The stage and screen director, who filmed Smith in The Lady in the Van, recalls her unblinking wit at work on stage in A German Life
• Smith dies aged 89
• Appreciations by Peter Bradshaw and Mark Lawson
• A life in pictures
• Obituary
• Her 20 best films
• Michael Palin, Mike Newell and Ol Parker remember Smith
• Share your tributes
Maggie Smith seemed in her performances to care nothing about being loved, but she was as widely adored as an actor can be. The two things were connected; everyone who watched her knew that there was an unswerving honesty behind her ruthless wit and her ability, in the blink of an eye, to shine a light on the most terrifying abysses of the human condition.
She found life hysterically funny and unbearably painful. Her company was exhilarating – she was even sharper and wittier than her legions of fans imagined her to be. But since the death of her husband,...
• Smith dies aged 89
• Appreciations by Peter Bradshaw and Mark Lawson
• A life in pictures
• Obituary
• Her 20 best films
• Michael Palin, Mike Newell and Ol Parker remember Smith
• Share your tributes
Maggie Smith seemed in her performances to care nothing about being loved, but she was as widely adored as an actor can be. The two things were connected; everyone who watched her knew that there was an unswerving honesty behind her ruthless wit and her ability, in the blink of an eye, to shine a light on the most terrifying abysses of the human condition.
She found life hysterically funny and unbearably painful. Her company was exhilarating – she was even sharper and wittier than her legions of fans imagined her to be. But since the death of her husband,...
- 9/27/2024
- by Nicholas Hytner
- The Guardian - Film News
In a career that began in the 1950s, her roles ranged from Desdemona to Miss Jean Brodie, Virginia Woolf and Minerva McGonagall
• Appreciations by Peter Bradshaw and Mark Lawson
• A life in pictures
• Obituary
• Her 20 best films
• Michael Palin, Mike Newell, Ol Parker and Nicholas Hytner on Smith
• Share your tributes
Maggie Smith, the prolific, multi-award-winning actor described by peers as being “one of a kind” and possessed of a “sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent”, has died aged 89.
Her work, which ranged from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie to Harry Potter to Downton Abbey, brought her global recognition, as well as two Oscars and eight Baftas.
• Appreciations by Peter Bradshaw and Mark Lawson
• A life in pictures
• Obituary
• Her 20 best films
• Michael Palin, Mike Newell, Ol Parker and Nicholas Hytner on Smith
• Share your tributes
Maggie Smith, the prolific, multi-award-winning actor described by peers as being “one of a kind” and possessed of a “sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent”, has died aged 89.
Her work, which ranged from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie to Harry Potter to Downton Abbey, brought her global recognition, as well as two Oscars and eight Baftas.
- 9/27/2024
- by Andrew Pulver and Kevin Rawlinson
- The Guardian - Film News
Matt Haig’s vampire novel The Radleys is heading to the screen courtesy of Sky Cinema, and here’s the trailer.
The first novel from acclaimed writer Matt Haig to be adapted for the screen was A Boy Called Christmas. Directed by Gil Keenan and co-written by Keenan and Ol Parker, the plot followed a boy and his talking mouse, who spring into action to save the land of the elves. It is available to watch on Sky Cinema.
Haig’s 2017 novel The Radleys has now been adapted for the screen. The synopsis reads as follows:
The Radleys are an ordinary family who hold a dark secret… they are abstaining vampires. As if being a teenager wasn’t bad enough, bloodthirsty instincts take over the teens of the family revealing the terrifying truth and opening the door for an extended family member to re-enter and upend The Radleys’ once perfect slice of suburbia.
The first novel from acclaimed writer Matt Haig to be adapted for the screen was A Boy Called Christmas. Directed by Gil Keenan and co-written by Keenan and Ol Parker, the plot followed a boy and his talking mouse, who spring into action to save the land of the elves. It is available to watch on Sky Cinema.
Haig’s 2017 novel The Radleys has now been adapted for the screen. The synopsis reads as follows:
The Radleys are an ordinary family who hold a dark secret… they are abstaining vampires. As if being a teenager wasn’t bad enough, bloodthirsty instincts take over the teens of the family revealing the terrifying truth and opening the door for an extended family member to re-enter and upend The Radleys’ once perfect slice of suburbia.
- 9/4/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Back in 2020, it was announced that Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again director Ol Parker would be following that film up by taking the helm of The Thursday Murder Club, an adaptation of the debut novel by Richard Osman (creator and co-presenter of the BBC quiz show Pointless), for Amblin. Given that Parker’s involvement was announced just days before the pandemic lockdowns, it’s not surprising to hear that iteration of the project didn’t hold together… but The Thursday Murder Club is still moving forward. A couple months ago, word came out that Pierce Brosnan (GoldenEye), Helen Mirren (The Queen), and Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3) were being eyed for lead roles in the film, which is now coming our way from Home Alone and Harry Potter director Chris Columbus. Now Deadline confirms that Brosnan, Mirren, and Kingsley are on board to star in the film alongside Celia Imrie...
- 6/18/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Celia Imrie completes the main cast of the film adaptation of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club. More here.
One wonders quite when Richard Osman found the time to write a bestselling cosy crime series in between being the resident expert on Pointless (with a laptop that it turns out was never actually switched on) and the chairman of House Of Games.
However, The Thursday Murder Club quickly became a literary phenomenon, with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment snapping up the rights before it has even been published, and it stayed atop the bestseller charts for months following its release.
The Thursday Murder Club follows the residents of a retirement home who find themselves attempting to the solve the case of a deceased property developer. It was reported last month that Dame Helen Mirren will play the role of Elizabeth Best, a former spy, Pierce Brosnan will play Ron Ritchie,...
One wonders quite when Richard Osman found the time to write a bestselling cosy crime series in between being the resident expert on Pointless (with a laptop that it turns out was never actually switched on) and the chairman of House Of Games.
However, The Thursday Murder Club quickly became a literary phenomenon, with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment snapping up the rights before it has even been published, and it stayed atop the bestseller charts for months following its release.
The Thursday Murder Club follows the residents of a retirement home who find themselves attempting to the solve the case of a deceased property developer. It was reported last month that Dame Helen Mirren will play the role of Elizabeth Best, a former spy, Pierce Brosnan will play Ron Ritchie,...
- 5/22/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Mother of the Bride is a romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mark Waters from a screenplay by Robin Bernheim. The Netflix film follows the story of Lana Winslow as she is surprised, to say the least by her daughter Emma’s bombshell wedding at a resort in Phuket, Thailand. But the surprises don’t stop there as when she gets to the wedding she finds out that the groom’s father is the man who broke her heart years ago. Mother of the Bride stars Brooke Shields in the lead role with Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Chad Michael Murray, Sean Teale, Rachel Harris, Wilson Cruz, and Michael McDonald starring in supporting roles. If you loved all the feels and situational comedy in Mother of the Bride here are some similar movies you could watch next.
Ticket to Paradise (Peacock & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Working Title Films
Ticket to Paradise...
Ticket to Paradise (Peacock & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Working Title Films
Ticket to Paradise...
- 5/12/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
The Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts, who is known for her impeccable presence on-screen, has returned to the silver screen following a brief break in 2022 with the romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise. Starring Roberts alongside George Clooney, the film follows a divorced couple who find themselves reflecting on their feelings for each other as they try to stop their daughter’s wedding.
Notting Hill | Credit: Youtube/Movieclips
While the movie performed pretty well, the decision to return to romantic comedies might have been challenging for her, particularly due to her reluctance towards the genre in recent years, as she has previously disclosed.
Julia Roberts Shared Her Reluctance Towards Romantic Comedies in Later Years
After gaining worldwide recognition with the 1990 film Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts has starred in several hit movies, along with some of the best romantic comedy films of all time, such as My Best Friend’s Wedding and Notting Hill.
