-Broadway premiere of Tracy Letts’ play “Bug” that he phoned Letts directly to say he’d like to adapt it into a film — with star Michael Shannon. In one fell swoop,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Mark Peikert
- Indiewire
Oscar-winning director William Friedkin, legendary filmmaker behind the 1971 crime thriller The French Connection, and 1973’s The Exorcist, among many others, died Monday in Los Angeles at the age of 87.
Identified closely with the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s, Friedkin began his career in documentaries prior to embarking on one of his most well-known works, The French Connection, a film which earned five Academy Awards out of eight nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Gene Hackman, Best Directed Screenplay and Best Director for Friedkin. Considered one of the greatest films ever made, The French Connection appeared in the American Film Institute’s list of the best American films in 1998 and again in 2007. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Related: William Friedkin: Hollywood Remembers A Legend
Friedkin’s 1973 film The Exorcist...
Identified closely with the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s, Friedkin began his career in documentaries prior to embarking on one of his most well-known works, The French Connection, a film which earned five Academy Awards out of eight nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Gene Hackman, Best Directed Screenplay and Best Director for Friedkin. Considered one of the greatest films ever made, The French Connection appeared in the American Film Institute’s list of the best American films in 1998 and again in 2007. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Related: William Friedkin: Hollywood Remembers A Legend
Friedkin’s 1973 film The Exorcist...
- 8/7/2023
- by Robert Lang and Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
William Friedkin, one of the great directors of the New Hollywood era who helmed classics like The Exorcist and Oscar-winner The French Connection, died Monday, The New York Times reports. He was 87.
Sherry Lansing, a former head of Paramount Pictures, and Friedkin’s wife, confirmed his death. She said the cause was heart failure and pneumonia.
Rising to prominence in the Seventies, Friedkin came to specialize in gritty, white-knuckle thrillers, often shot through with a healthy dose of practically documentary-style realism. The French Connection, his breakthrough film, won five Academy Awards,...
Sherry Lansing, a former head of Paramount Pictures, and Friedkin’s wife, confirmed his death. She said the cause was heart failure and pneumonia.
Rising to prominence in the Seventies, Friedkin came to specialize in gritty, white-knuckle thrillers, often shot through with a healthy dose of practically documentary-style realism. The French Connection, his breakthrough film, won five Academy Awards,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
William Friedkin, subject of a Cannes master-class this year, pictured here with his wife Sherry Lansing at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Photo: Courtesy of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist, The French Connection, Rules Of Engagement and more, died today at the age of 87, according to his wife, the producer Sherry Lansing.
Born in Chicago to a Jewish Ukrainian immigrant family, Friedkin fell in love with Citizen Kane in his mid twenties and became entranced by the idea of filmmaking. He worked his way up through a TV studio, focusing on documentaries before firmly establishing his artistic credential with the first screen adaptation of Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party, followed in 1970 by The Boys In The Band.
Friedkin had a long and complicated career, in which he constantly pushed at the limits of what cinema was willing to take on. In 1980 he made Cruising with Al Pacino,...
William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist, The French Connection, Rules Of Engagement and more, died today at the age of 87, according to his wife, the producer Sherry Lansing.
Born in Chicago to a Jewish Ukrainian immigrant family, Friedkin fell in love with Citizen Kane in his mid twenties and became entranced by the idea of filmmaking. He worked his way up through a TV studio, focusing on documentaries before firmly establishing his artistic credential with the first screen adaptation of Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party, followed in 1970 by The Boys In The Band.
Friedkin had a long and complicated career, in which he constantly pushed at the limits of what cinema was willing to take on. In 1980 he made Cruising with Al Pacino,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
William Friedkin, the Oscar-winning director behind The Exorcist, The French Connection, To Live and Die in L.A., The Boys in the Band, and more, is dead at 87. Friedkin died in Los Angeles, said his wife, former producer and studio head Sherry Lansing.
Born on August 29, 1935, in Chicago, Friedkin started directing television before disgusting audiences with projectile pea soup and dealings with demons. In the mid-’60s, Friedkin shot an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Hour and helmed various telefilms. Before the era was over, he got behind the camera for features like Good Times (1967), The Birthday Party (1968), and The Night They Raided Minsky’s (1968).
He started the ’70s off with a band by directing The Boys in the Band. With his name already on the lips of executives everywhere, he moved on to The French Connection, a show-stopping thriller starring Gene Hackman as Detective Popeye Doyle. The French Connection won multiple Oscars,...
