Stitching Humanity Into Horror: Oscar Nominee Kate Hawley on Costuming “Frankenstein”
In our interview, Oscar‑nominated costume designer Kate Hawley breaks down how clothing became a storytelling language in "Frankenstein"—from shaping character psychology to honoring motherhood, grief, and humanity within a tale often defined by horror.
Casting “Hamnet”: Oscar Nominee Nina Gold on Finding the Heart of Chloé Zhao’s Grief‑Struck Masterpiece
Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet brings Maggie O’Farrell’s award‑winning novel to the screen with a cast assembled through intuition, legwork, and what casting director Nina Gold calls “a little bit of magic.” Gold — now among the Oscars’ first-ever nominees for achievement in casting — opens up about finding Jessie Buckley’s searing Agnes, discovering the young pair who could hold the emotional weight of the film as the twins, and why the Globe Theatre’s background artists needed to feel as emotionally alive as the stars onstage.
Oscar‑Nominated Songwriter EJAE on Turning Rejection Into “Golden” Success in “KPop Demon Hunters”
In our conversation, EJAE reflects on the long road to “Golden,” including years of near‑misses, creative setbacks, and moments when walking away from songwriting felt inevitable. Her story is a powerful reminder that success in the film industry is often built not on overnight wins, but on resilience—and on finding the right project at exactly the right moment.
Inside “The Secret Agent”: Kleber Mendonça Filho & Wagner Moura on Power, Paranoia, and an Oscar‑Nominated Thriller
"The Secret Agent" could make history: if it wins Best International Feature, Brazil would become the first country in 37 years to win back-to-back. Oscar nominees writer/director Kleber Mendonça Filho & star Wagner Moura on using cinema, urban legends, and stop-motion to explore democracy's fragility.
How Oscar Nominee Adolpho Veloso Turned the Pacific Northwest Into the Soul of “Train Dreams”
Oscar nominee Adolpho Veloso shot "Train Dreams" entirely on location across Washington State — no artificial light, no wide-screen spectacle, just natural beauty captured at the right moment. The Brazilian-born cinematographer talks about channeling Dorothea Lange, choosing a Depression-era aspect ratio, and why getting out of nature's way is sometimes the most powerful creative choice you can make.
Four Acting Nominations. One Casting Director. How Cassandra Kulukundis Unlocked PTA’s “One Battle After Another”
The Oscars’ first new category in 25 years — achievement in casting — finally shines a long‑overdue spotlight on the artists who shape films from the inside out. Among the inaugural nominees is Cassandra Kulukundis, Paul Thomas Anderson’s longtime casting collaborator, whose work on "One Battle After Another" helped deliver two breakout performances (Teyana Taylor and Chase Infinit) and one of the year’s most electrifying ensembles. For Kulukundis, who has cast every PTA film since Magnolia, finding the right actors isn’t just a job — it’s world‑building. “There’s a right role for everyone,” she says. “I just have to figure out what that is.”
“Scarpetta” Creator & Showrunner Liz Sarnoff on Crafting Her Razor‑Sharp, Nicole Kidman–Led Serial‑Killer Thriller
For decades, Patricia Cornwell’s Dr. Kay Scarpetta has stood as one of crime fiction’s most enduring creations, a brilliant medical examiner navigating darkness with precision, tenacity, and heart. Now, showrunner Liz Sarnoff joins forces with executive producer and star Nicole Kidman to bring the iconic character to life in "Scarpetta," Prime Video’s ambitious new adaptation that spans two eras of the forensic sleuth’s career.
How Ryan Coogler Crafted the Vision, Mood, and Mythology of His Genre‑Bending “Sinners”
With the Oscars just days away, we’re returning to some of our favorite conversations with this year’s nominees. One of them is Ryan Coogler, whose "Sinners" has surged into awards history. Revisiting this interview feels especially right now — a chance to step back into the creative currents of Louisiana that shaped Coogler’s most ambitious and widely celebrated film.
Oscar-Nominee Gabriel Domingues on Casting the Standout Ensemble Around Wagner Moura in “The Secret Agent”
Casting director Gabriel Domingues has just made Oscars history. With "The Secret Agent" earning a nomination in the Academy’s first-ever best achievement in casting category, Domingues finds himself fielding the same question again and again — “But what does casting mean?” — while helping redefine how the craft is understood on the world stage.
How the Oscars Production Designers Misty Buckley & Alana Billingsley Prep the Stage Long Before Movies’ Biggest Night
Production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley are the quiet architects behind Hollywood’s biggest live spectacles—the Oscars, the Grammys, and the Super Bowl halftime show—but their work on the 97th Academy Awards was something special. Fresh off their 2024 Emmy win for the previous year’s Oscars, the duo once again transformed the Dolby Theatre into a shimmering “temple of alchemy,” crafting a show that married theatricality, technology, and meticulous craftsmanship. From Ben Stiller’s now-viral “broken” stage bit to the gold‑veined pyramid centerpiece and category‑specific visual storytelling, Buckley and Billingsley delivered a night that set a five‑year ratings high while celebrating the artisans who keep Hollywood’s creative engine running.
