Latest news with #premieres
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Toronto film festival: Angelina Jolie, Saoirse Ronan and Keanu Reeves lead lineup
World premieres starring Angelina Jolie, Saoirse Ronan and Keanu Reeves lead this year's lineup for the Toronto film festival. The 50th edition of the festival will again feature a string of films hoping to gain awards traction, taking place after the Venice film festival. Jolie, who premiered a film at last year's Toronto as director, will return in front of the camera for the French director Alice Winocour's drama Couture. She will play a film-maker arriving in Paris for fashion week, following her role as Maria Callas in last year's Netflix biopic Maria. Winocour previously premiered the Eva Green-led sci-fi film Proxima at the festival. Ronan, who was last seen in the alcoholism drama The Outrun and Steve McQueen's Blitz, will lead the Bristol-set comedy thriller Bad Apples, playing a teacher forced into drastic lengths while dealing with a particularly troubling 11-year-old. The official synopsis promises 'uneasy laughs' and a 'provocative' tone. Reeves will lead Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, Good Fortune, as an angel who engineers a body swap between a poor and a rich man, played by Ansari and Seth Rogen, respectively. Ansari has said he hopes the film helps to resurrect the theatrically released R-rated comedy. 'Aziz is great,' Reeves told Entertainment Weekly. 'A great writer, director, actor. I had such a fantastic experience working with him.' Toronto will also see directorial debuts from actors James McAvoy, Brian Cox and Euphoria's Maude Apatow, daughter of Judd Apatow. McAvoy directed California Schemin', based on the true story of Scottish rappers pretending to be American, Cox has helmed Glenrothan, a drama described as a 'love letter to Scotland', and Apatow is behind Poetic License, a comedy starring her mother Leslie Mann. The festival will also see the world premiere of Christy, a biopic of the groundbreaking female boxer Christy Martin starring Sydney Sweeney. The film, from the Animal Kingdom director David Michôd, will cover Martin's rise in the 1990s and then later her husband's attempt to murder her. 'Our film is a wild mix of inspiring underdog sports-world story and personal saga,' Michôd said to W Magazine. 'Sydney trained her butt off to play the part. The beauty of Sydney is that she turned up to work every day with her tail wagging, ready to go. No matter how tough it was, she was like a ray of sunshine.' Other true stories premiering include the 1930s-set Palestine 36 about a Palestinian uprising against colonial British rule, the historical drama Nuremberg starring Rami Malek and Russell Crowe, Agnieszka Holland's Franz Kafka biopic Franz, Swiped which stars Lily James as the founder of the dating app Bumble and Paul Greengrass's previously announced survival thriller The Lost Bus, which stars Matthew McConaughey as a schoolbus driver trying to save children from the deadly 2018 Camp fire in California. Premieres that had also already been announced before Monday include Rian Johnson's much-anticipated Knives Out sequel Wake Up Dead Man, which brings back Daniel Craig and adds Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close and Mila Kunis, the buzzy Brendan Fraser-led comedy drama Rental Family from Beef director Hikari, the Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance's Roofman with Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst, Nicholas Hytner's period comedy The Choral starring Ralph Fiennes and based on an original Alan Bennett script and Steven Soderbergh's dark comedy The Christophers with Michaela Coel, Ian McKellen and Baby Reindeer breakout Jessica Gunning. Chris Evans will also play a movie star abducted by a group of radicals in Sacrifice, an action comedy also starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Salma Hayek, John Malkovich and Charli xcx. Director Bobby Farrelly, known for co-directing hit films such as There's Something About Mary, will unveil Driver's Ed, a new comedy starring the White Lotus breakout Sam Nivola. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Theo James will also headline the heist thriller Fuze from the Scottish director David Mackenzie. Other notable premieres include the offbeat romantic comedy Eternity with Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller, mystery thriller The Ugly from Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho and Easy's Waltz from True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto with Al Pacino and Vince Vaughn. Documentaries set to premiere include Baz Luhrmann's EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert and films about subjects such as John Candy, teen series Degrassi and music festival Lilith Fair. The festival takes place from the 4 to 14 September.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Toronto film festival: Angelina Jolie, Saoirse Ronan and Keanu Reeves lead lineup
