News

Fred Roos, the longtime producing and casting collaborator of Francis Ford Coppola, has died at age 89.

Roos famously found Jack Nicholson and Harrison Ford, launching both actors’ respective careers, and even helped cast Carrie Fisher alongside Ford in “Star Wars.” He is credited for also boosting the careers of Kirsten Dunst, Diane Keaton, Laurence Fishburne, Frederic Forest, Diane Lane, Nicolas Cage, Richard Dreyfuss, Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Jennifer Connelly, Billy Bob Thorton, Marshall Bell, and more.

Roos later served as the casting director for Coppola’s “The Godfather,” leading auteur Coppola to deem Roos “one of the great casting talents in the last 40 years of American movies” in a 2004 interview with the Chicago Tribune.

Roos produced follow-up film “The Godfather: Part II,” “Apocalypse Now,” and Coppola’s recent “Megalopolis,” for which he also helped cast the star-studded ensemble. In 1974, both Roos and Coppola earned two Oscar...

Fred Roos, casting director for landmark films such as “American Graffiti” and who went on to have a close relationship with Francis Ford Coppola, including producing best picture winner “Godfather Part II” and “Apocalypse Now,” died Saturday in Beverly Hills. He was 89.

Roos was both casting director and executive producer on Coppola’s most recent film “Megalopolis” which premiered last week at the Cannes Film Festival. Last year, Coppola posted a photo of Roos with Adam Driver on Instagram and thanked him for his work on the long-gestating epic.

Roos was instrumental in helping stars including Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Carrie Fisher and Richard Dreyfuss get their early notable roles.

His long collaboration with Coppola as producer or co-producer included “The Conversation,” “One From the Heart,” “The Outsiders,” “Rumble Fish,” “The Cotton Club,” “The Godfather Part III,” “Tetro,” “Youth Without Youth” and “Tucker: The Man and His Dream.”

Roos was not credited,...

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.NEWSThe Pill Pounder.The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival is known for audiences who talk back to the screen, but such rowdiness took a dark turn last weekend at a screening of Love Lies Bleeding (2024), during which homophobic and misogynistic taunts caused more than 60 attendees to walk out and then to stage a protest at the cinema door, which was broken up by the police.Italy’s right-wing government has left the country’s motion-picture industry stalled in uncertainty as they debate new regulations to tax incentives for film and television production, some of which may give preference to films “tied to Italy’s national identity.”Ten of thirteen IATSE locals now have tentative agreements with AMPTP. Talks...

We are sad to report that Eleanor Coppola, acclaimed documentary filmmaker and wife of Francis Ford Coppola, passed away on April 12, 2024, at the age of 87. She died in Rutherford, CA, surrounded by family at their home. No official cause of death has been given as of the time of writing. She is survived by her husband, Francis, as well as their three children, Gian-Carlo, Sofia, and Roman.

Eleanor was the matriarch of the Coppola family, and while she was mostly in the background, she had a profound influence on Francis’ filmmaking and was always there to support him, even in the most complex moments of his career. But, aside from that, she was a documentary filmmaker herself, an artist, and a writer.

She was born Eleanor Jessie Neil on May 4, 1936, in Los Angeles, California. Her father was a newspaper cartoonist who died when she was 10, so she and her brothers were raised by their mother,...

Few followers of cinema could dispute the influence of Francis Ford Coppola, the director of such cinematic masterworks as The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. But when Eleanor Coppola, who sadly passed away yesterday, set her camera on the action behind the scenes of Apocalypse Now, she would lay the foundation for a film that I believe has had just as much impact on the landscape of cinema in the 30+ years since its release. If Francis’s influence is bold and loud, Eleanor’s is quiet and subtle, but it is no less powerful.

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, which was released in 1991 and was also directed by Fax Bahr and the late George Hickenlooper, has taught generations of aspiring filmmakers to trust in a process that at times can feel fraught and doomed to peril. For the truth is that every film production is its own journey up the river.

Eleanor Coppola has sadly passed away.

The Emmy-winning filmmaker, who worked on projects such as 1991′s Hearts of Darkness, 2016′s Paris Can Wait, and 2020′s Love Is Love Is Love, was 87 years old.

Eleanor, who is also the wife of Francis Ford Coppola, died on Friday (April 12).

Keep reading to find out more…

The Coppola family confirmed the news in a statement to the Associated Press.

According to the outlet, Eleanor passed away while surrounded by family at her home in Rutherford, Calif. No cause of death was made public.

Eleanor is survived by Francis and their children Roman, 58, and Sofia, 52.

We send our thoughts to Eleanor Coppola‘s loved ones during this difficult time. Rip.

We have unfortunately lost so many stars in 2024.

Eleanor Coppola, wife of Francis Ford Coppola, has died at the age of 87. She is best known for Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, the 1991 documentary which chronicled the making of Apocalypse Now, the iconic 1979 movie which was plagued with a myriad of issues.

Eleanor first met her future husband on the set of Dementia 13, which was Francis’ feature directorial debut. Eleanor was the assistant art director on the movie and the pair soon began dating before getting married in 1963. Each of their children, Gian-Carlo, Roman, and Sofia, would get into the movie business after spending their childhood years growing up on film sets, although Gian-Carlo sadly died in 1986 at the age of 22.

“I don’t know what the family has given except I hope they’ve set an example of a family encouraging each other in their creative process whatever it may be,” Eleanor told The Associated Press...

