Three New “Black Widow” Videos Highlight Villain Taskmaster & More

Three new Black Widow videos dropped during the weekend, teasing the first Marvel Studios film to hit theaters since 2019. Director Cate Shortland’s action-adventure epic is also the first film in Marvel’s Phase 4 and will round out the story of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), the (spoiler alert!) former Avenger who sacrificed everything to save her friends—and a few billion strangers—in Avengers: Endgame.

The new looks include a bit more background on the film’s villain,

Dressing Icons and Con Men With “Genius: Aretha” and “Better Call Saul” Costume Designer Jennifer Bryan

Costume designer Jennifer Bryan can pivot from glamour to gaudy, from an icon to a con artist, without missing a beat—or a thread. Bryan’s work can currently be seen on National Geographic’s third season of Genius, which focused on the monumental career and legacy of Aretha Franklin (Cynthia Erivo).

Bryan’s now hard at work on a very different kind of show, trading in Aretha Franklin’s shimmering dresses (and profound decency) for the gaudy,

“Doc McStuffins” Creator Chris Nee on The Future of Children’s Programming

There are few people on the planet who are in a better position to talk about what’s working, and what still needs work, in children’s programming than Doc McStuffins creator Chris Nee. Like so many great ideas, Nee came up with Doc McStuffins, a series about a six-year-old girl who is a doctor to her stuffed animals and toys, while in the shower. Yet the impetus for the beloved series was her own life and her son’s struggles with asthma.

New “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” Trailer Reveals The Mandarin

When we saw the first teaser for Destin Daniel Cretton’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, we were enthused to see Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), Marvel’s first Asian superhero, in action. Now, a full-length trailer reveals more of Certton’s vision and digs a little deeper into Shang-Chi’s family history.

That family has a classic set-up—Shang-Chi has an overbearing if beguiling father, Wenwu (Tony Leung), who appears to be playing the film’s villain.

“Lovecraft Country” Costume Designer Dayna Pink’s Many Worlds of Fashion

Creator Misha Green‘s Lovecraft Country was one of the most startling, sumptuous series of 2020, and one of the big reasons why it looked so good was the work of costume designer Dayna Pink. Designing looks for everything from shoppers on Greenwood Avenue in 1921 Tulsa to soldiers during the Korean War to the Afrofutrisim of a multidimensional world set in space, Pink’s designs were integral to the success of Lovecraft Country.

Watch The Thrilling Second Trailer For “Candyman”

Two days ago we shared Candyman director Nia DaCosta’s stirring Juneteenth message—today, we share the second trailer for her eagerly anticipated film. DaCosta’s legacy sequel to the 1990s cult classic has been one of the hottest commodities for a long time now, but we’re finally getting close to the premiere date and chance to see this talented director’s fresh take on a classic horror film.

DaCosta directs from a script she co-wrote with Win Rosenfeld and Jordan Peele,

New Images For “The Suicide Squad” Further Reveal the Misfit Mayhem

You’ve seen the trailer that revealed that Bloodsport (Idris Elba) shot Superman (Henry Cavill) with a Kryptonite bullet, butting Superman in the ICU and landing Bloodsport in the clink. Now, Warner Bros. has revealed a bunch of new photos from writer/director James Gunn’s upcoming The Suicide Squad, which Gunn promises is even weirder, wilder, and certainly more deadly than his two Guardians of the Galaxy films.

The new images reveal Bloodsport and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior),

A New “The Suicide Squad” Trailer Reveals Who Sent Superman to the Hospital

If you wanted to stir up even more interest in your massive superhero misfit movie, you can’t do much better than revealing the man who put Superman in the ICU. Warner Bros. has released The Suicide Squad‘s official “rain” trailer, which reveals that Bloodsport (Idris Elba) put a Kryptonite bullet in Superman, sending the world’s strongest, fastest, and most super “man” to the hospital. It’s this crime that lands Bloodsport in the clink,

“Annette” Trailer Reveals Adam Driver & Marion Cotillard’s Mysterious Musical

If you’ve never watched a Leos Carax movie, you’re in for a major surprise with Annette, his new musical starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard. The visionary director behind Holy Motors (2012) and Boy Meets Girl (1984) takes his time between projects, and all his movies are delightfully daring and worth watching. Annette would warrant any film lover’s attention for the cast alone, but combining Carax’s unique filmmaking talent with discerning stars like Driver and Cotillard marks a special occasion.