World premieres starring Angelina Jolie, Saoirse Ronan and Keanu Reeves lead this year's lineup for the Toronto film festival. The 50th edition of the festival will again feature a string of films hoping to gain awards traction, taking place after the Venice film festival. Jolie, who premiered a film at last year's Toronto as director, will return in front of the camera for French director Alice Winocour's drama Couture. She will play a film-maker arriving in Paris for fashion week, following her role as Maria Callas in last year's Netflix biopic Maria. Winocour previously premiered the Eva Green-led sci-fi film Proxima at the festival. Ronan, who was last seen in alcoholism drama The Outrun and Steve McQueen's Blitz, will lead Bristol-set comedy thriller Bad Apples, playing a teacher forced into drastic lengths while dealing with a particularly troubling 11-year-old. The official synopsis promises 'uneasy laughs' and a 'provocative' tone. Reeves will lead Aziz Ansari's directorial debut Good Fortune, as an angel who engineers a body swap between a poor and a rich man, played by Ansari and Seth Rogen, respectively. Ansari has said he hopes the film helps to resurrect the theatrically released R-rated comedy. 'Aziz is great,' Reeves told Entertainment Weekly. 'A great writer, director, actor. I had such a fantastic experience working with him.' Toronto will also see directorial debuts from actors James McAvoy, Brian Cox and Euphoria's Maude Apatow, daughter of Judd Apatow. McAvoy directed California Schemin', based on the true story of Scottish rappers pretending to be American, Cox has helmed Glenrothan, a drama described as a 'love letter to Scotland' and Apatow is behind Poetic License, a comedy starring her mother Leslie Mann. The festival will also see the world premiere of Christy, a biopic of groundbreaking female boxer Christy Martin starring Sydney Sweeney. The film, from Animal Kingdom director David Michôd, will cover Martin's rise in the 1990s and then later her husband's attempt to murder her. 'Our film is a wild mix of inspiring underdog sports-world story and personal saga,' Michôd said to W Magazine. 'Sydney trained her butt off to play the part. The beauty of Sydney is that she turned up to work every day with her tail wagging, ready to go. No matter how tough it was, she was like a ray of sunshine.' Other true stories premiering include the 1930s-set Palestine 36 about a Palestinian uprising against colonial British rule, historical drama Nuremberg starring Rami Malek and Russell Crowe, Agnieszka Holland's Franz Kafka biopic Franz, Swiped which stars Lily James as the founder of dating app Bumble and Paul Greengrass's previously announced survival thriller The Lost Bus, which stars Matthew McConaughey as a schoolbus driver trying to save children from the deadly 2018 Camp fire in California. Premieres that had also already been announced prior to today include Rian Johnson's much-anticipated Knives Out sequel Wake Up Dead Man, which brings back Daniel Craig and adds Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close and Mila Kunis, the buzzy Brendan Fraser-led comedy drama Rental Family, Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance's Roofman with Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst, Nicholas Hytner's period comedy The Choral starring Ralph Fiennes and based on an original Alan Bennett script and Steven Soderbergh's dark comedy The Christophers with Michaela Coel, Ian McKellen and Baby Reindeer breakout Jessica Gunning. Chris Evans will also play a movie star abducted by a group of radicals in Sacrifice, an action comedy also starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Salma Hayek, John Malkovich and Charli xcx. Director Bobby Farrelly, known for co-directing hit films such as There's Something About Mary, will unveil Driver's Ed, a new comedy starring The White Lotus breakout Sam Nivola. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Theo James will also headline heist thriller Fuze from Scottish director David Mackenzie. Other notable premieres include offbeat romantic comedy Eternity with Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller, mystery thriller The Ugly from Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho and Easy's Waltz from True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto with Al Pacino and Vince Vaughn. Documentaries set to premiere include Baz Luhrmann's EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert and films about subjects such as John Candy, teen series Degrassi and music festival Lilith Fair. The festival takes place from the 4th to the 14th of September.