Eleanor Coppola, who won an Emmy for the Apocalypse Now documentary Hearts of Darkness, directed Paris Can Wait and Love Is Love Is Love and was married to Francis Ford Coppola for 61 years, died Friday at her home in Rutherford, CA. She was 87.

She also is the mother of Oscar-winning filmmaker Sofia Coppola and American Zoetrope president Roman Coppola.

Eleanor Coppola won an Emmy and a DGA Award for helming Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, the 1991 documentary about the making of her husband’s seminal Vietnam War movie Apocalypse Now. The production of that 1979 classic – which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar – was plagued by problems related to budget, casting, script, the weather – a typhoon destroyed much of the set – and even an active insurgency in the Philippines, the battle with which pulled away helicopters on loan from the government.

Eleanor Coppola, the longtime wife of Francis Ford Coppola, mother of Sofia and Roman Coppola, and documentary filmmaker who became a key player in the New Hollywood movement, has died at the age of 87. The news was confirmed by the Associated Press, which received a statement from the family. She died Friday April 12 at home in Rutherford, California.

Born in Los Angeles in 1936, Coppola studied design at UCLA and began her career working in the art department on film sets. While serving as assistant art director on “Dementia 13,” she met Francis Ford Coppola, who was making his directorial debut on the independent film. The two were married in 1963, beginning a partnership in life and filmmaking that spanned the next six decades.

An established documentary filmmaker in her own right, Coppola is best known for chronicling the often tumultuous behind-the-scenes drama on film sets. She accompanied her husband to the...

Eleanor Coppola, an American filmmaker who won an Emmy for chronicling her husband Francis Ford Coppola’s taxing 238-day production of “Apocalypse Now” in her documentary “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse,” died Friday at her home in Rutherford, Calif. She was 87.

Coppola’s death was confirmed in a statement by the Coppola family to the Associated Press.

A lifelong creative partner to her husband Francis, Eleanor Coppola took up filmmaking during the production of his Vietnam war feature “Apocalypse Now.” A highly anticipated follow-up to “The Godfather: Part II,” the planned five-month Philippines shoot more than doubled in length due to a litany of headaches and complications, including initial star Harvey Keitel’s replacement with Martin Sheen, typhoons wrecking sets, a reworked ending and Sheen’s hospitalization due to a heart attack.

The footage that Eleanor Coppola shot behind the scenes became the 1991 documentary “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse,...

Get ready for your next marathon with Max! This February, the streamer is saying goodbye to major award winners, camp classics, and more. Most of the platform’s exits will take place on the final day of the month, including the genre and history-changing “The Exorcist,” the recent Oscar winner “Drive My Car,” and more, but Max will remove several other major TV and film titles throughout the month.

We at The Streamable have assembled our top picks for what’s leaving Max this month— continue below to find your next thing to watch and see the full list below to plan your next movie night before they’re gone!

7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Leaving Max in February 2024? “Drive My Car” | Thursday, Feb. 29

A recent Oscar winner for Best International Feature Film, the Japanese drama stars Hidetoshi Nishijima as Yūsuke Kafuku,...

Curb Your Enthusiasm returns to Max this month in what’s being called the show’s final season (for now). If you’re not ready for the Larry David-centric comedy series to end, you can binge all eleven of the show’s previous seasons on Max right now before hitting the new episodes.

Tokyo Vice will also be back in February for season 2. Stars Ansel Elgort, Ken Watanabe, Rinko Kikuchi, Rachel Keller, Show Kasamatsu, and Ayumi Ito are joined by Kubozuka and Miki Maya this time around, as Jake Adelstein feels the danger closing in on him. Max also welcomes you to the premiere of the highly acclaimed (and highly depraved) Dicks: The Musical this month, as a couple of self-obsessed businessmen discover they’re identical twins and decided to bring their divorced parents back together.

Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) HBO and Max this month…

HBO...

Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” is the Centerpiece screening at the New York Film Festival. But Coppola unfortunately couldn’t make the movie’s press conference, TheWrap has confirmed. Instead, the filmmaker sent a note that read, in part: “I am with my mother, to whom this film is dedicated.”

Coppola’s note was read to the room by Youree Henley, one of the producers of “Priscilla” (with Coppola and Lorenzo Mieli). “Priscilla” stars Cailee Spaeny (who plays Priscilla) and Jacob Elordi (who plays Elvis Presley) were a part of the press conference, as the film has a waiver from SAG-AFTRA (as have most of the A24 movies in the awards conversation). It is an adaptation of Priscilla Presley’s 1985 biography, “Elvis and Me.”

The full note read: “I’m so proud to have our film at the NYFF in my hometown. There’s nothing more inspiring to me than seeing...

A version of this story about Laura Karpman and “Ms. Marvel” first appeared in the Down to the Wire: Drama and Limited Series issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.

The lead character in “Ms. Marvel” is Kamala Khan, a 16-year-old Pakistani-American girl from New Jersey who happens to be a huge fan of the Avengers and who develops special powers and becomes a superhero herself. Obviously, that gave composer Laura Karpman a lot to think about when she wrote her Emmy-nominated score (and theme music) for the series, which stars Iman Vellani as the title character.

“We wanted it to have a young, hip sound at times,” said Karpman, a Juilliard-trained composer whose other work includes the movies “Paris Can Wait” and “Resort to Love” and the TV series “Lovecraft Country” and “Why We Hate,” for which she won an Emmy in 2020. “We wanted it to have a recognizable kind of Marvel sound.

