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Invention Studios has launched two film and television development programs in Australia and Kenya dedicated to supporting top local writers and creators and bringing their projects to the world market.

Repped by CAA, Invention Studios was founded by CEO Nicholas Weinstock, the well-established producer of hit series such as “Severance” and “Escape at Dannemora.”

“We are thrilled to be expanding our international work to find the greatest emerging creators capable of developing wildly original and world-class movies and shows,” said Weinstock. “The talent, smarts, and ambition of writers and directors in fast-rising markets like Australia and Kenya are obvious. We’re proud and excited to be building innovative launchpads to help those creators generate game-changing films and series that can take the world by surprise — and by storm.”

In Australia, Invention is launching a comedy incubator program devoted to furthering the Australian comedy tradition of classics like “Kath & Kim,...

Dave Bautista action pic Trap House has added Jack Champion (Avatar: The Way of Water), Sophia Lillis, Kate del Castillo (La Reina del Sur), Tony Dalton (Better Call Saul), Whitney Peak (Gossip Girl) and Bobby Cannavale to it’s cast.

Principal photography is set to begin on April 1. Michael Dowse will direct a script written by Fast & Furious creator Gary Scott Thompson and Tom O’Connor (Hitman’s Bodyguard).

The film follows an undercover DEA agent and his partner who embark on a game of cat and mouse with an audacious group of thieves: their own rebellious teenagers, who have begun robbing a dangerous cartel, using their parents’ tactics and top-secret intel to pull off their heists.

Trap House is produced by Marc Goldberg and Sarah Gabriel of Signature Films, Michael Pruss...

Exclusive: Beloved BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey is set to return for another bite at the Christmas cherry.

Deadline understands the sitcom from James Corden and Ruth Jones will film a new episode over the summer with a view to airing at Christmas time this year, five years on from the previous ratings-topping special.

We are told the special is in development/pre-production and cameras will roll in a few months time on the show, which is produced by Steve Coogan’s Baby Cow, Jones’ Tidy Productions and Fulwell 73, which is co-owned by Corden.

Gavin & Stacey is doubtless one of the most beloved British sitcoms of all time and the 2019 Christmas special was the most-watched show in a decade at more than 18 million viewers.

Mild spoiler: It ended with a cliffhanger, with Nessa (Jones) proposing to the ever-cheeky but loveable Smithy (Corden). That cliffhanger has led to undimmed chatter...

Veteran film producer Divya D’Souza has joined Invention Studios as senior VP of development and production.

D’Souza will report to Invention CEO Nicholas Weinstock and oversee the company’s slate of TV series and features. She joins the company after seven years as an executive at Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone’s On the Day Productions. There, she served as a producer on projects including “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents,” “Betrayal & Greed,” “Thunder Force,” “God’s Favorite Idiot,” “Little Big Shots,” “Superintelligence,” “Happytime Murders,” “Nobodies” and “Life of the Party.”

“Divya is a kind and creative superstar of an executive,” stated Weinstock, announcing D’Souza’s hiring. “I’m thrilled to have her big brain and big heart onboard as we welcome all kinds of writers, directors, and actors and help them to do the coolest things they possibly can.”

In 2022, Invention Studios signed a first-look deal with Fremantle to expedite its development and production of TV,...

Melissa McCarthy will be honored with the Cinema Vérité Award at the 2023 CinemaCon. This is the second time CinemaCon has recognized McCarthy with an award. In 2013, McCarthy was named CinemaCon’s Female Star of the Year.

“Melissa McCarthy has had audiences around the world howling in the theaters with such unforgettable performances in films like Bridesmaids, The Heat, and Spy and has left them on the edge of their seats with her memorable roles in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and St. Vincent to name just a few,” stated Mitch Neuhauser, Managing Director of CinemaCon. “Her upcoming turn in the iconic role of Ursula is sure to entertain audiences across the globe and we couldn’t be more honored to present her with this year’s CinemaCon Cinema Vérité Award.”

CinemaCon, the annual meeting of the National Association of Theatre Owners, runs April 24 – 27, 2023. McCarthy will be presented with the Cinema...

There’s a dark cloud hanging over Sesame Street‘s famously sunny days.

As part of HBO Max’s ongoing, wide-ranging and apparently merciless purging of many library tiles — all as part of WarnerBros. Discovery’s ambitious plan to winnow down 3 billion (with a B) in debt — nearly 200 Sesame Street episodes have been pulled from the streamer.

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Your favorite HBO Max originals may not be available to stream much longer.

As Warner Bros. Discovery prepares to combine HBO Max and Discovery+ into a single, unified streaming service, HBO Max is doing away with more than three dozen titles — including 20 original series.