The Sun
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
16 must watch TV series of the summer – from Keeley Hawes spy thriller to Danny Dyer comedy and return of Netflix hits
THE summer telly schedules are bringing the heat — with can't-miss premieres and buzzy returns. Whether you want to escape with reality TV, like ITV's Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters, or get bingeing with red-hot dramas such as Netflix's Squid Game, there are plenty of shows to keep you glued to the couch. 14 There's also the live drama of the Women's Euros and excitement of Glasto. And with the return of fan favourites such as The Summer I Turned Pretty, and Wednesday, you can settle in with some old friends. Jess Lester rounds up the best of the upcoming TV . . . Attack On London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers -Netflix, July 14 NETFLIX is no stranger to a true-crime documentary, and this time it has turned its attentions to London's worst terrorist attack. Investigating the 2005 bombings, the four-part series follows the intense effort to track down those responsible for the attack on the city's public transport system, which killed 52 people and injured more than 700. Through interviews, archive footage and expert analysis, including with then PM Tony Blair, it celebrates the resilience of those who worked around the clock to put the guilty individuals behind bars. There is a deeper dive into the broader issues of terrorism, too. Destination X - BBC, July 14 THERE'S a brand new travel adventure competition coming to the BBC, hosted by Rob Brydon. The show takes contestants on a journey on a blacked-out bus, sending them on a mystery road trip across Europe not telling them where they are, or where they are heading. Through a mix of clever challenges and red herrings, they must guess each destination or face elimination from the show, which is based on a popular Belgian format that launched last year. Think Race Across The World mixed with The Traitors, as there's set to be plenty of tension with psychological twists and turns, while Rob acts as the puppet master overseeing it all. And with prize money likely up for grabs, it's all to play for. The Summer I Turned Pretty - Prime Video, July 16 14 IT'S set to be an emotional finale as The Summer I Turned Pretty returns for its third series, finishing up Jenny Han's much-loved trilogy of books. This time, there's a two-year time jump as Belly (Lola Tung) is further into her college education. Season two saw her end things with Conrad, and instead choose other love interest Jeremiah. But as they plan their future together, possibly even a wedding, Conrad returns and reignites long-simmering feelings between him and Belly. With the love triangle at the centre of the story, there's a mammoth 11 episodes for Belly to figure out what she really wants. But will she? Squid Game - Netflix, June 27 14 SQUID Game took the world by storm in 2021, and now its highly anticipated third and final series hopes to captivate audiences once again. We see lead character Seong Gi-hun, below, regroup with Cho Sang-woo and Kang Sae-byeok after the failed armed uprising from the previous season. The survivors are determined to bring down the cruel billionaires who orchestrate the deadly games. However, to succeed, they must first continue playing the brutal competitions, all while secretly plotting their escape. But the question remains: Will they survive the games this time and finally end the nightmare? The Couple Next Door - Channel 4, July FOLLOWING the success of the first series on Channel 4 – it was the broadcaster's biggest scripted series streaming launch ever – the drama is back with a fresh storyline and new cast. In this next chapter, the plot centres around Charlotte Roberts (Annabel Scholey), a brilliant heart surgeon, and her husband Jacob (Sam Palladio), a consultant anaesthetist. Things will be turned upside down when mysterious new hospital colleague Mia (Aggy K Adams, above) rents the house next door and becomes entangled in their personal and