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Buzz Feed
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Sam Nivola Addresses Nepo Baby Title
Sam Nivola is undoubtedly making a name for himself in Hollywood, and he wants the world to know that he's doing it on his own terms. The White Lotus star addressed whether or not his success is attributed to his famous parents, Emily Mortimer (Paddington in Peru, The Newsroom) and Alessandro Nivola (Kraven the Hunter, The Brutalist). "Other than my genes, I don't think I can attribute much of my success to my parents," he said in an interview with Variety. "I feel proud that I've done it for myself, and sometimes in spite of them." Sam's first major role was in Noah Baumbach's 2022 film White Noise as the on-screen son of Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig's characters, a role his high school drama teacher helped him land and audition for. "I didn't get my dad's agent to call up so-and-so," Sam said of his White Noise character Heinrich Gladney. "I did it by myself. I didn't want to give anyone an excuse to be able to say that anything I've achieved has been because of anyone other than me. And I'm proud of that." Fun fact: Sam's real-life sister played his little sister in White Noise, but that wasn't their first time acting together. The siblings worked together on an episode of The Pursuit of Love, a British miniseries written and directed by their mother, based on a 1945 novel by Nancy Mitford. Sam had his acting debut in 2013 when he starred in the episode "Six" of Doll & Em, a show starring his mother and produced by his father. Since then, Sam has starred in several films and TV shows portraying the son of some major stars, including 2023's Eileen and Maestro. In 2024, he starred as Will Winbury, the awkward son of Nicole Kidman, in the Netflix limited series The Perfect Couple. It's fair to say that his genes probably had more to do with his career than he considers, but I don't think that's always bad. Sure, when nepotism is attributed to unqualified people who might underperform, it's an ethical problem. But, based on Sam's consistent performances and his ability to carve a proper lane for himself, his parents should be congratulated for introducing him to the craft. Besides, you probably didn't even know who his parents were until I said it. In June, during a Variety conversation with actor Cooper Koch, Sam said his parents advised against him following in their footsteps. "My whole thing was that my parents really didn't want me to be an actor, which I totally get — I don't know if I'd want my kid to be an actor," he admitted. "It's a really mentally tough career to be in." Well, I'm glad that his parents lost that battle. Sam's latest projects slapped. Do you love all things TV and movies? Subscribe to the Screen Time newsletter to get your weekly dose of what to watch next and what everyone is flailing over from someone who watches everything!
India Today
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
AI in filmmaking: Innovation or a threat to creative freedom?
If the digital world wasn't enough, there are digital babies. Al avatars, and deceased celebrities are being resurrected on-screen. In 2025, AI isn't just part of everyday life and movie-making toolbox—it's shaping entire stories, performances, and now, controversially, the last two years alone, AI has left its fingerprints on some of the most celebrated films. 'Emilia Prez', leading the Oscars race with 13 nominations, used AI to enhance Karla Sofa Gascón's singing voice. 'The Brutalist', starring Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones, saw its Hungarian dialogue refined through AI tools. Studios are leaning in as well. Warner Bros. uses AI-driven casting analytics; Lionsgate has tapped Runway AI to speed up storyboarding; and James Cameron is a part of Stability AI's is no denying AI. It is the present, and if used transparently, these tools can be a boon that helps in streamlining pre-production, improving accessibility, and even pushing artistic boundaries. But the recent 'Raanjhanaa' controversy has exposed the flipside to AI, where it is being used to rewrite a vision, rather than enhancing Raanjhanaa Flashpoint Earlier this month, Eros International re-released the Tamil version of 'Raanjhanaa' (Ambikapathy) with an AI-generated alternate ending in which Kundan [Dhanush] survives, leading to a sentimental reunion rather than the film's original tragic Aanand L Rai and lead actor Dhanush, neither consulted nor informed, called it a betrayal. Rai branded the move 'a dangerous precedent' and is looking at pursuing legal action to protect the work's artistic began as a 'tech experiment' became a national flashpoint. Critics argue that the power of 'Raanjhanaa' rests in its heartbreak; change the ending and you change the soul of the film. Rai compared it to 'hijacking' the story's Akhtar backed the director publicly. 'If the creator of the film was unhappy about their work being changed, I will always support the creator,' he said during an event. Ritesh Sidhwani echoed the sentiment, stressing AI should only be used 'smartly' and 'to the film's advantage,' not to override the filmmaker's defended the update, describing the new finale as a 'creative reimagining' and asserting their legal right as the film's copyright isn't the first time Indian filmmakers have expressed unease over AI's creative creep. Karan Johar has previously said that while one cannot ignore the existence of AI, natural intelligence is irreplaceable. He mentioned, 'If you have pure orange juice and you have canned orange juice, there is a difference. And yes, canned orange juice can take you to higher sales, and you can do much more economically. But there is a purity to fresh orange juice.'Anurag Kashyap, never shy about industry shifts, said that while AI could help with improving the quality of remakes in cinema, it 'might not encourage more original filmmaking.'When AI Works: The Case of MaaYet, it's not all bad news. Ajay Devgn's 'Maa', produced by Prismix Studios, released a statement today explaining the use of AI in its latest production. A pivotal three-minute sequence in the film features 90 seconds of AI-generated visuals, created via an in-house generative Studios calls it 'a fusion of art and innovation', a glimpse into how AI can inspire risk-taking while respecting cinematic vision. 