Har’el is set to direct Walter Tevis’ science fiction classic “Mockingbird” for Searchlight Pictures, which is planning a theatrical release for the film. “Mockingbird” is set in a world without art, children, or books where the human population relies on a love triangle between an android, a man, and a woman. The novel was nominated for the prestigious literary Nebula Award. “I’ll never forget the first time I read ‘Mockingbird’ on the shore of the Sinai peninsula in Egypt when I was 24 years old,” Har’el said....

But the announcement also included that the theater chains will continue to enforce the COVID-19 safety measures already in place, such as reduced capacity and social distancing, and sanitization practices. “Consistent with the latest CDC guidance and following consultation with public health experts, AMC Theatres guests who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear face coverings at AMC locations, unless it is mandated by state or local ordinances,” an AMC representative said in a statement....

But no one was prepared for his star power that broke out of Baz Luhrmann’s musical biopic “Elvis” (Warner Bros.). Before the movie opened last June, Luhrmann and others were nervous about the younger-audience interest in the King of Rock ‘n Roll, who died in 1977. As it turned out, young moviegoers helped boost the movie to over $286 million worldwide — thanks to Butler. The California-born actor’s “Elvis” origin myth is well-established: the obsessive prep before Butler landed the role over Harry Styles and Miles Teller, sending a video of himself crying over the loss of his mother (to cancer, in 2014) as he sang “Unchained Melody,” learning how to croon as Young Elvis, collapsing when the movie was over....

Ia Sukhitashvili plays Yana, the wife of a community leader who faces hostility after the attack, and the intrusion of a detective in her life who brings with him harrowing consequences. The film is set within a sleepy town of Jehovah’s Witnesses who provide an unsettling backdrop to Yana’s crisis, powerfully portrayed by Sukhitashvili. The film boasts 35mm cinematography and plenty of long, isolating takes, which make for a challenging but altogether hypnotic experience sure to enthrall arthouse filmgoers — and one that surely brings to mind the works of Michael Haneke, albeit with a more spiritual edge....

Chastain’s performance (and makeup) as a notorious televangelist in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” (Searchlight), is picking up Oscar buzz. Michael Showalter’s long-delayed marital dramedy will make its world premiere at TIFF. 2021 Oscar-winners Sir Anthony Hopkins (Sony Pictures Classics’ “The Father”) and Chloé Zhao (Searchlight’s “Nomadland”) and nominated composer Terence Blanchard (Netflix’s “Da 5 Bloods”) all launched their Oscar campaigns at TIFF’s second annual Tribute Awards fundraiser. The year before, TIFF’s first Awards Gala honored eventual Oscar winners Taika Waititi (“Jojo Rabbit”) and Joaquin Phoenix (“The Joker”)....

If you’re a fan of ‘80s cinema, you’ve seen at least one Richard Donner movie. The Bronx-born director, who died July 5 at the age of 91, got his start directing off-Broadway plays and TV shows before transitioning into film. After working on “The Twilight Zone,” “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” “Gilligan’s Island,” and “Perry Mason,” Donner went on to helm blockbusters and cult classics such as the “Lethal Weapon” and “Superman” franchises, “The Goonies,” “The Omen,” and “Scrooged....

“May the 4th” is the perfect day to stock up on “Star Wars” toys including Baby Yoda merch, which can easily double as an instant serotonin boost whenever we’re feeling sad. Sure, there are plenty of characters in the “Star Wars” universe, but there’s only one who has spawned some of the best internet memes despite potentially committing genocide in “The Mandalorian” by chowing down on endangered frog eggs. In honor of Star Wars Day, check out our list of the best “Star Wars” toys for all your gifting needs, from kid-friendly toys to experts-only LEGO sets....

There’s no better time than Black Friday to upgrade your at-home tech setup. To make things easier for you, we searched the web to find deep discounts on TVs, headphones, speakers, and other electronics. Some of the Black Friday deals listed below last throughout the weekend, which gives you extra time to snag that must-have item at a discounted price. Below, find a list of the best tech deals for Black Friday 2021....

“I’m far away in Korea and I have to see everything in the news from an outsider’s perspective, but as someone who is a part of mankind, as a person, it’s quite fearful to watch the hate crimes against Asian-Americans and the BLM movement,” Bong said, accompanied by his translator Sharon Choi. “I do think about what the film industry can do at this time. With films, creating a film takes a lot of time and a lot of money; it’s a big unit that can’t really respond quickly to issues that are currently happening in society....