Born on August 29, 1935, in Chicago, Friedkin started directing television before disgusting audiences with projectile pea soup and dealings with demons. In the mid-’60s, Friedkin shot an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Hour and helmed various telefilms. Before the era was over, he got behind the camera for features like Good Times (1967), The Birthday Party (1968), and The Night They Raided Minsky’s (1968).
He started the ’70s off with a band by directing The Boys in the Band. With his name already on the lips of executives everywhere, he moved on to The French Connection, a show-stopping thriller starring Gene Hackman as Detective Popeye Doyle. The French Connection won multiple Oscars,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
One of the all-time great filmmakers, Oscar-winner William Friedkin has passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 87, Bloody Disgusting has learned this afternoon.
William Friedkin won “Best Director” at the Academy Awards in 1972 for The French Connection, and he was nominated in the same category just two years later for The Exorcist.
Released in theaters in 1973, The Exorcist has been terrifying audiences across generations ever since, widely considered to be one of the best – and scariest – movies ever made.
William Friedkin got his start directing the documentary The People vs. Paul Crump in 1962, and a few years later he directed an episode of the TV series “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.” From there, Friedkin directed films including The Thin Blue Line, Good Times, The Birthday Party, and The Boys in the Band, before winning an Oscar for The French Connection in 1972.
In the wake of The Exorcist, which ended...
William Friedkin won “Best Director” at the Academy Awards in 1972 for The French Connection, and he was nominated in the same category just two years later for The Exorcist.
Released in theaters in 1973, The Exorcist has been terrifying audiences across generations ever since, widely considered to be one of the best – and scariest – movies ever made.
William Friedkin got his start directing the documentary The People vs. Paul Crump in 1962, and a few years later he directed an episode of the TV series “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.” From there, Friedkin directed films including The Thin Blue Line, Good Times, The Birthday Party, and The Boys in the Band, before winning an Oscar for The French Connection in 1972.
In the wake of The Exorcist, which ended...
- 8/7/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
William Friedkin, who won an Oscar for directing The French Connection, scored a nomination for The Exorcist and also helmed The Boys in the Band, Cruising, To Live and Die in L.A., Rules of Engagement and many others, died today in Los Angeles of heart failure and pneumonia. He was 87.
His death was confirmed by CAA via his wife, Fatal Attraction producer and former studio chief Sherry Lansing.
Friedkin beat out some serious heavyweights to win the Best Director Academy Award for The French Connection at the 1972 ceremony. Also up for the statuette that year were Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange), Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show) and Norman Jewison (Fiddler on the Roof). He would go up against more heavy hitters with The Exorcist two years later. George Roy Hill won that year for The Sting, also besting Bernardo Bertolucci (Last Tango in Paris), Ingmar Bergman (Cries & Whispers...
His death was confirmed by CAA via his wife, Fatal Attraction producer and former studio chief Sherry Lansing.
Friedkin beat out some serious heavyweights to win the Best Director Academy Award for The French Connection at the 1972 ceremony. Also up for the statuette that year were Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange), Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show) and Norman Jewison (Fiddler on the Roof). He would go up against more heavy hitters with The Exorcist two years later. George Roy Hill won that year for The Sting, also besting Bernardo Bertolucci (Last Tango in Paris), Ingmar Bergman (Cries & Whispers...
- 8/7/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
William Friedkin, the Oscar-winning director of “The French Connection” and legend behind “The Exorcist,” has died at age 87. His death in Los Angeles was first reported by Variety, and the news was confirmed by Chapman University dean Stephen Galloway, a friend of Friedkin’s wife, former studio head Sherry Lansing.
Friedkin’s sensational 1971 “The French Connection” earned five Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Picture. Friedkin’s 1973 “The Exorcist” changed the game for horror, earning Best Picture and Director nominations.
Friedkin is regarded as a maverick of the New Hollywood school of filmmakers alongside the likes of Peter Bogdanovich and Francis Ford Coppola. His other features include his breakout “The Birthday Party,” “The Boys in the Band,” “Sorcerer,” “Cruising,” “To Live and Die in L.A,” “Bug,” and most recently “Killer Joe” — all films that garnered controversy in one way or another.
Friedkin’s latest film, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,...
