Latest news with #Cumberbatch
Express Tribune
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Benedict Cumberbatch calls Michael Cera perfect fit for Wes Anderson in The Phoenician Scheme
Benedict Cumberbatch didn't hold back when praising Michael Cera's debut in Wes Anderson's cinematic world, calling the casting 'divine' and likening it to 'God discovering water.' Speaking at the Cannes press conference for The Phoenician Scheme, Cumberbatch said Cera's offbeat presence was a perfect match for Anderson's symmetrical, stylized filmmaking. His comments were reported by Variety. Cera stars as Bjorn Lund, a shady private tutor entangled in a web of high-society drama. The ensemble cast includes Benicio del Toro as eccentric tycoon Zsa-zsa Korda and Mia Threapleton, who plays his estranged daughter, Sister Liesel — a rebellious, chain-smoking nun. Cumberbatch, reuniting with Anderson after The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, described the new film as feeling like 'home.' Anderson co-wrote The Phoenician Scheme with Roman Coppola. Set partly in Germany, the film adopts a darker tone than some of Anderson's previous work, blending droll humor with melancholic undertones. Richard Ayoade, who appears as a Marxist revolutionary, is also slated to join Anderson and Coppola on their next collaborative project, continuing the creative partnership. Cumberbatch praised Anderson's directing style as 'zen-like,' highlighting the disciplined yet collaborative energy on set. He also spoke highly of working alongside del Toro, calling it a 'phenomenal' experience that pushed him in new ways. Cera, meanwhile, expressed that missing out on Asteroid City was initially 'crushing,' but said The Phoenician Scheme was a 'redeeming' opportunity. The all-star cast is rounded out by Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johansson, and others. Following its world premiere at Cannes, The Phoenician Scheme will open in limited release on May 30, 2025, before expanding to a wide theatrical release on June 6. With critical buzz and a powerhouse ensemble, Anderson's latest may be his most anticipated film since The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Metro
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Benedict Cumberbatch stylishly dresses up mystery injury on Cannes red carpet
Benedict Cumberbatch had a very chic way of dressing up what could well have been a nasty injury. The Sherlock Holmes star, 48, sparked concern when he arrived on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet to celebrate his latest film, The Phoenician Scheme. While, of course, looking as dapper as ever, the actor also found a different use for a silk scarf. Cumberbatch repurposed the accessory as a makeshift sling, tying it around his neck to support his right arm. It remains unclear what exactly happened, but it's evident that this movie star won't let it hold him back. Besides his olive green patterned scarf, Cumberbatch oozed sophistication in black trousers and a grey jacket, which he later took off to reveal a baggy brown shirt underneath. He added a pair of cool shades and a flashy wristwatch because, well, he's Benedict Cumberbatch, of course. The Imitation Game lead also walked the carpet last night, wearing a black tux and posing proudly with his wife, Sophie Hunter. Benedict, who has been married to Sophie since 2009 and shares three children with her, also took snaps with his cast members and crew. The Phoenician Scheme is a comedy/drama, also starring Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Benicio del Toro, Rupert Friend, Mia Threapleton, Billy Murray, Jeffrey Wright, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Antonia Desplat. Slated for a cinematic release next month, a plot synopsis reads: 'Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda (Del Toro) appoints his only daughter, a nun (Threapleton), as sole heir to his estate. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists, and determined assassins.' Directed by Wes Anderson, the 105-minute flick has already started receiving decent reviews, with a 77% score on Rotten Tomatoes. While film critic Tina Kakadelis says the film 'proves that Anderson is still a mastermind behind the camera', she argues he 'could benefit from letting his heart out onto his sleeve.' In contrast, however, Cole Groth writes: 'A film that reclaims Anderson's visual language with a new sense of purpose and emotional resonance, it's his best work in over a decade.' 'It's a film that's filled with so many wonderful moments that it's a joy to behold, and even at its darkest it unfolds with a sense of radical frivolity', adds Jason Gorber. Cumberbatch plays Uncle Nubar, who may have murdered Korda's wife. You'd be forgiven for not recognising Cumberbatch in character, though, as he underwent quite a physical transformation for the part. More Trending Shots of him in the trailer show Cumberbatch rocking dark eyeliner and a fierce beard, complete with bushy eyebrows and grey hair on his head. The only real giveaway of his true identity is the actor's piercing blue eyes, which surely you'd spot anywhere. Reps for Benedict Cumberbatch have been contacted for comment. The Phoenician Scheme will be released on June 6. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Nicole Kidman continues to defy the ageing process with youthful look at Cannes MORE: Harry Potter star Harry Melling's new X-rated film earns eight-minute standing ovation at Cannes MORE: Child star of iconic 90s classic hasn't aged a day in dazzling return at Cannes
Express Tribune
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Cumberbatch talks grief during Berlin film fest
Benedict Cumberbatch was overtaken by grief at unexpected moments while playing a widower in his new family drama The Thing With Feathers, the British actor said on Tuesday in Berlin, as per Reuters. "Odd moments would just sideswipe me," Cumberbatch told journalists about the film, playing in the Berlin Film Festival's non-competitive Special section. He recalled how one scene of his character folding his dead wife's clothes and putting them in a box caught him off guard. "I'm 48. I've been through a bit. I've lived. I've experienced grief," he said. "It just really struck a chord." Cumberbatch stars as the father of two young sons whose wife has unexpectedly died, and he begins to receive visits from a large, otherworldly crow figure that eventually forces the family to confront their grief. Part of the role involved letting go and not trying to control what grief should look like, said Cumberbatch, who made a name for himself by playing Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Strange. "It sounds perverse when talking about grief, but as far as the artistry of making something feel or look or be real in that moment for a character, you just leave it alone and it happens," he said. Meanwhile, US actor Ethan Hawke recalled how he had to wait more than a decade for director Richard Linklater to decide he was old enough to star in his new music movie Blue Moon. The film, which is competing for the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival, follows lyricist Lorenz Hart, one half of the legendary US songwriting duo Rodgers and Hart, on the opening night of the musical Oklahoma! The Broadway hit marked the first time Hart's partner Richard Rodgers collaborated with another lyricist, Oscar Hammerstein II, with whom he went on to create several successful musicals. Hawke told Reuters the Oscar-nominated director had sent him the script for the first time about 12 years ago, and he loved it. "I called him up: 'Let's make this movie.' And he said, 'No, we have to wait a little while'," Hawke said. After repeated calls to Linklater, Hawke finally got the answer he craved last year, and the two embarked on their ninth feature film together. Blue Moon, which also stars Irish actor Andrew Scott, is closer to a stage play than a typical film in that it takes place on one night, at the same setting. "Most people would say this isn't a movie and nothing happens. It's just people talking," Linklater said. "But I've made 30-plus years of movies that I think are cinematic, that I believe that can be cinema."
