For me, the news that Alfonso Cuarón was helming "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" was exciting. At the time, I only knew him for directing the thoroughly enchanting and visually splendiferous 1995 film version of "A Little Princess." As for everyone else? They were trying to make heads or tails of why the guy behind the indubitably erotic 2001 Mexican road trip drama "Y tu mamá también" had been hired by Warner Bros. to work on its golden goose (which really needs to cut ties with its transphobic creator already).
Cuarón was as baffled as anyone else when WB approached him. "I was confused because it was completely not on my radar," he explained to Total Film. "A Little Princess," while critically well-received, had barely made a dent at the box office, while the director's 1998 mid-budget modern-set retelling of Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations" was an outright flop. However, this proved...
Cuarón was as baffled as anyone else when WB approached him. "I was confused because it was completely not on my radar," he explained to Total Film. "A Little Princess," while critically well-received, had barely made a dent at the box office, while the director's 1998 mid-budget modern-set retelling of Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations" was an outright flop. However, this proved...
- 5/24/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Alfonso Cuarón revealed he nearly passed on directing 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban before his fellow filmmaker Guillermo del Toro knocked some sense into him.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the hit movie franchise’s third film, the director spoke to Total Film, where he shared his reaction to being offered the job, as he wasn’t too familiar with the Wizarding World initially.
“I was confused because it was completely not on my radar,” Cuarón said, notably because his project before Harry Potter was a completely different genre, the Spanish-language erotic drama Y Tu Mamá También. “I speak often with Guillermo [del Toro], and a couple of days after, I said, ‘You know, they offered me this Harry Potter film, but it’s really weird they offer me this.'”
However, del Toro knew how massive the movie franchise was, especially after Chris Columbus’ first two films,...
To mark the 20th anniversary of the hit movie franchise’s third film, the director spoke to Total Film, where he shared his reaction to being offered the job, as he wasn’t too familiar with the Wizarding World initially.
“I was confused because it was completely not on my radar,” Cuarón said, notably because his project before Harry Potter was a completely different genre, the Spanish-language erotic drama Y Tu Mamá También. “I speak often with Guillermo [del Toro], and a couple of days after, I said, ‘You know, they offered me this Harry Potter film, but it’s really weird they offer me this.'”
However, del Toro knew how massive the movie franchise was, especially after Chris Columbus’ first two films,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Alfonso Cuarón marked the 20th anniversary of his film “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” with a new interview in Total Film magazine, in which he admitted that he felt totally strange when Warner Bros. called to offer him the chance to direct the third “Harry Potter” movie. Chris Columbus was stepping aside from the director’s chair after helming “Sorcerer’s Stone” and “Chamber of Secrets,” but the Mexican director behind the erotic road trip drama “Y Tu Mamá También” didn’t exactly scream “Harry Potter.”
“I was confused because it was completely not on my radar,” Cuarón said. “I speak often with Guillermo [del Toro], and a couple of days after, I said, ‘You know, they offered me this Harry Potter film, but it’s really weird they offer me this.'”
Del Toro realized what an opportunity the “Harry Potter” franchise was, so he gave his longtime friend...
“I was confused because it was completely not on my radar,” Cuarón said. “I speak often with Guillermo [del Toro], and a couple of days after, I said, ‘You know, they offered me this Harry Potter film, but it’s really weird they offer me this.'”
Del Toro realized what an opportunity the “Harry Potter” franchise was, so he gave his longtime friend...
- 5/23/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
For some fans, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is their favourite movie in the franchise, largely thanks to Alfonso Cuarón’s stylistic direction. However, the Y tu mamá también director may not have taken the Harry Potter gig had it not been for some choice words from his friend Guillermo del Toro.
Alfonso Cuarón told Total Film that he was unfamiliar with the Harry Potter franchise when he was offered the chance to direct The Prisoner of Azkaban, but thankfully, Guillermo del Toro was. “I speak often with Guillermo [del Toro], and a couple of days after, I said, ‘You know, they offered me this Harry Potter film, but it’s really weird they offer me this,’” Cuarón explained. “He said, ‘Wait, wait, wait, you said you haven’t read Harry Potter?’ I said, ‘I don’t think it’s for me.’ In very florid lexicon, in Spanish, he said,...
Alfonso Cuarón told Total Film that he was unfamiliar with the Harry Potter franchise when he was offered the chance to direct The Prisoner of Azkaban, but thankfully, Guillermo del Toro was. “I speak often with Guillermo [del Toro], and a couple of days after, I said, ‘You know, they offered me this Harry Potter film, but it’s really weird they offer me this,’” Cuarón explained. “He said, ‘Wait, wait, wait, you said you haven’t read Harry Potter?’ I said, ‘I don’t think it’s for me.’ In very florid lexicon, in Spanish, he said,...
- 5/22/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Guillermo del Toro did not mince words when trying to convince frequent collaborator Alfonso Cuarón to direct “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.”
According to Oscar winner Cuarón, fellow Academy Award winner del Toro simply called him an “arrogant asshole” for even hesitating to take on the beloved franchise installment. However, Cuarón might have had a point in questioning Warner Bros.’ decision to offer him the directing gig: At the time, his most recent film was “Y tu mamá también,” which is decidedly not YA material.
“I was confused because it was completely not on my radar,” Cuarón told Total Film of “Harry Potter”. “I speak often with Guillermo [del Toro], and a couple of days after, I said, ‘You know, they offered me this “Harry Potter” film, but it’s really weird they offer me this.’ He said, ‘Wait, wait, wait, you said you haven’t read “Harry Potter”?’ I said,...
According to Oscar winner Cuarón, fellow Academy Award winner del Toro simply called him an “arrogant asshole” for even hesitating to take on the beloved franchise installment. However, Cuarón might have had a point in questioning Warner Bros.’ decision to offer him the directing gig: At the time, his most recent film was “Y tu mamá también,” which is decidedly not YA material.
“I was confused because it was completely not on my radar,” Cuarón told Total Film of “Harry Potter”. “I speak often with Guillermo [del Toro], and a couple of days after, I said, ‘You know, they offered me this “Harry Potter” film, but it’s really weird they offer me this.’ He said, ‘Wait, wait, wait, you said you haven’t read “Harry Potter”?’ I said,...
- 5/22/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
When most cinephiles think of Francis Ford Coppola, they think of his miracle run in the 1970s. During that decade, he directed four films, all of them five-star masterpieces: The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather, Part II, and Apocalypse Now. Or they think of embarrassments from his for-hire period, including the Robin Williams weepy Jack. Yet those five films hardly encapsulate the entire career of Francis Ford Coppola, which will likely end with the upcoming Megalopolis. Instead the best indication of Coppola as an artist and filmmaker might be found in the most recent movies he’s made, with Coppola having released three self-produced and self-financed pictures every two years between 2007 and 2011: Youth Without Youth, Twixt, and Tetro.
Although they vary in quality, and none top his work from the ’70s, this independent trio captures the experimental and romantic heart that lies at the center of Coppola’s overall oeuvre.
Although they vary in quality, and none top his work from the ’70s, this independent trio captures the experimental and romantic heart that lies at the center of Coppola’s overall oeuvre.
- 5/14/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
Clockwise from bottom left: Before Sunrise (Columbia Pictures), Jaws (Universal Pictures), Y Tu Mamá También (20th Century Fox), Body Heat (Warner Bros.)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Summer can bring about more than just a certain mood evoked by warmer weather. Perhaps more than other seasons, it can bring up specific memories.
Summer can bring about more than just a certain mood evoked by warmer weather. Perhaps more than other seasons, it can bring up specific memories.
- 5/10/2024
- by Jen Lennon, Saloni Gajjar, Drew Gillis, Tim Lowery, Emma Keates, Cindy White, Jacob Oller, and Mary Kate Carr
- avclub.com
If you have already seen The Idea of You and are looking for something similar, then these movies are for you.