Friedkin’s sensational 1971 “The French Connection” earned five Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Picture. Friedkin’s 1973 “The Exorcist” changed the game for horror, earning Best Picture and Director nominations.
Friedkin is regarded as a maverick of the New Hollywood school of filmmakers alongside the likes of Peter Bogdanovich and Francis Ford Coppola. His other features include his breakout “The Birthday Party,” “The Boys in the Band,” “Sorcerer,” “Cruising,” “To Live and Die in L.A,” “Bug,” and most recently “Killer Joe” — all films that garnered controversy in one way or another.
Friedkin’s latest film, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Director William Friedkin, best known for his Oscar-winning “The French Connection” and blockbuster “The Exorcist,” died Monday in Los Angeles. He was 87.
His death was confirmed by Chapman University dean Stephen Galloway, a friend of Friedkin’s wife Sherry Lansing.
His final film, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” starring Kiefer Sutherland, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Along with Peter Bogdanovich, Francis Ford Coppola and Hal Ashby, Friedkin rose to A-list status in the 1970s, part of a new generation of vibrant, risk-taking filmmakers. Combining his experience in television, particularly in documentary film, with a cutting-edge style of editing, Friedkin brought a great deal of energy to the horror and police thriller genres in which he specialized.
“The French Connection” was an incredibly fast-paced and morally ambiguous tale, shot in documentary style and containing one of cinema’s most justifiably famous car chase sequences. “Connection” won several Oscars including best picture,...
His death was confirmed by Chapman University dean Stephen Galloway, a friend of Friedkin’s wife Sherry Lansing.
His final film, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” starring Kiefer Sutherland, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Along with Peter Bogdanovich, Francis Ford Coppola and Hal Ashby, Friedkin rose to A-list status in the 1970s, part of a new generation of vibrant, risk-taking filmmakers. Combining his experience in television, particularly in documentary film, with a cutting-edge style of editing, Friedkin brought a great deal of energy to the horror and police thriller genres in which he specialized.
“The French Connection” was an incredibly fast-paced and morally ambiguous tale, shot in documentary style and containing one of cinema’s most justifiably famous car chase sequences. “Connection” won several Oscars including best picture,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Julian Barry, whose 1971 Broadway play and 1974 movie, both titled Lenny and telling the story of legendary comic Lenny Bruce, died Tuesday at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 92.
His death was reported to The New York Times by his daughter Julia Barry, who said he died in his sleep and had been under medical care for congestive heart failure and late-stage kidney disease.
Although most widely known for his highly influential Bruce projects, which earned considerable acclaim for the writer and his title stars — Cliff Gorman on stage, Dustin Hoffman on screen — Barry’s career extended to other projects that caught the public’s attention in their day. He wrote Rhinoceros, the 1974 film adaptation of Eugène Ionesco’s play starring Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel, a movie that has grown somewhat in esteem since its initial critical dismissal, and the 1978 Faye Dunaway vehicle Eyes of Laura Mars, which has not.
His death was reported to The New York Times by his daughter Julia Barry, who said he died in his sleep and had been under medical care for congestive heart failure and late-stage kidney disease.
Although most widely known for his highly influential Bruce projects, which earned considerable acclaim for the writer and his title stars — Cliff Gorman on stage, Dustin Hoffman on screen — Barry’s career extended to other projects that caught the public’s attention in their day. He wrote Rhinoceros, the 1974 film adaptation of Eugène Ionesco’s play starring Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel, a movie that has grown somewhat in esteem since its initial critical dismissal, and the 1978 Faye Dunaway vehicle Eyes of Laura Mars, which has not.
- 7/27/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells, the original stars of The Book of Mormon, will return to Broadway in a comedic two-hander, Gutenberg! The Musical!
Gutenberg! The Musical! will play the James Earl Jones Theatre starting Sept. 15, ahead of an opening night on Oct. 12. The limited engagement is scheduled to run through Jan. 28, 2024.
Directed by Alex Timbers, and written by Scott Brown and Anthony King (all of whom worked on the musical Beetlejuice), the show is about two friends who create a musical about Johannes Gutenberg, the creator of the printing press, in what Rannells says is a “demented love letter to Broadway,” per a promotional video for the show.
The production was originally developed at New York’s Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre and was also a part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival. The show had an off-Broadway run in 2006 and productions have played across North America, as well as the U.