Behind the Bruises: Stunt Legends Reveal What the New Oscar Category Really Means
For the first time in its century-long history, the Academy Awards will finally recognize the artists who put their bodies—and ingenuity—on the line to make movie magic. Beginning with films released in 2027, the Oscars’ new Stunt Design Award honors the stunt performers, choreographers, riggers, and second unit teams who have shaped some of cinema’s most unforgettable moments. And as the creative forces behind "John Wick," "Mission: Impossible," "Avatar," and "The Fall Guy" tell The Credits, this long-awaited milestone is both a celebration of their craft and a complicated new frontier.
Oscar-Nominated “Hamnet” Producer Nic Gonda on Building the Creative Village Behind Chloé Zhao’s Vision
In producing "Hamnet," Nic Gonda wasn’t just helping Chloé Zhao adapt a beloved novel — he was helping build a creative village. The result is a film that feels both intimate and epic, shaped by trust, intuition, and a crew willing to step into the unknown. Speaking with Gonda, what emerges is less a story about mounting a period drama and more a reflection on the kind of filmmaking that only works when everyone involved is ready to discover the film together.
How “Sinners” Oscar‑Nominated Editor Michael P. Shawver Carved Ryan Coogler’s Beautiful Chaos Into Pure Cinema
Oscar‑nominated editor Michael Shawver, Ryan Coogler’s longtime collaborator since Fruitvale Station, takes us inside the cutting room — and the Louisiana heat — of "Sinners," revealing how he protected twin‑performance coverage, built the movie’s emotional architecture, and crafted the juke‑joint sequence where the whole film turns.
“Ghost Elephants”: Werner Herzog’s Quest With Dr. Steve Boyes for Africa’s Most Elusive Herd
On the heels of a decade‑long search in Angola’s remote highlands, conservation biologist and National Geographic Explorer Dr. Steve Boyes teams with Werner Herzog—and KhoiSan master trackers—to pursue Ghost Elephants, a dreamlike new documentary about obsession, survival, and the ancient knowledge that science can’t replicate. (Streams Mar. 8 on Disney+ and Hulu.)
Peacock’s “Ice Gold” Captures One of Sports’ Greatest Underdog Triumphs
Streaming on Peacock during the 2026 Winter Paralympics, the new documentary "Ice Gold" uncovers how a last‑place U.S. team stunned the world in 2002.
Oscar-Nominated “Sentimental Value” Editor Olivier Bugge Coutté Breaks Down the Film’s Most Devastating Scenes
After earning his first Oscar nomination, Olivier Bugge Coutté is still thinking in millimeters — because in "Sentimental Value," emotional truth lives in the smallest possible edits.
“Sinners” Oscar-Nominated Prosthetics & Makeup Designer Mike Fontaine’s Beautiful, Horrifying Vamps
In "Sinners," the vampires don’t just terrify—they mesmerize. Behind their unsettling beauty is prosthetics and makeup designer Mike Fontaine, whose in‑camera ingenuity and nature‑inspired approach helped Ryan Coogler’s genre‑breaking epic become one of the most visually striking films of the year and earn a record 16 Oscar nominations.
Production Designer Scott Dougan Turns Chris Hemsworth’s “Crime 101” Into a High-Gloss L.A. Fever Dream
Scott Dougan has spent his career absorbing the real texture of Los Angeles — the sun‑faded corners, the hidden views, the neighborhoods that rarely show up on screen. In Crime 101, director Bart Layton’s sleek, high‑stakes heist thriller adapted from Don Winslow’s novella, Dougan finally gets to unleash that knowledge.
How “The Night Agent” Keeps It Real: Shawn Ryan on Panama Papers Inspiration and Filming in New York
Shawn Ryan has spent much of his career writing about the cracks in America’s institutions, from corrupt cops on The Shield to rogue commanders on Last Resort. But "The Night Agent," his hit Netflix thriller now entering Season Three, lets him imagine something different: principled people fighting back.
How “Marty Supreme” Put Oscar-Nominated Production Designer Jack Fisk in a New York State of Mind
Jack Fisk didn’t expect his next project after Killers of the Flower Moon to center on a fast‑talking ping pong hustler played by Timothée Chalamet — but then Josh Safdie called. What began as an unexpected conversation became a three‑year collaboration that transformed a stretch of Manhattan’s Lower East Side into a vividly detailed 1952 world built from modular storefronts, aged signage, and layers of texture audiences will never fully see.