1. Hello I Must Be Going, 2012
An indie rom-com that is most valuable for its lead actress – Melanie Lynskey, who started her career with a bang in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures and went on to star in one of the biggest hits of recent years, Yellowjackets.
In Hello I Must Be Going, she plays a middle-aged divorced woman who loses everything and moves into her parents' house. She is sure that the dark streak in her life will never end, but a confident 19-year-old boy appears on the horizon and unexpectedly illuminates a possible path to a new life.
2. Licorice Pizza, 2021
Gary Valentine is a charismatic teenager who loves to go on adventures. It's the early 1970s and Gary is trying to become both an actor and an entrepreneur,...
1. Hello I Must Be Going, 2012
An indie rom-com that is most valuable for its lead actress – Melanie Lynskey, who started her career with a bang in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures and went on to star in one of the biggest hits of recent years, Yellowjackets.
In Hello I Must Be Going, she plays a middle-aged divorced woman who loses everything and moves into her parents' house. She is sure that the dark streak in her life will never end, but a confident 19-year-old boy appears on the horizon and unexpectedly illuminates a possible path to a new life.
2. Licorice Pizza, 2021
Gary Valentine is a charismatic teenager who loves to go on adventures. It's the early 1970s and Gary is trying to become both an actor and an entrepreneur,...
- 5/8/2024
- by zoe-wallace@startefacts.com (Zoe Wallace)
- STartefacts.com
Romance is complicated. The meshing together of two or more people isn’t designed to be a smooth process and art has reflected that for generations, most recently in the new Amazon MGM rom-com “The Idea of You”. In honor of the film dropping on Prime Video, IndieWire has compiled a list of the best age-gap romance films to enjoy after watching Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine’s jaunt within the genre. From the best-selling novel by Robinne Lee, “The Idea of You” follows a 40-year-old gallery owner and divorceé, who, after escorting her daughter to Coachella, ends up in a whirlwind romance with the 24-year-old lead singer of a famous boy band. The book was adapted for the screen by Michael Showalter, as well as Jennifer Westfeldt, who’s dabbled in complicated romances in the past with films like “Kissing Jessica Stein” and “Friends With Kids”.
In terms of...
In terms of...
- 5/3/2024
- by Harrison Richlin and Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
This post contains spoilers for both "Challengers" and "Y Tu Mama Tambien."
It's only its first weekend in theaters, but "Challengers" has already gotten everyone talking. There's just something captivating about a love triangle where all sides touch, and it's even more captivating when all that lust and jealousy get boiled down to a single heated match of tennis. There is no greater upping-the-ante movie moment than when Patrick (Josh O'Connor) subtly signals to Art (Mike Faist) during the game that he's recently slept with his wife Tashi (Zendaya). There've been plenty of fictional sports matches where a mid-game twist got everyone on the edge of their seats, but "Challengers" casually outdid them all.
What made "Challengers" truly special is Art's reaction to Patrick's reveal: he simply says, "F**k off." It's a line that could easily have been delivered with straightforward rage, but Faist throws some bemusement into the mix,...
It's only its first weekend in theaters, but "Challengers" has already gotten everyone talking. There's just something captivating about a love triangle where all sides touch, and it's even more captivating when all that lust and jealousy get boiled down to a single heated match of tennis. There is no greater upping-the-ante movie moment than when Patrick (Josh O'Connor) subtly signals to Art (Mike Faist) during the game that he's recently slept with his wife Tashi (Zendaya). There've been plenty of fictional sports matches where a mid-game twist got everyone on the edge of their seats, but "Challengers" casually outdid them all.
What made "Challengers" truly special is Art's reaction to Patrick's reveal: he simply says, "F**k off." It's a line that could easily have been delivered with straightforward rage, but Faist throws some bemusement into the mix,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
Before teaming up with director Luca Guadagnino on Challengers, Zendaya sought advice from Dune co-star Timothée Chalamet, who starred in Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name in 2017.
“He said wonderful things,” Zendaya told The Hollywood Reporter at the Los Angeles premiere of Challengers on Tuesday. “Luca is brilliant and I’ve wanted to work with Luca for a very long time and this just seemed like the absolute perfect thing. When we first met about the script he had such a keen, deep understanding of the characters from the beginning and a clearer idea of the kind of movie he wanted to create. And the script was brilliant, [writer] Justin Kuritzkes is so talented and I’m so happy for him. So it all made sense.”
Zendaya reveals if Timothée Chalamet gave her any tips on working with director Luca Guadagnino and tells THR how she has wanted to work...
“He said wonderful things,” Zendaya told The Hollywood Reporter at the Los Angeles premiere of Challengers on Tuesday. “Luca is brilliant and I’ve wanted to work with Luca for a very long time and this just seemed like the absolute perfect thing. When we first met about the script he had such a keen, deep understanding of the characters from the beginning and a clearer idea of the kind of movie he wanted to create. And the script was brilliant, [writer] Justin Kuritzkes is so talented and I’m so happy for him. So it all made sense.”
Zendaya reveals if Timothée Chalamet gave her any tips on working with director Luca Guadagnino and tells THR how she has wanted to work...
- 4/17/2024
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
One needn't do a very deep internet search to find news outlets doing some adolescent tittering about the threesome scene in Luca Guadagnino's new love-triangle sports drama "Challengers." I am disappointed to report that the scene in question is not a threesome, but a brief three-way make-out session that lasts maybe 90 seconds. It's no more salacious than one might see at the average screening of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Anyone who has watched "Y tu Mamá También" or "The Dreamers" has already enjoyed more sexual intensity.
The brief makeout, however, more or less cements long-standing romantic and sexual chemistry for the three involved. "Challengers" is about struggling through your 20s, using the echoes of your adolescence to form lasting bonds that, with enough time, ferment into resentment. Each of the male leads will, at some point, say a version of the line "He's not really in love with you,...
The brief makeout, however, more or less cements long-standing romantic and sexual chemistry for the three involved. "Challengers" is about struggling through your 20s, using the echoes of your adolescence to form lasting bonds that, with enough time, ferment into resentment. Each of the male leads will, at some point, say a version of the line "He's not really in love with you,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Sundance Film Festival’s Top 10 List
The Sundance Film Festival is celebrating its 40th edition with the 2024 festival running January 18th through 28th in Park City and Salt Lake City. In honor of the milestone event, Sundance called on the filmmaking community to put together a list of the top 10 feature films that have screened at the annual festival.
Over 4,000 feature films have been presented at the festival, and culling that massive list to 10 required the input of 500+ filmmakers, critics, and industry members who shared their personal top 10 lists. Topping the All Time Top 10 Films list is Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, which debuted in 2014. Whiplash, starring J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller, won the Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic and the Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Dramatic at the festival and went on to win three Oscars.
Feature film directing debuts of Steven Soderbergh, Jordan Peele, and Quentin Tarantino were voted onto the list.
The Sundance Film Festival is celebrating its 40th edition with the 2024 festival running January 18th through 28th in Park City and Salt Lake City. In honor of the milestone event, Sundance called on the filmmaking community to put together a list of the top 10 feature films that have screened at the annual festival.
Over 4,000 feature films have been presented at the festival, and culling that massive list to 10 required the input of 500+ filmmakers, critics, and industry members who shared their personal top 10 lists. Topping the All Time Top 10 Films list is Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, which debuted in 2014. Whiplash, starring J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller, won the Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic and the Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Dramatic at the festival and went on to win three Oscars.
Feature film directing debuts of Steven Soderbergh, Jordan Peele, and Quentin Tarantino were voted onto the list.
