Experience the story of The Hunger Games — 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as tribute, and decades before Coriolanus Snow became the tyrannical President of Panem. The new trailer for the latest edition to the “Hunger Games” Saga, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes has just been released and you can check it out right here!
The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post- war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor.
The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post- war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor.
- 9/21/2023
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
Happy Hunger Games!
Lionsgate has dropped the second trailer for “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”
Based on Suzanne Collins’ prequel novel of the same name, the upcoming film follows a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), who strives to revive his family’s legacy. In the midst of his efforts, he is tasked with mentoring District 12’s tribute and Panem’s favorite, Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). Coriolanus works with Lucy to keep her alive in the Hunger Games, and he begins to battle between good and evil.
Following the CinemaCon release of the first official trailer, fans now have a peek into the ancestry of characters from the original series including Jason Schwartzman as Lucretious Flickerman, a descendent of Stanley Tucci’s Caesar Flickerman. Coriolanus’ cousin, Tigris Snow, is portrayed by Hunter Schafer. Peter Dinklage portrays one of the creators of the Hunger Games, Dean Casca Highbottom,...
Lionsgate has dropped the second trailer for “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”
Based on Suzanne Collins’ prequel novel of the same name, the upcoming film follows a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), who strives to revive his family’s legacy. In the midst of his efforts, he is tasked with mentoring District 12’s tribute and Panem’s favorite, Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). Coriolanus works with Lucy to keep her alive in the Hunger Games, and he begins to battle between good and evil.
Following the CinemaCon release of the first official trailer, fans now have a peek into the ancestry of characters from the original series including Jason Schwartzman as Lucretious Flickerman, a descendent of Stanley Tucci’s Caesar Flickerman. Coriolanus’ cousin, Tigris Snow, is portrayed by Hunter Schafer. Peter Dinklage portrays one of the creators of the Hunger Games, Dean Casca Highbottom,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Charna Flam
- Variety Film + TV
Plot: Follows Chang, a 16-year-old, Asian American high school student in the marching band, who bets the school basketball star that he can dunk by Homecoming. The bet leads the 5’ 8″ Chang on a quest to find the hops he needs to dunk in order to impress his crush, Kristy, and finally gain the attention and respect of his high school peers. But before he can rise up and truly throw one down, he’ll have to reexamine everything he knows about himself, his friendships and his family.
Review: The tried and true formula of sports underdog stories has been a staple of movies for decades. From Rocky to Hoosiers, The Mighty Ducks to Remember the Titans, every sport has had a cinematic showcase allowing audiences to believe that even the average can do the incredible. With training montages, adversity overcome, and some inspirational music to liven the mood, sports movies...
Review: The tried and true formula of sports underdog stories has been a staple of movies for decades. From Rocky to Hoosiers, The Mighty Ducks to Remember the Titans, every sport has had a cinematic showcase allowing audiences to believe that even the average can do the incredible. With training montages, adversity overcome, and some inspirational music to liven the mood, sports movies...
- 3/14/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
It’s easy to think that the latest offering on Disney+ will be yet another inspirational, underdog sports movie. After all, the film concerns a 16-year-old Asian-American high-school student who sets out to prove that he can perform a slam dunk despite his underwhelming 5’8” height. So you can expect that by the end of Chang Can Dunk the titular hero will defy the odds, defeat his foe and win the hearts of everyone concerned. Right?
Well, yes and no. Writer-director Jingyi Shao covers all those bases (wrong sport, I know), including the obligatory training montage and the introduction of a wholesome romantic interest. But the filmmaker, making his feature debut, also has more interesting things in mind, delivering a darker, more complex story that nonetheless proves utterly heartwarming by the end.
At the story’s beginning, Chang (Bloom Li, making a terrific feature debut, in which he’s onscreen nearly...
Well, yes and no. Writer-director Jingyi Shao covers all those bases (wrong sport, I know), including the obligatory training montage and the introduction of a wholesome romantic interest. But the filmmaker, making his feature debut, also has more interesting things in mind, delivering a darker, more complex story that nonetheless proves utterly heartwarming by the end.
At the story’s beginning, Chang (Bloom Li, making a terrific feature debut, in which he’s onscreen nearly...
- 3/10/2023
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Chang Can Dunk” doesn’t go the way you’d expect, and that’s a good thing. Here’s a Disney movie about a 5-foot-8-inch Chinese American high school basketball player who bets his rival that he can dunk by the end of the season. He gets his wish about an hour in, but there’s still a long way for the character to go — and grow — in a film that believes maturity isn’t achieved by shortcuts.
The result marks the attention-worthy debut of writer-director Jingyi Shao, and exemplifies the sort of movies Disney should be making: It has its values in the right place, but doesn’t pretend its hero is perfect. If there’s a villain in “Chang Can Dunk,” that role is arguably filled by the title character. In time, the obsessive teen’s ultra-competitive personality winds up alienating practically everyone in his life, except...
The result marks the attention-worthy debut of writer-director Jingyi Shao, and exemplifies the sort of movies Disney should be making: It has its values in the right place, but doesn’t pretend its hero is perfect. If there’s a villain in “Chang Can Dunk,” that role is arguably filled by the title character. In time, the obsessive teen’s ultra-competitive personality winds up alienating practically everyone in his life, except...
- 3/10/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
"Everybody's talking about you, dude!" Disney has revealed an official trailer for a new high school sports movie called Chang Dan Dunk, the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Jing Yi Shao. The movie will be streaming on Disney+ starting in early March, which is really the ideal place for something like this to premiere." Freshman Chang is no more. Chang 2.0 is here!" Bloom Li stars as 16-year-old Asian-American Chang, who is an unpopular high schooler who loves basketball, but is always underestimated. Though his peers treat him as though he is insignificant, he becomes obsessed with learning how to slam dunk. Chang is determined to best the high school's all-star named Matt, all while hopefully winning the adoration of his romantic interest, Kristy. Also starring Ben Wang, Chase Liefeld, Eric Anthony Lopez, Nile Bullock, Zoe Renee, Mardy Ma, and Angel Oquendo as "Coach". This actually looks pretty good! Worth a watch.
- 2/21/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Disney+ has unveiled the trailer for “Chang Can Dunk” from filmmaker Jingyi Shao, one of Variety’s “10 Directors to Watch” for 2023.
The coming-of-age sports film — which begins streaming March 10 — follows Chang (Bloom Li), an unpopular high schooler who loves basketball and Pokémon. Chang finds himself wagering a bet with the school’s all-star player, Matt (Chase Liefeld), that he will be able to make a slam dunk — in 12 weeks time.
The film also stars Zoe Renee, Ben Wang, Dexter Darden, Anthony Lopez, Nile Bullock, Mardy Ma and Angel Oquendo.
“I was really inspired by early ’90s coming-of-age films, but specifically sports-coming-of-age films like ‘Mighty Ducks,’” Shao tells Variety of his feature directorial debut.
The film examines teenage social hierarchies and family dynamics from the perspective of people of color living in communities where they’re a minority population.
“In a town where there aren’t a lot of other Asian American families,...