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HBO Max’s library of HBO shows is getting smaller: A number of the pay cabler’s past series, including the Martin Scorsese-produced rock and roll drama Vinyl and the Jennifer Garner comedy Camping, have been removed from the streaming service.

Along with Vinyl and Camping, HBO Max no longer hosts the Kathryn Hahn miniseries Mrs. Fletcher, the Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson comedy thriller Run and the Tim Robbins and Holly Hunter family drama Here and Now. Additionally, At Home With Amy Sedaris, which ran for three seasons on fellow Warner Bros. Discovery outlet truTV, has disappeared from the streaming service as well.

HBO Max has pulled six original films from its library amid the ongoing Warner Bros. Discovery merger, and more cuts are on the horizon. Among the casualties of these cuts are the original films Moonshot starring Cole Sprouse and Lana Condor, Superintelligence featuring Melissa McCarthy, 2020’s The Witches with Anne Hathaway and Octavia Spencer, American Pickle starring Seth Rogen, Locked Down with Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Charm City Kings. Moonshot (Credit: Bob Mahoney /© HBO Max /Courtesy Everett Collection) Along with those released titles, LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s House Party reboot has also been shelved after missing its slated July 28 premiere. According to IndieWire, these pulls from the platform are part of a long list of films and shows that will be removed from HBO Max and Discovery+ as Warner Bros. Discovery executives get ready to turn two streaming services into one. Content being targeted for removal are titles that...

HBO Max has removed at least a half-dozen Warner Bros. movies made specifically for HBO Max, IndieWire has confirmed — and more cuts are coming.

“Moonshot” starring Cole Sprouse and Zach Braff, “Superintelligence” starring Melissa McCarthy (and written by her husband Ben Falcone), the 2020 remake of “The Witches,” “An American Pickle” starring Seth Rogen, “Locked Down” starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Anne Hathaway, and Sundance title “Charm City Kings” were the ones noticeably scrubbed from HBO Max over the past few months. Also permanently benched was LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s “House Party” reboot, which was slated to premiere July 28 on HBO Max but was never released.

A person with knowledge of the decision told IndieWire the six movies in question, as first discussed on a Reddit thread and reported by Variety, are part of a long list of films and series being pulled off HBO Max and Discovery+ as Warner Bros.

The fallout from the surprise shelving of DC’s “Batgirl” continues, as at least six different movies billed as Max Original films have been quietly removed from HBO Max in recent days.

Some eagle-eyed Reddit viewers were first to notice the absence of the titles, all of which were exclusively released for streaming and skipped theaters. Those movies include the Anne Hathaway films “The Witches” and “Locked Down,” the Melissa McCarthy comedy “Superintelligence,” the Seth Rogen comedy “An American Pickle,” the Dylan Sprouse sci-fi romance “Moonshot” and the Sundance drama “Charm City Kings.”

Additionally, a remake of “House Party” from LeBron James’ Springhill Entertainment that was originally meant to debut on HBO Max on July 28 did not launch and was scrubbed from the release calendar.

Reps for HBO Max did not respond to a request for comment.

Also Read:

Fans Rage Over Decision to Shelve ‘Batgirl’ Film: ‘After All the...

Warner Bros. Discovery has been quietly culling content from HBO Max — including several Warner Bros. movies that were exclusively streaming on the service — in what appears to be an effort to cut costs.

Within the past few weeks, at least six Warner Bros. movies have been removed from HBO Max: “Moonshot,” a sci-fi rom-com starring Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse; artificial-intelligence dystopia comedy “Superintelligence,” starring Melissa McCarthy; Robert Zemeckis’ 2020 remake of “The Witches,” starring Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci and Chris Rock; comedy “An American Pickle,” starring Seth Rogen as an immigrant who wakes up after being pickled for 100 years; Doug Liman heist pic “Locked Down” with Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor; and drama “Charm City Kings” from director Angel Manuel Soto.

All six of the films were labeled as “Max Originals.” The removals were noted by users on Reddit in a discussion of the Warner Bros. decision to...

A partnership with Melissa McCarthy — one of the defining comic talents of the past 10-plus years — might seem like the sort of thing a streamer would want to spotlight and celebrate. So it’s surprising that “God’s Favorite Idiot,” a new comedy series on Netflix, dropped without ever been having made available to critics in advance.

Surprising, that is, to those without familiarity with the breadth of McCarthy’s oeuvre. In addition to highs like “Bridesmaids,” “Spy,” and “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” the performer has made an escalatingly disastrous series of movies directed by her husband Ben Falcone, including “The Boss,” “Life of the Party,” and “Superintelligence.” Falcone and McCarthy’s creative partnership makes a crystalline case for allowing someone from outside the family into the making of art; together, their work is slackly paced and meagerly plotted. “God’s Favorite Idiot,” created by Falcone (with both spouses credited as...