- 1/16/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
The Sundance Film Festival will be commencing this week. After a preview of the upcoming schedule, this year looks to sport a bevy of AI-themed projects as well as a heavy list of horror films. Sundance will be celebrating its 40th year with a special list of top ten feature films that have been showcased throughout its entire run. These films have been picked by the filmmaking community.
Sundance‘s official press release reads,
“Today, in advance of the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival kicking off on January 18, the nonprofit Sundance Institute is commemorating the four decades of extraordinary independent filmmaking presented at the Festival with the results of a survey taken by the filmmaking communities on their top ten feature films that have screened at the Festival since it began in 1985.
In honor of this milestone Festival, filmmakers, critics, and industry members shared their personal top 10 lists.
Sundance‘s official press release reads,
“Today, in advance of the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival kicking off on January 18, the nonprofit Sundance Institute is commemorating the four decades of extraordinary independent filmmaking presented at the Festival with the results of a survey taken by the filmmaking communities on their top ten feature films that have screened at the Festival since it began in 1985.
In honor of this milestone Festival, filmmakers, critics, and industry members shared their personal top 10 lists.
- 1/16/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
The titles were selected by over 500 industry representatives.
Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash has topped a poll of over 500 film industry representatives selecting their top 10 feature films to have premiered at Sundance Film Festival.
The festival commissioned the poll to commemorate its first four decades of filmmaking, ahead of the festival’s 40th edition, running from January 18-28 in Utah, US.
Scroll down for the all-time Sundance top 10
Filmmakers, critics and industry representatives contributed to the poll, selecting from almost 4,000 feature films to have played at the festival since its first year in 1985.
Chazelle’s second feature Whiplash caused an immediate buzz at the 2014 festival,...
Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash has topped a poll of over 500 film industry representatives selecting their top 10 feature films to have premiered at Sundance Film Festival.
The festival commissioned the poll to commemorate its first four decades of filmmaking, ahead of the festival’s 40th edition, running from January 18-28 in Utah, US.
Scroll down for the all-time Sundance top 10
Filmmakers, critics and industry representatives contributed to the poll, selecting from almost 4,000 feature films to have played at the festival since its first year in 1985.
Chazelle’s second feature Whiplash caused an immediate buzz at the 2014 festival,...
- 1/16/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the iconic Sundance Film Festival, the nonprofit Sundance Institute is looking back on the legacy of films that debuted at the fest.
After surveying more than 500 filmmakers, critics, and industry members, Damien Chazelle’s 2014 debut feature “Whiplash” was awarded the title of top Sundance film of all time. “Whiplash” actor Jk Simmons won the Academy Award for his portrayal of an abusive music teacher opposite Miles Teller. Writer-director Chazelle went on to direct “First Man,” “La La Land,” and “Babylon.”
The Sundance Film Festival since 1985 has premiered 4,000 feature films over the decades. The collective top 10 list of the Sundance Film Festival celebrates films that have “touched hearts and changed lives,” according to the Institute.
While Chazelle’s Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize-winning “Whiplash” landed in the top slot, Joel and Ethan Coen’s directorial debut “Blood Simple,” Alfonso Cuarón’s “Y tu mamá también,...
After surveying more than 500 filmmakers, critics, and industry members, Damien Chazelle’s 2014 debut feature “Whiplash” was awarded the title of top Sundance film of all time. “Whiplash” actor Jk Simmons won the Academy Award for his portrayal of an abusive music teacher opposite Miles Teller. Writer-director Chazelle went on to direct “First Man,” “La La Land,” and “Babylon.”
The Sundance Film Festival since 1985 has premiered 4,000 feature films over the decades. The collective top 10 list of the Sundance Film Festival celebrates films that have “touched hearts and changed lives,” according to the Institute.
While Chazelle’s Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize-winning “Whiplash” landed in the top slot, Joel and Ethan Coen’s directorial debut “Blood Simple,” Alfonso Cuarón’s “Y tu mamá también,...
- 1/16/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
In director Roger Ross Williams’ Cassandro, we first meet Saúl Armendáriz — the real-life luchador portrayed by Gael García Bernal — when he’s still scraping his way through the amateur circuit. He’s got an uphill battle ahead: Not only is he smaller and lighter than most of his brawny opponents, he’s also openly gay and the subject of taunts and jeers from his leotard-clad colleagues.
And then, about 20 minutes in, Cassandro arrives. Armendáriz decides to embrace a new identity as one of lucha libre’s exoticos, extravagant male fighters...
And then, about 20 minutes in, Cassandro arrives. Armendáriz decides to embrace a new identity as one of lucha libre’s exoticos, extravagant male fighters...
- 1/5/2024
- by Julyssa Lopez
- Rollingstone.com
A spin-off for one of Prime Video’s most popular series, The Boys, is reportedly in the works and will be set in Mexico.
As we anxiously, eagerly await for The Boys to return for season 4 sometime in 2024, we have some exciting news. The Boys is set to get yet another spin-off, this time set in Mexico.
The new series would join Gen V and animated series The Boys Presents: Diabolical as the third overall spin-off of The Boys, which has multiple Emmy nominations under its wing. The Boys has been marketed as a sort of alternative take on the usual superhero tale by exposing how superpowered individuals abuse their powers.
The Boys has proved to be a welcome addition to the genre that is mostly dominated by the likes of Marvel and DC. The latest season of The Boys included a moment where a Supe (that’s cool lingo...
As we anxiously, eagerly await for The Boys to return for season 4 sometime in 2024, we have some exciting news. The Boys is set to get yet another spin-off, this time set in Mexico.
The new series would join Gen V and animated series The Boys Presents: Diabolical as the third overall spin-off of The Boys, which has multiple Emmy nominations under its wing. The Boys has been marketed as a sort of alternative take on the usual superhero tale by exposing how superpowered individuals abuse their powers.
The Boys has proved to be a welcome addition to the genre that is mostly dominated by the likes of Marvel and DC. The latest season of The Boys included a moment where a Supe (that’s cool lingo...
- 11/29/2023
- by Maria Lattila
- Film Stories
Fans of the hit series “The Boys” have something exciting to look forward to. A new spinoff titled “The Boys: Mexico” is in the making, and it’s got some big names attached to it. Written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, known for his work on “Blue Beetle” and Sony’s upcoming “El Muerto,” this series promises to expand the universe of “The Boys” in new and exciting ways.
According to Deadline, the project is still in its early stages, with casting underway and the search for a co-showrunner to work alongside Dunnet-Alcocer. What’s really stirring up interest is the involvement of Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal, both of whom are set to executive produce. There’s also a buzz that they might even step in front of the camera for supporting roles.
This isn’t the first time “The Boys” has branched out. After the original show’s success,...
According to Deadline, the project is still in its early stages, with casting underway and the search for a co-showrunner to work alongside Dunnet-Alcocer. What’s really stirring up interest is the involvement of Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal, both of whom are set to executive produce. There’s also a buzz that they might even step in front of the camera for supporting roles.
This isn’t the first time “The Boys” has branched out. After the original show’s success,...
- 11/29/2023
- by Hrvoje Milakovic
- Fiction Horizon
Daniel Radcliffe initially worked with filmmaker Chris Columbus in the first couple of Harry Potter films. The wizard franchise would soon be entrusted in the hands of other directors, which Radcliffe believed was for the best.
Daniel Radcliffe was initially terrified of losing his original ‘Harry Potter’ director Daniel Radcliffe | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
The Harry Potter franchise has recruited several directors to tell its story. Filmmaker Chris Columbus was the first to translate J.K Rowling’s book series to the big screen. After Columbus directed Philosopher’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets, he left the series for Alfonso Cuaron to continue. Harry Potter would change hands again with Mike Newell directing Goblet of Fire. David Yates directed the last four Harry Potter projects.
When Radcliffe first heard about Columbus’ imminent departure, he didn’t take the news well.