The coming-of-age sports film — which begins streaming March 10 — follows Chang (Bloom Li), an unpopular high schooler who loves basketball and Pokémon. Chang finds himself wagering a bet with the school’s all-star player, Matt (Chase Liefeld), that he will be able to make a slam dunk — in 12 weeks time.
The film also stars Zoe Renee, Ben Wang, Dexter Darden, Anthony Lopez, Nile Bullock, Mardy Ma and Angel Oquendo.
“I was really inspired by early ’90s coming-of-age films, but specifically sports-coming-of-age films like ‘Mighty Ducks,’” Shao tells Variety of his feature directorial debut.
The film examines teenage social hierarchies and family dynamics from the perspective of people of color living in communities where they’re a minority population.
“In a town where there aren’t a lot of other Asian American families,...
- 2/21/2023
- by Charna Flam
- Variety Film + TV
Endless things draw us each to horror, scares ranking high among them. Luckily, fear takes many forms. The thrill of a well-crafted jump scare, visceral chills, or an atmospheric scene that instills deep-seated dread all keep us coming back for more—the year’s horror releases delivered on all fronts.
2022 offered several memorable scenes of unrelenting dread and spine-tingling chills. Scenes that stood out and sent shivers down our spines and occasionally tested our gag reflexes.
Here are the ten scariest scenes of the year.
The Black Phone – Gwen’s Whipping
(from left) Terrence Shaw (Jeremy Davies) and Gwen Shaw (Madeleine McGraw) in The Black Phone, directed by Scott Derrickson.
Ethan Hawke’s creepy turn as the Grabber, a child kidnapper and murderer, ensures Scott Derrickson’s latest is packed with dread and tension. Protagonist Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) coping with multiple interactions with the menacing Grabber and a slew...
2022 offered several memorable scenes of unrelenting dread and spine-tingling chills. Scenes that stood out and sent shivers down our spines and occasionally tested our gag reflexes.
Here are the ten scariest scenes of the year.
The Black Phone – Gwen’s Whipping
(from left) Terrence Shaw (Jeremy Davies) and Gwen Shaw (Madeleine McGraw) in The Black Phone, directed by Scott Derrickson.
Ethan Hawke’s creepy turn as the Grabber, a child kidnapper and murderer, ensures Scott Derrickson’s latest is packed with dread and tension. Protagonist Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) coping with multiple interactions with the menacing Grabber and a slew...
- 12/30/2022
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Exclusive: Stephanie Moy has joined M88 as manager, bringing with her clients including Damson Idris, Simone Missick, Karena Evans, DeVaughn Nixon (Winning Time), Necar Zadegan, Jes Macallan (Legends of Tomorrow), Cameron Gellman (Stargirl) and Zoe Renee (Master).
“I couldn’t be more excited to join the M88/Macro family. What Phil [Sun] and Charles [King] have built is a testament to their veteran experience, impeccable taste, and forward-thinking philosophy,” said Moy in an exclusive statement to Deadline.
“I’ve known Stephanie since her Luber Roklin days and have always admired her fierce advocacy on behalf of her clients and underrepresented communities,” said Sun, President/Co-Founder, M88. “We are excited to join forces and support her skillset and clients within our ecosystem, continuing our broader mission of uniting and empowering talented executives and artists of color.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join the M88/Macro family. What Phil [Sun] and Charles [King] have built is a testament to their veteran experience, impeccable taste, and forward-thinking philosophy,” said Moy in an exclusive statement to Deadline.
“I’ve known Stephanie since her Luber Roklin days and have always admired her fierce advocacy on behalf of her clients and underrepresented communities,” said Sun, President/Co-Founder, M88. “We are excited to join forces and support her skillset and clients within our ecosystem, continuing our broader mission of uniting and empowering talented executives and artists of color.
- 6/29/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The Francis Lawrence directed Lionsgate prequel Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes continues to expand its ensemble cast with a third round of actors playing mentors and tributes from the Suzanne Collins’ YA novel.
Max Raphael will play Festus Creed, mentor to a tribute from District 4. Zoe Renee will play Lysistrata Vickers, mentor to a tribute from District 12. Ayomide Adegun will play Pliny “Pup” Harrington, mentor to a tribute from District 7. Kaitlyn Akinpelumi will portray Domita Whimsiwick, mentor to a tribute from District 10. Sofia Sanchez will play Wovey, tribute from District 8; while Amélie Hoeferle will play Vipsania Sickle, mentor to a tribute from District 7.
They join previously announced cast members Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Josh Andrés Rivera, as well as two previous rounds of tributes and mentors.
Logline for the prequel in the $3 billion-grossing franchise, which hits theaters on Nov. 17, 2023: 18-year-old Coriolanus...
Max Raphael will play Festus Creed, mentor to a tribute from District 4. Zoe Renee will play Lysistrata Vickers, mentor to a tribute from District 12. Ayomide Adegun will play Pliny “Pup” Harrington, mentor to a tribute from District 7. Kaitlyn Akinpelumi will portray Domita Whimsiwick, mentor to a tribute from District 10. Sofia Sanchez will play Wovey, tribute from District 8; while Amélie Hoeferle will play Vipsania Sickle, mentor to a tribute from District 7.
They join previously announced cast members Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman, Josh Andrés Rivera, as well as two previous rounds of tributes and mentors.
Logline for the prequel in the $3 billion-grossing franchise, which hits theaters on Nov. 17, 2023: 18-year-old Coriolanus...
- 6/28/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Master Review Video — Master (2022) Video Movie Review, a movie directed by Mariama Diallo, written by Mariama Diallo, and starring Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Talia Ryder, Talia Balsam, and Amber Gray. Crew Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe created the music for the film. Charlotte Hornsby crafted the cinematography for the film. Joshua Astrachan, Brad Becker-Parton, and Andrea Roa [...]
Continue reading: Video Movie Review: Master (2022): Destined to be the most Controversial Film Set on a College since Higher Learning...
Continue reading: Video Movie Review: Master (2022): Destined to be the most Controversial Film Set on a College since Higher Learning...
- 4/25/2022
- by Thomas Duffy
- Film-Book
The thriller film Master, written and directed by Mariama Diallo in her directorial debut, premiered on Amazon Prime Video last March 18, 2022. The film stars Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, and Amber Gray. Three women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university that may disguise something sinister. It centers on the shared experiences of three women in a predominantly white elite university in New England with a sinister history. The Guardian reviewed the film praising the film’s visual elements saying, “Diallo utilizes the visual language of horror – red lighting, empty shower stalls, a gnarled hand
Five Movies To Watch When You’re Done With “Master”...
Five Movies To Watch When You’re Done With “Master”...