"I can feel you flowing through!!" Netflix has revealed the first official trailer for a new comedy series titled God's Favorite Idiot, the latest creation from the husband-wife comedy duo Melissa McCarthy & Ben Falcone. Usually Falcone directs McCarthy in Hollywood comedies but this time he stars as the main character in this workplace comedy about what would happen if he suddenly started glowing after being struck by lightning. In God's Favorite Idiot, Mid level Tech support employee Clark Thompson finds love with co-worker Amily Luck at exactly the same time he becomes the unwitting messenger of God. There's also roller skating, a lake of fire and an apocalypse, too. This looks like they went all out with the religious imagery. Falcone stars with McCarthy, and an ensemble cast including Leslie Bibb as Satan, Kevin Dunn, Usman Ally, Steve Mallory, Chris Sandiford, Ana Scotney, and Yanic Truesdale. This seems extra quirky...

Exclusive: Comedian and actor Bill Burr (F Is for Family) is writing, directing and starring alongside Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire) and Emmy nominee Bokeem Woodbine (Fargo) in the original comedy Old Dads, which Miramax has come aboard to produce in conjunction with Burr’s All Things Comedy.

Burr’s feature directorial debut centers on a middle-aged father (Burr) and his two best friends (Cannavale and Woodbine) who after selling their company to a millennial, find themselves out of step and behind the times as they hilariously struggle to navigate a changing world of culture, career and fatherhood. Burr and Ben Tishler penned the script and are producing with Bill Block, Monica Levinson and Mike Bertolina. Production kicked off in Los Angeles yesterday.

“I’m very excited to start shooting Old Dads,” said Burr. “This comedy is based on my own and my co-writer,...

Eileen Quast been named as Senior Vice President, Publicity at Epix.

In her new role, she will be responsible for overseeing corporate communications, as well as scripted and unscripted original series campaigns, including talent relations awards and screenings. She is based in Los Angeles and will report to Michael Wright, who serves as President of both Epix and MGM Scripted Television.

“I had the pleasure of working with Eileen during my tenure at TNT and TBS, and she is a smart, creative and strategic thinker,” said Wright. “We are fortunate to have Eileen join Epix at a time when the network is expanding its original series lineup, and her ability to broaden the awareness for our premium programming and elevate the brand will be vital to our continued success.”

“I’m thrilled to be working with Michael and the talented team at Epix to raise the profile of the network’s exceptional original series,...

Fresh off her recent Emmy win for the comedy series “Hacks,” Jean Smart is ramping up development at her production company, SmartAngel Entertainment. Smart and her producing partner, Angeliki Giannakopoulos, have acquired the rights to the real-life stories of two individuals who challenged the status quo and took a stand to make a difference for marginalized voices.

Projects in development at SmartAngel include the true stories of John Hawkins, an Ole Miss college student who in 1981 refused to carry the Confederate flag; and country music artist, author and LGBTQ activist Chely Wright.

In 1981, Hawkins was at the University of Mississippi (“Ole Miss”) under a band scholarship. He became the first Black cheerleader to join the Ole Miss Varsity Cheerleader Squad. When asked by a reporter if he was willing to carry the Confederate flag on game days, he said no — which led to racial abuse and threats. Hawkins’ story resurfaced...

Early in “Jolt,” a relentlessly busy and cacophonously noisy action film that often comes across as a Kmart version of “Black Widow,” Lindy, the violently inclined protagonist played by genre vet Kate Beckinsale, explains why she’s singularly well-equipped to be a vengeful vigilante. “Some people cry,” she tells a doctor trying, and failing, to curb her impulses. “Some people drink. Some people write shit poetry. I hurt people. Might as well put it to good use.”

Unfortunately, Lindy has a difficult time controlling her unique talents. As a result of a neurological malady diagnosed as intermittent explosive disorder, she is gifted with near-superhuman strength and lethal martial artistry whenever anyone — a sleazy crime lord, a torturing interrogator, a snooty waitress, anyone — makes her angry.

Dr. Munchin (Stanley Tucci), her all-purpose psychiatrist, physician and life coach, rigs up a way for her to cool her volcanic temper tantrums by jolting...