Notting Hill | Credit: Youtube/Movieclips
While the movie performed pretty well, the decision to return to romantic comedies might have been challenging for her, particularly due to her reluctance towards the genre in recent years, as she has previously disclosed.
Julia Roberts Shared Her Reluctance Towards Romantic Comedies in Later Years
After gaining worldwide recognition with the 1990 film Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts has starred in several hit movies, along with some of the best romantic comedy films of all time, such as My Best Friend’s Wedding and Notting Hill.
- 5/2/2024
- by Laxmi Rajput
- FandomWire
Actor Julia Roberts has starred in a variety of romance films over the years. Some of her most popular features were a part of the genre. But eventually, Roberts reached a certain age where she felt romance couldn’t be a thing for her.
Julia Roberts felt she aged out of romcom movies Julia Roberts | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
It’s hard not to think about romantic comedies when Roberts comes to mind. Movies like Pretty Woman and Runaway Bride had been Roberts’ bread and butter for years. But as she’d gotten older, Roberts felt that her time doing romcoms was ending. As she entered her 40s, she didn’t think the scenarios often presented in romcom movies would be believable for someone her age.
“I think I’m too old for those silly situations of unrequited love,” she once said according to Irish Examiner. “It becomes less plausible when...
Julia Roberts felt she aged out of romcom movies Julia Roberts | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
It’s hard not to think about romantic comedies when Roberts comes to mind. Movies like Pretty Woman and Runaway Bride had been Roberts’ bread and butter for years. But as she’d gotten older, Roberts felt that her time doing romcoms was ending. As she entered her 40s, she didn’t think the scenarios often presented in romcom movies would be believable for someone her age.
“I think I’m too old for those silly situations of unrequited love,” she once said according to Irish Examiner. “It becomes less plausible when...
- 5/2/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Netflix has acquired The Thursday Murder Club which will star Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Kingsley.
The film is the latest to be produced under the film partnership between Netflix and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin which includes the upcoming Carry-On starring Jason Bateman and Taron Egerton.
Chris Columbus is set to write and direct The Thursday Murder Club based on Richard Osman’s crime novel about a group of friends in a retirement home who solve cold cases for fun but soon become entangled in a real murder. Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment is producing.
Mirren will play ex-spy Elizabeth,...
The film is the latest to be produced under the film partnership between Netflix and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin which includes the upcoming Carry-On starring Jason Bateman and Taron Egerton.
Chris Columbus is set to write and direct The Thursday Murder Club based on Richard Osman’s crime novel about a group of friends in a retirement home who solve cold cases for fun but soon become entangled in a real murder. Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment is producing.
Mirren will play ex-spy Elizabeth,...
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley are set to star in the film adaptation of Richard Osman’s best-selling crime novel The Thursday Murder Club, according to Osman’s own podcast The Rest Is Entertainment.
Chris Columbus is set to write and direct the film which follows a group of friends in a retirement home who solve cold cases for fun but soon become entangled in a real murder. Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment is producing.
Osman also said the production will take place from “the end of June to September” in England.
The fourth main character, a retired nurse called Joyce,...
Chris Columbus is set to write and direct the film which follows a group of friends in a retirement home who solve cold cases for fun but soon become entangled in a real murder. Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment is producing.
Osman also said the production will take place from “the end of June to September” in England.
The fourth main character, a retired nurse called Joyce,...
- 4/23/2024
- ScreenDaily
Back in 2020, it was announced that Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again director Ol Parker would be following that film up by taking the helm of The Thursday Murder Club, an adaptation of the debut novel by Richard Osman (creator and co-presenter of the BBC quiz show Pointless), for Amblin. Given that Parker’s involvement was announced just days before the pandemic lockdowns, it’s not surprising to hear that iteration of the project didn’t hold together… but The Thursday Murder Club is still moving forward. Home Alone and Harry Potter director Chris Columbus is now attached to direct the film, and Variety reports that Pierce Brosnan (GoldenEye), Helen Mirren (The Queen), and Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3) are being eyed for three of the four the lead roles!
The Thursday Murder Club will tell the story of four septuagenarian friends who live in a retirement community and solve cold cases for fun.
The Thursday Murder Club will tell the story of four septuagenarian friends who live in a retirement community and solve cold cases for fun.
- 4/22/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Amblin’s film adaptation of Richard Osman’s novel “The Thursday Murder Club” is finally taking shape, with “Harry Potter” and “Home Alone” filmmaker Chris Columbus set to direct.
Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley are being eyed for three of the four lead roles in the project.
The book, released in 2020, tells the story of four septuagenarian friends who live in a retirement community and solve cold cases for fun. When a shady property developer is found dead, the four find themselves in the middle of their first live crime.
Publishing rights for the book were sold in the biggest debut novel deal for a decade. Amblin Partners scored worldwide rights to the film after a competitive auction that attracted interest from 14 studios.
It’s been a strong year for Amblin, whose series “Masters of the Air” launched with more viewers in its opening weekend than any Apple...
Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley are being eyed for three of the four lead roles in the project.
The book, released in 2020, tells the story of four septuagenarian friends who live in a retirement community and solve cold cases for fun. When a shady property developer is found dead, the four find themselves in the middle of their first live crime.
Publishing rights for the book were sold in the biggest debut novel deal for a decade. Amblin Partners scored worldwide rights to the film after a competitive auction that attracted interest from 14 studios.
It’s been a strong year for Amblin, whose series “Masters of the Air” launched with more viewers in its opening weekend than any Apple...
- 4/19/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
This year’s Oscars were as much a celebration of books as they were cinema. Five of the 10 best picture nominees were based on books, and three of those – “Oppenheimer,” “Poor Things” and “The Zone of Interest” – took home the most statues overall. Even the winner for best animated picture, Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron,” was loosely inspired by a 1937 novel Miyazaki had read as a child.
Which is why many of those partying in L.A. on Sunday night boarded planes across the Atlantic days later bound for the London Book Fair, which kicked off yesterday and runs through the end of the week, in search of their next Oscar-contending project. “It feels like there’s an influx of film and television executives, studio executives, producers etc., all coming into town,” Jason Richman, co-head of media rights at UTA, tells Variety.
With TV also wild about...
Which is why many of those partying in L.A. on Sunday night boarded planes across the Atlantic days later bound for the London Book Fair, which kicked off yesterday and runs through the end of the week, in search of their next Oscar-contending project. “It feels like there’s an influx of film and television executives, studio executives, producers etc., all coming into town,” Jason Richman, co-head of media rights at UTA, tells Variety.
With TV also wild about...
- 3/13/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
The original Doughtlander may not be over, but Outlander: Blood of My Blood hopes to close the gap.
For sure, it will be taking over where Outlander leaves off, even if it explores a story long before Jamie and Claire were figments of their parents' imagination.
Here’s what we know bout Blood of My Blood Season 1 so far.
What is Outlander?
It’s best to start with what we know, which is what came before. Outlander is based on a series of books by author Diana Gabaldon.
Outlander is a time-traveling love story between 20th-century (married) nurse Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser and 18th-century Jamie Fraser.
When visiting the ancestral home of her husband, Frank, Claire stumbles through the rocks at Craigh na Dun, which takes her back in time.
Unable to easily find her way back, the sassy lady leans on handsome laird Jamie for protection, and soon, they are in love.
For sure, it will be taking over where Outlander leaves off, even if it explores a story long before Jamie and Claire were figments of their parents' imagination.
Here’s what we know bout Blood of My Blood Season 1 so far.
What is Outlander?
It’s best to start with what we know, which is what came before. Outlander is based on a series of books by author Diana Gabaldon.
Outlander is a time-traveling love story between 20th-century (married) nurse Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser and 18th-century Jamie Fraser.
When visiting the ancestral home of her husband, Frank, Claire stumbles through the rocks at Craigh na Dun, which takes her back in time.
Unable to easily find her way back, the sassy lady leans on handsome laird Jamie for protection, and soon, they are in love.