- 3/28/2022
- by A.E. Oats
- TVovermind.com
The experiences of the Black community across America, both currently and historically, are well-suited to fit the conventions of horror storytelling in movies, particularly when they’re told from a woman’s perspective. Led by a strong female-led cast and crew, the new thriller, ‘Master,’ powerfully investigates the country’s treatment of its Black citizens in an emotional […]
The post SXSW 2022 Video Interview: Mariama Diallo, Zoe Renee and Noa Fisher Talk Master (Exclusive) appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post SXSW 2022 Video Interview: Mariama Diallo, Zoe Renee and Noa Fisher Talk Master (Exclusive) appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 3/27/2022
- by Karen Benardello
- ShockYa
Inspiration can be incidental. For filmmaker Mariama Diallo, the writer and director of the new allegorical horror movie, Master, it could be described as faintly insidious. That’s at least one way to think about the larger social implications of her chance encounter with an old professor from her days at Yale University.
“I ran into my master out on the streets of New York a few years after I graduated,” Diallo explains now, referring to how faculty who live in the residential dormitories with Yale undergraduates are called ‘masters’ of their charges.
“And I greeted him the way I always had,” Diallo continues, “which starts with the title ‘Master.’ And in the streets of New York City that’s a weird thing to call an older white man, and it became immediately clear to me that I had unknowingly taken on this very, very strange dynamic, this kind of...
“I ran into my master out on the streets of New York a few years after I graduated,” Diallo explains now, referring to how faculty who live in the residential dormitories with Yale undergraduates are called ‘masters’ of their charges.
“And I greeted him the way I always had,” Diallo continues, “which starts with the title ‘Master.’ And in the streets of New York City that’s a weird thing to call an older white man, and it became immediately clear to me that I had unknowingly taken on this very, very strange dynamic, this kind of...
- 3/20/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
This review of “Master” was first published on Jan. 21, 2022, following its premiere at Sundance.
Writer-director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature “Master” doesn’t just blur the lines between the horror genre and institutionalized racism; it convincingly argues that there’s no meaningful difference.
If ghost stories are all about people forced to live with a traumatic past, then surely every inch of America is haunted. Racism isn’t a specter hiding in our attic; it’s a malevolent force that infects every surface in the country, and it seems to flourish the most in monuments to white power.
“Master” tells the story of two women at Ancaster College, a fictional institute of higher learning that’s as old as the United States itself. Regina Hall stars as Gail Bishop, the first woman of color to become the “master” of a residence hall, but her home is haunted by ghosts of...
Writer-director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature “Master” doesn’t just blur the lines between the horror genre and institutionalized racism; it convincingly argues that there’s no meaningful difference.
If ghost stories are all about people forced to live with a traumatic past, then surely every inch of America is haunted. Racism isn’t a specter hiding in our attic; it’s a malevolent force that infects every surface in the country, and it seems to flourish the most in monuments to white power.
“Master” tells the story of two women at Ancaster College, a fictional institute of higher learning that’s as old as the United States itself. Regina Hall stars as Gail Bishop, the first woman of color to become the “master” of a residence hall, but her home is haunted by ghosts of...
- 3/18/2022
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
Horror films employ scare tactics for shrills and thrills. But unlike most, Prime Video's "Master" weaves a thought-provoking message into a new tale about a college campus with a scary, racist history. The film, which premiered at this year's Sundance and SXSW Film Festivals, follows three Black women trying to find their place at an old-fashioned, predominantly white university, Ancaster College.
Hall stars as Professor Gail Bishop, the first Black woman at Ancaster promoted to "Master" of a residence hall. Renee plays optimistic freshman Jasmine Moore, who's assigned to live in a haunted dorm room, and Gray stars as Liv Beckman, a professor in the middle of a grueling tenure review. All three characters fight their own battles at the college, but they're linked by the overarching racism and elitism that haunt the campus.
"I definitely wanted to throw some curveballs, take some risks, try something, and not necessarily do something easy.
Hall stars as Professor Gail Bishop, the first Black woman at Ancaster promoted to "Master" of a residence hall. Renee plays optimistic freshman Jasmine Moore, who's assigned to live in a haunted dorm room, and Gray stars as Liv Beckman, a professor in the middle of a grueling tenure review. All three characters fight their own battles at the college, but they're linked by the overarching racism and elitism that haunt the campus.
"I definitely wanted to throw some curveballs, take some risks, try something, and not necessarily do something easy.
- 3/18/2022
- by Njera Perkins
- Popsugar.com
This is one of the best weekends for new indie releases in some time — a bit of space in theaters to run and audiences slowly, but increasingly, willing to return.
Focus Features’ The Outfit – the directorial debut of Oscar-winning screenwriter Graham Moore (The Imitation Game) — opens nationally on over 1,200 screens with Mark Rylance starring as a bespoke British tailor from London’s Savile Row. After a personal tragedy, he ends up running a tailor shop in a rough Chicago neighborhood making suits for the only people around who can afford them, a family of vicious gangsters.
The script is by Moore and Johnathan McClain. Also starring Zoey Deutch, Johnny Flynn, Dylan O’Brien, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Simon Russell Beale. It premiered in Berlin last month. Deadline review here.
Initially set for release Feb. 25, The Outfit occupies the slot vacated by Downtown Abbey: A New Era. In January, in the shadow of Omicron,...
Focus Features’ The Outfit – the directorial debut of Oscar-winning screenwriter Graham Moore (The Imitation Game) — opens nationally on over 1,200 screens with Mark Rylance starring as a bespoke British tailor from London’s Savile Row. After a personal tragedy, he ends up running a tailor shop in a rough Chicago neighborhood making suits for the only people around who can afford them, a family of vicious gangsters.
The script is by Moore and Johnathan McClain. Also starring Zoey Deutch, Johnny Flynn, Dylan O’Brien, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Simon Russell Beale. It premiered in Berlin last month. Deadline review here.
Initially set for release Feb. 25, The Outfit occupies the slot vacated by Downtown Abbey: A New Era. In January, in the shadow of Omicron,...
- 3/18/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Teetering between tense drama and full-blown horror, the genius of Mariama Diallo’s “Master” is how it gaslights the audience as much its characters. A stark social satire wrapped in chilling horror, the film keeps everyone guessing who is seeing things and who is just blind to reality.
Set at an elite academic institution in Massachusetts, “Master” — now streaming on Prime Video after a very well-received premiere at Sundance in January — follows three Black women in different positions of power. From the jump, the specter of institutional racism pervades every scene, whether in not-so-subtle micro-aggressions or dusty racist memorabilia. Much like it must feel for Black people to exist in a racist society, these markers of white supremacy can pop up at any time and any place.
The film centers on a professor named Gail Bishop (Regina Hall), who has recently been promoted to the college’s top honor of “House Master.
Set at an elite academic institution in Massachusetts, “Master” — now streaming on Prime Video after a very well-received premiere at Sundance in January — follows three Black women in different positions of power. From the jump, the specter of institutional racism pervades every scene, whether in not-so-subtle micro-aggressions or dusty racist memorabilia. Much like it must feel for Black people to exist in a racist society, these markers of white supremacy can pop up at any time and any place.
The film centers on a professor named Gail Bishop (Regina Hall), who has recently been promoted to the college’s top honor of “House Master.