The “Airplane!” school of chock-full-of-jokes conceptual parody, with its fourth-wall-smashing stupido-smart goofiness, had a pretty impressive run. It ruled for several decades, spawning everything from the “Airplane!” creators’ own “Naked Gun” franchise — to me, the media-age Marx Brothers-worthy masterpiece of the form — to the Wayans brothers’ “Scary Movie” franchise to several dozen comedies, from “Hot Shots!” to “National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1” to “Not Another Teen Movie,” that skewered genre after genre after genre with the puckish satiric glee that most of them deserved. But the “Airplane!” school didn’t stick around long enough to mount a full-scale comic attack on the superhero movie. Which is too bad, since it could have been stupendous. What comic-book films, with their authoritarian heroism and CGI bombast, just about cry out for is a parody that’s massively scaled in its high-flying mockery.

A movie like “Thunder Force,” on the other hand, would like to skewer the genre,...

Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber took home multiple awards, as did actress Millie Bobby Brown, at Saturday night’s Kids’ Choice Awards hosted by Kenan Thompson.

The 34th annual show aired at 7:30 p.m. Et on Nickelodeon, where “Alexa & Katie” was crowned the favorite kids’ show, but “Stranger Things” won for favorite family show. Brown, who stars in the Netflix drama, was named favorite television actress and favorite film actress. Winners are determined by fan votes.

Grande and Bieber won for favorite female and male recording artists, respectively, while their joint hit “Stuck With U” won for favorite collaboration. Bieber also performed at the show.

Like just about everything else over the past year, the Kids’ Choice Awards were held virtually, but there were still plenty of fun moments, I including the cast of “iCarly” reuniting to present the award for favorite movie. And, of course, there were...

I might be one of the few people that thinks Ben Falcone's last film Superintelligence got a bit of a bad rap. While the popularity of James Corden continues to be inexplicable to me, Melissa McCarthy always brings charm, hilarity, and total commitment to her roles, and her on-screen chemistry with the equally charming and funny Bobby Cannavale made their scenes a joy to watch. And if superheroe movies are now the mainstream (as it seems Disney would have it), it's nice to have one that is is makign fun of the subgenre. And who better to take that ride with than actors like McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, and Cannavale, in Falcone's new film, Thunder Force? In a world where supervillains are commonplace, two estranged childhood...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Netflix released the official trailer for “Thunder Force,” which stars Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer as two best friends with newly acquired superpowers. The film is set to make its streaming debut on April 9.

The superhero comedy is directed by Ben Falcone, who previously worked with McCarthy on films such as “Tammy,” “The Boss,” “Life of the Party” and HBO Max’s “Superintelligence.” His new film is expected to poke fun at comic book movie tropes while delivering some good-hearted laughs.

The trailer sees Lydia (McCarthy) reunite with her childhood best friend, Emily Stanton (Spencer), a successful scientist that has created technology that grants ordinary people superpowers. After being told not to touch anything, McCarthy accidentally takes the only formula for super strength, unwillingly creating the first real-life superhero team. When a new villain known as “The King” (Bobby Cannavale) arrives in town, it’s up to the Thunder Force...

"How can we not stop two chicks in their 40s?!" Netflix has unveiled an official trailer for another wacky superhero comedy called Thunder Force, the latest film from Melissa McCarthy working her husband, the filmmaker Ben Falcone (who writes/directs) following the flop Superintelligence last year. In a world where supervillains are commonplace, two estranged childhood best friends reunite after one devises a treatment that gives them powers to protect their city. Now, it is up to the Thunder Force to battle the super-powered Miscreants and save Chicago from the clutches of The King. Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer co-star, with Bobby Cannavale, Pom Klementieff, Kevin Dunn, Melissa Leo, and Jason Bateman. This looks like one of those everyone-is-having-fun-making-this movies that isn't actually that fun to watch. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Ben Falcone's Thunder Force, from Netflix's YouTube: In a world terrorized by supervillains, one woman...

We haven’t had a good superhero lampooning in quite some time, and that’s exactly what we’re hoping to get in “Thunder Force,” an upcoming action-comedy movie featuring Melissa McCarthy. Written and directed by Ben Falcone, McCarthy’s husband and longtime creative partner (he’s directed her in five films now since 2014, including “The Boss,” “Life Of The Party,” and 2020’s “Superintelligence.” The movie co-stars Octavia Spencer, Pom Klementieff, Melissa Leo and is a superhero comedy film about a woman who has developed the process to give superpowers to regular people

Read More: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2021

McCarthy, a bunch of talented women, and a riff on superheroes, it doesn’t need to get more complicated than that.

Continue reading ‘Thunder Force’ Trailer: Melissa McCarthy & Octavia Spencer Star In A Superhero Comedy From Director Ben Falcone at The Playlist.

