Golden Globes 2021: Chadwick Boseman, Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland,” “The Crown” & More Win Big
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted the bi-coastal, virtual 78th annual Golden Globes last night, wringing some laughs and joy out of a very unusual setup, following a very sad, unusual year.
The big winners this year included the late, great Chadwick Boseman, who was awarded for Best Actor in a Drama for his sizzling performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Chloé Zhao had a major night, taking home the Best Director award (in a year that featured three female nominees in the Director category) and seeing her Nomadland win Best Motion Picture,
New “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” Teaser & Images Hype Marvel’s Next Series
The last few days have brought a lot of exciting news about Marvel’s next big Disney+ series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and we’ve compiled it all together for you for a little Friday feast. There’s a new, action-packed teaser. There’s a bevy of new photos. And, there’s the reaction from assorted critics who have gotten a sneak peek at the series. All of this combines into some excellent pre-release hype. If you were only marginally interested in the series,
“Star Trek: Picard” Director Hanelle Culpepper Charts a Diverse Path in Hollywood
America had its eyes locked on Mars this past week as the NASA rover, Perseverance, landed on the red planet and sent color photos back to Earth. It’s an optimistic step in space exploration that may expand human understanding of the Milky Way, but things don’t rest so peacefully in the galaxy on the first season of Star Trek: Picard.
The latest critically acclaimed series in the Star Trek franchise follows a synthetic attack on Mars that set the planet ablaze and propelled former admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart) into retirement.
“Black is King” Producer Jason Baum on Beyoncé & the World of Visual Albums
Black is King, Beyoncé’s 2020 musical film that doubled as a visual companion to The Lion King, was lauded as dazzling, seductive, and, well, regal. Directed in tandem by Beyoncé and the directors Ibra Ake, Blitz the Ambassador, Emmanuel Adjei, and Kwasi Fordjour, the visual album dropped on Disney+ with very little fanfare, typical of the star’s preferred announcement style, or lack thereof.
James Gunn Reveals “Peacemaker” Set Photos
Now our main image doesn’t come from James Gunn’s upcoming HBO Max series Peacemaker. No—the featured shot is from a little movie that introduces Peacemaker (John Cena) that we haven’t gotten a chance to see yet, Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Yet even though the film hasn’t premiered, Gunn, Cena, and their fellow cast and crew members are already working on the spinoff in Vancouver. Folks, it looks like they’re having a bit of a good time,
Ava DuVernay Launches Crucial New Database to Diversify Film & TV Crews
When is Ava DuVernay not pushing the entertainment industry to become more inclusive? The answer is never. The powerhouse director/producer is launching a new venture in collaboration with major studios, streaming platforms, and producers to help diversify film and TV crew members. The new database tool, called ARRAY CREW, launches today and is part of DuVernay’s nonprofit organization ARRAY Alliance. The tool is aimed to help bridge a gap that has long stymied talented filmmakers—how to get their names in front of producers and production companies when they don’t already have established relationships with the insular entertainment community.
From “Black Panther” to “Jeopardy,” Stunt Coordinator & Actor Zee James Hits Her Mark
Zee James is an actress, a stuntwoman and stunt coordinator, and a background performer in movies and on television, ranging from Black Panther and Dolemite is My Name to Bosch and Everybody Hates Chris. She has even demonstrated an entire category of Jeopardy! clues about martial arts. James spoke to us about taking advantage of opportunities that might not be exactly what she planned,
“The Investigation” Writer/Director Tobias Lindholm on Rethinking the Police Procedural
The police procedural has been a staple on television since its inception, and writer/director Tobias Lindholm felt it was time to shake things up. The Investigation, Lindholm’s six-episode miniseries currently playing on HBO, delves into one of the most sensational crimes in recent Danish history — the 2017 murder of journalist Kim Wall. And it turns the genre on its ear.
Wall went missing after meeting with an interview subject on his private submarine.
New “WandaVision” Featurette Teases Wanda’s World Coming Undone
A new behind-the-scenes featurette makes the case that the wild ride we’ve been on in WandaVision hasn’t even kicked into high gear yet. Showrunner Jac Schaeffer and director Matt Shakman’s patient, period-perfect series has begun to reveal some of the secrets it holds. The sitcom world that Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) exist in seems to be of Wanda’s creation. As we’ve seen in recent episodes, Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) infiltrated Wanda’s Westview creation to find out just what the heck is going on in there.
“Clarice” Producer/Director DeMane Davis on Seizing the Moment
DeMane Davis, co-executive producer/director of the new CBS series Clarice which premieres February 11, calls her career “incredibly fortunate.” But Davis was ready when opportunity arose in the form of Ava DuVernay. When DuVernay opened the door for women directors on her groundbreaking series Queen Sugar, Davis burst through it. On crutches.