- 3/18/2022
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Mariama Diallo’s feature debut Master, starring Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, and Amber Gray, will premiere globally March 18 on Prime Video. In the film, three women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister. The film’s title is in reference to Regina Hall’s role as Professor Gail Bishop, who […]
The post ‘Master’ Interview – Director Mariama Diallo on Layering the Supernatural With the Real Horrors of Academia appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
The post ‘Master’ Interview – Director Mariama Diallo on Layering the Supernatural With the Real Horrors of Academia appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
- 3/18/2022
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Regina Hall as Prof. Gail Bishop in Master. Courtesy of Amazon Studios.
A tale of a hanged witch and much more haunt an ancient private university in New England, in Mariama Diallo’s debut feature Master, where three Black women struggle against a college’s long racial history as they try to find their place in academia.
Master is the latest entry in the category of Black horror, a genre opened up by Get Out and Candyman, in a tale of New England college haunted by a legend of a witch hanged and by its own racist history. Three Black women, two professors and a new student, struggle to navigate academia at a college older than the country itself, one that seems eager to embrace diversity but is hampered by its past and old habits. Writer-director Mariama Diallo’s Master starts out very scary, with strong supernatural elements but by its end,...
A tale of a hanged witch and much more haunt an ancient private university in New England, in Mariama Diallo’s debut feature Master, where three Black women struggle against a college’s long racial history as they try to find their place in academia.
Master is the latest entry in the category of Black horror, a genre opened up by Get Out and Candyman, in a tale of New England college haunted by a legend of a witch hanged and by its own racist history. Three Black women, two professors and a new student, struggle to navigate academia at a college older than the country itself, one that seems eager to embrace diversity but is hampered by its past and old habits. Writer-director Mariama Diallo’s Master starts out very scary, with strong supernatural elements but by its end,...
- 3/18/2022
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Mariama Diallo’s debut feature in a fictional Ivy League school combines campus politics and horror-satire to chilling effect
There’s a lot going on in this movie from first-time feature director Mariama Diallo – a pointed and intensely pessimistic horror-satire on racism and identity politics on the American campus. It could be that its material isn’t fully absorbed into the screenplay, but there is real claustrophobia and unease in each insidious microaggression.
The setting is an imaginary Ivy League school in New England which now shrilly prides itself on its diversity, where Jasmine (Zoe Renee), a new student and young woman of colour, is unnerved to hear rumours that the room she has been assigned was where the university’s first black female student took her own life in the 1960s. Meanwhile, in a kind of generational-anxiety parallel, Gail Bishop (Regina Hall), a distinguished scholar with a respected publication record,...
There’s a lot going on in this movie from first-time feature director Mariama Diallo – a pointed and intensely pessimistic horror-satire on racism and identity politics on the American campus. It could be that its material isn’t fully absorbed into the screenplay, but there is real claustrophobia and unease in each insidious microaggression.
The setting is an imaginary Ivy League school in New England which now shrilly prides itself on its diversity, where Jasmine (Zoe Renee), a new student and young woman of colour, is unnerved to hear rumours that the room she has been assigned was where the university’s first black female student took her own life in the 1960s. Meanwhile, in a kind of generational-anxiety parallel, Gail Bishop (Regina Hall), a distinguished scholar with a respected publication record,...
- 3/16/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Following its well-received world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Master is coming to Prime Video via Amazon Studios on March 18th, and we've been provided with an exclusive clip to share with Daily Dead readers!
Below, you can watch Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) make a disturbing discovery in our exclusive clip from Master, and keep an eye out for the film on Prime Video beginning this Friday, March 18th!
"In writer-director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature, Master, three women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister. Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) has recently been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, the first time at storied Ancaster College that a Black woman has held the post. Determined to breathe new life into a centuries-old tradition, Gail soon finds herself wrapped up in the trials and tribulations...
Below, you can watch Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) make a disturbing discovery in our exclusive clip from Master, and keep an eye out for the film on Prime Video beginning this Friday, March 18th!
"In writer-director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature, Master, three women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister. Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) has recently been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, the first time at storied Ancaster College that a Black woman has held the post. Determined to breathe new life into a centuries-old tradition, Gail soon finds herself wrapped up in the trials and tribulations...
- 3/14/2022
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Master Trailer — Mariama Diallo‘s Master (2022) movie trailer has been released by Prime Video. The Master trailer stars Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Talia Ryder, Talia Balsam, and Amber Gray. Crew Mariama Diallo wrote the screenplay for Master. Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe created the music for the film. Charlotte Hornsby crafted the cinematography for the film. [...]
Continue reading: Master (2022) Movie Trailer: Regina Hall in promoted to “Master” of a residence hall at a Haunted University...
Continue reading: Master (2022) Movie Trailer: Regina Hall in promoted to “Master” of a residence hall at a Haunted University...
- 3/12/2022
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Prime Video has debuted a new trailer for the upcoming horror/thriller ‘Master’ starring Regina Hall.
Tree women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister.
Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) has recently been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, the first time at storied Ancaster College that a Black woman has held the post. Determined to breathe new life into a centuries-old tradition, Gail soon finds herself wrapped up in the trials and tribulations of Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee), an energetic and optimistic Black freshman.
Jasmine’s time at Ancaster hits a snag early on when she’s assigned a dorm room that is rumoured to be haunted. Things get worse when Jasmine clashes in the classroom with Liv Beckman (Amber Gray), a professor in the middle of her own racially charged tenure review. As Gail tries...
Tree women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister.
Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) has recently been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, the first time at storied Ancaster College that a Black woman has held the post. Determined to breathe new life into a centuries-old tradition, Gail soon finds herself wrapped up in the trials and tribulations of Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee), an energetic and optimistic Black freshman.
Jasmine’s time at Ancaster hits a snag early on when she’s assigned a dorm room that is rumoured to be haunted. Things get worse when Jasmine clashes in the classroom with Liv Beckman (Amber Gray), a professor in the middle of her own racially charged tenure review. As Gail tries...
- 3/3/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Written and directed by Mariama Diallo and coming to theaters and Prime Video on March 18th, we have the official trailer for Master:
"In writer-director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature, Master, three women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister. Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) has recently been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, the first time at storied Ancaster College that a Black woman has held the post. Determined to breathe new life into a centuries-old tradition, Gail soon finds herself wrapped up in the trials and tribulations of Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee), an energetic and optimistic Black freshman. Jasmine’s time at Ancaster hits a snag early on when she’s assigned a dorm room that is rumored to be haunted. Things get worse when Jasmine clashes in the classroom with Liv Beckman (Amber Gray...
"In writer-director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature, Master, three women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister. Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) has recently been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, the first time at storied Ancaster College that a Black woman has held the post. Determined to breathe new life into a centuries-old tradition, Gail soon finds herself wrapped up in the trials and tribulations of Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee), an energetic and optimistic Black freshman. Jasmine’s time at Ancaster hits a snag early on when she’s assigned a dorm room that is rumored to be haunted. Things get worse when Jasmine clashes in the classroom with Liv Beckman (Amber Gray...
- 3/2/2022
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Mariama Diallo wants us to confront our ghosts.