professional lives. While Charlotte navigates the reappearance of her past flame, the hunky Leo (Sendhil Ramamurthy), only time will tell whether Mia will spell disaster for the formerly happily married pair. The Assassin - Prime Video, July 14 KEELEY HAWES and Freddie Highmore, above, star in this tense six-parter which sees the duo battling it out in a globe-spanning showdown. Keeley plays Julie, a retired assassin who is enjoying a quiet life on a remote Greek island – until her estranged son Edward arrives, that is. He has come to ask questions about his father, but it sets a whole chain of events in motion. Julie and Edward, played by The Good Doctor's Freddie, go on to uncover a dark conspiracy and are forced to head off on the run. Julie's complicated past then resurfaces and her fractured relationship with her son is put to the ultimate test. The Bear - Disney+, June 26 14 IN what is likely to be the final series of Disney+ 's much-loved drama, Jeremy Allen White is in a race against time to secure the restaurant's future. At the end of the last series, the restaurant was ripped apart by a review in The Chicago Tribune. Joined once again by Ayo Edebiri's Sydney, Ebon Moss-Bachrach's Richie and the rest of The Bear crew, Chef Carmy (White, above) will once again be chasing Michelin glory. It's all under wraps, but the cast will likely be packed with even more guest appearances, after series three featured John Cena, Thomas Keller and Will Poulter. Glastonbury - BBC, from June 27 THE BBC is showing more than 90 hours of the festival, with live streams from five main stages, and on-demand content for 30 days. The likes of Clara Amgo, Jo Whiley, Lauren Laverne and Huw Stephens will be there to guide viewers through the action on the iPlayer Glastonbury Channel. Neil Young The 1975, Olivia Rodrigo, Charli XCX, Raye, Loyle Carner and Jorja Smith will all hit the screens, alongside some surprise 'secret' acts. The channel will also have special recap montages from previous festivals, including Beyonce and Coldplay. The Hostage - Netflix, August 21 14 SHE'S played some big characters and now Suranne Jones, takes on the role of Prime Minister Abigail Dalton in this hot Netflix thriller. But her life is turned upside down when her husband is kidnapped and she is forced to work together with the French President, a long-time rival. The two powerful women, who are also being blackmailed, have to navigate betrayal, danger and looming threats to their careers and personal lives in this twisting five-parter. Also featuring are Queen Charlotte hunk Corey Mylchreest, Miss Scarlet's Sophie Robertson, Before Sunrise actress Julie Delpy and actor and musician Ashley 'Bashy' Thomas. Dora And The Search For Sol Dorado - Paramount+, July 4 STARTING off as an animation series in 2000, Dora The Explorer had her first live action film in 2019's Lost City Of Gold. Now she is back for more adventuring. This time, teenage Dora, played by Samantha Lorraine, is embarking on a new journey deep in the jungle on a quest to find the mythical treasure of Sol Dorado. Along the way she will have to battle villains, with the help of her loyal cousin Diego, archaeologist Camila the Crusader and her trusty sidekick Boots the monkey. After making its premiere on kids' channel Nickelodeon UK on July 2, it will be available to stream – for kids and adults – on Paramout+. The Institute - MGM+, July 13 14 BASED on a 2019 novel by horror writer Stephen King, this eight-episode thriller follows 12-year-old genius Luke Ellis, who is kidnapped and wakes up in a mysterious facility where children with unusual abilities are being held against their will. As Luke (played by Martin Freeman's son Joe) plots his escape, a former police officer, who has moved to the town for a quiet life, uncovers disturbing facts about the place, known as The Institute. Expect Stranger Things-style superpowers and the same kind of simmering discomfort as Stephen's previous TV adaptations, Castle Rock and The Outsider. Mr Bigstuff - Sky, July 14 AFTER winning a Bafta for its first series, Sky's hit comedy returns for a second run, reuniting Ryan Sampson and Danny Dyer as brothers Glen and Lee. This time, the Essex duo navigate the Earth-shattering revelation that their dad might still be alive, sending the pair into a meltdown over how to locate him. Meanwhile, secrets threaten to tear the family apart. Expect a host of new characters, including Rula Lenska as the eccentric Rita, and Shaun Williamson playing a surprisingly angry children's entertainer. Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters - ITV, July 14 WHAT better way to mark the 50th anniversary of the film Jaws than to challenge a group of ocean-phobic celebrities to dive alongside sharks? Filmed off the coast of Bimini in the Bahamas, this new reality format sees the group coming face to face with increasingly larger and more dangerous sharks. The high-stakes, five-part show will feature Sir Lenny Henry, Rachel Riley, Ross Noble, Ade Adepitan, Helen George, Dougie Poynter and Lucy Punch. From panic attacks to near-miss encounters with the apex predators, the celebrities will be pushed to their personal limits in what is sure to make fun viewing. Wednesday - Netflix, August 6 14 HIT series Wednesday became Netflix's most-watched English-language series of all time, in large part thanks to Jenna Ortega's deadpan performance of the iconic Addams Family character. And after solidifying itself in pop culture with the help of a viral dance, there's little surprise the series is back, this time with a darker mystery. Wednesday returns to boarding school Nevermore only to discover there is a serial killer on the loose. Series two brings back fan favourites Morticia, Gomez and Pugsley, while fresh faces on the cast list include Steve Buscemi and Joanna Lumley. Uefa Women's Euros - ITV & BBC, from July 2 THE BBC and ITV are sharing coverage of the Women's Euros in Switzerland as the Lionesses, captained by Leah Williamson try to retain their crown. BBC Sport will air half of the group-stage matches, including both England and Wales' games against the Netherlands, as well as three of the tense quarter-finals. Commentary and analysis will come from Gabby Logan, Jeanette Kwakye, Alex Scott, Ellen White, Jill Scott and Steph Houghton. The England v Wales clash on July 13 will be a big live draw for ITV. Both channels will simultaneously broadcast the final on July 27. Thursday Murder Club - Netflix, August 28 14 RICHARD Osman's best-selling first book is hitting the box with a star-studded cast. The series follows sharp-witted retirees – ex-spy Elizabeth, former union activist Ron, retired psychiatrist Ibrahim and nurse Joyce – in a fancy village for old folks who meet to solve cold cases. But then they find themselves caught up in a current murder that happens on their doorstep – and like the nosy old folk they are, they get to work trying to solve it. With a cast list that includes Dame Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan, above, plus Sir Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, David Tennant, Sir Jonathan Pryce and Tom Ellis, this one is not to be missed.
Bloomberg
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
The 15 Best Films From Cannes 2025
Hello! I'm Esther Zuckerman, a film critic for Pursuits, and I've just spent about two weeks at the Cannes Film Festival, which ends tonight. So what does that mean? Well, I saw more than 30 films in the lineup (including some pre-screenings back at home in New York), I drank a lot of rosé, I went to a bunch of beach parties, and I have a lot of opinions. Cannes is a festival known for its impossible glamour. After all, the premieres are black-tie affairs with strict dress codes. (This year nudity and volume were banned.) Meanwhile, anywhere you look on the Croisette you might see a celebrity. I never caught sight of Charli XCX, but she was bouncing around and chronicling her opinions on Letterboxd. I did spot Jason Momoa walking down the street, and he was massive. But for all the silliness outside the venues, inside the movies are typically extreme and intense.