- 2/5/2024
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
While caring for her brother along with her audacious mother, a teenager (Nico Parker) strikes up a friendship with an eccentric activist (Woody Harrelson) who is protesting one of the most landmark medical cases of all time.
We had the pleasure of speaking to upandcoming British actor Nico Parker – daughter of award-winning actor Thandiwe Newton and acclaimed British director Ol Parker – about starring in this touching coming of age drama.
Parker and director Laura Chinn spoke about premiering their film at Sundance and about trying bro replicate the early 2000s accurately.
The post Suncoast Interview: Nico Parker & Director Laura Chinn on their Sundance Special Jury Award-winning coming of age tale appeared first on HeyUGuys.
We had the pleasure of speaking to upandcoming British actor Nico Parker – daughter of award-winning actor Thandiwe Newton and acclaimed British director Ol Parker – about starring in this touching coming of age drama.
Parker and director Laura Chinn spoke about premiering their film at Sundance and about trying bro replicate the early 2000s accurately.
The post Suncoast Interview: Nico Parker & Director Laura Chinn on their Sundance Special Jury Award-winning coming of age tale appeared first on HeyUGuys.
- 2/5/2024
- by Linda Marric
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Laura Chinn’s feature film writing and directing debut hits close to the heart — her heart especially — in a semi-autobiographical story set in 2005 and inspired by her own growing pains at a dark time in her family’s life as her brother is dying of cancer and moved unknowingly into what turned out to be the same nursing facility, Suncoast, where Terri Schiavo was also a patient.
If you don’t know the name, Terri Schiavo, you probably weren’t seeing the news in 2005 as this was the notorious right-to-die case that actually started in 1998 in a dispute between Schiavo’s husband and parents over removing the feeding tube of the woman who was in a irreversible vegetative state. It sparked worldwide protests by many on all sides including religious zealots, non-stop news coverage, government interference and more all playing out in front of this Florida facility where Chinn’s brother,...
If you don’t know the name, Terri Schiavo, you probably weren’t seeing the news in 2005 as this was the notorious right-to-die case that actually started in 1998 in a dispute between Schiavo’s husband and parents over removing the feeding tube of the woman who was in a irreversible vegetative state. It sparked worldwide protests by many on all sides including religious zealots, non-stop news coverage, government interference and more all playing out in front of this Florida facility where Chinn’s brother,...
- 1/22/2024
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Woody Harrelson is channeling his “Edge of Seventeen” sensibilities for Sundance film “Suncoast.”
The “True Detective” alum appears in writer-director Laura Chinn’s coming-of-age feature debut “Suncoast” alongside Nico Parker. Inspired by Chinn’s semi-autobiographical story, “Suncoast” follows a teen (Parker) who, while caring for her brother along with her audacious mother (Laura Linney), strikes up an unlikely friendship with an eccentric activist (Harrelson) who is protesting one of the most landmark medical cases of all time.
Parker and Harrelson’s characters bond over their shared grief, with the title coming from the Suncoast hospital center where Parker’s brother is being treated. Ella Anderson, Daniella Taylor, Amarr, and Ariel Martin also star.
The film is having its world premiere in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category at Sundance 2024. Jeremy Plager, Francesca Silvestri, Kevin Chinoy, and Oly Obst produce the Searchlight Pictures film.
“Suncoast” lead Parker is the daughter of Thandiwe Newtown and Ol Parker.
The “True Detective” alum appears in writer-director Laura Chinn’s coming-of-age feature debut “Suncoast” alongside Nico Parker. Inspired by Chinn’s semi-autobiographical story, “Suncoast” follows a teen (Parker) who, while caring for her brother along with her audacious mother (Laura Linney), strikes up an unlikely friendship with an eccentric activist (Harrelson) who is protesting one of the most landmark medical cases of all time.
Parker and Harrelson’s characters bond over their shared grief, with the title coming from the Suncoast hospital center where Parker’s brother is being treated. Ella Anderson, Daniella Taylor, Amarr, and Ariel Martin also star.
The film is having its world premiere in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category at Sundance 2024. Jeremy Plager, Francesca Silvestri, Kevin Chinoy, and Oly Obst produce the Searchlight Pictures film.
“Suncoast” lead Parker is the daughter of Thandiwe Newtown and Ol Parker.
- 1/17/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival is right around the corner and kicks off later this week. And one of the titles on our Sundance 2024: The 23 Most Anticipated Movies To Watch feature is “Suncoast.” The directorial debut of actor turned writer/director Laura Chinn, “Suncoast,” is semi-biographical and is based on the filmmaker’s personal teenage experience growing up in St. Petersburg, Florida. The film stars Nico Parker, the daughter of director and screenwriter Ol Parker, and actress Thandiwe Newton.
Continue reading ‘Suncoast’ Trailer: New Sundance Drama With Laura Linney, Nico Parker & Woody Harrelson Hits Hulu Feb 9 at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Suncoast’ Trailer: New Sundance Drama With Laura Linney, Nico Parker & Woody Harrelson Hits Hulu Feb 9 at The Playlist.
- 1/17/2024
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
The second annual BFI and Chanel Filmmaker Awards celebrated creative audacity at the tony Claridges Hotel in London on Thursday afternoon.
Emerging filmmakers writer/director Ella Glendining, writer/director Savanah Leaf and producer Nadira Murray were the recipients of this year’s award, selected by a jury panel comprised of BFI CEO Ben Roberts, actor Tilda Swinton, British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful and Marie-Louise Khondji, the producer and founder of Le Cinéma Club.
Glendining is the talent behind feature doc “Is There Anybody Out There?” about her global search for someone with a body that looks like hers. Leaf wrote and directed “Earth Mama,” which focuses on a pregnant woman fighting to get custody of her two children while Murray produced “Winners,” about a nine-year-old Iranian boy seeking to reunite a lost statue with its owner.
“I truly, truly had this longing to meet other people with a body like...
Emerging filmmakers writer/director Ella Glendining, writer/director Savanah Leaf and producer Nadira Murray were the recipients of this year’s award, selected by a jury panel comprised of BFI CEO Ben Roberts, actor Tilda Swinton, British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful and Marie-Louise Khondji, the producer and founder of Le Cinéma Club.
Glendining is the talent behind feature doc “Is There Anybody Out There?” about her global search for someone with a body that looks like hers. Leaf wrote and directed “Earth Mama,” which focuses on a pregnant woman fighting to get custody of her two children while Murray produced “Winners,” about a nine-year-old Iranian boy seeking to reunite a lost statue with its owner.
“I truly, truly had this longing to meet other people with a body like...
- 11/9/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Actor Emma Roberts made a name for herself by starring in projects like Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story. She also shares her last name, and her blood, with another superstar in Julia Roberts. But how are the two connected?
What is Emma Roberts’ relation to Julia Roberts Julia Roberts | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Emma Roberts actually shares a very close connection to the Oscar-winner. Her father is Julia’s brother Eric Roberts, who’s also a prolific actor himself. Both Roberts’ father and aunt inspired her to pursue an acting career. Roberts once recalled being on the set of her aunt’s Erin Brockovich film, and how that grew her passions even further.
“I’d run and hide in her makeup trailer and hear, ‘Where’s Emma? It’s time for bed! She has to go home,'” Roberts once recalled to Allure. “I remember it feeling like summer camp,...
What is Emma Roberts’ relation to Julia Roberts Julia Roberts | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Emma Roberts actually shares a very close connection to the Oscar-winner. Her father is Julia’s brother Eric Roberts, who’s also a prolific actor himself. Both Roberts’ father and aunt inspired her to pursue an acting career. Roberts once recalled being on the set of her aunt’s Erin Brockovich film, and how that grew her passions even further.
“I’d run and hide in her makeup trailer and hear, ‘Where’s Emma? It’s time for bed! She has to go home,'” Roberts once recalled to Allure. “I remember it feeling like summer camp,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Given Hollywood’s love of sequels, and that fact that “Mamma Mia!” and its followup, “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”, raked in a combined $1 billion at the box office, why hasn’t Universal greenlit a third film?