The writer-director marked her feature debut with “Master,” a story about three women who try to find their place at a prestigious (i.e. stuffy) New England university, amid its racially charged past. Regina Hall stars as Professor Gail Bishop, who has been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, making history as the first Black woman at the school to do so.
Gail finds herself drawn to freshman Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee) after she experiences supernatural activity in her haunted dorm room. Jasmine also clashes with Professor Liv Beckman (Amber Gray), who is entangled in her own racially charged tenure review.
As Gail tries to maintain order and fulfill the duties of a Master, the cracks begin to show in the elite university’s once-immaculate facade — hinting at the darkness under it all. Is the school really haunted, and if so,...
The writer-director marked her feature debut with “Master,” a story about three women who try to find their place at a prestigious (i.e. stuffy) New England university, amid its racially charged past. Regina Hall stars as Professor Gail Bishop, who has been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, making history as the first Black woman at the school to do so.
Gail finds herself drawn to freshman Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee) after she experiences supernatural activity in her haunted dorm room. Jasmine also clashes with Professor Liv Beckman (Amber Gray), who is entangled in her own racially charged tenure review.
As Gail tries to maintain order and fulfill the duties of a Master, the cracks begin to show in the elite university’s once-immaculate facade — hinting at the darkness under it all. Is the school really haunted, and if so,...
- 3/2/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Mariama Diallo’s feature debut Master, starring Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, and Amber Gray, will premiere globally March 18 on Prime Video, and the trailer has arrived today. Diallo’s Sundance horror movie blends horror and social commentary in equal measure, and the official trailer from Amazon today begins to peel back those layers of social terror. […]
The post ‘Master’ Trailer – A College Campus Is Cursed in Amazon Horror Movie Starring Regina Hall appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
The post ‘Master’ Trailer – A College Campus Is Cursed in Amazon Horror Movie Starring Regina Hall appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
- 3/2/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Master Review — Master (2022) Film Review from the 44th Annual Sundance Film Festival, a movie directed by Mariama Diallo and starring Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Julia Nightingale, Talia Ryder, Ella Hunt, Noa Fisher, Anna Van Patten, D.C. Anderson, Angela Grovey, Will Hochman, John Kroft, Amber Gray, Bruce Altman, Talia Balsam, Kara Young, Emmett [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Master: Regina Hall Excels in a Heavy Horror Film with a College Setting [Sundance 2022]...
Continue reading: Film Review: Master: Regina Hall Excels in a Heavy Horror Film with a College Setting [Sundance 2022]...
- 2/3/2022
- by Thomas Duffy
- Film-Book
When “Nanny” won the 2022 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival this week, director Nikyatu Jusu became only the second woman in the history of the festival to take home the top prize. But “Nanny” was historic for another reason, too: It was the first outright horror movie to win the most coveted award in independent film, one that has anointed breakouts of the past decade ranging from Ryan Coogler to Damien Chazelle.
And it wasn’t alone. Horror and psychological thrillers made themselves known across the Sundance lineup this year, well beyond the insular Midnight section, and many of the filmmakers behind these highlights are available for hire. The industry — and all those soul-searching directors out there — should pay close attention, because this crop of newcomers points to an ideal happy medium between commercial opportunity and artistic growth.
This year’s Sundance had the usual big sale...
And it wasn’t alone. Horror and psychological thrillers made themselves known across the Sundance lineup this year, well beyond the insular Midnight section, and many of the filmmakers behind these highlights are available for hire. The industry — and all those soul-searching directors out there — should pay close attention, because this crop of newcomers points to an ideal happy medium between commercial opportunity and artistic growth.
This year’s Sundance had the usual big sale...
- 1/29/2022
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
In 2018, Mariama Diallo shared her short film Hair Wolf with audiences at that year’s Sundance Film Festival, and this year, she returned to the fest with her debut feature film, Master, Starring Regina Hall and Zoe Renee, Master’s story is centered around the horrifying experiences of two different Black women navigating their way through an academic space steeped in the traditions of racism and founded in white supremacy, and the harm that these ideals can have when they’re not properly addressed and destroyed.
Daily Dead recently had the opportunity to speak with Diallo about the project, and during our conversation, she discussed how her own personal experiences, as well as her mother’s, helped shape the story of Master. Diallo also talked about taking on harmful tropes that have been a part of Hollywood’s legacy of storytelling over the years in her first feature, her experiences...
Daily Dead recently had the opportunity to speak with Diallo about the project, and during our conversation, she discussed how her own personal experiences, as well as her mother’s, helped shape the story of Master. Diallo also talked about taking on harmful tropes that have been a part of Hollywood’s legacy of storytelling over the years in her first feature, her experiences...
- 1/29/2022
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Let’s start here: Master, written and directed by Mariama Diallo, is a film with ambitious scope and intention. That it does not quite succeed in its endeavors is certainly a disappointment. My goodness, is there a lot going on here. At an elite New England university, Gail (Regina Hall) accepts a new position as “master” (dean) of students. Meanwhile, freshman student Jasmine (Zoe Renee) does her best acclimating to a new setting and roommate. Meanwhile, a politically minded literature professor (Amber Gray) who tells students to “just call me Liv” is being reviewed for tenure. All three are Black women wrestling with being ostracized, prejudiced against, and patronized to. Sometimes all at once by those who “would’ve voted Obama for a third term.”
The tone Diallo attempts striking in Master is purposely fluid. At first glance a horror picture, it often settles into something more like a social drama,...
The tone Diallo attempts striking in Master is purposely fluid. At first glance a horror picture, it often settles into something more like a social drama,...
- 1/27/2022
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
The monsters on campus aren’t quite as scary as those in Black Christmas or Sorority Row, but they’re nonetheless an insidious presence in Master, as discriminatory remnants at a tony longtime girls’ school’s past continue to haunt the lives of modern students. This first feature from writer-director Mariama Diallo has a veneer of intelligence, class and noble purpose that separates it from most films about a “haunted” anything. Unfortunately, despite its brainy dialogue and sometimes comic approach, the film is also preachy and obvious in its point-making, which will go down well with the like-minded but might feel heavy-handed and familiar to others. After its Sundance Film Festival bow tonight in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section, Master will go out into the world on Amazon Prime.
Diallo’s short film Hair Wolf won a jury award at Sundance 2018, while her more recent short, White Devil, hasn...
Diallo’s short film Hair Wolf won a jury award at Sundance 2018, while her more recent short, White Devil, hasn...
- 1/22/2022
- by Todd McCarthy
- Deadline Film + TV
There is something inherently unsettling about an elite university’s aura of vanity. Few other contemporary locations summon such a sense of reverence, exclusivity and historical angst — especially if the college is somewhere in brisk New England and adorned with the Ivy League distinction. Through an unnerving blend of supernatural horror and psychological drama, fiercely talented writer-director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature “Master” reflects on the roots and customs of one such illustrious school of eerily beautiful stone buildings and handsomely dim, wood-heavy chambers. It’s a fictional prototype called Ancaster, erected near where the Salem witch trials were once carried out. Diallo knows exactly what makes the grounds and hallways of these often lily-white institutions spine-tingling as she dissects their historical footprint, real and imagined, through the ghosts of those who left it.