Netflix has released the first official trailer for “Thunder Force,” a new superhero comedy starring the dynamic duo of Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer. The project is the latest collaboration between McCarthy and her writer-director Ben Falcone, who previously worked together on “Tammy,” “The Boss,” “Life of the Party,” and last year’s critically panned HBO Max comedy “Superintelligence.” Here’s hoping Spencer’s fresh energy can reignite Falcone and McCarthy’s old creative spark, or at least offer something new to the mix of their predictable schtick.

Here’s what we know so far about the plot via Netflix’s official synopsis: “In a world terrorized by super-villains, one woman has developed the process to give superpowers to regular people. But when scientist Emily Stanton accidentally imbues her estranged best-friend with incredible abilities, the two women must become the first superhero team. Now, it is up to Thunder Force...

Exclusive: Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone’s Netflix series God’s Favorite Idiot is fleshing out its supporting cast.

Joining McCarthy and Falcone in the comedy show will be Yanic Truesdale (Gilmore Girls), Usman Ally (68 Whiskey), Ana Scotney (Educators), Chris Sandiford (What We Do in the Shadows), and writer-actor-producer Steve Mallory.

Mallory, who has collaborated with husband-and-wife team McCarthy and Falcone on movies and series including The Boss, Life Of The Party, Superintelligence and Flipped, will join as a series regular and a co-ep.

In the fun-sounding God’s Favorite Idiot, mid level tech support employee Clark Thompson (Falcone) finds love with co-worker Amily Luck (McCarthy) at exactly the same time he becomes the unwitting messenger of God. Also, there’s roller skating, a lake of fire and an impending apocalypse.

Netflix gave the workplace comedy a 16-episode order last December. A start date has yet to be revealed.

Given its timing as the first awards show of the calendar year, the Golden Globes prides itself on recognizing new series and talent first. That’s been especially true in the streaming age, as Netflix’s “The Crown,” Amazon Prime Video’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and Hulu’s “Ramy” all landed significant Globes before moving on to their first Emmy seasons.

Because the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. loves newcomers, that’s also made the film awards season a ripe time for new streamers to get their feet wet in the awards space. Last year, it was Apple TV Plus that administered a full-fledged awards effort, just two months after the service’s launch.

And the results were strong: Out of the gate, “The Morning Show” scored three Globe nominations, the first time a streamer had received any nod in its launch year. That was followed by a big win...

Signature’s ‘Come Away’ opens fourth.

RankFilm (Distributor)Three-day gross (Dec 18-20)Total gross to date Week 1 Wonder Woman 1984 (Warner Bros) £545,000 £846,000 1 2 Elf (Warner Bros) £83,000 £327,000 3 3 Home Alone (Park Circus) £56,030 £238,357 3 4 Come Away (Signature Entertainment) Tbc Tbc 1 5 Love Actually (Universal) £20,403 £122,372 2

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.33

Warner Bros’ blockbuster Wonder Woman 1984 opened top of the UK-Ireland box office this weekend, grossing £545,000 from Friday to Sunday – a decent total given the limited number of available cinemas and reduced screen capacities.

The film was released on Wednesday 16, the day London and much of the south-east of England moved into ‘tier three’, requiring all cinemas...

Warner Bros blockbuster lands in 32 territories.

Wonder Woman 1984 tops most markets in debut frame

Wonder Woman 1984 began its rollout with a mixed picture of success, underwhelming in China with an $18.8m debut session, but dominating other markets including Mexico and Brazil. In total, the film landed in 32 international territories, grossing an estimated $38.5m. IMAX screens delivered $5m of this tally, representing 13% of the take.

In China, the Warner Bros/DC sequel landed behind local title The Rescue. The original Wonder Woman debuted with $37.5m in June 2017, on its way to a $90.5m total. Wonder Woman 1984 has begun...

Warner Bros comedy ‘Superintelligence’ and Paramount’s ‘Dreamland’ also opened in the territory.

Rank Film (Distributor) Three-day gross (Dec 11-13) Total gross to date Week 1 Elf (Warner Bros) £96,986 £177,353 2 2 Home Alone (Park Circus) £86,933 £149,330 2 3 Little Mix: LM5 - The Tour Film (Trafalgar Releasing) £83,273 £83,273 1 4 Superintelligence (Warner Bros) £63,492 £66,318 1 5 Love Actually (Universal) £42,508 £36.7m -

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.33

Re-releases of festive favourites Elf and Home Alone led another quiet weekend at the UK-Ireland box office, which also included an event release about the UK girl group Little Mix and Melissa McCarthy comedy Superintelligence.

Warner Bros’ re-release of Jon Favreau’s Christmas comedy Elf held...

China was once again the top territory for ‘The Croods’, adding another $6.4m for a total of $46.5m.

‘The Croods: A New Age’ passes $50m in international

New openings in Mexico and – to a lesser extent – Ecuador helped buoy up Universal’s release of Dreamworks Animation’s The Croods: A New Age in international markets, topping the box office in both territories.