“Universal would love to make a third movie, and I’ll leave it at that,” Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley said in a new oral history of of “Mamma Mia!” for Vogue.
“We may have to call it ‘Grand-Mamma Mia!’ by the time we make it.”
Amanda Seyfried, who played Sophie in both films, agrees. “I dare you to show me one person who doesn’t want a third ‘Mamma Mia!’,” she said, but also explained why it’s unlikely to happen.
“Nobody is saying no, but nobody is saying yes either,” Seyfried added. “The powers that be probably can’t afford us to be honest. I hate to say it, because...
“Universal would love to make a third movie, and I’ll leave it at that,” Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley said in a new oral history of of “Mamma Mia!” for Vogue.
“We may have to call it ‘Grand-Mamma Mia!’ by the time we make it.”
Amanda Seyfried, who played Sophie in both films, agrees. “I dare you to show me one person who doesn’t want a third ‘Mamma Mia!’,” she said, but also explained why it’s unlikely to happen.
“Nobody is saying no, but nobody is saying yes either,” Seyfried added. “The powers that be probably can’t afford us to be honest. I hate to say it, because...
- 9/14/2023
- by Etcanadadigital
- ET Canada
Judy Craymer is determined to make a third 'Mamma Mia!' film.The 65-year-old producer has worked on both the original stage production and the two movies in the musical based on Abba's songs and hopes that another film can be made.Speaking to Deadline, Judy said: "It's in its earliest stages. I don't want to over-egg it, but I know there's a trilogy there."The producer revealed that her ideas for the new film involve bringing back popular characters such as Meryl Streep's Donna – who had died in the events of the 2018 film 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' – and Cher's Ruby, mother to Donna and grandmother to Sophie (Amanda Seyfried).Craymer said: "There is a story there, and I do think Meryl should come back – and if the script is right, she would, I think, because she really loved playing Donna."The producer...
- 5/2/2023
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
Legendary Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis has denied that her daughter Sophie Ellis-Bextor is a “nepo baby”.
Ellis, who hosted the kids’ TV show from 1979 to 1987, has three children, one of whom is the “Murder on the Dancefloor” singer.
Asked about discussions about the children of famous people being the recipients of nepotism (known as nepo babies) in a new interview, Ellis said that “the tables have turned” for her and her daughter
Appearing on Steph’s Packed Lunch on Wednesday (22 March), Ellie told host Steph McGovern: “It works the other way for me. I’m Sophie’s mum.
“Certainly in Sophie’s case it didn’t apply because what she’s doing is so different. When she first started as a singer, she was only 18, and people said to me, ‘Oh, that’s great, she’s doing something you can understand,’ I thought, ‘I don’t know the music industry at all.
Ellis, who hosted the kids’ TV show from 1979 to 1987, has three children, one of whom is the “Murder on the Dancefloor” singer.
Asked about discussions about the children of famous people being the recipients of nepotism (known as nepo babies) in a new interview, Ellis said that “the tables have turned” for her and her daughter
Appearing on Steph’s Packed Lunch on Wednesday (22 March), Ellie told host Steph McGovern: “It works the other way for me. I’m Sophie’s mum.
“Certainly in Sophie’s case it didn’t apply because what she’s doing is so different. When she first started as a singer, she was only 18, and people said to me, ‘Oh, that’s great, she’s doing something you can understand,’ I thought, ‘I don’t know the music industry at all.
- 3/22/2023
- by Isobel Lewis
- The Independent - Music
Legendary Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis has denied that her daughter Sophie Ellis-Bextor is a “nepo baby”.
Ellis, who hosted the kids’ TV show from 1979 to 1987, has three children, one of whom is the “Murder on the Dancefloor” singer.
Asked about discussions about the children of famous people being the recipients of nepotism (known as nepo babies) in a new interview, Ellis said that “the tables have turned” for her and her daughter
Appearing on Steph’s Packed Lunch on Wednesday (22 March), Ellie told host Steph McGovern: “It works the other way for me. I’m Sophie’s mum.
“Certainly in Sophie’s case it didn’t apply because what she’s doing is so different. When she first started as a singer, she was only 18, and people said to me, ‘Oh, that’s great, she’s doing something you can understand,’ I thought, ‘I don’t know the music industry at all.
Ellis, who hosted the kids’ TV show from 1979 to 1987, has three children, one of whom is the “Murder on the Dancefloor” singer.
Asked about discussions about the children of famous people being the recipients of nepotism (known as nepo babies) in a new interview, Ellis said that “the tables have turned” for her and her daughter
Appearing on Steph’s Packed Lunch on Wednesday (22 March), Ellie told host Steph McGovern: “It works the other way for me. I’m Sophie’s mum.
“Certainly in Sophie’s case it didn’t apply because what she’s doing is so different. When she first started as a singer, she was only 18, and people said to me, ‘Oh, that’s great, she’s doing something you can understand,’ I thought, ‘I don’t know the music industry at all.
- 3/22/2023
- by Isobel Lewis
- The Independent - TV
UK-based indie Archery Pictures, whose credits include Operation Mincemeat (2022) and Riviera Series 3, has picked up the film rights to the New York Times bestselling novel Lies We Sing To The Sea by Sarah Underwood.
Archery has set Ripley Parker, writer of the upcoming Netflix series The Fuck It Bucket and daughter of Ol Parker and Thandiwe Newton, to adapt the novel.
Billed as a “magical coming-of-age,” the novel is set in Ancient Greece and is inspired by the myth of Penelope’s hanged maids. The full synopsis reads: In the cursed kingdom of Ithaca, each spring brings the hanging of twelve young women, a tithe to the vengeful Poseidon. But when Leto awakens from her death on the shore of a magical island, its enigmatic keeper Melantho tells her that she has been chosen by the Gods to break Ithaca’s curse. Leto must return home and kill the prince.
Archery has set Ripley Parker, writer of the upcoming Netflix series The Fuck It Bucket and daughter of Ol Parker and Thandiwe Newton, to adapt the novel.
Billed as a “magical coming-of-age,” the novel is set in Ancient Greece and is inspired by the myth of Penelope’s hanged maids. The full synopsis reads: In the cursed kingdom of Ithaca, each spring brings the hanging of twelve young women, a tithe to the vengeful Poseidon. But when Leto awakens from her death on the shore of a magical island, its enigmatic keeper Melantho tells her that she has been chosen by the Gods to break Ithaca’s curse. Leto must return home and kill the prince.
- 3/16/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
For a solid decade, the U.K. contributed some of the most iconic floppy-haired lotharios, airport dashes and front-door confessions in romcom history. Films such as “Four Weddings and a Funeral” (1994), “Notting Hill” (1999) and “Love Actually” (2003) basically invented such hallmarks of the genre.
But in the last decade, the global-facing British romcom has all but disappeared from cinemas. Richard Curtis, the brains behind the aforementioned hits as well as the “Bridget Jones” adaptations, says the heavy lifting keeping romcoms alive has largely been carried out in the television ranks. The writer cites examples such as the BBC’s “Gavin & Stacey” and “Fleabag” and Channel 4’s “Catastrophe” as “blazing examples.”
“Unexpectedly to me, I would say that trying to write vaguely autobiographical films with jokes in them about how complicated love is, has probably happened more on telly than in cinema,” Curtis tells Variety.
Curtis penned the last bonafide British romcom hit,...
But in the last decade, the global-facing British romcom has all but disappeared from cinemas. Richard Curtis, the brains behind the aforementioned hits as well as the “Bridget Jones” adaptations, says the heavy lifting keeping romcoms alive has largely been carried out in the television ranks. The writer cites examples such as the BBC’s “Gavin & Stacey” and “Fleabag” and Channel 4’s “Catastrophe” as “blazing examples.”