Globe and Mail
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
Cannes steps on its own toes by dressing down its red-carpet stars
Strolling down the Croisette during the thick of the Cannes Film Festival, it can be exceedingly difficult to discern who is a celebrity and who is just someone pretending (and paying dearly) to be one for a night. Ahead of Friday night's armada of high-profile premieres – including the dark comedy Eddington starring Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone and the Bono documentary Stories of Surrender – the streets leading up to the Grand Théâtre Lumière were lined with toned men rocking tuxedos and impeccably coiffed women dripping in semi-haute couture. Some festival-goers were well-heeled locals and tourists out for a night of high-priced fun, their dropped jaws and knowing smiles giving the game away. Others were harried members of the press who frantically secured black-tie-ready outfits in the days leading up to premieres (guilty). But then there were the women wrapped into slinky gowns that seemed awfully close to real-deal Saint Laurent. The kind of prêt-à-porter that forces onlookers to twist their heads and wonder, 'Where have I seen her before... ?' They might have been wealthy civilians simply milling around the fashion houses lining Rue d'Antibes – whose tenants include everyone from Armani to Zadig et Voltaire – or genuine celebrities of European provenance who couldn't be so easily clocked by visiting reporters (guilty again) because they operate outside the more familiar Hollywood star system. It almost doesn't matter whether you have a genuine claim to Cannes fame, though – dressing the part is only half of this film festival's game. It's not only who you are, but who you are wearing – and just how you are wearing it. Ahead of opening night this week, festival organizers made the surprise announcement that 'for decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet, as well as any other area of the festival.' While that restriction might seem fair and obvious, it was not as if Cannes was regularly being bombarded by birthday-suit celebrities a la Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori. Instead, the edict landed like a clumsy way of banning the so-called 'naked dress' trend of recent years, in which a gown is designed around the mere suggestion of exposure, and has become the favourite camera-ready style of everyone from model Bella Hadid to lauded actress Vicky Krieps. (And which some in the industry have convincingly framed as a celebration of bodily autonomy in Hollywood's hopeful post-#MeToo era.) Also no longer welcome: any kind of 'voluminous outfit,' such as dresses with long trains that might cause traffic jams on the red carpet – not so much a real problem given that the festival is happy to afford a star like Tom Cruise however long he wants to sign fan autographs and generally hold up any red-carpet procession. In other words, Cannes knows who it wants parading on the red carpet outside the Palais, inarguably the most prestigious patch of crimson coating in the entire world, and who it does not. Which, it turns out, includes members of its own festival jurors. Upon learning the late-game news, Halle Berry – who is serving on this year's official competition jury alongside president Juliette Binoche – had to ditch a dress by Gaurav Gupta because it had too large a train. 'I'm not going to break the rules,' Berry said, though others were more defiant, including Heidi Klum, who stepped out in a pink Elie Saab gown with a cascading train designed to mimic floral petals. Klum and fellow rule-breaking actress Wan QianHui (outfitted in a overflowing Wang Feng gown) were admitted without issue, though word floating around the press corps this week was that other, less bold-faced names were not so lucky. In 2015, controversy erupted when several female guests of the festival – some with medical conditions – were denied access to the red carpet because they weren't wearing the required heels. (The following year, Julia Roberts opted to walk barefoot.) At the 2024 edition, Dominican actress Massiel Taveras got into an altercation with Cannes security over the length of her frock. And on and on the conflict goes – an odd source of tension for a festival whose very existence is synonymous with confrontational and rebellious artistic expression. The ugly truth over this year's rules, though, feels as if it is hiding in plain, buck-naked sight: in an era of hyper-saturated social-media headlines, where one star's premiere-night wardrobe decision can overshadow the film or its hosts, Cannes desperately wants to wrest control of its own narrative back, and has regrettably decided that the best way to do so is by viewing any fashion decision through the twin prisms of prudism and misogyny. Whatever their intentions and however they had hoped to frame them, Cannes organizers have stepped on their own frock-free feet here, adding a layer of backward conservatism to what is, and should continue to be, one of the most progressive events on the global cultural calendar. Once a year, the denizens of Cannes – whether they are genuinely famous or famous-for-a-night – throw away their 9-to-5 wardrobes to celebrate the creative spirit. They don't deserve to be dressed down. Making waves at the film festival heading into opening weekend: • AI at the art-house: Quietly being shopped around the Marché du Film is The Great Reset, which producers are boasting as being the 'world's first AI-crafted photorealistic thriller,' made without cameras, physical sets or 'traditional' actors. Yikes. • Affordable activations: Typically, at least one Hollywood studio will go big at Cannes and either rent out an entire hotel to throw a grand bash, or perhaps construct a grand marketing behemoth on the beach, a la the two-storey Top Gun: Maverick installation plunked down near the beach in 2022. This belt-tightening year, though, there's only a lone Mission: Impossible video installation in front of the Carlton Hotel. • Palme predictions: Prognosticators are already trying to lock in their picks for the Palme d'Or winner. Currently in the lead is Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value, even though the drama won't premiere till Wednesday.
