Janelle Monáe, the not-so-secret weapon of 'Glass Onion'
As much as Janelle Monáe has been a natural, full-body entertainer and a red-carpet head-turner, it has sometimes seemed since her two 2016 big-screen debuts in “Hidden Figures” and “Moonlight” that Hollywood hasn’t known quite how to fully harness the wide-ranging talents of such a self-propelled, mold-breaking Black female artist.
New this week: Mariah Carey special, 'Maverick,' 'Best Man'
This week’s new entertainment releases include Mariah Carey in concert on CBS singing Christmas songs, a free stream of the beloved 1965 animated special “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and megahit "Top Gun: Maverick” lands on Paramount+ on Thursday.
New this week: Lizzo, 'Criminal Minds' and 'The Woman King'
This week’s new entertainment releases include an live posthumous album from Tom Petty, the criminal profile spinoff series “Criminal Minds: Evolution,” a documentary about the plucky Mars Rover Opportunity and a TV series that focuses on the backstage melodrama at the Chippendale’s male strip clubs.
Steven Spielberg debuts his movie memoir 'The Fabelmans'
Steven Spielberg premiered his much-anticipated “The Fabelmans” to thunderous applause at the Toronto International Film Festival, debuting his most autobiographical film and one the 75-year-old filmmaker said he’s been building toward his whole life.
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Netflix lands 'Knives Out' sequels in high-priced deal
FILE - Daniel Craig attends the "Knives Out" photo call on Nov. 15, 2019, in Los Angeles. Netflix said Wednesday, March 31, 2021, it has reached a deal for two sequels to Rian Johnson's acclaimed 2019 whodunit, "Knives Out." Johnson will direct with Daniel Craig returning as inspector Benoit Blanc. It also lands Netflix something it has dearly sought: the kind of major film franchises that traditional studios have long depended on. Made for $40 million, “Knives Out” grossed $311.4 million in worldwide ticket sales and landed Johnson an Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay.
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Christopher Plummer got a third act worth singing about
FILE - Christopher Plummer arrives at the Oscars on March 4, 2018, in Los Angeles. Plummer, the dashing award-winning actor who played Captain von Trapp in the film The Sound of Music and at 82 became the oldest Academy Award winner in history, has died. Plummer, the dashing award-winning actor who played Captain von Trapp in the film The Sound of Music and at 82 became the oldest Academy Award winner in history, has died. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)It’s one of the great Hollywood ironies that Christopher Plummer didn’t like the film that made him a legend. Please.”Born in Toronto in 1929, Plummer was the great grandson of Canadian Prime Minister John Abbott and fell for the theater at a young age.
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‘Soul,’ ‘Ma Rainey’s’ among AFI’s top 10 films of the year
This image released by Netflix shows, from second left, Norm Lewis, Clarke Peters Isiah Whitlock Jr., and Delroy Lindo in a scene from "Da 5 Bloods," named one of the top 10 films of the year by The American Film Institute. (David Lee/Netflix via AP)The American Film Institute on Monday announced its top 10 films of the year, including Pixar’s jazz themed “Soul” and two of Chadwick Boseman’s final films: the August Wilson adaptation “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and Spike Lee’s Vietnam drama “Da 5 Bloods,” both of which are Netflix films. AFI also selected Warner Bros.’ Black Panther Party film “Judas and the Black Messiah” which will have its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Feb. 1. The AFI also named its top 10 television shows, including Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit,” the Disney+ phenomenon “The Mandalorian” and Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso.”The selection jury included filmmakers Rian Johnson and Lulu Wang. The group also included a special citation for “Hamilton.”In lieu of the annual luncheon celebrating the honorees, AFI will hold a virtual benediction on Feb. 26 streaming on YouTube and the AFI website.
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‘Rise of Skywalker’ is almost here, but a dark side looms
With “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” opening in theaters Dec. 20, director J.J. Abrams expects more backlash. Several thousand fans signed a petition for Disney to remake “The Last Jedi,” which showed Luke Skywalker as a surly recluse disillusioned with his powers. “That in no way is a “Star Wars” phenomenon,” Abrams told The Associated Press. There’s a point at which the insanity of what it means to be working on a ‘Star Wars’ movie blinds you. Some also questioned why Rey was able to obtain Jedi-like abilities much quicker than Luke Skywalker.
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Getting real with 'Last Jedi' production designer Rick Heinrichs
So, when writer-director Rian Johnson called him to ask if he'd be interested being the eighth episode of the Skywalker family saga, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," Heinrichs was a bit taken aback. I think every person who takes on a new episode in 'Star Wars,' in the best way possible, wants to take it to the next step. "Rian always described the casino as like a Monte Carlo for galaxy a------s. The rich 1 percent of the galaxy," Heinrichs said with a laugh. "The reason he did it that way was specifically, so it could feel real. But for a "Star Wars" film, building as little as possible is not an option, as proven by the 125 sets on "The Last Jedi."