Latest news with #Amblin
Gizmodo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
A Definitive ‘Jaws' Documentary Is Coming Very Soon—Here's the Trailer
In the history of movies, only a select few have had an impact like Jaws. Impact that doesn't just reverberate through film history, but culture at large. Jaws supercharged the careers of iconic director Steven Spielberg, composer John Williams, and others, giving us so much magic in the decades that followed. It changed the way Hollywood made and marketed movies and inspired an entire new generation to make movies themselves. Plus, who hasn't had the movie on their mind as they tiptoe into the ocean? All of that and so much more promise to be part of a brand new documentary coming this summer, and it's completely official. Directed by Spielberg's longtime collaborator Laurent Bouzereau (Music by John Williams, Timeless Heroes), the 90-minute documentary is called Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story. It's premiering on July 10 on National Geographic as part of Sharkfest and will debut the next day on Disney+, Hulu, and Nat Geo. Spielberg's Amblin Documentaries produced it in conjunction with Wendy Benchley, a renowned shark and ocean advocate, who also happened to be married to the late, great, author of Jaws, Peter Benchley. In addition to Spielberg and Benchley, the film promises a who's who of people who worked on the film (such as Williams; cast members Jonathan Filley, Lorraine Gray, and Jeffrey Voorhees; Ian Shaw, the son of the late Robert Shaw; screenwriter Carl Gottlieb; and others), as well as a laundry list of superfans. Among those are J.J. Abrams, Emily Blunt, James Cameron, Cameron Crowe, George Lucas, Greg Nicotero, Jordan Peele, Steven Soderbergh, Guillermo del Toro, and Robert Zemeckis, to name a few. Here's the trailer for the documentary, which not only teases that we'll get to see a lot of fantastic footage from the actual production of the film, but also Spielberg diving deeper than ever before into his feelings about it. If you've seen any of Bouzereau's other films with Spielberg connections, such as his documentaries on Harrison Ford and John Williams, you know he has an incredible ability to be honest about the subjects, but also remind you why you care about them in the first place. And if you haven't seen those, watch them ASAP. We can't wait to see how that carries over to Jaws, one of the most important movies in history. Here's the awesome poster for the doc.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Josh O'Connor On ‘The Mastermind', ‘The History Of Sound', His Secret Spielberg Film & How Harris Dickinson Has Inspired Him To Direct
Josh O'Connor experienced the splendor of Cannes in 2023, when he was there with Alice Rohrwacher's La Chimera. This year, he's back with two movies in contention for the Palme d'Or: Kelly Reichardt's art heist picture The Mastermind and Oliver Hermanus' The History of Sound, in which O'Connor stars with Paul Mescal. While en route to the New York set of the untitled Steven Spielberg/Amblin/Universal film where he's been cast alongside Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, Eve Hewson and Emily Blunt, O'Connor said of Spielberg, 'He's great. He is the dream, the best in the world,' but he admits being on set makes him miss home and tending to his fig trees and vegetables. More from Deadline Scarlett Johansson On Why The Script For Her Directorial Debut 'Eleanor The Great' Made Her Cry: 'It's About Forgiveness' – Cannes Cover Story Cannes Film Festival 2025: Read All Of Deadline's Movie Reviews Mario Martone's 'Fuori' With Valeria Golino Gets 7½-Minute Ovation At Cannes Premiere DEADLINE: JOSH O'CONNOR: I'll tell you what I'll say. It's like old-school Spielberg. I think people will be excited. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: Close Encounters, E.T.; that world. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: I guess I'm in my American period at the moment. DEADLINE: The Mastermind O'CONNOR: It's the 1970s. The Vietnam War was going on. Kelly's really one of my favorite filmmakers in the world. Truly. There's a handful of directors that I have dreamt of working with, and Kelly's one of them. So, I've had the best time working with her. It's in the traditional Kelly fashion. It's looking at the world through the people that fall between the cracks and not necessarily the people you'd expect. Often, she's looking at artists and stuff like that, and it's got that vibe. It's almost like she's looking at the Vietnam War, but averting her eyes. RELATED: Dakota Johnson Talks Romantic Experiments In Cannes Comedy 'Splitsville', Upcoming 'Materialists' And 'Juicy' Colleen Hoover Adaptation 'Verity' DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: It's in the background, really. It's about this guy James Mooney who's desperately trying to support his family and make a name for himself. He's sort of a failed artist. He works as a carpenter. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: I guess in my head, when I hear 'perimeters of society,' I would normally pick someone ostracized in some way or left behind. And in many ways, this character isn't that. He's middle-class, he's from a perfectly good family, but he's in the outside of society insofar as he lives quite a plain life, an unfulfilled life. That's what's pulling him to make a name for himself. It's almost more tragic in that he just feels forgotten. He just feels like a regular Joe. And I guess Kelly's asking, 'What's worse than being regular Joe?' For someone who has a big ego, that's not great. RELATED: 'Bono: Stories Of Surrender': On Irish Fathers & Sons, Processing Family Tragedy & How A Need To Be Heard Propelled A Dublin Kid To Become One Of The World's Biggest Rock Stars DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: He's got two kids, two boys and a wife. Alana Haim plays my wife in it. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: Outside of Boston, in the Cambridge area, but we shot in Cincinnati, Ohio, which is architecturally very interesting for the period we're in, the '70s. Again, it's that middletown, quiet suburbia. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: If you're looking at the moment in time, that's the relevance. An interesting angle on it, is that shooting somewhere like Ohio as the election was just going on was a very interesting place to be, and that's where J.D. Vance is from. I think, politically, that period in the '70s for America and the Vietnam War was really interesting. Kelly is diverting her eyes to the politics always in every film. It's there in the background and she is talking about it, but she isn't. It's like, she's never crude about it. It's not obvious like in so many scripts I read, and in many movies, and I understand why. They are movies that are built to, 'How can we get these things awards?' [With Kelly] a tear would be welling up in a scene and she'd be like, 'Cut! What are you doing? We don't cry in these movies.' She's the antithesis of that. She wants to keep it real. She doesn't want to get too earnest about things. There's a lightness to it. There's comedy, but there's depth. RELATED: DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: That's not the primary purpose. She's not seeking that. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: The majority of the film is my character on the run. We come across John Magaro, who is an old friend of mine from art school, and there are all sorts of characters I come into play with. Todd Haynes had this great quote about Kelly, where he said, 'The thing about a Kelly Reichardt movie, is it's like a road movie that never quite hits the road.' They never quite get that joy. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: It's someone who is the perfect answer for this, because it's someone who is not headline-grabbing at all. It's someone worth a bit of money, but not quite worth what they should be worth. It's Arthur Dove [a pioneer of American abstraction]. His artwork is kind of surreal, but it's also, well, in my opinion, not that attractive. It's funny because he is brilliant and he would sell for money, but it's not stealing a Picasso. Even in his grand thievery it's sort of underwhelming. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: I remember thinking, 'Oh, that makes sense to me,' just for someone who is led by story to have grown up in that environment. But once we got to work it wasn't talked about an awful lot. So, I think it's in the background. These aren't stories that come from her father or anything like that, but I imagine it must've had an influence on her. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: I would say as a Kelly fan, I watched this movie, and you can see Kelly Reichardt in it. You can see all of the humor. You can see the messaging that's not overt or crude. I think people won't be disappointed. RELATED: Ooh-La-La Land: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex* (*And The Cannes Film Festival) DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: That really resonates with me. I think that's so true. Although, just to counter it a little bit, I would say, the thing is that first of all, she loves that mystery. She loves that she doesn't understand what we do, but I think she understands more than she makes out. I think actually she has a very clear idea of who the characters are. But, like any brilliant director, and I've been fortunate enough to witness this, there's this real gift you can have as a director where you say you have an idea. And rather than go to the actor and say, 'This is my idea, OK? Do it.' You just find a way of allowing the actor to discover the same idea you always had in the first place, because we then feel like we have an ownership over it. And that's not to downplay what actors do in any way. She's worked with some of the greats, like Michelle [Williams]. It's just that I think Kelly undervalues her talent and she does have those ideas. What you're doing is fitting into a Kelly Reichardt vision, and it's a negotiation, of course, but she is somehow imprinting these ideas in us. That's my belief anyway. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: First of all, she's an art lover. She loves film so very much. She's one of those filmmakers that has an encyclopedic knowledge of movies, particularly old movies. We've often forgotten with Kelly, she does teach at Bard. She's a great teacher. Again, that's a similar thing to being a great director. She worked with Todd Haynes at the start. She's worked in film for years in different roles and capacities. She went to art school, she's got all that history there, and it just comes through in all of her movies. It's just Kelly. It's so obviously her. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: She sent me some documentary footage from the '70s. I can't remember the name of it, but that was more just to get this idea of how families are together. There's a couple of scenes [in The Mastermind] where it's Bill Camp, Hope Davis, me, Alana, and we all sat around the table. RELATED: Brazilian Comeback: How The Cannes 2025 Country Of Honor Is Following The Success Of 'I'm Still Here' DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: It's kind of an undercurrent of the movie. We don't go to Vietnam. We don't ever really talk about it. There might be a brief moment over the dinner table where Bill Camp comments on it. And the reason it's an undercurrent is like, here is a man of age who isn't at war. DEADLINE: The History of Sound O'CONNOR: Then they go on this journey. The film follows Lionel who has this synesthesia, where he can see color and see and feel emotions when he listens to music. He also has an incredible singing voice. And David is like an archivist and has a fascination with collecting the old folk songs of America. And then they go on this very beautiful journey together. And I go missing for a long time. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: I couldn't play the piano until I did this movie. I still can't, but I can play it better than I could. I took a few lessons and I just learned in the end. I'd like to think the truth is I didn't have an awfully long time to prep for this movie, and I jumped in between projects. He's a very beautiful character that is so meaningful to me and to the movie, of course, but I didn't have an awful lot of time, so I just learned those songs on piano. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: I think it's that thing of what the film does incredibly well is it plays into that feeling of nostalgia and regret and loss. I came in and they shot all of my stuff, which is mostly this traveling through America which is very beautiful. So that was really just lovely. We did that for a couple of weeks, then I left. Then I was on Challengers, and then I was shooting Knives Out [Wake Up Dead Man]. So it was all kind of busy and I felt like that movie was over. But of course they had all of the rest of the movie to shoot. And when I saw it, seeing what they'd done, what they created without me was just … I was so proud of them. It was such a nice feeling. But what's so beautiful about it is this feeling of song and of music. When you listen to a piece of music and it transports you to a certain place or a time, and if you close your eyes, you can feel like you are actually there. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: David is a connector, he pulls people together, but his ultimate aim is to collect these songs. Whereas Lionel, Paul's character, starts to see that what they're getting isn't just these songs. As you said, it's community. DEADLINE: Knives Out O'CONNOR: I wish we did. I am so boring nowadays. I'm in bed by nine o'clock. I don't know what's happened to me. But no, I am afraid I didn't. But we had a great time. And on Knives Out, James Bond was in it, Andrew Scott, some of my closest friends. It was lovely. Even though I'm again playing an American, we shot it in London. So, it was the first time I could be home for ages. DEADLINE: Knives Out Emma O'CONNOR: I said to Rian Johnson, 'My favorite role I think I've ever played was Mr. Elton.' I remember when I saw that movie, thinking, there's all these brilliant actors, Johnny Flynn, Anya [Taylor-Joy], Mia Goth, Callum Turner, all these guys are doing one movie and then me and Tanya Reynolds are doing, I don't know what we're doing, but it's not the same movie. But I had the time of my life. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to go quite so over the top on this movie. ChallengersSeparate Rooms O'CONNOR: Unfortunately not. Luca's working all the time. He's such a busy bee and rightly so. We're constantly talking. He may well do it, but unfortunately it won't be with me. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: I'm shooting this summer in Europe with an American director, more of which I can't say. But then I am going to go and do some other stuff for a little bit. I love my ceramics, I love gardening. My poor garden is suffering when I go away. And I'm definitely looking forward to some time to just try some other things and maybe get back on stage. It's been too long. There are conversations around various places. Maybe not exclusively in London as well. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: I think there's an element of that. Like Alice Rohrwacher's who for me is … the filmmakers I always loved were Pasolini, Rossellini, Bellocchio, to me she's that. Luca's a hero of mine. But one of my first films, with Francis Lee, was God's Own Country in the UK. I think he's one of our greats. And he's extremely thoughtful. And because of that, his films come when they come. You have to wait. But I'll always work with him again. I think we've also suffered a little bit in the British film industry with arts funding being cut. And I think that's been difficult for places like the BFI for supporting young filmmakers. I don't think that's the reason people are doing more films in America. I think that's just sometimes what happens. But I'm always on the lookout to be at home. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: About this time last year, I was in New York and on the night of the Met Gala, I got a text from my agent saying, 'Can you meet Steven Spielberg tomorrow for coffee?' And I was like, 'Yes!' And I went to his office, Amblin. He told me he didn't have a script, but he told me the story of the movie and he said, 'Would you like to do it?' And I sort of feigned, 'Let me think about it.' But obviously… DEADLINE: Good joke. O'CONNOR: It was kind of straightforward. He's just the most special person. He seems to have the most incredible amount of energy I've ever witnessed. He comes up to you, he whispers in your ear like an excited child about an idea, a thought, and it's truly inspiring. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: Emily Blunt and myself are kind of following that track. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: In some way. DEADLINE: O'CONNOR: I've got to dash, I've got to go to makeup. DEADLINE: Oh, you're not an alien, are you? O'CONNOR: Maybe. [laughing] I wouldn't need any makeup for that! DEADLINE: Bonus Track O'CONNOR: Hopefully. Maybe something down the line. I noticed that Harris Dickinson's got his movie [Urchin] at Cannes, which I'm delighted about. I think he's really inspired me actually go and maybe try it. You know what it's like, it gets busy, but it is definitely a dream of mine. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About The 'Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping' Movie So Far Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds All The 'Mission: Impossible' Movies In Order - See Tom Cruise's 30-Year Journey As Ethan Hunt
Gizmodo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
All the Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, and Genre Movies to Care About This Summer
For movie fans, it's the most wonderful time of the year. The summer movie season is here and with it, the promise of exciting popcorn films that could become future classics. Now, does that usually happen? No. Of course not. We're lucky if each year one or two films jump out and become those certified, all-time crowd-pleasers (like Barbie or Top Gun: Maverick in recent years). But that doesn't stop studios from trying, or from audiences hoping, each time they buy a ticket and the lights go down. Here are all the sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and superhero movies that could be contenders this summer. Will any make the grade? What movies are coming out in May 2025? Thunderbolts (in theaters now) You may have already seen this one as it's currently in theaters but, we have to say, it's a strong start to the summer. Not as epic as some of Marvel's previous early May films, but entertaining nonetheless. Watch the Skies (May 9) Drawing inspiration from Amblin films of the 1980s, this Swedish film is about a young woman who teams up with some UFO nuts to try and find her missing father, who she believes was abducted by aliens. Clown in a Cornfield (May 9) The title pretty much says it all, does it not? Final Destination Bloodlines (May 16) As you can already tell, horror is big this summer and maybe the biggest out of those is the sixth film in the Final Destination series. This time, the idea of death following a group of unintended survivors gets taken up a notch as it trickles down to an entire family. We've seen it, and can assure you it's a gruesome, hilarious blast. Hurry Up Tomorrow (May 16) Popular musician the Weeknd stars in, came up with the story for, and did the music in this mysterious, trippy thriller co-starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. A Breed Apart (May 16) Hayden Panettiere co-stars in this indie about a group of influencers invited to an island, who then have to survive and hunt man-eating dogs, or get eaten themselves. Lilo & Stitch (May 23) One of Disney's most popular modern animated films joins its growing list of live-action remakes. However, unlike this year's earlier release, Snow White, audiences seem extremely excited for this one. We expect it to be one of the biggest hits of the summer. Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning (May 23) Picking up the story from 2023's 'Dead Reckoning,' Tom Cruise returns as secret agent Ethan Hunt in what may be his final Mission film. Expect big stunts, big stakes, and a story that brings all of the other films in the franchise together. Fear Street: Prom Queen (May 23 on Netflix) The latest film in Netflix's series of R.L. Stine adaptations, Prom Queen follows a young woman who decides to go up against the popular girls trying to win the crown. But then, those girls all start disappearing. Karate Kid Legends (May 30) Taking place after the events of Cobra Kai, but not an official sequel, Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio star as two senseis who work together to train a new Karate Kid. Will this live up to the original trilogy of films or the hit Netflix show? We'll find out soon. Bring Her Back (May 30) The directorial team behind the hit Talk to Me, Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou, are back with another new horror film. This one features Sally Hawkins leading a house where, we think, she resurrects dead children? We aren't quite sure, but we can't wait to find out. What movies are coming out in June 2025? Dogma (June 5) Yes, Kevin Smith's 26-year-old (they missed the 25th anniversary) film is coming back to 1,500 screens this summer. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon play angels who attempt to disprove the word of God. It's a weird, dated movie, but still lots of fun. Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye (June 6) Yes, your favorite anime is coming to the big screen for a limited event. It will 'screen last season's start of the 'Evil Eye' arc, along with the first three episodes of the new second season, in addition to an exclusive interview with series co-directors Fuga Yamashiro and Abel Gongora.' Ballerina (June 6) Officially titled From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, the film follows another killer assassin—this time played by Ana de Armas—on her journey through Wick's world. The action looks right on par with the previous films, and Keanu Reeves himself even makes a cameo. The Ritual (June 6) Who doesn't love a good exorcism movie? Especially one that stars—and this is real—Al Pacino! It's based on a true story and co-stars Dan Stevens too! The Phoenician Scheme (June 6) The latest, and maybe weirdest yet, movie from Wes Anderson follows a wealthy man (Benicio del Toro) travels the world setting his affairs in order as he prepares to leave his fortune to his estranged daughter. It co-stars Michael Cera, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Benedict Cumberbatch, and many, many, many more. The Life of Chuck (June 6) Based on the Stephen King story of the same name, Tom Hiddleston and multiple other actors play a man named Chuck in the story of one man's life told backwards. Frequent King collaborator and fan Mike Flanagan directs, and after winning some big film festival awards, we expect it to be something special. Dangerous Animals (June 6) Sometimes the official description does all the heavy lifting. 'When Zephyr, a rebellious surfer, is abducted by a shark-obsessed serial killer and held captive on his boat, she must figure out how to escape before he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks below.' Yup. In. How to Train Your Dragon (June 13) Not a shot-by-shot remake, but close at times, this live-action film aims to recapture the magic of its 2010 animated original. And, guess what? It does exactly that. If you love the story of Hiccup, Toothless, and the Berk crew, you are going to love seeing them in a whole new way. 28 Years Later (June 20) Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle returns to one of the franchises he helped bring to prominence with this first film in a planned trilogy taking place, you guessed it, 28 years after the original. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes star in the new zombie tale. Elio (June 20) A new original film from Pixar centers on a young boy who travels to space as the mistaken representative of the planet Earth. Fingers crossed it can live up to its Pixar legacy. M3GAN 2.0 (June 27) The bitch is back. Literally. After a new AI based on M3GAN threatens to really mess things up, the killer doll AI is brought back to life with a bunch of new upgrades. If it's half as wacky as the original, we're in for a real treat. What movies are coming in July 2025? Jurassic World Rebirth (July 2) The first trilogy is over. The second trilogy has, mercifully, concluded. So what's next for the world of Jurassic Park? Well, it's the seventh film in the series, starting a whole new tale focused on characters played by Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, and others. Gareth Edwards, director of Rogue One and Godzilla, is at the helm. Superman (July 11) It all comes down to this. Though James Gunn's take on Superman is literally the first film in a whole new DC Universe, it feels like it has the weight of the world on it. The expectations are insane but, if any character can take those on, it's the Man of Steel. We have high, high hopes. I Know What You Did Last Summer (July 18) Look. If you live in Southport, North Carolina, and you and your friends accidentally kill someone, please own up to it. Maybe if that happened, there wouldn't be so many more brutal killings in the aftermath. It happened in 1997 and now it's happening again, blending the cast of the original film (Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr.) with a brand new