Mature content means something different when it comes to Eleanor Coppola’s narrative features. “Love Is Love Is Love” — opening Friday theatrically — is the director’s second narrative film. And as with her 2017 debut, “Paris Can Wait,” Coppola writes and shoots what she knows: the lives of women of a certain age — but also of a rather rarefied status.

Coppola has gathered a fine ensemble of actors, many of whom likely share in her concerns about the paucity of big-screen stories for — and featuring — grown women. The three vignettes in this at times tender, occasionally amusing adventure in romance, marriage and friendship provide a number of textured moments for their female performers. Johanna Whalley nails marital knowingness in “Two for Dinner.” Kathy Baker proves to be the adult in the room — er, on deck — in “Sailing Lesson.” The dinner table in “Late Lunch” is ringed with welcome guests who underscore...

"You've change, you know?" "Thank you for noticing." Blue Fox Ent. has released an official trailer for an indie romantic drama titled Love Is Love Is Love, the latest film from filmmaker Eleanor Coppola (also director of Paris Can Wait), who also so happens to be Francis Ford Coppola's wife for many years. A woven tale of three stories that explore love, commitment, and loyalty between couples and friends. An anthology of stories about love, with various events that provide "surprising revelations." Throughout all three stories, Coppola uses a light touch and naturalistic ease to find the heart of the deepest friendships and romances. The ensemble cast features Joanna Whalley, Chris Messina, Kathy Baker, Marshall Bell, Maya Kazan, Cybill Shepherd, Rosanna Arquette, and Rita Wilson. This looks quite wholesome and life-affirming, just a charming series of stories about the ups and downs of life and love. It's worth a quick look.

US theatrical release set for autumn.

Blue Fox Entertainment has boarded worldwide rights to American Zoetrope’s ensemble comedy drama Love Is Love Is Love and its international division will commence sales at the virtual EFM next week.

Blue Fox’s US division has set an autumn theatrical release on the film directed by Eleanor Coppola (Paris Can Wait). ICM Partners brokered the deal with Blue Fox Entertainment on behalf of the filmmakers.

Love Is Love Is Love comprises three stories exploring love in all its forms and features an ensemble cast of Rosanna Arquette, Kathy Baker, Marshall Bell, Maya Kazan,...

Thompson founded A&E IndieFilms and has a string of documentary producing credits.

Molly Thompson, the founder of A&E IndieFilms and executive producer of documentary films including Jesus Camp, Life, Animated and City of Ghosts, has joined Apple as the tech giant’s head of documentaries.

Thompson founded A&E IndieFilms, feature production arm of Us cable channel company A+E Networks, where she also served as head of documentary films.

A&E IndieFilms releases have included the Watergate docuseries, Sundance entry Studio 54, Cartel Land and Murderball. Thompson also served as executive producer on The Tillman Story and The Imposter...

Thompson founded A&E IndieFilms and has a string of documentary producing credits.

Molly Thompson, the founder of A&E IndieFilms and executive producer of documentary films including Jesus Camp, Life, Animated and City of Ghosts, has joined Apple as the tech giant’s head of documentaries.

Thompson founded A&E IndieFilms, feature production arm of Us cable channel company A+E Networks, where she also served as head of documentary films.

A&E IndieFilms releases have included the Watergate docuseries, Sundance entry Studio 54, Cartel Land and Murderball. Thompson also served as executive producer on The Tillman Story and The Imposter...

Molly Thompson has joined Apple’s upcoming streaming service as its head of documentaries.

Thompson previously founded A&E Indie Films, the feature film production unit of A+E Networks. She was also previously the head of documentary films for A+E Networks. Recent documentaries she has executive produced include “The Clinton Affair,” Charles Ferguson’s “Watergate” docuseries, “Studio 54,” and “City of Ghosts.” She was also an executive producer on celebrated documentaries like “Life, Animated,” “Cartel Land,” “Murderball,” and “Jesus Camp.”

She also executive produced Amir Bar-Lev’s “The Tillman Story” and Bart Layton’s “The Imposter,” as well as two narrative features for Lifetime Films. Those were “Lila & Eve,” starring Viola Davis and Jennifer Lopez, and “Paris Can Wait,” starring Diane Lane and Alec Baldwin.

Additionally, Thompson served as executive producer on all feature films produced under the History Films banner, including Werner Herzog’s “Meeting Gorbachev” and “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,...

Apple has hired A&E IndieFilms founder Molly Thompson as Head of Documentaries.

Thompson, who also served as Head of Documentary films for A+E Networks, has executive produced such projects as The Clinton Affair; the docuseries Watergate; City of Ghosts; Life, Animated; Cartel Land; Murderball; and Jesus Camp.

Thompson served as executive producer on all feature films produced under the History Films banner, including Werner Herzog’s Meeting Gorbachev — which will have its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival — and Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Janet Tobias’ No Place on Earth, Errol Morris’ The Unknown Known: The Life and Times of Donald Rumsfeld, Douglas Tirola’s Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon and the Johnny Knoxville-produced Being Evel.

Among other projects, Thompson also Ep’d Amir Bar-Lev’s Emmy-winning The Tillman Story, Bart Layton’s BAFTA-winning The Imposter and two narrative features for Lifetime Films: Lila & Eve,...

“The Wife.” “Eighth Grade.” “Rbg.” “Sicario: Day of the Soldado.” “Mary Shelley.”

Those are just a few of the 2018 films scored by women, but when the shortlist for best original score was announced last month, all of the 15 scores whittled down by music branch members for the first round of Oscar consideration were composed by men.