“Unexpectedly to me, I would say that trying to write vaguely autobiographical films with jokes in them about how complicated love is, has probably happened more on telly than in cinema,” Curtis tells Variety.
Curtis penned the last bonafide British romcom hit,...
- 2/24/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
For most of Hollywood history, the romantic comedy was a staple of theatrical moviegoing. From the glory days of Ernst Lubitsch (“Trouble in Paradise”) and George Cukor (“Adam’s Rib”) in the classical studio era to the onslaught of Julia Roberts, Matthew McConaughey, and Reese Witherspoon vehicles in the 1990s and early 2000s, pretty people saying funny things while falling in love was a consistent and reliable form of big screen entertainment. In the last few years, however, the genre largely moved to streaming, with studio slates leaning disproportionately toward comic book movies and other preexisting IP while reserving slots devoted to more modestly budgeted fare for horror films.
Yet the theatrically released, well-resourced romantic comedy made a glorious return to the big screen in 2022 with “Ticket to Paradise,” director Ol Parker’s hilarious and sweetly moving George Clooney and Julia Roberts vehicle. The movie has many pleasures, from Clooney and...
Yet the theatrically released, well-resourced romantic comedy made a glorious return to the big screen in 2022 with “Ticket to Paradise,” director Ol Parker’s hilarious and sweetly moving George Clooney and Julia Roberts vehicle. The movie has many pleasures, from Clooney and...
- 2/12/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
In HBO‘s new hit series, The Last of Us, Nico Parker plays a young teen who doesn’t make it past day one of the zombie apocalypse. In a recent interview, the actor revealed who she thinks she’d have better survival odds with if an apocalypse were really to happen.
Nico Parker plays Joel’s daughter Sarah in ‘The Last of Us’
HBO’s The Last of Us is based on the popular 2013 Naughty Dog video game of the same name. It follows the journey of Joel and Ellie, two survivors of a zombie apocalypse that has decimated a majority of the world’s population. The series focuses on their relationship as they travel across the country together, looking for scientists who could harness Ellie’s immunity and turn it into a cure.
The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal plays Joel. And Game of Thrones star Bella Ramsey portrays Ellie.
Nico Parker plays Joel’s daughter Sarah in ‘The Last of Us’
HBO’s The Last of Us is based on the popular 2013 Naughty Dog video game of the same name. It follows the journey of Joel and Ellie, two survivors of a zombie apocalypse that has decimated a majority of the world’s population. The series focuses on their relationship as they travel across the country together, looking for scientists who could harness Ellie’s immunity and turn it into a cure.
The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal plays Joel. And Game of Thrones star Bella Ramsey portrays Ellie.
- 2/7/2023
- by Mishal Ali Zafar
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Last of Us star Nico Parker has weighed in on the “nepo baby” discourse.
A debate about the children of celebrities and their privilege erupted after Vulture released an exhaustive guide to the Hollywood “nepo-verse”.
Now, in a new interview with The Cut, Parker, the daughter of actor Thandie Newton and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again director Ol Parker is the latest to join the conversation.
While the 18-year-old British actor said she sympathises with those who feel the argument “minimises” their achievements, she added: “But I think it’s incredibly important to recognise that with your parents being prevalent in the industry, it’s way easier to get in the room.
“It’s so important to know how many people would dream of being in that room, and how lucky you are to be there,” she acknowledged.
“Especially when you start, your parents know people, and you...
A debate about the children of celebrities and their privilege erupted after Vulture released an exhaustive guide to the Hollywood “nepo-verse”.
Now, in a new interview with The Cut, Parker, the daughter of actor Thandie Newton and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again director Ol Parker is the latest to join the conversation.
While the 18-year-old British actor said she sympathises with those who feel the argument “minimises” their achievements, she added: “But I think it’s incredibly important to recognise that with your parents being prevalent in the industry, it’s way easier to get in the room.
“It’s so important to know how many people would dream of being in that room, and how lucky you are to be there,” she acknowledged.
“Especially when you start, your parents know people, and you...
- 2/2/2023
- by Inga Parkel
- The Independent - TV
In 2013, people lost their minds over the first 20 minutes of NaughtyDog's post-apocalyptic epic, "The Last Of Us" — and believe it or not, that reaction had nothing to do with a zombie infection turning humanity into ravenous, parasitic puppets. See, by the time folks finally got their hands on the disc, the game had drummed up plenty of hype, including lots of breathless praise from critics. People assumed they had a solid grasp of what they were in for.
Every single poster, trailer, and piece of marketing had made the premise pretty clear: "The Last Of Us" was the story of a hardened apocalypse survivor battling against the odds to protect a young girl from harm. So when the game kicks off with players assuming the role of Sarah, a 12-year-old who witnesses the collapse of society, it's all too easy to assume she's the girl that Joel will spend the game protecting.
Every single poster, trailer, and piece of marketing had made the premise pretty clear: "The Last Of Us" was the story of a hardened apocalypse survivor battling against the odds to protect a young girl from harm. So when the game kicks off with players assuming the role of Sarah, a 12-year-old who witnesses the collapse of society, it's all too easy to assume she's the girl that Joel will spend the game protecting.
- 1/21/2023
- by Shania Russell
- Slash Film
The Last of Us star Nico Parker has defended the “inclusive” casting in HBO’s adaptation of the popular video game.
Parker, who is the daughter of actor Thandiwe Newton and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again director Ol Parker, appears in the post-apocalyptic drama as Sarah, the daughter of protagonist Joel (Pedro Pascal).
When the casting was announced, a small group of fans questioned the casting of Pascal, who hails from Chile, and biracial actor Parker, in roles that are white in the original game.
In a new interview, Parker said that, while she “understands” hardcore fans wanting the show to be true to the game, some critics were simply pushing back against a more diverse cast on screen.
“There are people for whom the game is incredibly important to them,” she told Yahoo! Entertainment.
“But when it comes from a place where it’s just a disdain toward any kind of inclusivity,...
Parker, who is the daughter of actor Thandiwe Newton and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again director Ol Parker, appears in the post-apocalyptic drama as Sarah, the daughter of protagonist Joel (Pedro Pascal).
When the casting was announced, a small group of fans questioned the casting of Pascal, who hails from Chile, and biracial actor Parker, in roles that are white in the original game.
In a new interview, Parker said that, while she “understands” hardcore fans wanting the show to be true to the game, some critics were simply pushing back against a more diverse cast on screen.
“There are people for whom the game is incredibly important to them,” she told Yahoo! Entertainment.
“But when it comes from a place where it’s just a disdain toward any kind of inclusivity,...
- 1/17/2023
- by Isobel Lewis
- The Independent - TV
Image Source: Getty / Jeff Kravitz
Though she has only appeared in a handful of movies, actor Nico Parker has built a meaningful acting career since her acting debut in Tim Burton's 2019 film, "Dumbo." Since then, she has appeared in the 2021 sci-fi thriller "Reminiscence" alongside Hugh Jackman and, most recently, is generating a lot of buzz for her role in HBO's "The Last of Us," a screen adaptation of the critically acclaimed video game of the same name.
If Nico looks familiar to you, it might be because she's the daughter of two esteemed names in Hollywood: director and screenwriter Ol Parker and actor Thandiwe Newton.
Who Is Nico Parker's Father? Ol Parker
Director Ol Parker is best known for his directorial credits like "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" and, most recently, the 2022 romantic comedy "Ticket to Paradise," which stars Julia Roberts and George Clooney. Other than his popular works as a director,...
Though she has only appeared in a handful of movies, actor Nico Parker has built a meaningful acting career since her acting debut in Tim Burton's 2019 film, "Dumbo." Since then, she has appeared in the 2021 sci-fi thriller "Reminiscence" alongside Hugh Jackman and, most recently, is generating a lot of buzz for her role in HBO's "The Last of Us," a screen adaptation of the critically acclaimed video game of the same name.