“I had broken my ankle and I’d had surgery; the cast had just come off and I was still on crutches,” recalls Davis in a phone interview from Toronto where she is shooting Clarice.
“The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” Official Trailer Revealed During Super Bowl
If WandaVision is Marvel’s weird, wonderful, and supremely odd shot on Disney+, you can think of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as the chaser. Whereas WandaVision is centered on a loving (if fantastically bizarre) couple in Wanda Maxmimoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany), The Falcon and The Winter Soldier‘s duo are the bickering odd couple. The Falcon, known to his family and friends as Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie),
Ryan Coogler to Bring Wakanda-based TV Series to Disney+
Wakanda forever. With WandaVision now halfway through its run as the first-ever Marvel series to bow on Disney+, Disney has now tapped Black Panther co-writer/director Ryan Coogler to start developing a new series for their streamer. Coogler has a new five-year deal with Disney, via his Proximity Media, to develop a Wakanda-based Disney+ series, as well as working on other shows within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“Ryan Coogler is a singular storyteller whose vision and range have made him one of the standout filmmakers of his generation,” said Disney executive chairman Bob Iger in a statement.
The Best Skits From John Krasinski’s Debut on “SNL”
Saturday Night Live returned this past weekend with John Krasinski making his debut as host, nearly a year after Krasinski was supposed to have made his first appearance in Studio 8H. Krasinski’s original debut was slated for March of 2020, pegged to the release of his highly anticipated A Quiet Place Part II. Of course, none of that happened—SNL stopped production, and A Quiet Place Part II‘s release date was pushed due to the pandemic.
Viola Davis, Shonda Rhimes & More Pay Tribute to the Legendary Cicely Tyson
The legendary Cicely Tyson, a history-making actress, humanitarian, and style icon beloved within the entertainment industry and beyond, passed away on Thursday at 96. Tyson died just two days after her memoir, “Just as I Am,” was published. She’d recently given interviews about the book, including this sit-down with Gayle King:
Tyson’s career, which included many critically lauded performances, was trail-breaking in every sense of the word,
Future Critics: Benji Cherukuri on Composers Hans Zimmer & Nicholas Britell
In the first installment of our series Future Critics, we’d like to introduce you to Benji Cherukuri. Benji’s an avid movie fan, musician, and performer himself. You can check out Benji’s videos—which he edits—on his YouTube channel. Today, however, Benji becomes our first Future Critic.
Benji took some time out from his busy schedule, which includes doing homework for his sixth-grade classes, playing “Fortnite” and “Among Us” with his friends,
An Animated “Game of Thrones” Series Under Consideration at HBO Max
Last week we learned about a fresh Game of Thrones prequel based on George R. R. Martin’s novellas, “Tales of Dunk and Egg.” Now, The Hollywood Reporter reveals that an animated Game of Thrones drama is under consideration at HBO Max. THR reports that the animated idea is part of a larger strategy to expand Martin’s fantasy world of dragons and direwolves at HBO.
Currently,
Let Omar Sy Explain Why You Need to Watch “Lupin” on Netflix
“I think Lupin is the ideal character for an actor,” Omar Sy says in this new video from Netflix, titled “The Multiple Faces of Assane Diop.” Sy’s character, Assane Diop, is a gentleman thief. Inspired by the adventures of the titular Arsène Lupin, a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created by the French writer Maurice Leblanc in 1905, the new Netflix series boasts a stellar cast and crew. It just might be your next binge.
Worlds Are About To Collide on “WandaVision”
If you’ve been watching WandaVision, you’ve seen hints that the bizarre sitcom world that Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) have been living in is fracturing. The first three episodes of showrunner Jac Schaeffer and director Matt Shakman’s series have beautifully walked the line between comedy and drama. Wanda and Vision are somehow living inside a world of evolving period sitcoms, with all the goofy hijinx that entails (wacky neighbors, dreadful dinner parties,
Barry Jenkins Shares a Stunning New Teaser For “The Underground Railroad”
One of 2021’s most eagerly anticipated series is writer/director Barry Jenkins’ The Underground Railroad. Adapted from Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, Jenkins’ series stars Thuso Mbedu as Cora Randall, a young Black girl who escapes her enslavement on a Georgia plantation and, heading north, utilizes the Underground Railroad to secure her freedom. Only in Whitehead’s mythic telling, the Underground Railroad is an actual, physical system of subterranean trains and stations,
“Game of Thrones” Prequel “Tales of Dunk and Egg” in Development at HBO
If you were worried that HBO doesn’t have enough Game of Thrones related projects in the works, you can now breathe a sigh of relief. Variety reveals that George R. R. Martin’s series of novellas, “Tales of Dunk and Egg,” are currently in development. Unlike the current prequel, House of the Dragon, which is set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones,