“It shows that women are not getting the top films,” says Laura Karpman, a composer (“Paris Can Wait”) and governor of the music branch. “And that there is a continued invisibility.”

Karpman pushed hard for the shortlist — this is the first year since 1979 that the music branch has had one, joining a third of the other branches in the practice — explicitly in the hope that it would widen the field. She feels that if there had been a shortlist last year, Michael Abels (“Get Out”) and Tamar-kali (“Mudbound”) would certainly have been on it.

Post-Labor Day weekend is not a time with high-profile new releases, but the weekend’s most significant story isn’t a new title: It’s the strength of Sony Pictures Classics’ “The Wife.” A Toronto 2017 premiere that made its theatrical debut August 17, it’s seeing some of the best results for specialized drama this year in its national expansion as it heads into awards season.

This weekend also saw the debut of multiple Sundance-debuted documentaries, with “Kusama: Infinity” as the standout in its two-city start. And “Blaze” opened three theaters in New York after several weeks in Texas, with a positive result. This risky release pattern seems to click.

Opening

Kusama: Infinity (Magnolia) – Metacritic: 69; Festivals include: Sundance 2018

$30,400 in 2 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $15,200

This documentary about 89-year-old Japanese multi-platform artist Yayoi Kusama saw strong New York-Los Angeles interest (one theater each). Expect that to replicate as it expands.

What...

It’s travel time at the vacation wing of the ole’ multiplex yet again. A couple of months ago we explored France in Paris Can Wait, and just a few weeks ago we joined Steve and Rob for a food-filled travelogue in The Trip To Spain. Summer may be over, but it’s not too late to “get away from it all” with another trip….a trip inside your mind. If you’re thinking of “mother’s little helper” then you’re on the right track. Movies about drugs have changed with society over the years. The first flicks were hysterical (in more ways than one) cautionary tales epitomized by the camp classic Reefer Madness. With the counter culture’s rise in the 60’s and 70’s there were more enlightened films like, well Roger Corman’s The Trip. And in the 80’s Cheech and Chong finally took their weed humor...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.

The Big Sick (Michael Showalter)

From start to finish, The Big Sick, directed by Michael Showalter, works as a lovingly-rendered, cinematic answer to the dinner party question: “So how did you two meet?” Based on comedian Kumail Nanjiani‘s real life (he co-wrote the screenplay with his wife Emily V. Gordon), we meet Kumail (Nanjiani) as he finishes a stand-up set in Chicago. He becomes fast friends with a...

Our resident VOD expert tells you what's new to rent and/or own this week via various Digital HD providers such as cable Movies On Demand, Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and, of course, Netflix. Cable Movies On Demand: Same-day-as-disc releases, older titles and pretheatrical Megan Leavey (biographical drama; Kate Mara, Ramon Rodriguez, Tom Felton, Bradley Whitford, Will Patton, Edie Falco, Common; rated PG-13) Rough Night (comedy; Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell, Ilana Glazer, Zoë Kravitz, Paul W. Downs, Ty Burrell, Demi Moore; includes gag reel; rated R) Paris Can Wait (romantic comedy; Diane Lane, Alec Baldwin; rated PG) The Wedding Plan (romantic comedy; Noa Koler, Oz Zehavi; rated PG) Lost in Paris (romantic comedy; Fiona Gordon...

Read More...

Girl Talk is a weekly look at women in film — past, present, and future.

Thank Patty Jenkins — and then thank all the other wonder women who lit up this summer at the box office. This summer, studios released only seven films directed by women (that’s including speciality arms, and even a co-directed production), but the massive success of Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman” is poised to push the total take of female-directed studio films over $1 billion.

Nothing sings quite like “a billion dollars” in Hollywood, but what’s even more heartening is the variety of films in this small group.

“Wonder Woman” is the story of the summer, an $800 million superhero that established Jenkins’ supremacy as director of the highest-grossing live-action movie directed by a woman and reestablished the solvency of the creatively stifled Dceu. It also made plain just how desperate audiences are for female-focused blockbusters. The film stayed in...

It’s a strong group of limited releases for a July weekend: Kathryn Bigelow’s “Detroit,” “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,” and the Yiddish-language “Menashe” all performed well, as did Sony Pictures Classics’ “Bigsby Bear.”

Opening

Detroit (Annapurna) – Metacritic: 86

$365,455 in 20 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $18,273

Kathryn Bigelow’s first film since “Zero Dark Thirty” is the first released by Megan Ellison’s production company through its own distributor. With reviews nearly as strong as “Zero” and “The Hurt Locker” but shifting to the home front in this recounting of the Detroit riots exactly 50 years ago, this opened in 10 markets ahead of its wide release this Friday. This is a tough subject, however well received, and Annapurna and its team has a challenge opening this outside of the festival/awards season and finding a wide swath of African-American and other upscale audiences.

Read More‘Detroit’ Review: Kathryn Bigelow’s...

As summer movie season winds down, women-driven films are front and center. “Wonder Woman” is the top title, “Atomic Blonde” starring Charlize Theron opens wide, Kathryn Bigelow’s “Detroit” begins limited runs before its nationwide release, and “Girls Trip” is on a $100 million trajectory. All of this underlines a good story for female-based films that began this spring with”Beauty and the Beast,” the year’s #1 film in worldwide release.

Does that mean a breakthrough for women, and films about them? Not exactly.