If Nico looks familiar to you, it might be because she's the daughter of two esteemed names in Hollywood: director and screenwriter Ol Parker and actor Thandiwe Newton.
Who Is Nico Parker's Father? Ol Parker
Director Ol Parker is best known for his directorial credits like "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" and, most recently, the 2022 romantic comedy "Ticket to Paradise," which stars Julia Roberts and George Clooney. Other than his popular works as a director,...
- 1/13/2023
- by Alicia Geigel
- Popsugar.com
Exclusive: Once again, working under the Writers Guild’s restrictive rules for inclusion among nominees for the WGA Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay, several leading Oscar-contending screenplays are Awol on the official WGA ballot sent to eligible voting members Monday morning.
This is an annual occurrence as, unlike other guild competitions including DGA, SAG and PGA, the WGA remains firm in its golden rule of eligibility for its top film honors: The movie must have been written under the WGA Mba or under a bona fide collective bargaining agreement of various international WGA-affiliated organizations.
Thus such hot Oscar and BAFTA prospects as Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin, Cannes Palme d’Or winner Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness and many more did not even make the starting gate for WGA.
In the Original Screenplay category, BAFTA just last week longlisted Banshees and Triangle of Sadness...
This is an annual occurrence as, unlike other guild competitions including DGA, SAG and PGA, the WGA remains firm in its golden rule of eligibility for its top film honors: The movie must have been written under the WGA Mba or under a bona fide collective bargaining agreement of various international WGA-affiliated organizations.
Thus such hot Oscar and BAFTA prospects as Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin, Cannes Palme d’Or winner Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness and many more did not even make the starting gate for WGA.
In the Original Screenplay category, BAFTA just last week longlisted Banshees and Triangle of Sadness...
- 1/9/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
The curtain is being raised Thursday night on what looks to be an idiosyncratic festival awards season, as organizers of the Palm Springs Gala to kick off the Palm Springs Film Festival with a hope that audiences somewhere, somehow, will start talking about movies.
Attendees are aware that their kids are lining up for the Avatar sequel but they themselves likely have not paid to see a movie this year — any movie. The customary excuse: There aren’t any new “grown up” movies around.
In fact, two heralded, big-budget (80 million each), non-franchise movies aimed at grown-ups, Babylon and White Noise, are box office fizzles at year end.
Both shared a demanding theme for the holiday season. The characters in Noah Baumbach’s White Noise are obsessed about death. Damien Chazelle’s Babylon is about the death of the silent film era.
While both delivered memorable moments and outstanding performances, studies...
Attendees are aware that their kids are lining up for the Avatar sequel but they themselves likely have not paid to see a movie this year — any movie. The customary excuse: There aren’t any new “grown up” movies around.
In fact, two heralded, big-budget (80 million each), non-franchise movies aimed at grown-ups, Babylon and White Noise, are box office fizzles at year end.
Both shared a demanding theme for the holiday season. The characters in Noah Baumbach’s White Noise are obsessed about death. Damien Chazelle’s Babylon is about the death of the silent film era.
While both delivered memorable moments and outstanding performances, studies...
- 1/5/2023
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Indie director, Alex Ross Perry, is making a movie about the beloved indie rock band, Pavement.
After staging an unlikely musical theater show in New York this month- Slanted! Enchanted!: A Pavement Musical- it’s been announced that the production is part of an unorthodox feature film on the popular indie-rockers, as per a profile in the New Yorker this week.
Although there aren’t many details surrounding the project, the film will reportedly be a mix of footage from the stage musical and its creation, along with biopic and documentary elements.
Read More: ‘Mamma Mia! 2’ Director Ol Parker Says Producer ‘Has A Plan’ For Third Movie
The movie is also reportedly based on an obscure directive from Stephen Malkmus, who was the band’s primary songwriter, lead singer and guitarist. According to profile writer, Hannah Seidlitz, Perry, who helmed Pavement’s “Harness Your Hopes” video and a...
After staging an unlikely musical theater show in New York this month- Slanted! Enchanted!: A Pavement Musical- it’s been announced that the production is part of an unorthodox feature film on the popular indie-rockers, as per a profile in the New Yorker this week.
Although there aren’t many details surrounding the project, the film will reportedly be a mix of footage from the stage musical and its creation, along with biopic and documentary elements.
Read More: ‘Mamma Mia! 2’ Director Ol Parker Says Producer ‘Has A Plan’ For Third Movie
The movie is also reportedly based on an obscure directive from Stephen Malkmus, who was the band’s primary songwriter, lead singer and guitarist. According to profile writer, Hannah Seidlitz, Perry, who helmed Pavement’s “Harness Your Hopes” video and a...
- 12/20/2022
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
With Mamma Mia! and its sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, both becoming international box office smashes, there’s been plenty of talk about extending the franchise with a second sequel. Ol Parker, who scripted and directed the second film, has insisted that Mamma Mia! was meant to be a trilogy, and producer Judy Craymer has been quietly making plans to bring the characters back for one more story. While there’s nothing official to report, it’s been said that most of the films’ stars would be interested in returning. That would include both Christine Baranski and Colin Firth, who told us they find it difficult to explain the incredibly enduring appeal of the band whose music inspired the films, Abba.. (Click on the media bar below to hear Christine Baranski & Colin Firth) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Christine-Baranski_Colin_Firth_mama_Mia.mp3 The first two...
- 12/19/2022
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
A third “Mamma Mia!” movie is a very real possibility.
In an interview with Screen Rant, director Ol Parker, who helmed the 2018 sequel “Here We Go Again”, teased the likelihood of the series becoming a trilogy.
Read More: Amanda Seyfried Jokes That A Third ‘Mamma Mia!’ Could Be In The Works
“Judy Craymer, the genius producer behind the musical and the first two films, always plans for it to be a trilogy. That’s all I can say,” Parker said. “The first one made an enormous amount of money, and I think we made a fair amount, too. I know that there is a hunger for a third, and I know that she has a plan. Wouldn’t it be lovely?”
Craymer herself has indicated in the post she wants to get going on a third film telling The Daily Mail in 2020, “I was meant to have been getting on with that,...
In an interview with Screen Rant, director Ol Parker, who helmed the 2018 sequel “Here We Go Again”, teased the likelihood of the series becoming a trilogy.
Read More: Amanda Seyfried Jokes That A Third ‘Mamma Mia!’ Could Be In The Works
“Judy Craymer, the genius producer behind the musical and the first two films, always plans for it to be a trilogy. That’s all I can say,” Parker said. “The first one made an enormous amount of money, and I think we made a fair amount, too. I know that there is a hunger for a third, and I know that she has a plan. Wouldn’t it be lovely?”
Craymer herself has indicated in the post she wants to get going on a third film telling The Daily Mail in 2020, “I was meant to have been getting on with that,...
- 12/18/2022
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Click here to read the full article.
It sounds like Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again director Ol Parker might be ready to take a chance on pursuing another film in the musical franchise.
Parker, who helmed Universal Pictures’ 2018 follow-up to director Phyllida Lloyd’s 2008 hit Mamma Mia!, told Screen Rant in an interview published online Saturday that producer Judy Craymer has always intended to make a film trilogy. Craymer has credits on both films and also the Abba-centric jukebox musical of the same name, which was the basis for the first movie and has had runs on the West End and Broadway.
“Judy Craymer, the genius producer behind the musical and the first two films, always plans for it to be a trilogy,” Parker teased. “That’s all I can say. The first one made an enormous amount of money, and I think we made a fair amount too.
It sounds like Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again director Ol Parker might be ready to take a chance on pursuing another film in the musical franchise.
Parker, who helmed Universal Pictures’ 2018 follow-up to director Phyllida Lloyd’s 2008 hit Mamma Mia!, told Screen Rant in an interview published online Saturday that producer Judy Craymer has always intended to make a film trilogy. Craymer has credits on both films and also the Abba-centric jukebox musical of the same name, which was the basis for the first movie and has had runs on the West End and Broadway.