“Yeah, I think it was great to be honest with you, because...
Daniel Radcliffe was initially terrified of losing his original ‘Harry Potter’ director Daniel Radcliffe | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
The Harry Potter franchise has recruited several directors to tell its story. Filmmaker Chris Columbus was the first to translate J.K Rowling’s book series to the big screen. After Columbus directed Philosopher’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets, he left the series for Alfonso Cuaron to continue. Harry Potter would change hands again with Mike Newell directing Goblet of Fire. David Yates directed the last four Harry Potter projects.
When Radcliffe first heard about Columbus’ imminent departure, he didn’t take the news well.
“Yeah, I think it was great to be honest with you, because...
- 11/29/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
"The Boys" universe is continuing to expand — and now the franchise is headed to Mexico. That's right! Amazon MGM Studios is now developing another show in the ever-growing universe based on the comic books by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson titled "The Boys: Mexico." While it's still in the very early stages, the show has assembled a pretty impressive team behind the scenes to get the ball rolling.
According to Deadline, Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer is set to write and executive produce the new Mexican-set spin-off. What's more, Gabriel Luna ("Andor") and Gael García Bernal ("Werewolf by Night") are also on board as executive producers and might also appear on screen, though they wouldn't be taking on major roles. Plot details for the series currently remain under wraps but the report states that the series is expected to eventually film in Mexico, rather than in the U.S. or Canada, for example.
According to Deadline, Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer is set to write and executive produce the new Mexican-set spin-off. What's more, Gabriel Luna ("Andor") and Gael García Bernal ("Werewolf by Night") are also on board as executive producers and might also appear on screen, though they wouldn't be taking on major roles. Plot details for the series currently remain under wraps but the report states that the series is expected to eventually film in Mexico, rather than in the U.S. or Canada, for example.
- 11/28/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
The Boys universe is expanding yet again with The Boys: Mexico, a new series offshoot from Blue Beetle writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, Deadline has learned. Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal are set to executive produce and are considering taking on acting roles though neither would be major roles, sources shared exclusively with Deadline.
Details regarding the premise are being kept under wraps.
A search is currently underway for a co-showrunner to join creator, writer and executive producer Dunnet-Alcocer, who is now working on the script. The team behind The Boys: Mexico, which will be shot in the Latin American country, is working on budgets for the new series and they have yet to begin casting, sources said.
The Mexico-set offshoot comes from the main creative auspices behind the other series in The Boys franchise, the mothership’s developer Eric Kripke and his Kripke Enterprises, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Point Grey Pictures,...
Details regarding the premise are being kept under wraps.
A search is currently underway for a co-showrunner to join creator, writer and executive producer Dunnet-Alcocer, who is now working on the script. The team behind The Boys: Mexico, which will be shot in the Latin American country, is working on budgets for the new series and they have yet to begin casting, sources said.
The Mexico-set offshoot comes from the main creative auspices behind the other series in The Boys franchise, the mothership’s developer Eric Kripke and his Kripke Enterprises, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Point Grey Pictures,...
- 11/28/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
A Deadly Invitation is a Mexican mystery thriller movie directed by José Manuel Cravioto. It stars Maribel Verdú, Stephanie Cayo, and Manolo Cardona. The film is based on the novel “Invitación a un Asesinato” by best-selling author Carmen Posadas.
The film follows Agatha, a true crime podcast host who is invited to a gathering at her sister’s, Olivia’s, luxurious yacht for a weekend getaway together with a group of her closest friends. The reason for the gathering is unknown to all. As the guests arrive on the yacht, tensions begin to rise culminating in… a murder.
A Deadly Invitation A Quick Review
If you are into Agatha Christie, and however many film and series adaptations of her novels have been produced over time, I recommend this movie.
It follows close to the exact same patterns, and production style as A Knives Out Mystery (2019); a contemporary multi-character murder mystery...
The film follows Agatha, a true crime podcast host who is invited to a gathering at her sister’s, Olivia’s, luxurious yacht for a weekend getaway together with a group of her closest friends. The reason for the gathering is unknown to all. As the guests arrive on the yacht, tensions begin to rise culminating in… a murder.
A Deadly Invitation A Quick Review
If you are into Agatha Christie, and however many film and series adaptations of her novels have been produced over time, I recommend this movie.
It follows close to the exact same patterns, and production style as A Knives Out Mystery (2019); a contemporary multi-character murder mystery...
- 10/6/2023
- by Veronica Loop
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Academy Award-winning director Alfonso Cuarón is set to helm his next project, ‘Jane’, a biographical drama about the life and relationship of science fiction writer Philip K. Dick and his twin sister Jane, who died shortly after birth. The film, which will star Charlize Theron as Jane, is based on a script by Dick’s daughter Isa Hackett, who will also produce the film along with Cuarón and Theron12
‘Jane’ is described as “a moving, suspenseful and darkly humorous story about a woman’s unique relationship with her brilliant, but troubled twin, who also happens to be the celebrated novelist Philip K. Dick. While attempting to rescue her brother from predicaments both real and imagined, Jane plunges deeper and deeper into a fascinating world of his creation.” 3
Roma Trailer
Philip K. Dick, who died in 1982 at the age of 53, was one of the most influential and prolific science fiction authors of the 20th century.
‘Jane’ is described as “a moving, suspenseful and darkly humorous story about a woman’s unique relationship with her brilliant, but troubled twin, who also happens to be the celebrated novelist Philip K. Dick. While attempting to rescue her brother from predicaments both real and imagined, Jane plunges deeper and deeper into a fascinating world of his creation.” 3
Roma Trailer
Philip K. Dick, who died in 1982 at the age of 53, was one of the most influential and prolific science fiction authors of the 20th century.
- 10/3/2023
- by CineArticles Editorial Team
- https://thecinemanews.online/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_4649
Let’s talk about that electric spark that lights up the screen, that magnetic pull that draws us into a world of desire and passion.
Yes, I’m talking about those movies that don’t just tell a story but ignite something deep within us – the sexiest movies that have set hearts racing and left us breathless.
From smoldering glances to scorching encounters, these films turn up the heat and leave an indelible mark on our cinematic journey.
Get ready to immerse yourself in a mix of steamy moments, complex relationships, and stories that prove that sometimes, the sexiest thing of all is the connection between characters.
Ready? Let’s dive in!
My Exploration of Cinematic Seduction
As someone who’s always been fascinated by the power of storytelling, I can’t deny the allure of a film that knows how to play with desire.
Whether it’s the lingering...
Yes, I’m talking about those movies that don’t just tell a story but ignite something deep within us – the sexiest movies that have set hearts racing and left us breathless.
From smoldering glances to scorching encounters, these films turn up the heat and leave an indelible mark on our cinematic journey.
Get ready to immerse yourself in a mix of steamy moments, complex relationships, and stories that prove that sometimes, the sexiest thing of all is the connection between characters.
Ready? Let’s dive in!
My Exploration of Cinematic Seduction
As someone who’s always been fascinated by the power of storytelling, I can’t deny the allure of a film that knows how to play with desire.
Whether it’s the lingering...
- 9/25/2023
- by Pia Vermaak
- buddytv.com
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was a transitional film for the franchise. The young cast, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, were getting older, and the kid’s movie style of the first two movies would have to be abandoned to reflect an aging cast and fanbase. It helped that J.K Rowling’s book, which introduced fan favorite Sirius Black (to be played by Gary Oldman), was notably darker than the previous volumes.
To that end, Chris Columbus stepped aside as director, and Warner Bros brought in Alfonso Cuarón. While he’s nearly a household name now, at the time, Cuaron was only known for the well-regarded family film A Little Princess and Y tu mamá también. In the end, he proved to be an inspired choice, with many lauding the film as one of the franchise’s best instalments and a high watermark for the movies to follow.