generation. The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25) Much like Superman kicks off a new era for DC, Fantastic Four starts a new era at Marvel. The first family of the brand is finally part of the cinematic universe and we expect them to play a very, very big role moving ahead. So, hopefully, this first film will make us want to see Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Thing, and Human Torch again and again. Happy Gilmore 2 (July 25 on Netflix) This isn't technically a genre film (though no one can really hit a golf ball like that) but we are just so excited to see Adam Sandler back in one of his most iconic roles, and with the whole gang back together too. Together (July 30) Real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie play a couple who encounter a supernatural force that begins to fuse their bodies together. Literally. It looks absolutely bonkers. What movies are coming in August 2025? The Bad Guys 2 (August 1) Summers are usually overflowing with major animated films but, this year, that's not the case. You've got Elio and you've got this sequel to the hit 2022 film about bunch of villains who team up for a heist. This time, the bad 'guys' meet their match when they run into the bad 'girls.' The Naked Gun (August 1) While there's plenty of humor this summer, there isn't a lot of comedy, especially in theaters. The biggest exception is this reimagining/sequel to the classic 1990s franchise, this time featuring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson. It looks utterly ridiculous, and we can't wait. Freakier Friday (August 8) This body-swapping sequel to the 2003 remake brings back the mother-daughter team of Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, and makes this freakier by adding in another, younger generation. The film will surely be a nice, late summer blend of family-friendly humor and nostalgia. Weapons (August 8) With Barbarian, director Zach Cregger set a high bar for himself. One that says he makes original horror movies with huge concepts and lots of twists. And, he seems to have lived up to that with Weapons, his sophomore film which stars Julia Garner and Josh Brolin. It tells the tale of what happens when a single classroom of students mysteriously disappears. Nobody 2 (August 15) The first Nobody was one of the biggest surprises to come out during the pandemic and so it rightfully got a sequel. Now we get to see the full, theatrical might of Bob Odenkirk kicking ass when someone does wrong by his family. Which is the plot this second time around. Witchboard (August 15) Director Chuck Russell made cult classics like A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Eraser, and The Mask; he's back with a new film in that same tone. It's about a witch who is mistakenly released and wreaks havoc in New Orleans. The Wizard of Oz (August 28 in the Sphere) This is kind of a cheat but we figured it was worth mentioning anyway. Starting this summer, one of the best movies of all time, The Wizard of Oz, will become the first Hollywood film to play in the Sphere in Las Vegas. You thought IMAX was big? It's got nothing on this. It should be insanely epic. The Toxic Avenger (August 29) What better way to end the summer with a super disgusting, offensive remake of one of Troma's finest creations? Peter Dinklage stars as the titular hero, who kills people with a radioactive mop after being thrown into toxic waste by his evil boss, played by Kevin Bacon. Abraham's Boys (Date TBD) Based on a short story by Joe Hill, Abraham's Boys follows two boys who soon realize their father (named, you guessed it, Abraham) has a mysterious history with Dracula. Oh, their last name is 'Van Helsing.'
Daily Mirror
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Netflix has just announced the release date for Thursday Murder Club - and it's soon
It is the news fans have been waiting for Netflix has just dropped a huge update about the upcoming film The Thursday Murder Club, adapted from Richard Osman's bestselling book of the same name. Fans of the book series have been clamouring for updates about the streaming giant's version, which features a star-studded cast including Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Sir Ben Kingsley and David Tennant. Netflix and production company Amblin worked together on the film, with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone filmmaker Chris Columbus serving as writer and director. The story follows residents at a retirement home who while away the hours by solving murders as a hobby - but they end up getting caught up in a real case. The main group members are ex-spy Elizabeth (played by Mirren), former psychiatrist Ibrahim (Kingsley), ex-union activist Ron (Brosnan) and retired nurse Joyce (portrayed by Celie Imrie). So far, Osman has penned three sequels to 2020's The Thursday Murder Club which follow the group as they take on more cases. The sequels are called The Man Who Died Twice; The Bullet That Missed and The Last Devil to Die. However, the Netflix film is based on just the first novel. In an update today, Netflix has finally confirmed the film's release date. It will land on the streaming platform on August 28.