“Judy Craymer, the genius producer behind the musical and the first two films, always plans for it to be a trilogy,” Parker teased. “That’s all I can say. The first one made an enormous amount of money, and I think we made a fair amount too.
- 12/17/2022
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Usually content to let their logo on the front end of films speak for them, Working Title partners Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner spoke with Deadline in a prolific moment and a series of anniversaries that go beyond the 20th for their holiday classic Love Actually: They reached 30 years together at a company that turns 40 next year. The duo scored a big hit in the George Clooney-Julia Roberts romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise, and have Matilda the Musical playing in UK theaters, and opening on Netflix elsewhere for Christmas, with the Lena Dunham-directed Catherine Called Birdy released by Amazon and The Swimmers by Netflix. The latter, after playing the Toronto and Zurich festivals, has ranked near the top of Netflix’s most-watched films globally since its release.
Related Story Melissa McCarthy To Star In Richard Curtis-Scripted Christmas Comedy For Universal, Working Title & Peacock; Sam Boyd...
Related Story Melissa McCarthy To Star In Richard Curtis-Scripted Christmas Comedy For Universal, Working Title & Peacock; Sam Boyd...
- 12/14/2022
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Faith Penhale joins from TV producer Lookout Point as managing director.
Pathe UK has appointed Faith Penhale, CEO of UK drama production company Lookout Point, as its new managing director.
She replaces Cameron McCracken, who is stepping down as managing director after 23 years, and into the newly-created role of head of film. He will report to Penhale; and will continue to manage the production and distribution of the film slate.
Penhale will start in her role from March 1, 2023, as managing director of Pathe Productions, the UK operation of the Pathe international studio. Her primary focus will be on leading Pathe...
Pathe UK has appointed Faith Penhale, CEO of UK drama production company Lookout Point, as its new managing director.
She replaces Cameron McCracken, who is stepping down as managing director after 23 years, and into the newly-created role of head of film. He will report to Penhale; and will continue to manage the production and distribution of the film slate.
Penhale will start in her role from March 1, 2023, as managing director of Pathe Productions, the UK operation of the Pathe international studio. Her primary focus will be on leading Pathe...
- 11/1/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Faith Penhale will join Pathe U.K. as managing director from March 1, 2023.
Penhale is currently CEO of Lookout Point, one of the U.K.’s best known producers of scripted television, responsible for “Gentleman Jack,” “Les Miserables,” “Happy Valley” and “War and Peace.”
In her new role, Penhale’s immediate focus will be on leading Pathe U.K.’s expansion into television drama.
After 23 years with Pathe, Cameron McCracken will be stepping down as managing director to take up the newly created role of head of film, reporting into Penhale. McCracken will continue to manage the production and distribution of the film slate which includes Richard Eyre’s “Allelujah” and Oliver Parker’s “The Great Escaper.”
Penhale said: “Pathe is iconic, setting the bar for the highest quality filmmaking. It is amazing that during Cameron’s tenure, Pathe’s productions have been nominated for 70 BAFTAs and 50 Oscars, ranging from ‘Slumdog Millionaire...
Penhale is currently CEO of Lookout Point, one of the U.K.’s best known producers of scripted television, responsible for “Gentleman Jack,” “Les Miserables,” “Happy Valley” and “War and Peace.”
In her new role, Penhale’s immediate focus will be on leading Pathe U.K.’s expansion into television drama.
After 23 years with Pathe, Cameron McCracken will be stepping down as managing director to take up the newly created role of head of film, reporting into Penhale. McCracken will continue to manage the production and distribution of the film slate which includes Richard Eyre’s “Allelujah” and Oliver Parker’s “The Great Escaper.”
Penhale said: “Pathe is iconic, setting the bar for the highest quality filmmaking. It is amazing that during Cameron’s tenure, Pathe’s productions have been nominated for 70 BAFTAs and 50 Oscars, ranging from ‘Slumdog Millionaire...
- 11/1/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Universal/Working Title’s Ticket to Paradise has winged past the 100 million mark globally. With Tuesday’s grosses included, the Julia Roberts-George Clooney rom-com’s split is 20.6M domestic and 81.9M from the international box office for a worldwide total of 102.5M so far.
Related Story Julia Roberts & George Clooney Have 'Ticket' To New Milestone: Duo's Big-Screen Pairings Top 1B Global Box Office Related Story 'Black Adam' Rocks With 143M Global Bow; 'Ticket To Paradise' Nears 100M WW – International Box Office Update Related Story 20 Questions On Deadline Podcast: Joel Edgerton Talks 'The Stranger', New Clooney Film 'The Boys In The Boat' & His Best Celebrity Sighting Ever
Having released early overseas, Ticket to Paradise, directed by Ol Parker, just went out in North America this past weekend. With a 16.3M launch, it exceeded projections and drew an A- CinemaScore; it’s currently 89 positive with audiences.
Related Story Julia Roberts & George Clooney Have 'Ticket' To New Milestone: Duo's Big-Screen Pairings Top 1B Global Box Office Related Story 'Black Adam' Rocks With 143M Global Bow; 'Ticket To Paradise' Nears 100M WW – International Box Office Update Related Story 20 Questions On Deadline Podcast: Joel Edgerton Talks 'The Stranger', New Clooney Film 'The Boys In The Boat' & His Best Celebrity Sighting Ever
Having released early overseas, Ticket to Paradise, directed by Ol Parker, just went out in North America this past weekend. With a 16.3M launch, it exceeded projections and drew an A- CinemaScore; it’s currently 89 positive with audiences.
- 10/26/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
“Black Adam,” a superhero adventure starring Dwayne Johnson as a villain who promises to change the “hierarchy of power” in the DC universe, towered over box office charts with 67 million in its domestic debut.
The Warner Bros. comic book movie handily took down the weekend’s other new nationwide release, Universal’s romantic comedy “Ticket to Paradise,” which landed in second place with a better-than-expected 16.3 million from 3,543 cinemas. “Black Adam,” heading into the weekend, was projected to open to 62 million while playing in 4,350 theaters, but ticket sales were stronger than anticipated on Saturday and Sunday, leading the studio to revise estimates.
Internationally, “Black Adam” kicked off with 73 million from 76 markets for a global tally of 140 million.
“As a spin-off, this is a strong opening,” says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “‘Black Adam’ should do well abroad and be comfortably profitable.”
For a superhero origin story,...
The Warner Bros. comic book movie handily took down the weekend’s other new nationwide release, Universal’s romantic comedy “Ticket to Paradise,” which landed in second place with a better-than-expected 16.3 million from 3,543 cinemas. “Black Adam,” heading into the weekend, was projected to open to 62 million while playing in 4,350 theaters, but ticket sales were stronger than anticipated on Saturday and Sunday, leading the studio to revise estimates.
Internationally, “Black Adam” kicked off with 73 million from 76 markets for a global tally of 140 million.
“As a spin-off, this is a strong opening,” says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “‘Black Adam’ should do well abroad and be comfortably profitable.”
For a superhero origin story,...
- 10/23/2022
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Ticket to Paradise Review — Ticket to Paradise (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Ol Parker, written by Daniel Pipski and Ol Parker and starring George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Kaitlyn Dever, Sean Lynch, Arielle Carver-o’Neill, Ling Cooper Tang, Billie Lourd, Maxime Bouttier, Francis McMahon, Romy Poulier, Lucas Bravo, Dorian Djoudi and Cintya Dharmayanti. Director [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Ticket To Paradise (2022): Charismatic Stars Carry Entertaining Movie Through a Formulaic Plot...
Continue reading: Film Review: Ticket To Paradise (2022): Charismatic Stars Carry Entertaining Movie Through a Formulaic Plot...
- 10/22/2022
- by Thomas Duffy
- Film-Book
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Ticket to Paradise, The White Lotus, The School for Good and Evil and The Good Nurse.