To that end, Chris Columbus stepped aside as director, and Warner Bros brought in Alfonso Cuarón. While he’s nearly a household name now, at the time, Cuaron was only known for the well-regarded family film A Little Princess and Y tu mamá también. In the end, he proved to be an inspired choice, with many lauding the film as one of the franchise’s best instalments and a high watermark for the movies to follow.
- 9/21/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
For a movie that fits firmly in the dystopian sci-fi genre, Alfonso Cuarón's 2006 film "Children of Men" makes for one of the most truly terrifying films ever. In a world where infertility has been the law of the land for eighteen years and resources have dwindled, humanity has turned on itself. It's like the grimmest of '70s science fiction films, only made by a master filmmaker at the peak of his powers. While it might have taken a tragedy for him to become committed to the film, his passion is evident in every frame.
More than anything out of the ordinary, the movie's vision of London looks distressingly normal, with office workers attending to business as usual despite chaos and bombings. As a television PSA seen early on notes, "Only Britain Soldiers On." The movie opens with the death of an 18-year-old, the world's youngest person. And things...
More than anything out of the ordinary, the movie's vision of London looks distressingly normal, with office workers attending to business as usual despite chaos and bombings. As a television PSA seen early on notes, "Only Britain Soldiers On." The movie opens with the death of an 18-year-old, the world's youngest person. And things...
- 9/4/2023
- by Anthony Crislip
- Slash Film
Mexican novelist, screenwriter and occasional director Guillermo Arriaga made his name in the film realm penning multi-threaded dramas about the ripple effects of tragic incidents. “Amores Perros” and “Babel” stand out among them. Now the scribe’s cinematic legacy turns into a family affair with his children Mariana and Santiago Arriaga making their feature directorial debut via a searing coming-of-age road trip movie their father wrote.
But don’t expect the breezy sexiness of something like Alfonso Cuarón’s “Y Tu Mamá También.” Despite featuring adolescent protagonists, this journey into maturity holds major emotional stakes but few flutters of careless abandon. As is common in Arriaga’s scripts, the tale finds its potency in the intricate moral grays of the human condition, here portrayed through a collection of strikingly incisive performances by the young cast.
Set in early 1990s Mexico, “Upon Open Sky” begins on an empty desert highway. Twelve-year-old...
But don’t expect the breezy sexiness of something like Alfonso Cuarón’s “Y Tu Mamá También.” Despite featuring adolescent protagonists, this journey into maturity holds major emotional stakes but few flutters of careless abandon. As is common in Arriaga’s scripts, the tale finds its potency in the intricate moral grays of the human condition, here portrayed through a collection of strikingly incisive performances by the young cast.
Set in early 1990s Mexico, “Upon Open Sky” begins on an empty desert highway. Twelve-year-old...
- 8/31/2023
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Variety Film + TV
:When it comes to teen coming-of-age movies, the premise of Hulu's "Miguel Wants to Fight" sounds pretty formulaic. Our hero Miguel wants to get into a fight before moving out of town and is helped by his group of loyal friends. Think "American Pie" but violence - rather than sex.
Director Oz Rodriguez's "Miguel Wants to Fight" is about trying to fit yourself into the mold society says you should be in. In this particular case, it's a physically aggressive male, which isn't true to who our protagonist is.
"This kid lives in a town where fighting is a big deal. Where boxing is a huge deal and his dad is a fighter," Rodriguez tells Popsugar, "Miguel would rather not. He just wants to watch movies and watch dudes beat up themselves."
Still, that's where Miguel finds himself, butting up against cultural norms that can be pretty limiting for Latino boys.
Director Oz Rodriguez's "Miguel Wants to Fight" is about trying to fit yourself into the mold society says you should be in. In this particular case, it's a physically aggressive male, which isn't true to who our protagonist is.
"This kid lives in a town where fighting is a big deal. Where boxing is a huge deal and his dad is a fighter," Rodriguez tells Popsugar, "Miguel would rather not. He just wants to watch movies and watch dudes beat up themselves."
Still, that's where Miguel finds himself, butting up against cultural norms that can be pretty limiting for Latino boys.
- 8/21/2023
- by Cristina Escobar
- Popsugar.com
The second TelevisaUnivision movie from Salma Hayek Pinault’s Ventanarosa Productions will get its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
El Sabor de la Navidad (working title A Merry Mexican Christmas) will bow Sept. 13 as part of TIFF’s special presentations program before becoming available on the Spanish-language streaming platform ViX in November.
In the tradition of many holiday classics, El Sabor de la Navidad will follow three storylines that inevitably converge in the third act. All set in Mexico City during Christmastime, the first story follows an estranged daughter seeking reconciliation with her family; the second spotlights two rival Santa Clauses in Alameda Central Park; and the third features a lonely chef who cooks Christmas dinners for other families catching feelings for her assistant.
The romantic comedy stars Mariana Treviño (A Man Called Otto, House of Flowers), Andrés Almeida (Y tu mamá también, Ana), Armando Hernández (Blood of My Blood,...
El Sabor de la Navidad (working title A Merry Mexican Christmas) will bow Sept. 13 as part of TIFF’s special presentations program before becoming available on the Spanish-language streaming platform ViX in November.
In the tradition of many holiday classics, El Sabor de la Navidad will follow three storylines that inevitably converge in the third act. All set in Mexico City during Christmastime, the first story follows an estranged daughter seeking reconciliation with her family; the second spotlights two rival Santa Clauses in Alameda Central Park; and the third features a lonely chef who cooks Christmas dinners for other families catching feelings for her assistant.
The romantic comedy stars Mariana Treviño (A Man Called Otto, House of Flowers), Andrés Almeida (Y tu mamá también, Ana), Armando Hernández (Blood of My Blood,...
- 8/10/2023
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
What makes a sex scene sexy? More to the point, what makes a sex scene good? That’s become an especially thorny question in recent years, with detailed accounts of what goes on behind the scenes of movies we love complicating our relationship with their most memorable moments. And though we’re ever so slowly moving away from the male gaze serving as the default perspective on love, sex, and everything between, there’s still a long way to go.
That is, if sex scenes still appear in movies at all. They do, but with greater infrequency, certainly in Hollywood studio productions. Though many think-pieces have been written about “the death of the sex scene” there’s still been a lot to celebrate over the last 23 years. A number of sex-positive, LGBTQ-friendly, and otherwise forward-thinking filmmakers have directed scenes that are as steamy as they are moving. There’s nothing...
That is, if sex scenes still appear in movies at all. They do, but with greater infrequency, certainly in Hollywood studio productions. Though many think-pieces have been written about “the death of the sex scene” there’s still been a lot to celebrate over the last 23 years. A number of sex-positive, LGBTQ-friendly, and otherwise forward-thinking filmmakers have directed scenes that are as steamy as they are moving. There’s nothing...
- 7/20/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio, Christian Zilko and Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Congressman Joaquin Castro and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have launched a nationwide call for Latino films to nominate for the National Film Registry.
The U.S.’s preeminent archive of films with cultural, historic or aesthetic significance is essential in preserving cinema. Every year, the Librarian of Congress adds 25 new movies to the registry after reviewing titles nominated by the public and conferring with National Film Preservation Board members and Library film curators. As of 2023, there are 24 Latino films on the National Film Registry, less than three percent of the 850 movies in the registry.
“Since the earliest days of cinema, Latino actors, writers, directors, and creatives have made extraordinary contributions to American filmmaking,” said Congressman Castro. “As the Library of Congress works to preserve the films that shaped American culture, public nominations will put a spotlight on the Latino-driven films that have sold out theaters and defined generations.