Read MoreTiffany Haddish: Why The ‘Girls Trip’ Star Is This Year’s Comedy Wonder Woman

First, the great news: Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman” is the first time a female-directed action film has ruled the summer. (Vicky Jenson co-directed summer 2001’s top grosser, “Shrek.”) In a male-dominated comic book character universe, Gal Gadot and her D.C. Comics heroine rewrote the rules of what can be a blockbuster summer release.

By Nathaniel R

It's musical chairs every week at the box office now. But new releases like Dunkirk and Girls Trip (which both opened well above expectations) and presumably Atomic Blonde next weekend should have an untroubled run if word of mouth is strong given that August is looking pretty dire in terms of upcoming mainstream releases.

Weekend Box Office (July 21st-23rd)

W I D E  L I M I T E D 1.

As “The Big Sick” crosses over to 2,500 theaters and “Dunkirk” takes up all the oxygen as the best-reviewed film of the year, this is a quiet moment for specialized releases. Here’s where they stand.

Read More‘Landline’ First Trailer: Gillian Robespierre and Jenny Slate Reunite For A Must-See Summer Indie

Opening

Landline (Magnolia) Metacritic: 65; Festivals include: Sundance, San Francisco, Seattle 2017

$52,336 in 4 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $13,084

Amazon brought Magnolia on board to handle theatrical on this Sundance acquisition, a complicated family drama about adult kids dealing with parental infidelity and sibling dynamics, with an eclectic cast including Edie Falco, John Turturro, and Jenny Slate. Opening in four top New York/Los Angeles theaters, this scored the best numbers for the weekend but otherwise not especially impressive. Saturday grosses fell slightly from Friday (in-person appearances were a likely factor).

What comes next: Magnolia adds 35 new dates this Friday...

By Nathaniel R

Spidey was only able to stay on the box office mountain-top for a single week. Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his army of intelligent ape friends came storming in on horseback to take over during the War For the Planet of the Apes.

Weekend Box Office (July 14th-16th)

W I D E L I M I T E D 1. Planet Of Apes (9) $56.5 New

1. The Hero $343k (cum. $3.4)

341 screens Best Actors 2. Spider-man (6) $45.2 (cum. $208.2) Review 2. The Little Hours $318K

(cum. $689k) 105 screens Review 3. Despicable Me 3 $18.9 (cum. $187.9)

3. Maudie $252K (cum. $3.5)

99 screens Review

4. Baby Driver $8.7 (cum. $73.1)

Review | Best Of | Posterized

4. Beatriz At Dinner $222k

(cum. $6.4) 205 screens 5. The Big Sick $7.6 (cum. $16)

Review | Holly ♥︎ !!!

5. Paris Can Wait $153k (cum. $5.3)

177 screens

6. Wonder Woman $6.8 (cum. $380.6) Review | Top Ten | Special

6. A Ghost Story $146k

(cum. $288k) 20 screens

7. Wish Upon $5.5 New 7. Lost In Paris $79K (cum. $138k)

38 screens 8. Cars 3 $3.1 (cum. $140)

8. Lady MacBeth $68k New

5 screens 9. Transformers (5) $2.7 (cum.

Well-reviewed erotic period thriller “Lady Macbeth” (Roadside Attractions) led the new specialized limited lineup. But a below-$15,000 start at five major New York/Los Angeles theaters came in well below other stronger recent debuts.

With studio sequel “War for the Planet of the Apes” nabbing better-than-usual critical response (watch out for “Dunkirk” this week) and many popular films expanding, it’s getting tougher for even acclaimed new films to stand out.

Two top Sundance premieres — U.S. Narrative Competition title “To the Bone” and U.S. Documentary Audience Award winner “Chasing Coral” — both premiered on Netflix along with limited theatrical play. As usual for the company, the grosses went unreported.

Opening

Lady Macbeth (Roadside Attractions) – Metacritic: 78; Festivals include: Toronto 2016, Sundance 2017

$68,813 in 5 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $13,762

This low-budget 19th-century adultery drama’s roots are closer to “Madame Bovary” and “Lady Chatterly’s Lover” than Shakespeare. With its bodice-ripping appeal,...

Over the weekend, “Morris From America” director Chad Hartigan posed an intriguing question on Twitter: “Why do all movies cost the same to see?” Specifically, Hartigan was curious if lowering the ticket price for certain indies might incentivize people to be a little bolder at the multiplex, if it might inspire casual moviegoers to check out a Sundance sensation rather than the latest superhero spectacle.

“Why can’t I to to a Regal and pay $15 for ‘Spider-Man’ or $7.50 for ‘A Ghost Story?’” he asked into the void. In other words: Not all movies cost the same to make, so why should all movies cost the same to see?

At a time when smaller films are struggling for the screen real estate they need in order to survive, it’s worth considering anything that might prevent indie cinema from permanently resigning itself to the recesses of Netflix and VOD.

Why do...

Blind director Michael Mailer with producer Jennifer Gelfer and Anne-Katrin Titze Photo: Kim of Orlin

In the past few months, Alec Baldwin has starred with Diane Lane in Eleanor Coppola's Paris Can Wait (which has its UK première at the Edinburgh International Film Festival), had an Unbound conversation with Anna Sale at the Bam Howard Gilman Opera House for the book launch of Nevertheless: A Memoir, continued to portray Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live, and is now appearing opposite Demi Moore and Dylan McDermott in Michael Mailer's Blind (with a screenplay by John Buffalo Mailer), which will shortly be seen on the big screen.

Producer Jennifer Gelfer who is currently directing her first film The Second Sun joined Michael Mailer and me at the end of last year for a Blind conversation at Cafe Orlin in New York's East Village.