Euronews
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Berlinale 2025 review: 'The Thing With Feathers' - Benedict Cumberbatch gets Babadooked
Grief is the gutting of the soul. Grief is love with no place to go. Grief is a revealing force. Grief is also the thing with feathers. Adapted from Max Porter's astonishing debut novella 'Grief Is The Thing With Feathers', writer and director Dylan Southern's big screen adaptation takes this fantastical yet deeply relatable story of loss and transforms it into a one-note cinematic fable that is just about saved by one of Benedict Cumberbatch's best performances. The central conceit sees an unnamed father (Cumberbatch) devastated by the unexpected death of his wife. A seemingly malign presence begins to stalk him in the house he shares with his two boys (Richard and Henry Boxall) – in the form of a crow. Is the graphic artist losing his grasp on reality or is has an uninvited house guest really burrowed its way into the family's life? If you're coming at The Thing With Feathers with a healthy appreciation of the source material – and if you were lucky enough to watch Cillian Murphy in the stage show – this cinematic take on Porter's novella will frustrate more than enthral. Granted, the film sticks closely to the chapter-like sectioning (Dad, Boys, Crow and Demon), but there's something missing here. For those coming blind, there's enough to admire, specifically Ben Fordesman's horror-coded cinematography and Cumberbatch's stellar performance. Whether he's fighting off despair through wallowing or indulging in whiskey-fuelled dancing, Cumberbatch manages to convincingly convey the full emotional scope of a mourning father trying to hold his family together and losing the ability to communicate. The way he delivers lines like 'you had an amazing mum' with his voice gently cracking is nothing short of heart-wrenching. Sadly, Cumberbatch's committed turn as a grieving widower is faced with on-the-nose needle drops (The Cure's 'In Between Days' and the dirty blues of Screamin' Jay Hawkins will always be welcome but are here utilised far too literally) as well as a feathered beastie which is given far too much screen time. Had the macabre depiction of grief been kept hidden a tad more, the film would have been stronger for it; by the final stretch, every time Corvus makes a cameo, you're praying for some wing clipping. In the stage version, Cillian Murphy played both Dad and Crow and this dédoublement worked wonders; here, the beaked Babadook may have been unavoidable as a cinematic character but it would have fared better as either a possessed doppelganger or a more eclipsed golem. David Thewlis does deliver the goods with his sinister delivery of lines like 'humans are incredibly dull except in grief' and 'you're such a cliché – you'll have the photo album out next!'. However, the anthropomorphic crow, while necessary, becomes a manifestation of grief that can't emerge from the shadow cast by Jennifer Kent. Add the absence of the novella's dark humour in favour of a pummelling-into-submission tonal level which could have done with more crescendos, and any self-awareness makes grief more frustrating than terrifying. Southern clearly understood the concept and intention, but transposing it on the big screen comes with a checklist of inevitable cinematic conventions that sadly eclipse some of the novellas' most heartrending moments and transform something unique into a forced metaphor. His valiant effort, nobly-intentioned as it is, just isn't as profound or radical as it could – and should - have been.
Express Tribune
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Benedict Cumberbatch embraces vulnerability in films, challenges traditional masculinity
Benedict Cumberbatch discussed redefining masculinity in cinema at a press conference for The Thing With Feathers. Speaking at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, he shared insights on playing a grieving father struggling with loss. The film, based on Max Porter's book, had its world premiere at Sundance and is set for its European debut in Berlin. Cumberbatch, who also produced the movie through his company SunnyMarch, attended the event alongside director Dylan Southern and co-stars Richard and Henry Boxall. During the press conference, Cumberbatch emphasized the importance of portraying emotional vulnerability on screen, saying it allows for deeper storytelling. 'Uncertainty and emotional vulnerability are not top of the agenda of the alpha male or the strong man image of what masculinity is, so I'm very happy to be part of storytelling that goes in the opposite direction of that,' he said. The Doctor Strange star described his commitment to exploring complex human emotions, even in difficult roles. 'So whether it's losing a child or whether it's child abuse, whether it's addiction, whether it's hatred… I think part of my job, when I lean into difficult characters, is to explore what is their humanity—if there is any left,' he explained. Cumberbatch added that he believes society has a responsibility to support those in need, a conviction that has driven his career choices. MK2 Films is handling international sales for The Thing With Feathers, with U.S. distribution rights still available.