The U.S.’s preeminent archive of films with cultural, historic or aesthetic significance is essential in preserving cinema. Every year, the Librarian of Congress adds 25 new movies to the registry after reviewing titles nominated by the public and conferring with National Film Preservation Board members and Library film curators. As of 2023, there are 24 Latino films on the National Film Registry, less than three percent of the 850 movies in the registry.
“Since the earliest days of cinema, Latino actors, writers, directors, and creatives have made extraordinary contributions to American filmmaking,” said Congressman Castro. “As the Library of Congress works to preserve the films that shaped American culture, public nominations will put a spotlight on the Latino-driven films that have sold out theaters and defined generations.
- 7/18/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The year 2001 was a remarkable year for cinema, with many diverse and innovative films that challenged, entertained, and inspired audiences. It can be considered as one of the best years in film history, with masterpieces from acclaimed directors such as David Lynch, Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott, Steven Soderbergh, and more. From fantasy to thriller, from comedy to drama, from animation to live-action, 2001 had something for everyone. In this article, we will explore some of the best movies of 2001, ranked according to their ratings and reviews. Let’s dive into each film and see what makes them so special.
10. Donnie Darko Donnie Darko Trailer
Donnie Darko is a cult classic that defies easy categorization. It is a dark and surreal tale of a troubled teenager who has visions of a mysterious rabbit named Frank, who tells him that the world will end in 28 days. The film mixes elements of science fiction,...
10. Donnie Darko Donnie Darko Trailer
Donnie Darko is a cult classic that defies easy categorization. It is a dark and surreal tale of a troubled teenager who has visions of a mysterious rabbit named Frank, who tells him that the world will end in 28 days. The film mixes elements of science fiction,...
- 7/14/2023
- by amalprasadappu
- https://thecinemanews.online/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_4649
Hayden Christensen and Diego Luna have never met, but as Christensen puts it, they’ve occupied the “same galaxy” for years. Christensen rocketed from teenage obscurity in Canada when George Lucas cast him as Anakin Skywalker for 2002’s “Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones” and 2005’s “Revenge of the Sith,” which chronicled the young Jedi’s transformation into the iconic villain Darth Vader. The Mexican-born Luna — who rose to prominence in Alfonso Cuarón’s 2001 coming-of-age masterpiece “Y tu mamá también” — joined “Star Wars” for 2016’s “Rogue One,” a prequel about the band of rebel spies, led by Luna’s Cassian Andor, that steal the plans for the Death Star.
Both men thought their “Star Wars” journeys ended with those films — in Luna’s case, because his character dies — but it turns out they were merely frozen in carbonite. Christensen, 42, returned last year as both Anakin and Vader...
Both men thought their “Star Wars” journeys ended with those films — in Luna’s case, because his character dies — but it turns out they were merely frozen in carbonite. Christensen, 42, returned last year as both Anakin and Vader...
- 6/8/2023
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
The nominations for the Emmys are still weeks away. But there’s growing excitement in the Latino community as multiple lead actors continue to look well-positioned to receive deserved recognition.
Two of the top contenders in the lead drama actor race — Pedro Pascal as the hardened survivor Joel from HBO’s apocalyptic video game adaptation “The Last of Us” and Diego Luna as the rebel hero Cassian in the “Star Wars” prequel series “Andor” from Disney+ — are Latino and star in buzzy sci-fi and fantasy series.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Emmy predictions in all categories.
Only one Latino actor has been recognized in the lead drama actor category in the past: From 1995-1999, Jimmy Smits received five consecutive noms for his role as Det. Bobby Simone on ABC’s “NYPD Blue.” Coincidentally, Pascal appeared as a guest on a 2001 episode.
Jumping seamlessly between film and television,...
Two of the top contenders in the lead drama actor race — Pedro Pascal as the hardened survivor Joel from HBO’s apocalyptic video game adaptation “The Last of Us” and Diego Luna as the rebel hero Cassian in the “Star Wars” prequel series “Andor” from Disney+ — are Latino and star in buzzy sci-fi and fantasy series.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Emmy predictions in all categories.
Only one Latino actor has been recognized in the lead drama actor category in the past: From 1995-1999, Jimmy Smits received five consecutive noms for his role as Det. Bobby Simone on ABC’s “NYPD Blue.” Coincidentally, Pascal appeared as a guest on a 2001 episode.
Jumping seamlessly between film and television,...
- 6/3/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
When childhood friends Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna starred in the steamy Mexican drama “Y tu mamá también” in 2002, they spent a year traveling the globe, attracting Hollywood attention and dreaming of the future. “We were always fantasizing about what’s next,” said Luna, now 43, in a Zoom interview from his home in Madrid. “We hoped one day we could own a soccer team. That hasn’t happened. But everything else, we managed to achieve.”
Those plans included starting their own production company and a film festival (the itinerant documentary festival Ambulante). They didn’t, however, have anything to do with “Star Wars” or superhero movies.
Yet with Luna starring in the Disney+ “Star Wars” spin-off “Andor” in the same year that García Bernal makes his MCU debut in the Disney+ medium-length feature “Werewolf by Night,” they have arrived at a turning point on their winding journey through popular...
Those plans included starting their own production company and a film festival (the itinerant documentary festival Ambulante). They didn’t, however, have anything to do with “Star Wars” or superhero movies.
Yet with Luna starring in the Disney+ “Star Wars” spin-off “Andor” in the same year that García Bernal makes his MCU debut in the Disney+ medium-length feature “Werewolf by Night,” they have arrived at a turning point on their winding journey through popular...
- 5/5/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
The technology of cinematography has undergone some of the most seismic shifts in film history this century, with what began in the 2000s as an almost entirely photochemical process transforming into the digitally captured, manipulated, and projected images of today. The art of cinematography, however — using light, color, and texture to express ideas and elicit emotional reactions from the audience — remains intact.
In 2017, IndieWire made a list of the best shot feature films of the century thus far; the list was updated in 2020, and what follows is the third and most extensive version of the list. It’s also the first to be spearheaded by the IndieWire Craft team, which has grown considerably since this list was first published. Ranking cinematography is, in some ways, a fool’s errand given the broad variety of genres, resources, and intentions encompassed by the films below, but these are 60 titles that IndieWire believes...
In 2017, IndieWire made a list of the best shot feature films of the century thus far; the list was updated in 2020, and what follows is the third and most extensive version of the list. It’s also the first to be spearheaded by the IndieWire Craft team, which has grown considerably since this list was first published. Ranking cinematography is, in some ways, a fool’s errand given the broad variety of genres, resources, and intentions encompassed by the films below, but these are 60 titles that IndieWire believes...
- 5/3/2023
- by Jim Hemphill, Chris O'Falt, Bill Desowitz and Sarah Shachat
- Indiewire
Mother’s Day is on the horizon, and it’s natural to celebrate those who give their all to their families. Mothers like Sarah Connor, Ripley, and Charlie Baltimore carry on the tradition of action heroines that are lionesses protecting their cubs from the threats of predators. Jennifer Lopez seeks to join the badass mothers with her new action thriller, The Mother. Netflix has just dropped the trailer showcasing Lopez’s new physical prowess to take down all comers threatening to hurt her daughter to get to her.
The official synopsis from Netflix reads,
A deadly female assassin comes out of hiding to protect the daughter that she gave up years before, while on the run from dangerous men.
The cast includes Lopez as the titular Mother. Lucy Paez, from films Silencio andThe Exorcism of Carmen Farias, plays Zoe, the Mother’s 12-year-old daughter. Omari Hardwick, known for Kick-Ass,...
The official synopsis from Netflix reads,
A deadly female assassin comes out of hiding to protect the daughter that she gave up years before, while on the run from dangerous men.
The cast includes Lopez as the titular Mother. Lucy Paez, from films Silencio andThe Exorcism of Carmen Farias, plays Zoe, the Mother’s 12-year-old daughter. Omari Hardwick, known for Kick-Ass,...
