Interview

Director

“Paradise” Directors Glenn Ficarra & John Requa on Crafting the California-Made Emmy-Nominated Thriller

One of only seven TV projects approved for California’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program during the 2022-2023 cycle, Dan Fogelman’s latest offering is an intense amalgamation of a murder mystery, political thriller, and post-apocalyptic survival drama all in one. True to his signature style a la This Is Us, a jaw-dropping twist at the end of the pilot uncovers a multitude of tragic truths and secrets alike.

By Su Fang Tham  |  July 28, 2025

Interview

Director

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” Director Matt Shakman on Re-Building Marvel’s First Family

While there have been numerous cinematic adaptations of the superheroes known as The First Family of Marvel, The Fantastic Four: First Steps has been lauded by audiences and critics alike as having the team most true to its Marvel origins. The new film takes place in a retrofuturistic version of New York, set in a 1960s-inspired era influenced by the creative genius of the smartest man in the universe. That would be Mister Fantastic,

By Leslie Combemale  |  July 28, 2025

Interview

Special/Visual Effects

The Willem Dafoe of Dinosaurs: How “Jurassic World: Rebirth” VFX Supervisor Charmaine Chan Created the Distortus Rex

Charmaine Chan began working at Industrial Light & Magic 18 years ago—it was her first gig out of college, starting off as an assistant technical director and contributing to Michael Bay’s Transformers. Chan stayed on at ILM and continued to work on some of the biggest franchises there are, becoming a digital compositor on Star Wars, Mission: Impossible, and films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As her talent sustained her and her capacities grew,

By Jack Giroux  |  July 25, 2025
“The Naked Gun” Legacy: How a Canceled TV Show Spawned Cinematic Comedic Gold

As we eagerly await the theatrical release of the next installment in The Naked Gun franchise on August 1st, this time with Liam Neeson stepping into the role of Frank Drebin Jr., it’s the perfect moment to reflect on the legacy of the original film. An iconic example of slapstick comedy, The Naked Gun not only sparked a successful trilogy but also redefined the parody genre, impacting multiple generations of viewers and leaving an indelible mark on comedy for decades following its release.

By Evelyn Lott  |  July 24, 2025

Interview

Costume Designer

Designer Easter Eggs: “Jurassic World: Rebirth” Costume Designer Sammy Sheldon Differ Reveals the Wardrobe’s Hidden Details

Jurassic World: Rebirth isn’t costume designer Sammy Sheldon Differ‘s first time at the dino rodeo. Having previously worked on Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the British artisan relished the opportunity to return to one of the highest-grossing film franchises of all time.

Set five years after Jurassic World: Dominion, Rebirth sees Scarlett Johansson’s Zora Bennett lead an expedition into a no-go zone to extract DNA from three prehistoric creatures in the hopes of manifesting a groundbreaking medical breakthrough.

By Simon Thompson  |  July 24, 2025

Interview

Sound Designer

Death Metal Vocals & Brutalized Cabbages: How Sound Designer Johnnie Burn Crafted “28 Years Later” Sonic Terror

Sound designer Johnnie Burn had just won the Academy Award for his dread-inducing contributions to The Zone of Interest when he got a late-night phone call from 28 Years Later director Danny Boyle. “I was drunk at the Vanity Fair party after the Oscar win when someone called from my office in London and handed the phone to Danny Boyle, who was standing in the reception,” Burn recalls.

By Hugh Hart  |  July 24, 2025

Interview

Production Designer

Decoding Deceptive Design With “Presumed Innocent” Production Designer John Paino & Set Decorator Amy Wells

In part one of our conversation about David E. Kelley’s rigorously intense and captivating courtroom drama, Presumed Innocent, production designer John Paino and set decorator Amy Wells talked about the elaborate courtroom set and what it was like to shoot the Chicago-set series entirely in Southern California.

Thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal’s nuanced, Emmy-nominated performance, Rusty’s culpability on the grisly murder of his fellow prosecutor and lover,

By Su Fang Tham  |  July 23, 2025
From Chaos to Culture: How “The Bear” Effect is Having a Real Impact on Chicago’s Restaurant Scene

FX’s The Bear has only grown hotter each season, and not just in the kitchen. Since its debut in 2022, the series has captivated audiences with its emotionally raw portrayal of life inside a restaurant. 

In season one, we followed Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a young fine-dining chef who returns to Chicago to run his late brother’s struggling sandwich shop. With clashing personalities and mounting debt, the audience is thrown into the kitchen and witnesses how Carmy transforms both the restaurant and himself. 

By Amaan Nabeel  |  July 23, 2025

Interview

Production Designer

“Jurassic World: Rebirth” Production Designer James Clyne on Creating Killer Labs and Animalistic Architecture

Production designer James Clyne recreates and modernizes the dinosaur playground gone wrong that first blew our minds in Steven Spielberg‘s 1993 classic Jurassic Park. Back then, that playground—or theme park, to be more accurate—was the brainchild of John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), and like all children, it had a mind and personality of its own, determined to become something other than its parents’ fervent wish. In Jurassic World: Rebirth,

By Jack Giroux  |  July 23, 2025

Interview

Director, Screenwriter

“Minted” Director Nicholas Bruckman on Spending Two Years Following Digital Artists Through NFT Heaven & Hell

Nicholas Bruckman has built a distinctive career that bridges documentary filmmaking with commercial storytelling, following his instincts and his passions on projects big and small. The New York-based director has participated in prestigious labs, including the Rotterdam Producers Lab and the IFP Cannes Producers Fellowship, and the Sloan Foundation, Cinereach, and other notable organizations support his work. Through his company People’s Television, he regularly produces branded films for major clients including Airbnb,