Alec Baldwin as Bill Oakland: "Alec really trained hard.

“A Ghost Story” (A24) joined the recent surge of strong limited openers. Boasting top reviews, David Lowery’s offbeat Sundance hit nabbed a wider than usual arthouse audience. A24 is terrific with the right project at casting a wider specialized market net, so this should join several recent titles led by “The Big Sick” (Amazon Studios/Lionsgate) and “The Beguiled” (Focus Features) that have found wider interest as they expand.

This weekend, as breakout “The Big Sick” reaches a wider audience, it’s on its way to becoming the biggest specialized release of 2017 so far — and Amazon’s biggest grosser to date. It looks perfectly positioned for its nationwide break this Friday.

Syria documentary, likely Oscar-contender “City of Ghosts” (IFC) opened in New York only, landing high-end reviews for a reality-based theatrical release.

Opening

A Ghost Story (A24) – Metacritic: 87; Festivals include: Sundance, Seattle, Bam 2017

$108,067 in 4 theaters; PTA (per theater average...

Lady MacBeth..

With school students on holiday around the country, it was no surprise to see Despicable Me 3 seize the top spot at Australian cinemas last weekend, while Transformers: The Last Knight nosedived.

The House, notionally a comedy starring Amy Poehler and Will Ferrell as a couple who persuade a friend to set up a casino in his half-empty mansion so they can send their daughter to college, failed dismally, mirroring the Us debut.

Lady MacBeth and Monsieur Chocolat struggled on debut despite glowing reviews, continuing a generally grim run for independent releases this year.

Transmission.s Lion, eOne.s La La Land (with a lot of help from its six Oscars) and A Dog.s Purpose have been among the handful of indie break-outs.

Wallis Cinemas. Bob Parr told If, .I constantly get people saying we don.t want to see all these loud action movies but there isn.t anything else.

All of a sudden the scary decline at the indie box office has reversed. Through the first five months of 2017, only four films opening limited in the standard four New York/Los Angeles theaters opened with a per theater average of $20,000. In the last four weeks, four films have opened strong as “Beatriz at Dinner” (Roadside Attractions), “The Big Sick” (Lionsgate) and “The Beguiled” (Focus) opened well and reached crossover crowds.

This week’s addition, Sundance comedy hit “The Little Hours” (Gunpowder & Sky) is the latest surprise. Loosely inspired by the bawdy 14th-century Boccaccio classic “The Decameron” (The Hollywood version starred Joan Fontaine while Pasolini shocked in 1971), this tale is set in the Medieval Italian countryside with bawdy contemporary dialogue as a randy peasant hides out at a convent after his master catches him with his wife. It did strong business at four theaters on two coasts.

This comes the...

By Nathaniel R

The opening weekend for Transformers: The Last Knight was such a huge drop from the series past bows that they might want to use the last film's title The Age of Extinction rather than dumping more billions into keeping this franchise alive. Unless of course its overseas take continues to be ginormous. 

Weekend Box Office (June 23rd-25th)

W I D E  L I M I T E D 1. ...

Things are looking up at the specialty box office as two festival hits, Sundance breakout “The Big Sick” (Amazon/Lionsgate) and Sofia Coppola’s Cannes director-winner “The Beguiled” (Focus Features) both beat all the 2017 limited openings to date. With $87,000 and $60,000 per theater averages respectively, they both accomplished something only one platform film (“Cafe Society”) achieved all last summer. And they did so the same weekend in some of the same theaters.

This shows that core specialty audiences are starving for cinematic nourishment they aren’t getting from mainstream studio fare.

The two new films join “Beatriz at Dinner” (Roadside Attractions), which expanded well in its third week. A box office rebound for specialized non-mass-audience film is finally under way.

Opening

The Big Sick (Lionsgate) – Metacritic: 87; Festivals include: Sundance, South by Southwest, Seattle 2017

$435,000 in 5 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $87,000

Amazon strikes again with its $12-million Sundance acquisition marking the biggest limited opening of the year,...

Sofia Coppola is the promotional circuit with “The Beguiled” (June 23, Focus Features). So is her 81-year-old mother, Eleanor, who wrote and directed her first narrative feature, the romantic road movie “Paris Can Wait;” Sony Pictures Classics is releasing it around the country to strong reviews and box office. Mother and daughter will meet, with their films, at this week’s Munich International Film Festival, where they’ll be joined by the man who began the family film dynasty, Francis Ford Coppola.

Sofia and her older brother, director and screenwriter Roman Coppola, also own San Francisco production company American Zoetrope, which their father launched in 1979; Roman runs it day to day. “They seek each other’s help when it’s needed,” said long-time family producer and casting guru Fred Roos.

Roos has been Francis Ford’s producer and casting director since “The Godfather.” And from the beginning of Sofia’s career,...

Sofia Coppola is the promotional circuit with “The Beguiled” (June 23, Focus Features). So is her 81-year-old mother, Eleanor, who wrote and directed her first narrative feature, the romantic road movie “Paris Can Wait;” Sony Pictures Classics is releasing it around the country to strong reviews and box office. Mother and daughter will meet, with their films, at this week’s Munich International Film Festival, where they’ll be joined by the man who began the family film dynasty, Francis Ford Coppola.

Sofia and her older brother, director and screenwriter Roman Coppola, also own San Francisco production company American Zoetrope, which their father launched in 1979; Roman runs it day to day. “They seek each other’s help when it’s needed,” said long-time family producer and casting guru Fred Roos.