Ticket to Paradise premiere
Julia Roberts and George Clooney premiered their new rom-com on Monday in Westwood, alongside costars Kaitlyn Dever, Maxime Bouttier and Lucas Bravo.
NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group Chairman Donna Langley, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Ol Parker and Tim Bevan Amal and George Clooney Maxime Bouttier and Kaitlyn Dever
The School for Good and Evil premiere
Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington and Michelle Yeoh walked the carpet on Tuesday for the premiere of their new Netflix fantasy flick, joined by the film’s young stars Sofia Wylie and Sophia Anne Caruso, and costars Laurence Fishburne and Patti LuPone. Director Paul Feig said that he “loved the...
Ticket to Paradise premiere
Julia Roberts and George Clooney premiered their new rom-com on Monday in Westwood, alongside costars Kaitlyn Dever, Maxime Bouttier and Lucas Bravo.
NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group Chairman Donna Langley, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Ol Parker and Tim Bevan Amal and George Clooney Maxime Bouttier and Kaitlyn Dever
The School for Good and Evil premiere
Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington and Michelle Yeoh walked the carpet on Tuesday for the premiere of their new Netflix fantasy flick, joined by the film’s young stars Sofia Wylie and Sophia Anne Caruso, and costars Laurence Fishburne and Patti LuPone. Director Paul Feig said that he “loved the...
- 10/21/2022
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on Wbgr-fm on October 20th, 2022, reviewing “Ticket to Paradise” an old fashion movie star movie featuring George Clooney and Julia Roberts, opening in theaters beginning October 21st..
Rating: 3.0/5.0
Divorcees David (George Clooney) and Georgia (Julia Roberts) only communicate through their daughter Lily (Kaitlyn Dever). Before she starts working as a lawyer, Lily goes to Bali for some post grad fun with Wren (Billie Lourd). There she meets Gede (Maxime Bouttier), a Balian hunk who farms seaweed. After 40 days, they decide to get married, which throws David and Georgia into a temporary truce so they can break it up. Can they accomplish this goal?
”Ticket to Paradise” is in theaters beginning October 21st. Featuring George Clooney, Juilia Roberts, Kaitlyn Dever, Billie Lourde, Lucas Bravo and Maxime Bouttier. Screenplay by Daniel Pipski. Drected by Ol Parker. Rated “PG-...
Rating: 3.0/5.0
Divorcees David (George Clooney) and Georgia (Julia Roberts) only communicate through their daughter Lily (Kaitlyn Dever). Before she starts working as a lawyer, Lily goes to Bali for some post grad fun with Wren (Billie Lourd). There she meets Gede (Maxime Bouttier), a Balian hunk who farms seaweed. After 40 days, they decide to get married, which throws David and Georgia into a temporary truce so they can break it up. Can they accomplish this goal?
”Ticket to Paradise” is in theaters beginning October 21st. Featuring George Clooney, Juilia Roberts, Kaitlyn Dever, Billie Lourde, Lucas Bravo and Maxime Bouttier. Screenplay by Daniel Pipski. Drected by Ol Parker. Rated “PG-...
- 10/21/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Julia Roberts Struggled To Film One ‘Ticket To Paradise’ Scene With George Clooney, Director Reveals
Julia Roberts may be great at her job, but she struggled to act mean to George Clooney in their new movie “Ticket to Paradise”.
The pair play exes David and Georgia in the flick, with them travelling to Bali to try and sabotage their daughter Lily’s wedding.
However, because they’re so close in real life, Roberts found it hard to be mad at Clooney, director Ol Parker told Entertainment Weekly.
Read More: Julia Roberts Jokes About George Clooney Being Named ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ For A Third Time
Parker shared, “The only note I had to give Julia in the whole movie was the scene where they actually argue for real after the marketplace. They have an argument about how they brought up Lily. Julia was just going easy on George.
“I was like, ‘Julia, what’s up? What’s happening here?'” he continued. “George went for it...
The pair play exes David and Georgia in the flick, with them travelling to Bali to try and sabotage their daughter Lily’s wedding.
However, because they’re so close in real life, Roberts found it hard to be mad at Clooney, director Ol Parker told Entertainment Weekly.
Read More: Julia Roberts Jokes About George Clooney Being Named ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ For A Third Time
Parker shared, “The only note I had to give Julia in the whole movie was the scene where they actually argue for real after the marketplace. They have an argument about how they brought up Lily. Julia was just going easy on George.
“I was like, ‘Julia, what’s up? What’s happening here?'” he continued. “George went for it...
- 10/21/2022
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
Ticket To Paradise Image: Stills Photography by Vince Vali From gorgeous Balinese vistas to George Clooney’s swagger to Julia Roberts’ smile, there are plenty of reasons to catch Ticket To Paradise on a big screen, popcorn in hand. As director and co-writer Ol Parker reveals, that’s no coincidence.
- 10/21/2022
- by Jack Smart
- avclub.com
“Black Adam” topped the Thursday box office with 7.6 million on its opening night, ahead of a projected 60 million opening weekend. The Warner Bros. and DC film will premiere on more than 3,500 screens.
Box office favorite Dwayne Johnson stars as the film’s eponymous anti-hero, a destructive, powerful character with supernatural abilities. Following the end of a 5,000 year prison sentence, Black Adam is out for vengeance, pitting him against the heroes who comprise the Justice Society. The stacked cast includes Noah Centineo, Pierce Brosnan, Aldis Hodge, Jennifer Holland, Sarah Shahi, Quintessa Swindell and Viola Davis. Jaume Collet Serra directed from a script by Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani.
Comparably, Johnson’s 2019 box office smash hit “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” scored 5.8 million at the Thursday box office before opening to 60 million. DC and Warner Bros. 2019 superhero film “Shazam!” made 6 million its first night and 53 million on its opening weekend.
Box office favorite Dwayne Johnson stars as the film’s eponymous anti-hero, a destructive, powerful character with supernatural abilities. Following the end of a 5,000 year prison sentence, Black Adam is out for vengeance, pitting him against the heroes who comprise the Justice Society. The stacked cast includes Noah Centineo, Pierce Brosnan, Aldis Hodge, Jennifer Holland, Sarah Shahi, Quintessa Swindell and Viola Davis. Jaume Collet Serra directed from a script by Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani.
Comparably, Johnson’s 2019 box office smash hit “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” scored 5.8 million at the Thursday box office before opening to 60 million. DC and Warner Bros. 2019 superhero film “Shazam!” made 6 million its first night and 53 million on its opening weekend.
- 10/21/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Still Photography on the set of “Ticket To Paradise”
Hmmm, now this is something pretty rare. The two films I’m reviewing for this weekend have a few things in common, “subject-wise”. This too concerns an estranged couple reuniting for a non-holiday event. With Raymond & Ray, it’s about two stepbrothers having to travel to their dad’s funeral, while this new release is about an estranged (long-divorced) parents having to travel to their daughter’s wedding. And it’s not a two-hour car trip, but a rather long flight to an exotic island. Oh, and the former marrieds are played by Oscar-winning Hollywood royalty, or about as close as you can get to that. Plus it’s their fourth flick acting opposite each other (fifth if you count when he directed her). So lots of moviegoers are hoping that their chemistry is still potent as they go to their multiplex box office,...
Hmmm, now this is something pretty rare. The two films I’m reviewing for this weekend have a few things in common, “subject-wise”. This too concerns an estranged couple reuniting for a non-holiday event. With Raymond & Ray, it’s about two stepbrothers having to travel to their dad’s funeral, while this new release is about an estranged (long-divorced) parents having to travel to their daughter’s wedding. And it’s not a two-hour car trip, but a rather long flight to an exotic island. Oh, and the former marrieds are played by Oscar-winning Hollywood royalty, or about as close as you can get to that. Plus it’s their fourth flick acting opposite each other (fifth if you count when he directed her). So lots of moviegoers are hoping that their chemistry is still potent as they go to their multiplex box office,...
- 10/21/2022
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.