By Bryan Abrams  |  July 22, 2025

Interview

Production Designer

How “Presumed Innocent” Production Designer John Paino & Set Decorator Amy Wells Brought Chicago to Los Angeles

Shot mostly in Pasadena and around Los Angeles, Presumed Innocent, showrunner David E. Kelley’s twisty and riveting courtroom psychological thriller, was able to do so largely thanks to the $12 million in California tax incentives allocated to the prestige drama from Apple TV+. “The crew we have here is the best I’ve worked with all over the world. They’re an incredible bunch of people; you’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with,” production designer John Paino says,

By Su Fang Tham  |  July 22, 2025
Remembering Malcolm-Jamal Warner: Questlove, Magic Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross & More Share Their Heartbreak

The news that Malcolm-Jamal Warner passed away on Sunday sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry and the world at large, as millions of people who watched—and adored—Warner through eight seasons of The Cosby Show and followed his career after were deeply affected. Warner died in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica, the Costa Rican National Police told media outlets. He was 54.

The reaction from those who knew him and those who grew up watching him was swift.

By The Credits  |  July 22, 2025

Interview

Director, Screenwriter

“Eddington” Writer/Director Ari Aster on Bringing His Pandemic-Era Neo-Western Thriller Home to New Mexico

Writer/director Ari Aster broke new ground with Eddington in that it’s the first of his films to be shot where it was intended to be set. Both happen to be in his native state of New Mexico, where production created over 300 jobs.

Set in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the neo-Western satirical black comedy reunites him with his Beau Is Afraid lead,

By Simon Thompson  |  July 21, 2025
Marvel Boss Kevin Feige Talks “Fantastic Four,” Recasting a New Tony Stark, Rebooting the X-Men, & More

Marvel super producer Kevin Feige invited select journalists to a conference room at Marvel Studios and revealed more in a single sitting than you often get from someone with the keys to a kingdom as vast as Marvel over the course of a full year.

Sitting in the same room where so many big-time introductions and pitch meetings have occurred, Feige regaled his company with his thoughts on the state of the superhero movie industry,

By The Credits  |  July 21, 2025
“Smurfs”: Rihanna & Henry Jackman Join Forces for a Score That’s Weird, Wonderful, and a Total Bop 

When news first broke that Rihanna would not only voice Smurfette but also produce the upcoming Smurfs movie and contribute original music, fans were immediately intrigued. The announcement practically created a new kind of internet hype: “Rihanna is Smurfette” became its own meme moment, and rightfully so. But as the film’s July 18, 2025 release approaches, it’s becoming clear that Rihanna’s involvement goes far beyond novelty — and when paired with composer Henry Jackman,

By Christina Johnson  |  July 18, 2025
Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” Breaks New Ground: 70MM IMAX Tickets Available Now for 2026 Release

In an unprecedented move, tickets for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey are already on sale—a year ahead of the movie’s release date.

Nolan’s upcoming adaptation of Homer’s epic isn’t due in theaters until July 17, 2026. Advanced tickets are already on sale for IMAX theaters capable of screening the film in Nolan’s preferred 70mm. This appears to be the first time in movie history that tickets for a film have been made available a year before its release.

By The Credits  |  July 17, 2025
Lindsay Lohan & Jamie Lee Curtis Return as “Freakier Friday” Expands the Body-Swap Chaos

This summer, Disney will release a sequel to 2003’s Freaky Friday, which starred Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis as a mother and daughter whose bodies get switched as a punishment until they learn to love one another selflessly. Much to the first movie’s Millennial fan base’s approval, Freakier Friday, directed by Nisha Ganatra, recast Lohan, Curtis, as well as the movie’s original heartthrob, Jake, played by Chad Michael Murray.

By Susannah Edelbaum  |  July 17, 2025

Interview

Screenwriter, Showrunner

“The Diplomat” Creator Debora Cahn on Refusing to Write Easy Villains in a World of Hard Choices

For Deborah Cahn, the journey from The West Wing to Netflix’s The Diplomat began with a simple encounter that revealed the extraordinary lives hidden within the foreign service. The former West Wing writer spent years cultivating relationships with real diplomats, ambassadors, and State Department officials, learning first-hand how complex the world of international politics was, and how much it demanded of the individuals who dedicated their lives to it.

By Bryan Abrams  |  July 16, 2025
77th Emmy Nominations Announced

The nominations for 77th Primetime Emmy Awards have arrived. The nominations were presented by “What We Do in the Shadows” actor Harvey Guillén and “Running Point” star Brenda Song on Tuesday morning.

The Pitt, Severance, and Andor were just a few nominated for Best Drama Series while Abbott Elementary, Hacks, and newcomer The Studio will vie for comedy’s top prize.

By The Credits  |  July 15, 2025

Interview

Screenwriter

“Part Debate Club and Part Therapy”: Inside “The Pitt” Writers’ Room With Cynthia Adarkwa & Valerie Chu

HBO’s The Pitt emerged as one of television’s most gripping medical dramas in years by doing something deceptively simple yet extraordinarily difficult: following a single, brutal 15-hour shift in a Pittsburgh emergency room in real time. What made the series so compelling wasn’t just its relentless intensity or unflinching medical realism (the “floating face” fracture in episode 2 will haunt my dreams), but how writers like Valerie Chu and Cynthia Adarkwa managed to weave deeply human character arcs through the chaos of trauma bays and life-or-death decisions.

By Bryan Abrams  |  July 15, 2025