The result is a stylish, sometimes terrifying genre film that shares DNA with Nia DaCosta’s “Candyman,...
The result is a stylish, sometimes terrifying genre film that shares DNA with Nia DaCosta’s “Candyman,...
- 1/22/2022
- by Tomris Laffly
- Variety Film + TV
When You Finish Saving the World The Sundance Institute has announced the films selected for their hybrid 2022 Festival, which will take place in-person in Park City, online, and in arthouse theaters across the United States.U.S. Dramatic COMPETITION892 (Abi Damaris Corbin): When Brian Brown-Easley’s disability check fails to materialize from Veterans Affairs, he finds himself on the brink of homelessness and breaking his daughter’s heart. No other options, he walks into a Wells Fargo Bank and says “I’ve got a bomb.“ Cast: John Boyega, Michael Kenneth Williams, Nicole Beharie, Connie Britton, Olivia Washington, Selenis Leyva. World Premiere.Alice (Krystin Ver Linden): When a woman in servitude in 1800s Georgia escapes the 55-acre confines of her captor, she discovers the shocking reality that exists beyond the treeline…it’s 1973. Inspired by true events. Cast: Keke Palmer, Common, Jonny Lee Miller, Gaius Charles. World Premiere.blood...
- 12/15/2021
- MUBI
Taking place online and in person, the Sundance Film Festival will return for its 2022 edition January 20th through 30th and now the main lineup has been unveiled. With 82 feature-length films representing 28 countries, these films were selected from 14,849 submissions, including 3,762 feature-length films.
Notable titles include Ramin Bahrani’s 2nd Chance, Lena Dunham’s Sharp Stick, Riley Stearns’ Dual, Ricky D’Ambrose’s The Cathedral, two Dakota Johnson-led films, Cha Cha Real Smooth and Am I Ok?, the Bill Nighy-led Ikiru remake Living, Sierra Pettengill’s Riotsville, USA, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead’s Something in the Dirt, Phyllis Nagy’s Call Jane, W. Kamau Bell’s We Need to Talk About Cosby, Jesse Eisenberg’s When You Finish Saving the World, Kogonada’s After Yang, James Ponsoldt’s Summering, and more.
“The online dimension of the festival was something that after, having done it last year, we valued greatly,” says Tabitha Jackson,...
Notable titles include Ramin Bahrani’s 2nd Chance, Lena Dunham’s Sharp Stick, Riley Stearns’ Dual, Ricky D’Ambrose’s The Cathedral, two Dakota Johnson-led films, Cha Cha Real Smooth and Am I Ok?, the Bill Nighy-led Ikiru remake Living, Sierra Pettengill’s Riotsville, USA, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead’s Something in the Dirt, Phyllis Nagy’s Call Jane, W. Kamau Bell’s We Need to Talk About Cosby, Jesse Eisenberg’s When You Finish Saving the World, Kogonada’s After Yang, James Ponsoldt’s Summering, and more.
“The online dimension of the festival was something that after, having done it last year, we valued greatly,” says Tabitha Jackson,...
- 12/9/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Amazon Studios has put in development The Star Chamber, a thriller drama inspired by the 1983 Michael Douglas film of the same name, from Sheldon Turner and Jennifer Klein’s Vendetta Productions and Fox 21 Television Studios. The project stems from Vendetta’s deal at 20th Century Fox TV and Fox 21 TV Studios, divisions of Disney TV Studios.
Written by Turner (Up In the Air), The Star Chamber series gives the movie a gender twist. It follows a revered female federal appellate court judge in San Francisco. She leads a shadowy group of judges that decide to right the wrongs of the broken legal system as she struggles to balance her obligations to law, to religion and to her family.
More from DeadlineAmazon Studios Names Christian Davin Global Head Of Movies MarketingCoronavirus: Amazon Studios, Lionsgate Issue Work From Home Recommendation -Update'Master': Zoe Renee, Amber Gray Join Regina Hall In Amazon...
Written by Turner (Up In the Air), The Star Chamber series gives the movie a gender twist. It follows a revered female federal appellate court judge in San Francisco. She leads a shadowy group of judges that decide to right the wrongs of the broken legal system as she struggles to balance her obligations to law, to religion and to her family.
More from DeadlineAmazon Studios Names Christian Davin Global Head Of Movies MarketingCoronavirus: Amazon Studios, Lionsgate Issue Work From Home Recommendation -Update'Master': Zoe Renee, Amber Gray Join Regina Hall In Amazon...
- 4/17/2020
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: We have learned that former Netflix and Warner Bros. marketing vet Christian Davin has been tapped as Amazon Studios’ new Global Head of Movie Marketing.
Davin will report to Andy Donkin, Head of Marketing at Prime Video, and will be working closely with Amazon Studios boss Jennifer Salke, and movies co-heads Ted Hope, Julie Rapaport and Matt Newman as well as the movies team to design and execute all film campaigns which includes all theatrical and streaming projects.
More from DeadlineAmazon Studios Wins Rights To Turn QCode Sci-Fi Podcast 'The Left Right Game' Into TV Series With Tessa Thompson ProducingCoronavirus: Amazon Studios, Lionsgate Issue Work From Home Recommendation -Update'Master': Zoe Renee, Amber Gray Join Regina Hall In Amazon Studios Thriller
Vincent Scordino, senior marketing and distribution manager, and Molly Albright, head of creative marketing, will report directly to Davin.
Davin comes to Amazon from Netflix, where he...
Davin will report to Andy Donkin, Head of Marketing at Prime Video, and will be working closely with Amazon Studios boss Jennifer Salke, and movies co-heads Ted Hope, Julie Rapaport and Matt Newman as well as the movies team to design and execute all film campaigns which includes all theatrical and streaming projects.
More from DeadlineAmazon Studios Wins Rights To Turn QCode Sci-Fi Podcast 'The Left Right Game' Into TV Series With Tessa Thompson ProducingCoronavirus: Amazon Studios, Lionsgate Issue Work From Home Recommendation -Update'Master': Zoe Renee, Amber Gray Join Regina Hall In Amazon Studios Thriller
Vincent Scordino, senior marketing and distribution manager, and Molly Albright, head of creative marketing, will report directly to Davin.
Davin comes to Amazon from Netflix, where he...
- 4/15/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Younger star Molly Bernard and Nike Kadri (One Dollar) have been added to the cast of Master, the Amazon Studios thriller starring Regina Hall. Zoe Renee and Amber Gray recently joined the film, which is written and directed by Mariama Diallo. Production is currently underway. The plot follows three black women who strive to find their place at the celebrated Ancaster College, an elite university in New England. It examines how each of these women will — or won’t — survive in this space of privilege. Andrea Roa, Brad Becker-Parton and Joshua Astrachan will produce for Animal Kingdom with Hall and Terence Nance serving as executive producers. Bernard is repped by Innovative Artists and D2 Management. Kadri is repped by D2 and Hckr.
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More from Deadline'Master': Zoe Renee, Amber Gray Join Regina Hall In Amazon Studios ThrillerRegina Hall To Executive Produce & Star In 'Master' Drama For Amazon Studios'Chicago Med...