The film is estimated to have grossed $8.4m in international markets, down from $13.0m the previous weekend, and taking the total outside North America to $52.1m. Adding in the domestic tally, The Croods: A New Age stands at $76.3m worldwide.

Monday Update, writethru after Sunday 12:26Pm post: The international box office continues to provide welcome surprises during the pandemic era. Where movie theaters are open and people feel safe, they turn up for new or enduringly exciting product that’s on offer.

To wit: Japan’s Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train has perhaps become the story of the year. A runaway success across this period, and in its 9th weekend, it is now estimated to have crossed at least $310M worldwide. This makes it the No. 3 movie of 2020 overseas, behind The Eight Hundred ($474M in China) and My People, My Homeland ($431M in China) as it overtakes Tenet ($303.5M).

The movie is days away from becoming the top-grossing film of all time in Japan, overtaking Hayao Miyazaki’s 2001 Spirited Away. Think about that for...

For the first time since cinemas reopened, two titles have earned more than $1 million in a single weekend, with The Witches bowing and The War With Grandpa continuing to climb.

It’s a positive sign for exhibitors in the lead up to the school holidays and the end of year, with titles The Croods: A New Age, Wonder Woman 1984 and The Dry all on the horizon.

Robert Zemeckis’ Roald Dahl adaptation, starring Anne Hathaway and Octavia Spencer, ranked no. 1, opening on $1.13 million from 396 screens (or $1.6 million with previews) for Warner Bros.

While some exhibitors are dismayed by the film’s M-rating, arguing it limits how accessible it is for families, it is still the best opening weekend for any film since Christopher Nolan’s Tenet on August 27.

It’s also equivalent with The Addams Family, a WB title released this time last year, in a pre-covid world.

Village Cinemas’ Geoff...

To celebrate the release of Superintelligence, the new comedy coming to cinemas later this month, we sat down with its cast and director to find out if AI is soon to take over the world and be voiced by James Corden.

Written by Steve Mallory and directed by Falcone – who also co-stars – Superintelligence stars McCarthy as Carol Peters, a former executive in the corporate world who has her life turned upside down when a super-intelligent AI – first of its kind – picks her to help it learn about humanity and the world, whilst potentially plotting to take it over, voiced by James Corden.

In our chat, the trio talk to us about their dreams and fears of what AI can do for humanity, finding the humour in the apocalyptic and what they would do if such a thing presented them with such an opportunity.

You can watch the full interview below:...

The Disney+ Christmas comedy’s winning conceit – a revisionist fairy godmother dropped in Boston – buckles under the weight of formulaic earnestness

Godmothered, a Disney+ live-action refocus on the understudied role of the fairy godmother, has the foundations of movie magic working in its favor. The first would be timing: just in time for the holiday season, the film, directed by Sharon Maguire (best known for Bridget Jones’s Diary), proffers fresh Disney princess canon at the tail end of an abysmal year, with audiences primed for cheerful, nuclear family escapism. There’s the comedic bona fides of its two leads, Isla Fisher and Jillian Bell, and a winning, suitably modernized premise: a well-meaning yet naively bumbling godmother on a mission to revitalize a harried single mother in present-day Boston, a fairytale trope isolated and reforged for pre-pandemic but still decidedly uninspired times. But where Godmothered should coast, it stumbles – swerving...

Photo: 'Superintelligence'/Hbomax Superintelligence stars Melissa McCarthy as Carol Peters, aka the “most average person in the world.” Therefore, it’s a bit of a shock when the AI system is known only as “Superintelligence” decides to observe her for three days in hopes of discovering the true nature of humanity. A blockbuster in the truest sense, Superintelligence is an easy-to-watch comedy that has something for everyone. The AI supervillain reflects current anxieties about the increasing presence of technology in our everyday lives while humorous elements of the movie keep it a family-appropriate watch. Through Superintelligence’s genre-bending, it really does its best to appeal to a multi-generational audience, making it the perfect watch for when you’re home with your family this holiday season. Related article: ‘The Crown’: The Majestic Fourth Season Adds Another Dazzling Jewel Related article: HBO Max and Kaley Cuoco’s ‘The Flight Attendant’: Full of Thrills,...

Melissa McCarthy had quite the excellent adventure at a strip club to prepare for her hit film Bridesmaids.  The 50-year-old actress appeared with husband Ben Falcone on Watch What Happens Live on Tuesday, Dec. 1, where Andy Cohen asked for her favorite example of the movie's female cast members supporting each other. For McCarthy, a cherished memory from the shoot was Kristen Wiig suggesting that the cast should bond by attending a real-life strip performance of The Hollywood Men, a male exotic-dance show. As the Superintelligence star explained, there was originally a scene in Bridesmaids that involved a male strip club, but it didn't make it into the final version of director...