Ralph Ineson’s Oral History Of “The Green Knight” is Fantastic

We’ve been excited about writer/director David Lowery’s The Green Knight since we first heard he was tackling an Arthurian legend, but we will happily admit that rather than take our word for why you should be excited about this film, you need to watch (and listen) to Ralph Ineson describe the inspiration for Lowery’s film, “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight,” in this new video. Ineson is not only a great actor (and the man who plays the titular Green Knight in Lowery’s film),

James Gunn Confirms “The Suicide Squad” Runtime & Post-Credits Scene

Writer/director James Gunn will often answer a fan’s or media outlet’s question (or two, or three) on Twitter, and end up revealing some pretty relevant information about his films. He’s done just that for The Suicide Squad, his upcoming foray into the DC Comics world for Warner Bros. Gunn confirmed both the exact runtime and the fact that there will be a post-credits scene. He also praised one of his actors, and threw a little good humored shade at one of his favorites.

“100 Foot Wave” Trailer Reveals HBO’s Monster Surfing Doc

For those of us who read William Finnegan’s gorgeous, often terrifying memoir “Barbarian Days,” we’ve been waiting for the cinematic equivalent of his epic story of hunting out waves across the globe. While Finnegan wasn’t himself a big wave surfer, he did encounter some monster swells, including one that almost killed him on Nazaré, Portugal, which brings us to HBO’s six-part documentary 100 Foot Wave. We got a look at the trailer yesterday,

First “Jurassic World: Dominion” Teaser Reveals Glimpse at Long-Awaited Dino Epic

We’ve been waiting for a peek at director Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World: Dominion and Universal has answered our dino prayers. A new teaser reveals our first look at the third film in the Jurassic World trilogy, and for those of us who are heading to see F9 on IMAX, there’s a lot more where this came from—an extended special preview of Dominion will play before Dom and the family put the pedal to the metal.

“Ted Lasso” Season 2 Trailer Reveals AFC Richmond’s Quest For Glory

The Ted Lasso welcome wagon has arrived! That’s how the first few seconds of the season 2 trailer begin, and frankly, this is the kind of cheerful morning message that would be annoying from anybody else but Ted Lasso (especially on a Monday). Apple TV’s critically acclaimed series returns on July 23, giving us a jolt of joy in the middle of summer, and the official trailer reveals Ted’s big plans to get AFC Richmond back on the winning track.

“Candyman” Director Nia DaCosta’s Stirring Juneteenth Message

One of the best TV spots for any film in 2020 was the gut-punch of a prologue Candyman director Nia DaCosta shared with the world on June 17 of that year. Exactly a year and a day later, DaCosta was back, sharing a different kind of message, but one equally potent, with her long-awaited film finally nearing its release date. DaCosta delivered the message the day before Juneteenth—now an officially recognized federal holiday—talking about what Juneteenth means to her,

M. Night Shyamalan Teases New Film “Old” at Tribeca

“No one has seen anything like it.”

This is what M. Night Shyamalan had to say about his new feature film, Old, at a panel at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. Old originally began its life as a graphic novel, titled “Sandcastle,” by Pierre Oscar Levy and artist Frederick Peeters, but Shyamalan’s adaptation is “inspired by” rather than a straight page to script.

What are “Black Widow” Villain Taskmaster’s Abilities?

Now that the early reactions to director Cate Shortland’s Black Widow are hyping an action-packed, emotional spy thriller that completes the epic (and heartbreaking) story of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), we thought we’d turn briefly to the film’s main villain, the Taskmaster.

One of Black Widow‘s big secrets is who is playing Taskmaster. Most Marvel theorists believe it’ll end up being one of the main characters,

Early “Black Widow” Reactions Hail Visceral & Emotional Spy Thriller

The first reactions to director Cate Shortland’s Black Widow are appearing online, describing an action-packed spy thriller that completes Natasha Romanoff’s (Scarlett Johansson) story in a visceral, emotional way. What more could we want from the first Marvel movie to hit theaters since 2019, and from the first stand-alone film featuring Johnasson’s beloved, and dearly departed, assassin-turned-Avenger? Unsurprisingly, Johansson is getting praised for an excellent final turn as the titular Black Widow, but there’s also a lot of chatter about Florence Pugh,

Oscar-Nominated Producer Rachel Winter on Her Directorial Debut “The Space Between”

Oscar-nominated producer Rachel Winter worked for years to help get Dallas Buyers Club made, deploying a cheerful tenacity that she’s again and again in her career. The tireless Winter has made a career of finding and shepherding projects, sometimes for years, that she believes in. Or, it might be more accurate to say that Winter has gotten projects made that she herself can’t shake, that she thinks about over and over again.

“Halston” Costume Designer Jeriana San Juan on Channeling a Fashion Icon

Starring Ewan McGregor and produced by Ryan Murphy, the Netflix miniseries series Halston charts the rise and fall of the iconic American fashion designer, by way of the glitzy, glamorous, and cocaine-addled Studio 54-era New York. We talk to costume designer Jeriana San Juan about getting into Halston’s head to create the pivotal pieces and teaching Ewan McGregor the tricks of the trade.      

Halston’s director Daniel Minahan said recently the show “lives and dies by the clothing and the costumes.” How did you go about meeting that challenge?