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More from Deadline'Master': Zoe Renee, Amber Gray Join Regina Hall In Amazon Studios ThrillerRegina Hall To Executive Produce & Star In 'Master' Drama For Amazon Studios'Chicago Med...
- 3/11/2020
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Amazon and writer-director Mariama Diallo’s heightened thriller Master with Regina Hall (Scary Movie 1- 4) will begin shooting this week. And today Deadline reports the film has snagged its full cast including Zoe Renee (Black Lightning, Nancy Drew and the […]
The post Puritan-Era Persecution Haunts New England College in Increasingly Supernatural Fashion In Amazon’s Master appeared first on Dread Central.
The post Puritan-Era Persecution Haunts New England College in Increasingly Supernatural Fashion In Amazon’s Master appeared first on Dread Central.
- 3/6/2020
- by Mike Sprague
- DreadCentral.com
Exclusive: Zoe Renee and Amber Gray have been tapped to co-star opposite Regina Hall in Master, a heightened thriller written and directed by Mariama Diallo.
The film, which commenced production this week, follows three black women who strive to find their place at the celebrated Ancaster College, an elite university in New England. The school was built on the site of a Salem-era gallows hill and the ghostly legacies of Puritan-era persecution haunt the campus in an increasingly supernatural fashion. The plot examines how each of these women will — or won’t — survive in this space of privilege.
Andrea Roa, Brad Becker-Parton and Joshua Astrachan will produce out of their Brooklyn based film, television and audio company, Animal Kingdom. Hall and Terence Nance will serve as executive producers.
“From the...
The film, which commenced production this week, follows three black women who strive to find their place at the celebrated Ancaster College, an elite university in New England. The school was built on the site of a Salem-era gallows hill and the ghostly legacies of Puritan-era persecution haunt the campus in an increasingly supernatural fashion. The plot examines how each of these women will — or won’t — survive in this space of privilege.
Andrea Roa, Brad Becker-Parton and Joshua Astrachan will produce out of their Brooklyn based film, television and audio company, Animal Kingdom. Hall and Terence Nance will serve as executive producers.
“From the...
- 3/5/2020
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Stars: Sophia Lillis, Zoe Renee, Mackenzie Graham, Andrea Anders, Laura Wiggins, Sam Trammell, Linda Lavin, Andrew Matthew Welch, Jon Briddell, Jesse C. Boyd, Evan Castelloe, Josh Daugherty, Jay DeVon Johnson | Written by Nina Fiore, John Herrera | Directed by Katt Shea
It’s difficult where to start with Warner Brothers rebooted feature of Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, directed by Katt Shea. For all intents and purposes, it’s a harmless rendition of a young adult detective story targeted at that specific audience “young adult”. It’s not meant to be consumed by all manners and corners of cinema-goers and to that respect, it’s difficult to fault both the production and the final product of a film that’s the definition of harmless fun. However, that being said there are multiple issues that arise with this feature that was undoubtedly meant to premiere on the Disney Channel Network.
No...
It’s difficult where to start with Warner Brothers rebooted feature of Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, directed by Katt Shea. For all intents and purposes, it’s a harmless rendition of a young adult detective story targeted at that specific audience “young adult”. It’s not meant to be consumed by all manners and corners of cinema-goers and to that respect, it’s difficult to fault both the production and the final product of a film that’s the definition of harmless fun. However, that being said there are multiple issues that arise with this feature that was undoubtedly meant to premiere on the Disney Channel Network.
No...
- 3/22/2019
- by Jak-Luke Sharp
- Nerdly
Sophia Lillis is hot on the trail of her latest mystery in this new clip for Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase. It looks like someone has broken into the house she is living in and has given her a scare, and she is trying to get to the bottom of who is was, how they got in, and why they were there.
The Nancy Drew books were so much fun for me when I was a kid. I loved that I never saw the twists and turns coming, but that they were all being solved by a girl about my age. When there weren’t a whole of major female role models, Nancy Drew was there. She was ahead of her time, and the books totally hold up through any decade, in my opinion. So I think it is smart and fun that this movie can reintroduce the iconic character to a new generation.
The Nancy Drew books were so much fun for me when I was a kid. I loved that I never saw the twists and turns coming, but that they were all being solved by a girl about my age. When there weren’t a whole of major female role models, Nancy Drew was there. She was ahead of her time, and the books totally hold up through any decade, in my opinion. So I think it is smart and fun that this movie can reintroduce the iconic character to a new generation.
- 3/15/2019
- by Jessica Fisher
- GeekTyrant
Even before the opening credits on Katt Shea’s “Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase” wrap up, the film’s bent toward modernizing its heroine, a teenage super-sleuth approaching her ninetieth year in existence, is clear. This Nancy Drew is a ripped jeans-wearing, longboard-riding, smartphone-toting young woman, and she’s even got a peppy theme song that kind of says it all in its own title: “More Than Just a Girl.” Nancy, of course, has always been more than just a girl — that’s kind of the whole deal with Nancy Drew — but over a decade removed from her last big screen outing, she’s a girl in need of a little jazzing up. That doesn’t mean it goes down easily, and while star Sophia Lillis has the kind of plucky enthusiasm that befits any iteration of the character, she’s expected to perform inside an awkward bubble that...
- 3/15/2019
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
When it comes to name recognition, few American detectives rank as high as Nancy Drew with audiences, owing to the fact that millions devoured the yellow-spined novels, and no small number of celebs (including executive producer Ellen DeGeneres) went on to credit the character with inspiring them at a young age. As a result, it’s no mystery why so many have tried to develop the character into a proper film or TV franchise — including small-screen attempts by CBS, Ncb and the CW in the last few years alone.
In the case of Warner Bros., the studio bought the rights to the character for just $6,000 back in 1937, and has now opted to dust off and remake “Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase” from their own library. And so, Nancy’s back, reborn in the form of super-charismatic, red-headed Sophia Lillis as an assertive, red-headed Millennial who embodies the classic character’s best traits — intelligence,...
In the case of Warner Bros., the studio bought the rights to the character for just $6,000 back in 1937, and has now opted to dust off and remake “Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase” from their own library. And so, Nancy’s back, reborn in the form of super-charismatic, red-headed Sophia Lillis as an assertive, red-headed Millennial who embodies the classic character’s best traits — intelligence,...
- 3/15/2019
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Joseph Baxter Mar 1, 2019
Syfy is putting a serial killer spin on teen movie tropes, with television pilot (Future) Cult Classic.
(Future) Cult Classic might be calling its own shot like Babe Ruth with its very title. However, the dark teen comedy pilot does bring some intriguing concepts to the table over at Syfy in an increasingly crowded small screen playing field.
Syfy ordered the pilot back in January along with cyberthriller Cipher. The series –an original concept, not adapted from a novel or comic book – is the brainchild of Shay Hatten, an up-and-coming talent whose first feature, crime thriller movie Ballerina, is still developing. The story is satirical in nature, set to manifest as a levity-laced genre pastiche of old-school slasher films and teen drama tropes, centered on Bree (Emily Alyn Lind), a ‘90s castaway living in a technology-teeming future.