Gutenberg! The Musical! will play the James Earl Jones Theatre starting Sept. 15, ahead of an opening night on Oct. 12. The limited engagement is scheduled to run through Jan. 28, 2024.
Directed by Alex Timbers, and written by Scott Brown and Anthony King (all of whom worked on the musical Beetlejuice), the show is about two friends who create a musical about Johannes Gutenberg, the creator of the printing press, in what Rannells says is a “demented love letter to Broadway,” per a promotional video for the show.
The production was originally developed at New York’s Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre and was also a part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival. The show had an off-Broadway run in 2006 and productions have played across North America, as well as the U.
- 6/22/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chicago – Happy Pride! One of the best ways to celebrate Pride Week in Chicago is to take in some LGBTQ+ themed films, and HollywoodChicago.com presents three choices, reviewed by Patrick McDonald, contributor Jon Lennon Espino and guest reviewer, Chicago Preservationist Carla Bruni.
Three Films for Pride
Photo credit: A24/Netflix/Universal Studios
The three are the recent Best Picture “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (2022), reviewed by Jon; “The Boys in the Band” (2020), reviewed by Patrick; and “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935), reviewed by Carla. Click the name in the headlines for more on each of the reviewers.
Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) by Jon Lennon Espino
The Boys In The Band (2020) by Patrick McDonald
The Bride Of Frankenstein (1935) by Carla Bruni
”Everything Everywhere All at Once” is streaming on Prime Video. “The Boys in the Band” is streaming on Netflix. “The Bride of Frankenstein” is available for digital download. Happy Pride!
Three Films for Pride
Photo credit: A24/Netflix/Universal Studios
The three are the recent Best Picture “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (2022), reviewed by Jon; “The Boys in the Band” (2020), reviewed by Patrick; and “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935), reviewed by Carla. Click the name in the headlines for more on each of the reviewers.
Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) by Jon Lennon Espino
The Boys In The Band (2020) by Patrick McDonald
The Bride Of Frankenstein (1935) by Carla Bruni
”Everything Everywhere All at Once” is streaming on Prime Video. “The Boys in the Band” is streaming on Netflix. “The Bride of Frankenstein” is available for digital download. Happy Pride!
- 6/21/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Netflix is saying goodbye to one of its most high-profile showrunners.
Ryan Murphy is cutting ties with the streamer now that his five-year production deal — worth a reported $300 million — is expiring. According to Bloomberg, who first reported the news, Murphy is heading to Disney, where he’ll reunite with entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden, who worked with Murphy on many of his Fox and FX hits. (TVLine reached out to Netflix for comment; a Disney spokesperson declined to comment.)
More from TVLineTVLine Items: School Spirits Renewed, Squid Game Season 2 Cast and MoreStreamberry Site Lets You Launch Your Own 'Awful' Series à...
Ryan Murphy is cutting ties with the streamer now that his five-year production deal — worth a reported $300 million — is expiring. According to Bloomberg, who first reported the news, Murphy is heading to Disney, where he’ll reunite with entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden, who worked with Murphy on many of his Fox and FX hits. (TVLine reached out to Netflix for comment; a Disney spokesperson declined to comment.)
More from TVLineTVLine Items: School Spirits Renewed, Squid Game Season 2 Cast and MoreStreamberry Site Lets You Launch Your Own 'Awful' Series à...
- 6/20/2023
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
Super-producer Ryan Murphy is set to make Disney his new home as his five-year, $300 million Netflix deal comes to a close.
According to reports, Murphy has been negotiating his new deal for the past year, and most of the details were finished before the WGA strike started in May.
Once dubbed “TV’s First $300 Million Man,” Murphy is responsible for creating hits such as “Dahmer: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” and “The Watcher” for the streaming service.
Murphy signed the five-year exclusive development deal with Netflix in 2018. To date this partnership has produced two miniseries (“Hollywood” and “Hanson”), three ongoing dramas, three movies, three documentaries and one docuseries (“The Andy Warhol Diaries”). “Ratched” and “The Watcher” have been renewed through Season 2,while the “Monster” anthology series has been renewed through three installments. (Note: Seasons 1 and 2 of “The Politician” were ordered by Netflix prior to the deal.)
Also Read:
Making a...
According to reports, Murphy has been negotiating his new deal for the past year, and most of the details were finished before the WGA strike started in May.
Once dubbed “TV’s First $300 Million Man,” Murphy is responsible for creating hits such as “Dahmer: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” and “The Watcher” for the streaming service.