New York Times
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Marvin Levy, Oscar-Winning Publicist to Spielberg, Dies at 96
Reporters trying to get interviews with Steven Spielberg would sometimes grouse that his publicist's job amounted to speaking a single word: 'No.' But Martin Levy, who served as Mr. Spielberg's publicist for 42 years, was responsible for much more than body blocking the fifth estate (which he usually did with a gentlemanly grace). Mr. Spielberg did not become Mr. Spielberg because of his filmmaking alone: For 42 years, Mr. Levy was behind the scenes — promoting, polishing, spinning, safeguarding, strategizing — to ensure that his boss was viewed worldwide as Hollywood's de facto head of state. In addition to representing Mr. Spielberg personally, Mr. Levy helped devise and lead publicity campaigns for 32 movies he directed, including several with sensitive subject matter, like 'The Color Purple' (1985), 'Schindler's List' (1993) and 'Munich' (2005). Mr. Levy died on April 7 at his home in the Studio City neighborhood of Los Angeles. He was 96. His death was announced by Mr. Spielberg's production company Amblin Entertainment. Over Mr. Levy's 73-year entertainment career — an eternity in fickle and ageist Hollywood — he worked on more than 150 movies and TV shows. He helped turn 'Ben-Hur' (1959), 'Taxi Driver' (1976) and 'Kramer vs. Kramer' (1979) into hits. After joining Mr. Spielberg, Mr. Levy was involved with nearly every film made by Amblin and another of Mr. Spielberg's companies, DreamWorks, including 'Back to the Future' (1985), 'Men in Black' (1997) and 'Shrek' (2001). 'Simplicity was his mantra,' Mr. Spielberg said in an email. 'The bicycle across the moon image we used for 'E.T.' or the hand of the little girl in red being held by Oscar Schindler. Those are simply two examples of Marvin's indispensable place in my Amblin family.' Mr. Levy received an honorary Oscar in 2018. He is the only publicist in the motion picture academy's 98-year history to be given one, making him a folk hero among Hollywood's unseen publicity armies. 'A marketing department can make you aware of a title, but it takes something of a storyteller,' Tom Hanks said of Mr. Levy at the ceremony, 'to get an audience hooked on the story without giving away the story.' Marvin Jay Levy was born in Manhattan on Nov. 16, 1928, to Max Levy, a real estate appraiser, and Edna (Hess) Levy. He graduated in 1949 from New York University, where he majored in English and was part of the R.O.T.C. program. After a brief stint writing questions for a game show (he was fired because his were too easy), Mr. Levy found work with Tex McCrary, an old-school public relations man, and his wife, Jinx Falkenburg, an actress and model. Tex and Jinx, as they were known, helped popularize the TV talk-show format in the 1950s. Mr. Levy credited them with igniting his interest in publicity. In 1952, he took a two-year hiatus to serve in the Air Force. He was stationed in Michigan and assigned to advertising and public relations work. He returned to his job with Tex and Jinx in 1954. By the mid-1970s, Mr. Levy had moved to Los Angeles to work at Columbia Pictures — most notably shepherding Mr. Spielberg's intimate 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (1977) into theaters. As the film moved through postproduction, Columbia executives began to worry that it would fizzle. It was nothing like Mr. Spielberg's pulpy 'Jaws,' which had riveted audiences two years earlier. Maybe the studio should scale back its marketing and distribution plan? 'Marvin said, 'You're all wrong,' and moved heaven and earth to make 'Close Encounters' a success,' said Terry Press, Amblin's president of strategy and communications. Mr. Levy retired last year. He married Carol Schild, who worked in advertising, in 1952. She survives him, along with their sons, Don and Doug, and two grandsons. 'She always knew what my job entailed,' Mr. Levy said of his wife when he accepted his Academy Award. 'But most friends and relations outside the industry really had no clue. I never could explain the full range of what the job really entails.' 'At least now,' he quipped, 'they'll know I got an Oscar for it.'