Roos has been Francis Ford’s producer and casting director since “The Godfather.” And from the beginning of Sofia’s career,...

It takes an incredible amount of restraint not to tie your film up with a neat little bow, but nothing could be more fitting for a filmmaker as committed to truth-telling as Stephen Cone is. In his latest film, “Princess Cyd,” the Chicago-based writer-director renders his deeply human characters so precisely, it’s as if they stepped right off the screen and into your living room. The two central women are equal parts charming, awkward, yearning and lost. In short, they’re real. Their complexity is all the more impressive coming from a male filmmaker — Cone proves it’s possible for men to write sexually liberated, empowered, autonomous women.

Though billed as a coming-of-age story, “Princess Cyd” is much more about relationships between women, across generations and through layers of grief. Specifically, it’s the story of sixteen-year-old Cyd (Jessie Pinnick) and her Aunt, a well-known novelist named Miranda Ruth (Rebecca Spence). Cyd’s mother died when she was young, and she’s been living with her father in South Carolina. When Miranda agrees to host the rambunctious teen for the summer, the two relatives find themselves thrust into familial intimacy despite not knowing much about each other.

Read More: ‘Paris Can Wait’ Review: Eleanor Coppola and Diane Lane Bring Mature Charm to a Road Trip Romantic Comedy

Cyd, for instance, is about the only person in Chicago (certain circles, anyhow) who doesn’t know her Aunt’s work. When Miranda offers her a book, she casually replies: “I don’t really read.” Cyd would rather sunbathe on Miranda’s manicured lawn than talk about “books ‘n stuff,” and Miranda bravely digs up her old swimsuit to join. She’s a cool Aunt, offering Cyd beer and encouraging her various summer flings, but she’s less prepared for Cyd’s prying about her own romantic life. “Do you ever have sex?” Cyd asks bluntly, and Miranda sheepishly admits it’s been a while.

Exchanges like that give the film its restrained friction, while avoiding the predictable traps. Miranda doesn’t balk, but she’s clearly taken aback. Cyd might be an obnoxious snoop, but she’s also genuinely curious. It’s a keen illustration of Miranda’s discomfort with her newfound maternal role. Earlier, she hesitates awkwardly before spreading sunscreen on Cyd’s back. It’s one of those masterfully subtle moments that calls up every other time Cyd has not had a mother to rub her back or brush her hair. Miranda has invested in her work over her family, and we see what that sacrifice entails through her interactions with Cyd.

Cyd’s casual sexual exploration is a breath of fresh air. She is as interested in the cute gardener neighbor as she is in the cute barista, Katie (Malic White). Katie sports a throwback mullet/mohawk combination, and when Cyd tells Miranda that she kind of looks like a boy, she replies, “Maybe she is a boy.” “Yeah, maybe so,” Cyd says, shrugging. It’s a casual handling of gender and sexuality that more movies should emulate. The same goes for the understated sex scenes; the most explicit shot is of Cyd masturbating. (Masturbation scenes should be required in any coming-of-age about female sexuality).

Miranda’s sexuality, or lack thereof, is also something of a revelation. With a premise that begs for lessons learned, and a film landscape that loves to make everything about sex, Miranda’s self-satisfied celibacy is nothing short of radical. “It is not a handicap to be one way and not the other,” Miranda tells Cyd in an inspired monologue. Standing over a kitchen full of dirty dishes, finally dishing it back to the saucy teenager she is trying desperately to love, Miranda is the very picture of modern motherhood.

Read More: 20 New Movies That Will Define This Year in Indie Cinema, From ‘The Big Sick’ to ‘A Ghost Story’

Spence is entirely captivating as Miranda — resolute and warm at the same time. A seasoned Chicago actress, she commands the screen with a graceful strength like a cross between Diane Lane and Amy Brenneman. If show business made any sense, her star would be on the rise.

Cone packs a lot into 90 minutes, and as such there are a few loose ends. Cyd and Miranda rarely discuss the deep void between them, their shared loss. Cyd’s questions about heaven seem a little childish compared to her refreshing sexual maturity, and Miranda’s religious beliefs seem unnecessarily shoehorned into a story with plenty to explore. Miranda’s artist salon is a spirited group scene in the film’s second half, but reads like a play for literary references and a missed opportunity for Cone to poke fun at Miranda (and maybe himself). Cyd’s gossip session with two older lesbians is a highlight, however.

Loose ends are to be expected in a film more interested in life as it is than some over-stimulating fantasy. “Princess Cyd” is a triumphant little film — little in the detailed moments it creates, not the content of its character. Anchored by complicated, smart, funny women, “Princess Cyd” is a rare delight of a film and a model for others to follow.

Grade: A-

“Princess Cyd” premiered at the Maryland Film Festival in May. It is being distributed by Wolfe Releasing.

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At the specialty box office, reviews can have a huge impact. This weekend, “The Book of Henry” (Focus Features), Colin Trevorrow’s return to indie films, was scorched by critics and summoned only a mediocre start in 579 theaters ($1.4 million). On the other hand, the best per-theater-average came from “Hare Krishna” (Abramorama), a documentary the New York Times, normally critical in launching any specialized release, chose not to include among its reviews. It managed over $21,000 in one Manhattan theater.

While IFC’s Northern Ireland political story “The Journey” also delivered a surprisingly strong New York opening, the most encouraging news of the weekend was the impressive expansion for “Beatriz at Dinner” (Roadside Attractions).