- 4/11/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Diego Luna Is Grateful ‘Andor’ Will End After Season 2: It’s ‘Really Important for My Mental Health’
When your day job is spent plotting a rebellion in a galaxy far, far away, it helps to have something that can bring you back down to Earth — or whatever planet you call home.
When he’s not the Empire’s most wanted on Disney+’s “Andor,” Diego Luna grounds himself by returning to the theater. He grew up going with his father, and it has been the constant of his career.
“In a way, it has kept me sane,” says the actor after a long day on the London set of “Andor” Season 2. “Theater is a great way to go back and put your feet on the ground and remind you what this is all about.”
In between production on seasons 1 and 2, he spent two months on a Madrid stage leading “Cada vez nos despedimos major,” a monologue that only featured himself, a musician and three lamps. It was...
When he’s not the Empire’s most wanted on Disney+’s “Andor,” Diego Luna grounds himself by returning to the theater. He grew up going with his father, and it has been the constant of his career.
“In a way, it has kept me sane,” says the actor after a long day on the London set of “Andor” Season 2. “Theater is a great way to go back and put your feet on the ground and remind you what this is all about.”
In between production on seasons 1 and 2, he spent two months on a Madrid stage leading “Cada vez nos despedimos major,” a monologue that only featured himself, a musician and three lamps. It was...
- 3/4/2023
- by Hunter Ingram
- Variety Film + TV
Alfonso Cuarón is the kind of auteur who is incredibly selective about projects he associates with. After the unexpected mainstream success of "Y tu mamá también," Cuarón was inundated with Hollywood screenplays, but the director was extremely wary of being sucked into the soulless aspects of the industry machine. So, when Cuarón received a screenplay for P.D. James' sci-fi dystopian novel "The Children of Men," he instantly recognized the merits of translating such a hard-hitting story into film, but was not completely sold on the appeal of its bleak, apocalyptic premise. After working on other projects, Cuarón and screenwriter Timothy J. Sexton circled back to the novel's screenplay, as they were finally ready to commit to bringing its realistic dystopia to life. The result was the brilliantly crafted "Children of Men," which serves as a timeless cautionary tale about the disintegration of human civilization.
Although critically lauded, "Children of Men" was a commercial failure,...
Although critically lauded, "Children of Men" was a commercial failure,...
- 2/26/2023
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Mexico’s Yalitza Aparicio, Oscar nominated for her career-launching turn in Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma,” and Infinity Hill, producers of the Oscar-nominated Argentine drama “Argentina 1985,” have boarded sweatshop thriller “City of Dreams” (previously titled “Dreamer”) as executive producers.
The drama features a stellar cast that includes Golden Globe nominee Diego Calva (“Babylon”), Chile’s Alfredo Castro (“From Afar”), Mexico’s Paulina Gaitán (“Narcos”) and Jason Patric (“The Lost Boys”).
The directorial feature debut of helmer-scribe Mohit Ramchandani, “City of Dreams” is produced by Mexican filmmaker Luis Mandoki (“Innocent Voices), Jon Graham (“The Vault”) and Kyle Stroud (“In Full Bloom”).
Drama will have its world premiere at the Mammoth Film Festival where it closes the event on Sunday, March 5.
Inspired by the 1995 El Monte California sweatshop raid, “…Dreams” follows a young Mexican boy who aspires to become a soccer star. His dreams are upended when he’s smuggled across the...
The drama features a stellar cast that includes Golden Globe nominee Diego Calva (“Babylon”), Chile’s Alfredo Castro (“From Afar”), Mexico’s Paulina Gaitán (“Narcos”) and Jason Patric (“The Lost Boys”).
The directorial feature debut of helmer-scribe Mohit Ramchandani, “City of Dreams” is produced by Mexican filmmaker Luis Mandoki (“Innocent Voices), Jon Graham (“The Vault”) and Kyle Stroud (“In Full Bloom”).
Drama will have its world premiere at the Mammoth Film Festival where it closes the event on Sunday, March 5.
Inspired by the 1995 El Monte California sweatshop raid, “…Dreams” follows a young Mexican boy who aspires to become a soccer star. His dreams are upended when he’s smuggled across the...
- 2/22/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
German production outfit Mmc Studios (“Amelie”) is backing romanic drama “Dear Eszter,” from writer/director Alex Balassa.
Bastian Griese and Lucas Hamacher will produce the film for Mmc Studios in Cologne, alongside Balassa.
The film’s co-producers include Peter Seres (“World War Z”) at Hungary’s Punk Films, as well as Ondrej Beranek (“The Chronicles of Narnia”) from the Czech Republic’s Blindspot Capital.
Two of Chile’s foremost TV producers, Maria Elena Wood (“Locas Mujeres”) and Patricio Pereira from Maria Wood Producciones (Mew), serve as executive producers.
Said Wood: “We are delighted that Sebastian Griese and Mmc are joining the project from Germany.”
Balassa and partner Marisol Mijares are producing through the Balassa Films (“Sweet Little Lies”) shingle. Balassa will direct from a script that he co-wrote with a number of writers, including Mijares, Mexico’s Alejandro Orozco, and Mario P. Székely (“And Your Mother Too”).
Based on the story of his grandmother,...
Bastian Griese and Lucas Hamacher will produce the film for Mmc Studios in Cologne, alongside Balassa.
The film’s co-producers include Peter Seres (“World War Z”) at Hungary’s Punk Films, as well as Ondrej Beranek (“The Chronicles of Narnia”) from the Czech Republic’s Blindspot Capital.
Two of Chile’s foremost TV producers, Maria Elena Wood (“Locas Mujeres”) and Patricio Pereira from Maria Wood Producciones (Mew), serve as executive producers.
Said Wood: “We are delighted that Sebastian Griese and Mmc are joining the project from Germany.”
Balassa and partner Marisol Mijares are producing through the Balassa Films (“Sweet Little Lies”) shingle. Balassa will direct from a script that he co-wrote with a number of writers, including Mijares, Mexico’s Alejandro Orozco, and Mario P. Székely (“And Your Mother Too”).
Based on the story of his grandmother,...
- 2/21/2023
- by Liza Foreman
- Variety Film + TV
It may feel like throuples are a distinctly modern romantic arrangement – but this couldn’t be further from the case.
In fact, consensual non-monogamy, such as a ménage à trois, goes back centuries. It can even be found in the bible.
Recently, David Haye has been the subject of speculation surrounding his private life, with fans claiming that the ex-boxer is in a three-way relationship with model Sian Osborne and The Saturdays singer Una Healy.
On Valentine’s Day, Haye appeared to confirm the rumours, with Healy also sharing a coy message on Instagram alluding to the relationship.
When it comes to depictions of polyamorous relationships in film and TV, good examples have traditionally been few and far between.
But that’s not to say there haven’t been any – from pre-code classics to modern indie dramas, there are plenty of films and TV series which place the spotlight on...
In fact, consensual non-monogamy, such as a ménage à trois, goes back centuries. It can even be found in the bible.
Recently, David Haye has been the subject of speculation surrounding his private life, with fans claiming that the ex-boxer is in a three-way relationship with model Sian Osborne and The Saturdays singer Una Healy.
On Valentine’s Day, Haye appeared to confirm the rumours, with Healy also sharing a coy message on Instagram alluding to the relationship.
When it comes to depictions of polyamorous relationships in film and TV, good examples have traditionally been few and far between.
But that’s not to say there haven’t been any – from pre-code classics to modern indie dramas, there are plenty of films and TV series which place the spotlight on...
- 2/15/2023
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
Warner Bros. has debuted the full trailer and Superbowl TV spot for DC offering ‘The Flash’.
Worlds collide when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?
The ensemble includes Ezra Miller, rising star Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú,...
Worlds collide when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?