Murphy signed the five-year exclusive development deal with Netflix in 2018. To date this partnership has produced two miniseries (“Hollywood” and “Hanson”), three ongoing dramas, three movies, three documentaries and one docuseries (“The Andy Warhol Diaries”). “Ratched” and “The Watcher” have been renewed through Season 2,while the “Monster” anthology series has been renewed through three installments. (Note: Seasons 1 and 2 of “The Politician” were ordered by Netflix prior to the deal.)
Also Read:
Making a...
- 6/20/2023
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
Ryan Murphy will depart Netflix at the end of his five-year, nine-figure overall deal, and is set to make a new home at Disney.
The producer behind hits including Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, 911 and American Horror Story is expecting to reunite with Dana Walden, who worked closely with Murphy when she headed what was then 20th Century Fox TV and he had a deal there. Walden, who is also one Murphy’s closest friends and confidants, is now co-chairman of Disney Entertainment. The new, not yet completed pact — Murphy’s Netflix deal doesn’t expire until the end of the month, after all — will bring Murphy back in-house with FX’s John Landgraf, with whom he has long had a close creative relationship, as well. Sources say the move has been in the works since well before the Writers Guild of America went on strike in May.
Disney declined to comment.
The producer behind hits including Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, 911 and American Horror Story is expecting to reunite with Dana Walden, who worked closely with Murphy when she headed what was then 20th Century Fox TV and he had a deal there. Walden, who is also one Murphy’s closest friends and confidants, is now co-chairman of Disney Entertainment. The new, not yet completed pact — Murphy’s Netflix deal doesn’t expire until the end of the month, after all — will bring Murphy back in-house with FX’s John Landgraf, with whom he has long had a close creative relationship, as well. Sources say the move has been in the works since well before the Writers Guild of America went on strike in May.
Disney declined to comment.
- 6/20/2023
- by Rick Porter and Lacey Rose
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
He’s baaack! Zachary Quinto appeared in the first two “American Horror Story” installments as gay homeowner Chad Warwick (Season 1’s “Murder House”) and as fan-fave serial killer Bloody Face (Season 2’s “Asylum”), but then he took a nine-year hiatus before popping up last year as erotic art curator Sam (Season 11’s “NYC”). Well, “AHS” viewers won’t have to wait another nine years to see Quinto again, as he’ll return to the franchise in Season 12’s “Delicate” in a mysterious role, which brings his tally to four total characters.
Quinto confirmed the news at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of his movie “He Went That Way.” Speaking about new “AHS” cast member Kim Kardashian, the bearded actor told reporters, “I did a cameo on this season of ‘American Horror Story’ and I got to meet her. She was so lovely and warm and, really, I don’t think she needs my advice.
Quinto confirmed the news at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of his movie “He Went That Way.” Speaking about new “AHS” cast member Kim Kardashian, the bearded actor told reporters, “I did a cameo on this season of ‘American Horror Story’ and I got to meet her. She was so lovely and warm and, really, I don’t think she needs my advice.
- 6/15/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
“I am in somebody’s face, quite literally, for anywhere from 15 minutes to 4 hours depending on what the makeup is,” explains makeup department head David Williams about the bond between makeup artist and actor, particularly on a show like “Welcome to Chippendales.” For our recent webchat he adds, “You do develop a rapport with that person and an understanding. You get to know their likes and dislikes on a personal level and on a professional level,” he says. “We spend so much time together, they do become an extension of our families.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
See Exclusive Video Interview: Quentin Plair (‘Welcome to Chippendales’)
“Welcome to Chippendales” was created by Robert Siegel (“Pam & Tommy”), inspired by the book “Deadly Dance: The Chippendales Murders” by K. Scot Macdonald and Patrick MontesDeOca. It stars Oscar and Emmy nominee Kumail Nanjiani as Steve Banerjee, who founded the famed Chippendales stripper troupe.
See Exclusive Video Interview: Quentin Plair (‘Welcome to Chippendales’)
“Welcome to Chippendales” was created by Robert Siegel (“Pam & Tommy”), inspired by the book “Deadly Dance: The Chippendales Murders” by K. Scot Macdonald and Patrick MontesDeOca. It stars Oscar and Emmy nominee Kumail Nanjiani as Steve Banerjee, who founded the famed Chippendales stripper troupe.
- 6/3/2023
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.