According to ScreenDaily: “Bong has been working on the [animation] project since 2018 and finished writing the script in January. He is currently writing the script for an English-language live-action film which is set to be his next production, with this Korean animation due after that.” Bong confirmed in early February that he had finished one of two new screenplays he was working on following his historic “Parasite” Oscar wins and through the pandemic....

The “Hole” frontwoman made the claims during an interview on Marc Maron’s podcast “WTF” released December 27. According to Love, Pitt got Fincher to take her off the film after she rejected a pitch from him for a biopic about the life of her deceased husband Kurt Cobain. Love married the “Nirvana” rock icon in 1992, two years before he died by suicide. According to Love’s story, Pitt pitched her on the film during a meeting between the two of them and Gus Van Sant about a possible adaptation of the short story “Brokeback Mountain,” years before it was made for the screen by Ang Lee....

Georgia Oakley’s “Blue Jean” also had a strong showing, with Rosy McEwen winning Best Lead Performance and Kerrie Hayes winning Best Supporting Performance and Oakley winning Best Debut Screenwriter. Shaheen Baig also won Best Casting for the film. Despite facing stiff competition from the likes of “Decision to Leave” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World” won Best International Independent Film. Keep reading for the complete list of nominees from the 2022 British Independent Film Awards, with winners appearing in bold....

In an appearance on “The Howard Stern Show” this week, Knoxville told the shock jock that Dern’s representatives contacted him to express the “Nebraska” star’s interest in the “Jackass” franchise. While Knoxville says he would have loved to cast Dern, the timing was unfortunately not right, as “Jackass Forever” had already wrapped production at the time. “Bruce Dern had contacted us — someone had contacted us [saying] ‘Bruce Dern wants to be in ‘Jackass....

Only 12 percent of the top 100 highest-grossing films of 2021 featured women directors at the helm, down from 16 percent in 2020. Female directors accounted for 17 percent of the top 250 highest grossers, down from 18 percent in 2020. Over 80 percent of 2021 films were directed by men, the study finds. However, women were up overall in key behind-the-scenes roles (not just directing, but also writing, executive-producing, editing, and cinematography) in 2021, at 25 percent, up from 23 percent in 2020....

Boseman was next set to appear in the announced sequel to “Black Panther.” Boseman will also appear posthumously in director George C. Wolfe’s Netflix adaptation of the August Wilson play “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” opposite Viola Davis and Colman Domingo, which is readying for an awards season run. Boseman’s performance in the film has already been tipped as one of his best. A statement shared via Boseman’s Twitter account said, “It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman....

“He had been really active in trying to get me to do it,” Miller said. “He was a fan of my work, which was thrilling, because it was reciprocated from me to him, tenfold. So he approached me to do it, he offered me this film, and it was at a time when I really didn’t want to work anymore. I’d been working non-stop and I was exhausted, but then I wanted to work with him....

While Nolan expressed relief over “Tenet” not being included in the HBO Max hybrid release model, WarnerMedia chair and CEO Ann Sarnoff told CNBC that “Tenet’s” U.S. theatrical release. is part of the reason why the studio decided to adopt the the hybrid release model in the first place. Warner Bros. opened “Tenet” in the U.S. over Labor Day weekend and it has since grossed $60 million, widely viewed as a box office disappointment....

“Warner Bros. released ‘Tenet,’ and I’m thrilled that it has made almost $350 million,” Nolan said. “But I am worried that the studios are drawing the wrong conclusions from our release — that rather than looking at where the film has worked well and how that can provide them with much needed revenue, they’re looking at where it hasn’t lived up to pre-COVID expectations and will start using that as an excuse to make exhibition take all the losses from the pandemic instead of getting in the game and adapting — or rebuilding our business, in other words....

Zucker announced his resignation in a staff memo, made public by The New York Times. “As part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo’s tenure at CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have worked with for more than 20 years,” Zucker wrote. “I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn’t. I was wrong....

Criterion Collection has a slew of new releases coming your way to amp up your list of summer movie must-haves. Criterion specializes in restoring and distributing “important classic and contemporary” films from around the world. And with a catalog of over 1,400 (1,480 and climbing at last glance) ranging from avant-garde to Westerns, film noir to science fiction, their impressive selection has something for even the toughest movie critic. These specialized movies are complete with revamped rare finds, as well as exclusive in-depth commentary, and fascinating analysis....