The ensemble includes Ezra Miller, rising star Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú,...
- 2/13/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
In 2016, documentarian Roger Ross Williams made a short film about Saúl Armendáriz, an American-born, openly gay wrestler known as Cassandro, who was nicknamed the "Liberace of Lucha Libre." Seven years later, Williams explores the same subject in his first scripted feature "Cassandro," this time with "Y tu mamá también" and "Werewolf By Night" actor Gael García Bernal in the lead role. The result is a steadily entertaining character piece, full of impressive lucha libre sequences and anchored by a strong lead performance from García Bernal.
As the movie opens, Saúl prepares to wrestle in a makeshift ring in an auto parts shop in Juárez, Mexico. His Lucha Libre character is El Topo, a boring henchman who gets pummeled by Gigántico, the brutish local favorite. Saúl likes his work but yearns for better storylines and more exciting matches. Gigántico, he says, has "no poetry," no sense of showmanship. He wants to...
As the movie opens, Saúl prepares to wrestle in a makeshift ring in an auto parts shop in Juárez, Mexico. His Lucha Libre character is El Topo, a boring henchman who gets pummeled by Gigántico, the brutish local favorite. Saúl likes his work but yearns for better storylines and more exciting matches. Gigántico, he says, has "no poetry," no sense of showmanship. He wants to...
- 1/24/2023
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
An emotional scene unfolded inside Park City’s Ray Theatre on Friday evening ahead of the world premiere of Cassandro.
The Sundance Film Festival selection from Prime Video marks the narrative feature debut of acclaimed documentarian Roger Ross Williams and casts Gael García Bernal in the title role as Saúl Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso who rises to international stardom after he creates the character Cassandro, aka the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.”
Armendáriz turned up to the premiere in a flashy ensemble fit for both the ring and the red carpet — a multi-colored leotard, bedazzled tights and a blue satin jacket with dramatic train. Armendáriz, who suffered a stroke that has left him with limited movement on one side of his body and the ability to only string together short sentences, was overjoyed and clearly emotional upon seeing Bernal and the filmmaker.
Emotional moment here at Cassandro...
The Sundance Film Festival selection from Prime Video marks the narrative feature debut of acclaimed documentarian Roger Ross Williams and casts Gael García Bernal in the title role as Saúl Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso who rises to international stardom after he creates the character Cassandro, aka the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.”
Armendáriz turned up to the premiere in a flashy ensemble fit for both the ring and the red carpet — a multi-colored leotard, bedazzled tights and a blue satin jacket with dramatic train. Armendáriz, who suffered a stroke that has left him with limited movement on one side of his body and the ability to only string together short sentences, was overjoyed and clearly emotional upon seeing Bernal and the filmmaker.
Emotional moment here at Cassandro...
- 1/21/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Based on a true story, “Cassandro” is the best possible vehicle for its star Gael García Bernal, who gives an extraordinarily physical performance as Saúl Armendáriz, a scrappy gay outsider who enters the strange world of Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling.
In the first scenes, where we see Armendáriz competing under the name El Topo, director Roger Ross Williams — the documentarian behind “The Apollo” and “God Loves Uganda” making his fiction-film debut here — confidently and swiftly sketches in a milieu in which homoeroticism and fear of homosexuality are in some peculiar kind of headlock with each other.
Armendáriz takes taunts from hulking wrestlers backstage and dishes them right back, and out in the ring his preordained defeat at the hands of his brawny opponent is so sexually charged that the homoeroticism isn’t subtext; it is practically text. “El Topo bites the pillow!” his opponent cries, and the crowd roars its approval.
In the first scenes, where we see Armendáriz competing under the name El Topo, director Roger Ross Williams — the documentarian behind “The Apollo” and “God Loves Uganda” making his fiction-film debut here — confidently and swiftly sketches in a milieu in which homoeroticism and fear of homosexuality are in some peculiar kind of headlock with each other.
Armendáriz takes taunts from hulking wrestlers backstage and dishes them right back, and out in the ring his preordained defeat at the hands of his brawny opponent is so sexually charged that the homoeroticism isn’t subtext; it is practically text. “El Topo bites the pillow!” his opponent cries, and the crowd roars its approval.
- 1/21/2023
- by Dan Callahan
- The Wrap
Gael García Bernal first confronted the challenge of playing a queer character more than 20 years ago, when he and Diego Luna established themselves as the co-stars of Alfonso Cuarón’s “Y Tu Mama Tambien.” That movie revolves around two close friends whose seemingly platonic bond leads to an erotic climax.
“There was this thing that we kept saying,” García said in a recent phone interview. “If you scratch the surface, what’s really behind the macho guy? A man that loves other men.”
The 44-year-old actor confronts that duality from a new perspective in “Cassandro,” the performance name of real-life gay Lucha libre wrestler Saúl Armendáriz. The El Paso native became a cultural phenomenon in the ’80s when he constructed the persona of Cassandro, a variation of a flamboyant luchador. Known as exóticos in the world of the ring, these characters reduced their sexuality to a villainous cartoon — but Cassandro flaunted his.
“There was this thing that we kept saying,” García said in a recent phone interview. “If you scratch the surface, what’s really behind the macho guy? A man that loves other men.”
The 44-year-old actor confronts that duality from a new perspective in “Cassandro,” the performance name of real-life gay Lucha libre wrestler Saúl Armendáriz. The El Paso native became a cultural phenomenon in the ’80s when he constructed the persona of Cassandro, a variation of a flamboyant luchador. Known as exóticos in the world of the ring, these characters reduced their sexuality to a villainous cartoon — but Cassandro flaunted his.
- 1/19/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
The guests on this episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast — Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro González Iñárritu, also known as “The Three Amigos” — have each previously appeared on the podcast individually, but this conversation is one of the few times they have been interviewed together. All are remarkable filmmakers who were born in Mexico in the early 1960s, became friends and consultants on each other’s work around the turn of the century and helped to usher in the “New Golden Age of Mexican Cinema” in which we now live.
This trio has been doing outstanding work for decades, going back as far as del Toro’s 1993 film Cronos, Inarritu’s 2000 film Amores Perros and Cuaron’s 2001 film Y Tu Mama Tambien. But they shot to a new degree of fame in 2006, when they each had a breakthrough film in Oscar contention — Cuarón with Children of Men,...
This trio has been doing outstanding work for decades, going back as far as del Toro’s 1993 film Cronos, Inarritu’s 2000 film Amores Perros and Cuaron’s 2001 film Y Tu Mama Tambien. But they shot to a new degree of fame in 2006, when they each had a breakthrough film in Oscar contention — Cuarón with Children of Men,...
- 1/15/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The last time Mexican filmmakers Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro, and Alejandro G. Iñárritu released three new movies in the space of the same year was 2006. By then, their reputations at home had been established by early successes like Y tu mamá también (Cuarón), The Devil’s Backbone (del Toro) and Amores Perros (Iñárritu) and they had each worked in the U.S., with del Toro and Cuarón stepping into blockbuster cinema with Hellboy and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban respectively, and Iñárritu directing Sean Penn and Naomi Watts to Oscar nominations with 21 Grams.
When they donned tuxedos to celebrate the 79th Academy Awards together on February 25, 2007, “The Three Amigos,” as they’d been dubbed, might have considered the evening a high watermark in their respective careers. Iñárritu had been Best Director and Best Picture nominated for Babel; Del Toro had a nod for his Original Screenplay for Pan...
When they donned tuxedos to celebrate the 79th Academy Awards together on February 25, 2007, “The Three Amigos,” as they’d been dubbed, might have considered the evening a high watermark in their respective careers. Iñárritu had been Best Director and Best Picture nominated for Babel; Del Toro had a nod for his Original Screenplay for Pan...
- 1/11/2023
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
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