After a difficult year for exhibitors, Palace Cinemas CEO Benjamin Zeccola is pleased to end 2020 on a positive note with the official opening of Coburg’s Pentridge Cinema next week.

Housed within the city’s historic Pentridge prison site, the new venue comprises 15 screens and has the capacity to hold 1,100 patrons.

The opening is the culmination of a seven-year development process for Palace Cinemas, including almost three years of construction.

Australia’s largest independent cinema group faced fresh challenges this year when the Covid-19 pandemic forced the closure of its locations, with about 550 staff affected by the shut down.

Pentridge Cinema

“It is a tremendous privilege to open a new cinema in such a vibrant part of Melbourne, with such a vast and diverse catchment area,” Zeccola said.

“It has been a (lime-)light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, that we’ve watched getting brighter as we pushed on throughout the lockdown.

Melissa McCarthy: you’re one of the most talented actresses working today. But when you work with Ben Falcone, you’re comedic poison. The husband-wife duo’s collaborations have resulted in some real stinkers like Tammy, The Boss, and the recently released Superintelligence, all of which Falcone had directed and co-written with McCarthy, who starred in the films. And each new […]

The post Melissa McCarthy Doesn’t Listen to Our Pleas, Re-teams With Ben Falcone for Netflix Series ‘God’s Favorite Idiot’ appeared first on /Film.

Netflix has picked up the workplace comedy series “God’s Favorite Idiot” from executive producers and stars Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy.

The 16-episode series stars Falcone as mid-level tech support employee Clark Thompson who finds love with his co-worker Amily Luck (McCarthy) at exactly the same time he becomes the unwitting messenger of God. The series description also promises “roller skating, a lake of fire and an impending apocalypse.”

Falcone is the creator of the series, and will executive produce with McCarthy via their On The Day production company.

Michael McDonald, who previously worked on McCarthy and Falcone’s TV Land/Paramount Network series “Nobodies,” will serve as a director and an executive producer.

The project marks the sixth collaboration between the husband and wife duo after most recently working together on the HBO Max comedy “Superintelligence,” in which McCarthy starred and Falcone directed. Falcone also directed, wrote and...

Netflix has given a 16-episode series order to God’s Favorite Idiot, a workplace comedy from Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy, who will star and executive produce. Michael McDonald is attached to direct and executive produce.

Created by Falcone, God’s Favorite Idiot follows Clark Thompson (Falcone), a midlevel tech-support employee who finds love with co-worker Amily Luck (McCarthy) at exactly the same time he becomes the unwitting messenger of God. Also, there’s rollerskating, a lake of fire and an impending apocalypse.

Falcone and McCarthy executive produce via their On the Day production company.

2020 Netflix Pilots & Series Orders

God’s Favorite Idiot marks the married duo’s sixth collaboration together. They teamed to executive produce and also appeared in comedy Nobodies, which aired its first season on TV Land then moved to sister channel Paramount Network for its second and final season. They also partnered on Bridesmaids,...

Netflix has ordered a comedy series called “God’s Favorite Idiot” from Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone, Variety has learned.

The streamer has commissioned 16 episodes of the series, in which both McCarthy and Falcone will star. Falcone wrote the series, with both he and McCarthy also serving as executive producers via their company On the Day. Michael McDonald, who has frequently collaborated with the pair, will direct and executive produce.

In “God’s Favorite Idiot,” Mid level Tech support employee Clark Thompson (Falcone) finds love with co- worker Amily Luck (McCarthy) at exactly the same time he becomes the unwitting messenger of God. Also, there’s roller skating, a lake of fire and an impending apocalypse.

McCarthy and Falcone, who are married in real life, have collaborated numerous times in the past. Their past work together includes the films “Bridesmaids” (for which McCarthy received an Oscar nomination), “Tammy,” “The Boss,...

Monday Update, writethru after 8:47Am Sunday post: DreamWorks Animation/Universal’s The Croods: A New Age led the weekend in China with a $19.2M debut, outpacing local titles One Second and Caught In Time as it got a huge Saturday boost. This is the third best bow for a studio movie in the Middle Kingdom during the pandemic era — behind Tenet (which topped $300M overseas this session) and Mulan. In total, the sequel opened in seven offshore markets for a combined $20.8M at the international box office. There were also No. 1 starts in Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and the UAE. The worldwide opening estimate including domestic is $35M.

This is a solid start for the animated film that comes seven years after the original. Directed by Joel Crawford, it has strong word of mouth in China (9.1 on Maoyan and Taopiaopiao and 8.2 on Douban). Play increased by 191% from Friday to Saturday...