(Future) Cult Classic Cast
The cast of (Future) Cult Classic just added two more,...
Syfy is putting a serial killer spin on teen movie tropes, with television pilot (Future) Cult Classic.
(Future) Cult Classic might be calling its own shot like Babe Ruth with its very title. However, the dark teen comedy pilot does bring some intriguing concepts to the table over at Syfy in an increasingly crowded small screen playing field.
Syfy ordered the pilot back in January along with cyberthriller Cipher. The series –an original concept, not adapted from a novel or comic book – is the brainchild of Shay Hatten, an up-and-coming talent whose first feature, crime thriller movie Ballerina, is still developing. The story is satirical in nature, set to manifest as a levity-laced genre pastiche of old-school slasher films and teen drama tropes, centered on Bree (Emily Alyn Lind), a ‘90s castaway living in a technology-teeming future.
(Future) Cult Classic Cast
The cast of (Future) Cult Classic just added two more,...
- 3/1/2019
- Den of Geek
Sneak Peek the new teen mystery feature "Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase", directed by Katt Shea based on the book of the same name by Carolyn Keene, starring Sophia Lillis as 'Nancy Drew', as she investigates a 'haunted' house, opening March 15, 2019:
"...'Nancy' is home alone while her father and their housekeeper, 'Hannah Gruen', are both out for the day. The doorbell rings and Nancy is introduced to 'Nathan Gomber', who has come to see 'Carson Drew' about some papers. When his persistence irritates and insults Nancy, she grows impatient and angrily tells him to leave and threatens to call the police.
"Then 'Abigail Rowen' introduces Nancy to the 'Turnbull' sisters, 'Rosemary' and 'Floretta'. They ask Nancy to help them learn the cause of the mysterious 'hauntings' of their mansion in 'Cliffwood', several miles from 'River Heights'.
"The sisters explain that numerous valuable items have gone missing from their 'Civil War'-era mansion,...
"...'Nancy' is home alone while her father and their housekeeper, 'Hannah Gruen', are both out for the day. The doorbell rings and Nancy is introduced to 'Nathan Gomber', who has come to see 'Carson Drew' about some papers. When his persistence irritates and insults Nancy, she grows impatient and angrily tells him to leave and threatens to call the police.
"Then 'Abigail Rowen' introduces Nancy to the 'Turnbull' sisters, 'Rosemary' and 'Floretta'. They ask Nancy to help them learn the cause of the mysterious 'hauntings' of their mansion in 'Cliffwood', several miles from 'River Heights'.
"The sisters explain that numerous valuable items have gone missing from their 'Civil War'-era mansion,...
- 2/7/2019
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
"There's gotta be an explanation! So what do we know?" Surprise! Warner Bros has debuted the first trailer for Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, a new Nancy Drew movie produced by Ellen DeGeneres that we didn't know much about before this dropped. This small town mystery stars Sophia Lillis, who also played the young Beverly Marsh in It: Chapter One, as "Nance". WB last made a Nancy Drew movie in 2007 starring Emma Roberts. A bit of an outsider struggling to fit in to her new surroundings, Nancy and her pals set out to solve the mystery, make new friends, and establish their place in the community. Also starring Linda Lavin, Sam Trammell, Andrea Anders, Zoe Renee, Mackenzie Graham, and Laura Wiggins. This latest Nancy is a longboard-riding know-it-all, which seems like a perfect update nowadays. Here's the first official trailer for Katt Shea's Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase,...
- 1/20/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
“Every small town has a dark side."
The first trailer has dropped for the upcoming new film Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase which stars Sophia Lillis, who played Beverly in the big screen adaptation of Stephen King's It. She seems like the perfect fit to play this classic character and it looks like a film that my girls will enjoy.
The film focuses on Nancy Drew (Lillis), "a smart high schooler with a penchant for keen observation and deduction, who stumbles upon the haunting of a local home. A bit of an outsider struggling to fit into her new surroundings, Nancy and her pals set out to solve the mystery, make new friends, and establish their place in the community."
The film is being directed by Katt Shea (Poison Ivy) from a script written by Nina Fiore and John Herrera (The Handmaid’s Tale, The Vampire Diaries).
Lillis...
The first trailer has dropped for the upcoming new film Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase which stars Sophia Lillis, who played Beverly in the big screen adaptation of Stephen King's It. She seems like the perfect fit to play this classic character and it looks like a film that my girls will enjoy.
The film focuses on Nancy Drew (Lillis), "a smart high schooler with a penchant for keen observation and deduction, who stumbles upon the haunting of a local home. A bit of an outsider struggling to fit into her new surroundings, Nancy and her pals set out to solve the mystery, make new friends, and establish their place in the community."
The film is being directed by Katt Shea (Poison Ivy) from a script written by Nina Fiore and John Herrera (The Handmaid’s Tale, The Vampire Diaries).
Lillis...
- 1/18/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
When Donald Trump announced his candidacy in the summer of 2015, Nijla Mu’min began to write her feature film debut, “Jinn,” a humanizing coming-of-age portrait of black womanhood and Muslim identity. And while Mu’min is quick to say our current president was not an inspiration, Trump’s election — and his racist, sexist, and anti-Muslim rhetoric that followed — unwittingly helped make her film possible.
It’s a story that Mu’min began to consider long before Trump descended the escalator in the lobby of his eponymous New York tower on June 16, 2015, to declare his intent to run for control of the most powerful seat in the world.
“I feel like I’ve been working on this film since I was young, and so I had all the elements of the story before what happened politically in the country,” Mu’min said. “I knew I always wanted to make a coming-of-age...
It’s a story that Mu’min began to consider long before Trump descended the escalator in the lobby of his eponymous New York tower on June 16, 2015, to declare his intent to run for control of the most powerful seat in the world.
“I feel like I’ve been working on this film since I was young, and so I had all the elements of the story before what happened politically in the country,” Mu’min said. “I knew I always wanted to make a coming-of-age...
- 12/3/2018
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
When it comes to independent films, Jinn proved to be one of this year’s buzziest offerings.
The film, which boasts rave reviews and a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score, stars newcomer Zoe Renee as Summer, a carefree teen in Los Angeles whose world and world-view suddenly change when her mother converts to Islam and invites her along on the spiritual journey.
It’s the first feature film by writer-director Nijla Mu’min, 33, but long before it hit theaters and streaming services earlier this month, Jinn earned major buzz with awards to match, making a name for itself and Mu’min at SXSW,...
The film, which boasts rave reviews and a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score, stars newcomer Zoe Renee as Summer, a carefree teen in Los Angeles whose world and world-view suddenly change when her mother converts to Islam and invites her along on the spiritual journey.
It’s the first feature film by writer-director Nijla Mu’min, 33, but long before it hit theaters and streaming services earlier this month, Jinn earned major buzz with awards to match, making a name for itself and Mu’min at SXSW,...
- 11/26/2018
- by Janine Rubenstein
- PEOPLE.com
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