Opening

The Book of Henry (Focus) – Metacritic: 28

$1,407,000 in 579 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $2,431

Trevorrow broke out with Sundance indie “Safety Not Guaranteed,” which grossed a healthy $4 million, followed by blockbuster “Jurassic World.” This anemic personal project will...

Goodridge has been at the company since 2012.

Mike Goodridge has stepped down from his position as CEO of London-based finance, production and sales company Protagonist Pictures, the company announced today (13 June).

Goodridge will remain on the board of directors and will continue to work with the management on growth and strategy. He will announce his future plans shortly.

He said: “It’s been a bittersweet decision to leave the day-to-day running of Protagonist Pictures behind. I am passionately invested in the brand, the films and the outstanding team of people, but feel that for my personal progression, it is time to change direction. I am delighted that I am able to remain involved on the board of directors and have a voice in the future growth of the company.”

The Protagonist board will look to announce his replacement in the coming weeks.

Previously editor of Screen International, Goodridge joined Protagonist in 2012. During this time company has been...

Fox Searchlight pushed Rachel Weisz melodrama “My Cousin Rachel” into national release this prime summer weekend, which boasts only one new wide studio opening. But the romantic mystery thriller failed to click with audiences.

On the other hand, Roadside Attractions kept Miguel Arteta’s Sundance hit “Beatriz at Dinner” in limited dates, where the edgy and compelling story of a mismatched dinner at a Southern California estate thrived in its first limited run. With a $30,000+ per theater average and a potential appeal beyond core art house audiences, this Salma Hayek starrer could make a significant impact in upcoming weeks.

Eleanor Coppola’s romance “Paris Can Wait” continues to lead wider releases, at a decent level for its theater break but significantly below such top 2016 crossover performers as “Love and Friendship” and “The Lobster” at this time.

Opening

My Cousin Rachel (Fox Searchlight) – Metacritic: 63

$954,000 in 523 theaters; PTA (per theater average):...

“Wonder Woman” captured the weekend zeitgeist with reviews as good as any new adult-appeal specialized opener — and gobbled up potential audience. But that’s not the sole reason the specialty box office went to hell this weekend.

“Churchill” (Cohen), with the pedigree of an arthouse crossover winner, went nationally in top theaters but failed to capture more than desultory business. A trio of niche releases showed some mid-level interest in New York and Los Angeles — “The Exception”(A24), “Letters from Baghdad” (Vitagraph), and “Band Aid”(IFC) — but none looks likely to cross over beyond the big-city arthouse market.

The scariest weekend news: the total lack of response to Ken Loach’s Cannes 2016 Palme d’Or-winner “I, Daniel Blake.” While it’s been a long wait after a year-end qualifying run, it’s shocking that the well-reviewed BAFTA-winner met with near total disinterest.

Last weekend’s top opener “Long Strange Trip...

Can’t afford to pack your bags and embark on a vacation adventure in an exotic foreign land? No problem, just travel vicariously at the multiplex. Many different genre films have more than a bit of “travelogue” in them (one of the staples of “golden age” moviegoing was the double feature with several short subjects: cartoons, newsreels, comedy “two-reelers”, and the travelogue, sandwiched between the main films). One type of story often set in “faraway places’ is the “rom-com”. Oh, and a frequent star of such flicks is this film’s leading lady, Diane Lane (Under The Tuscan Sun, Nights In Rodanthe). Yes, we’re talking about Superman’s Earth mum (we’ll see her again in the role soon in Justice League). These stories and many other recent Lane films concern her character re-discovering love and desire, usually after a long-standing relationship has gone “phhfft”. Now she’s on...

This Memorial Day weekend at the specialty box office is dominated by niche releases without much crossover theatrical appeal, often available for home viewing. The strongest performer: Sundance entry “Long Strange Trip: The Untold Story of the Grateful Dead” (Abramorama), which opened in two cities, combining Thursday night event shows and full-week dates to overcome its four-hour running time.

While “The Tree of Life,” “Moonrise Kingdom” and “Before Midnight” all opened on this date, since 2013 top distributors have chosen not to launch major releases over the three-day holiday.

June will bring some top releases to flesh out a slow schedule, including Sofia Coppola’s Cannes success “The Beguiled” (Focus Features). Cannes competition films from Bong Joon Ho (“Okja”) and Noah Baumbach (“The Meyerowitz Stories”) will hit Netflix and select day-and-date theaters in June, and sometime after that, respectively.

Netflix scored front-page movie-section reviews for their Brad Pitt starrer “War Machine...

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the North American rights to “The Silent Man,” marking the occasion by releasing a first-look photo and teaser for the Watergate drama. The film is written and directed by Peter Landesman (“Concussion”) and stars Liam Neeson, Diane Lane and Kate Walsh.

Read More: How ‘Silence’ and ‘A Monster Calls’ Prove Liam Neeson Is Way More Than An Action Hero — Watch

“The Silent Man” tells the true story of special agent Mark Felt (played by Neeson), the notorious secret informant who, in 1974, helped journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the greatest political scandal in Us history. Felt was given the pseudonym of “Deep Throat” until he revealed himself as the famous tipster in 2005. The all-star cast also includes Marton Csokas (“The Equalizer”), Josh Lucas (“The Lincoln Lawyer”), Kate Walsh (“Private Practice”), Tony Goldwyn (“Scandal”), Michael C. Hall (“Dexter”), Tom Sizemore (“Black Hawk Down”), Wendi McLendon-Covey...