Stuck inside on Black Friday, stuffed with turkey, what are Americans supposed to do to distract themselves? All year, it’s been a battle of the streamers to fill the void left by cinemas, and this week finds nearly all the big brands are stepping up with big titles to serve the stay-at-home set.

Netflix debuts Oscar contender “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” in theaters this week — featuring a terrific final performance from Chadwick Boseman. The film won’t be available to subscribers until mid-December, though Netflix will serve up Kurt-and-Goldie holiday special “The Christmas Chronicles 2” — as well as “Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square.” Plus, “Hillbilly Elegy” hits the service this week, too, following a limited theatrical run.

For family audiences, Disney Plus launches a “Black Beauty” remake. (Those feeling courageous enough to visit theaters can give rival DreamWorks Animation a shot with a sequel to caveman cartoon “The Croods.

More than two years after filming wrapped, “Superintelligence,” the latest joint effort of Melissa McCarthy and her director husband Ben Falcone, has finally popped up on a streaming platform — specifically, HBO Max — which arguably is the natural habitat for a lightweight, undemandingly engaging comedy that can be enjoyed either entirely in one sitting, or sporadically in bite-sized chunks. The screenplay by Steve Mallory, another frequent McCarthy collaborator, is a sometimes clever, sometimes contrived mix of romantic comedy and sci-fi elements, with a premise that suggests an updated remake of some innocuous ’70s-era Walt Disney comedy starring Dean Jones or Kurt Russell. But some of the funny business is very funny indeed, and the movie overall is more enjoyable than not. Which, again, makes it perfect for streaming.

McCarthy plays Carol Peters, a sweet-natured but self-deprecating Seattle resident who walked away from her high-paying gig as a Yahoo exec to do...

Artificial Significance: Falcone & McCarthy Go Through Motions in Brainless Comedy

For some filmmakers and their muses, an entire body of output results in a string of masterful, maybe even culturally meaningful achievements. If the cultural achievement is merely escapist, derivate comedy for audiences to forget the trenchant ills of the universe, there’s nothing innately wrong with such aims, supposing there’s at least some success in the pursuit of this objective.

For his fourth time directing Melissa McCarthy, director Ben Falcone’s Superintelligence suggests their collaboration is moving aggressively into an opposite, rudimentary direction, two notables with a platform who perhaps have run out of anything interesting to say, at least evidenced in this ‘content’ which connotes the opposite of its title.…...

In “Superintelligence,” an average human being must convince a sentient AI program not to wipe out humanity. Lucky for all of us, the film “Superintelligence” is not entered as evidence that our continued existence is justified.

It’s probably the most technically accomplished of the four theatrical features (to date) that Ben Falcone has directed with his wife Melissa McCarthy in the starring role, but this partnership continues to be an imbalanced one, at least in terms of results. Their collaborations constitute both her least-interesting movies as an actress and the entirety of his career as a filmmaker.

As collaborators and co-stars, they can be hilarious together — in performance; once he steps to the other side of the camera, however, the magic they create as a team seems to dissipate. Neither of them gets much assistance from the screenplay by Steve Mallory (“The Boss”), which hinges the fate of mankind...

With the actor’s new release, Superintelligence, seeing her try to save the world, here’s a look at the films that made her a comedy star

One of Melissa McCarthy’s many early, quirky cameos comes in the final film from the director Alan Parker – a mystery crime drama with a hint of Fritz Lang. Kevin Spacey stars as an anti-capital-punishment campaigner who finds himself on death row after being convicted of murder. McCarthy plays Nico, a goth girl in fishnets and piercings who gives creepy tours of the crime scene.

A joke belabored is a joke ruined. “Superintelligence,” Melissa McCarthy’s latest team-up with comedian, writer, director, and hubby Ben Falcone, ruins an overwhelming majority of its jokes. Why does McCarthy slapstick need explanation? In an early scene with Jessica St. Clair and Karan Soni, playing tech world hippie dips whose casual free-spirited babble disguises their stealth mean girl sniping, McCarthy hops on a chill sack and immediately slides off like butter melting off of stacked pancakes; the bean bag chair is just too tall.

Continue reading ‘Superintelligence’ Can’t Figure Out How To Craft A Joke, Even With Melissa McCarthy Leading The Way [Review] at The Playlist.

The first thing you should know about the new film Superintelligence is that it’s being distributed by the WarnerMedia empire. Second, you should know that WarnerMedia does not have ownership in The Late Late Show with James Corden, though the very existence of Superintelligence would seem to imply otherwise. Ostensibly, this comedy is about an […]

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