'We're setting the foundation for how AI can responsibly and meaningfully contribute to the art of cinema,' their statement with the help of AI, fans of deceased pop stars/celebrities, can continue experiencing their legacy. Case in point, late Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moose Wala will soon be 'performing' in an AI-driven hologram concert, allowing fans to witness an immersive, larger-than-life stage This Matters for AudiencesMovies live in our collective memory because of how they make us feel. Imagine 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' without Aman's death, or 'Titanic' with Jack clambering onto the raft. Tempting? Maybe. But would they still be the same films? Absolutely 'Raanjhanaa' incident raises urgent questions: If studios can unilaterally alter endings, what stops them from modifying performances, rewriting dialogue, or sanitising plots to suit trends? What happens when your favourite film is 'updated' every few years to fit new market tastes?advertisementFor filmmakers, this is about creative ownership. For audiences, it's about trust. If you can't be sure you're watching the director's vision, are you watching the movie at all, or an algorithmic remix?AI is neither hero nor villain—it's a tool. De-aging technology gave us 'The Irishman's decades-spanning drama. AI-assisted VFX are making mid-budget films look like blockbusters. Accessibility tools are making films more inclusive for audiences with real issue is governance. At present, the rules are struggling to keep pace with technology. The Academy is reportedly considering requiring filmmakers to disclose AI use in submissions, a step many see as the bare entertainment industry globally is calling for stronger safeguards. Be it mandatory creator consent for alterations post-release or a declaration when AI-generated elements form part of the final film. Also, archival protection for original versions of films, among these guardrails, AI risks being a matrix of metrics be real. AI is here to stay. It has the potential to become the most transformative filmmaking tool, when done right. But cinema is more than just content, it's art, shaped by the intent and imagination of the people behind it. The moment that intent becomes optional, we risk losing what makes the medium worth protecting.- Ends
Express Tribune
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Harvey Weinstein talks prison life, regrets, and kids in rare Candace Owens interview
In a rare sit-down interview with Candace Owens posted July 30, Harvey Weinstein opened up about his current life behind bars, his regrets, and his relationship with his children. The former Hollywood mogul—convicted in both New York and Los Angeles sex crime cases—spoke candidly from Rikers Island about how prison has reshaped his priorities. 'My kids are number one now, my family is number one,' said Weinstein, 73. He shares three children with ex-wife Eve Chilton and two—India, 14, and Dashiell, 12—with designer Georgina Chapman. 'If I ever got out, I'd move as close to my kids as humanely possible.' Weinstein revealed that movies remain one of the few ways he connects with his children, recalling a recent conversation with his son about Captain America: Brave New World. 'He saw it and said it was terrible—I had to agree,' he admitted. Weinstein also noted that he hasn't been able to watch Oscar winner Anora or The Brutalist, which stars Georgina Chapman's current partner, Adrien Brody. 'I heard he gave a shoutout to my kids during his speech. That means something to me,' he said. Describing life at Rikers as 'unhygienic' and 'rough,' Weinstein said it took five days just to get a pillow and complained of rancid food and missing basic supplies. Despite ongoing health battles, including bone marrow cancer, Weinstein credited his old friends and children for helping him cope. 'It's not Hollywood friends—it's real ones who keep me going,' he said.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Venice Strikes Back: Alberto Barbera on His Powerhouse 2025 Festival Lineup
After getting upstaged by Cannes at this year's Oscars — when Sean Baker's Palme d'Or winner Anora took best picture over Brady Corbet's Lido champ The Brutalist — Venice has come roaring back. Venice's 2025 lineup, with its blend of prestige auteurs, big-name debuts and politically charged provocations, reaffirms the Lido as the premiere launchpad for award-season hopefuls. Highlights this year include Julia Roberts in Luca Guadagnino's After the Hunt, Dwayne Johnson in Benny Safdie's The Smashing Machine and a triple threat from Netflix: Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein starring Jacob Elordi, Noah Baumbach's Jay Kelly with George Clooney and Kathryn Bigelow's A House of Dynamite with Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson. More from The Hollywood Reporter Jussie Smollett Speaks in Netflix Doc 'The Truth About Jussie Smollett?' Paramount Execs Tell Staff That Africa Offices and Channels May Close Amid Strategy Review (Exclusive) Disability Advocate, AGC Studios Boss, 'Poor Things' Producer, Berlinale Boss Set for Locarno Pro Add in new features from Yorgos Lanthimos, Jim Jarmusch, Park Chan-wook, François Ozon, Paolo Sorrentino, Mona Fastvold, Gus van Sant, Julian Schnabel, Mamoru Hosoda and Laszlo Nemes, and the political heft of Kaouther Ben Hania's Gaza drama The Voice of Hind Rajab and Olivier Assayas' The Wizard of the Kremlin [with Jude Law as Vladimir Putin], and you have, on paper, one of the best Venice festivals in years. That's saying something. Shortly after unveiling this year's program, Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the fierce but friendly rivalry between the major festivals, the challenge of programming two-to-three-hour epics and why politics are back on screen in a big way. This is going to sound like I'm a broken record, because I say it every year, but you have another phenomenal lineup. We in the press always pit the big festivals — Cannes, Venice, Toronto — against one another, but how much is competition, a desire to beat the other big festivals, a drive for you? I'm a good friend of [Cannes festival director] Thierry [Fremaux] and [Toronto Film Festival CEO] Cameron [Bailey]. We're colleagues. We meet each other at each other's festivals. I've got a wonderful relationship with them. But of course, it is a competition. That's just a fact. There is competition between festivals, and each of us tries to get the best films from what the market gives us. We are lucky in that we're maybe in a better position, coming at the beginning of the new season, where Cannes is at the end of the old one. And we're a week, 10 days, ahead of Toronto, so we are often lucky to get a lot of world premieres. I know Toronto tries to get as many world premieres as possible, and they don't always succeed in competing with us on certain films. But this competition is a way to push you to do your best, to get the best out of the submitted films. How do you measure success for a festival lineup? The first element is the way the film is accepted during the festival, the response of both the critics and the audience to the film. That's the first moment when you realize if you made a good choice or if you were wrong. Because when you invite one film, it means you give up the chance to invite another. And it always happens that this or the other film doesn't meet the expectations that were created when we announced the lineup. That first moment when the film screens is when I realize if I did a good job or not. Then, of course, if the film travels to other festivals or gets awards, if it goes to or wins the Oscars, which happens a lot, that helps to confirm and establish the position of the festival, of our position in the international calendar of festivals, and gives us the chance the following year to get access to the most interesting and important films of the season. In your presentation, you suggested you would have liked to have put Luca Guadagnino's in competition. Was it Amazon MGM that wanted it to run out of competition? That was a decision by Amazon MGM. From the beginning, when they showed the film to us, they told us 'We don't want to be in competition. This is a film we believe in. It's our candidate for the Oscars. It doesn't need to be in competition.' So I accepted that. I respect the decision of producers. Most of the time. star Julia Roberts will make her Venice debut this year, as will Dwayne Johnson, star of Benny Safdie's competition film . Any advice for the Lido newbies on navigating the Venice red carpet? I'm sure they know how to behave. They are great professionals, both of them. And they are delivering exceptional performances in the two films that we'll see. Both Julia Roberts and Dwayne Johnson are really outstanding. So I'm very happy to have them in Venice. As you know, we have a wonderful new audience, very warm, very gentle. I think the experience here is easier for talents than at other festivals — that's what they tell me. Partially due to the success that you've had over the years, more and more people are coming to Venice. How much pressure is that putting on the festival's infrastructure? A lot. Well, not on the festival itself, because we have a lot of seats, a lot of theaters, to accommodate everybody. The pressure is put on the infrastructure outside the festival, on the hotels, the restaurants, and so on. Venice is one of the most touristic places in the world, with a lot of events at the end of August and the beginning of September. There are a lot of people coming in, also for other events. It's difficult to find hotels, and it's becoming more and more expensive to attend. This is the main issue we have. We don't have enough hotels on the Lido, actually, just one five-star hotel, The Excelsior. The good news is that they are going to renovate the Grand Hotel Des Bains. It will take 4-5 years, but it should come back as beautiful as it was in the past. So I'm quite confident and optimistic about that, because it's from people from Dubai [Abu Dhabi's Eagle Hills is backing the $230 million renovation] who have a lot of money. So it should work, right? I've written a few times who struggle with the cost of going to Venice and also with access to the talent that they need to justify coming. Is there anything that you or the festival can do to address this problem? It's extremely difficult to do something regarding the hotels, the cost of the rooms, the restaurants and so on. The infrastructure is just not there. I know there is an issue for some independent journalists to get access to interviews with stars and so on, but again, this is out of our control. It's the decision of the production team or the press agent for each film. I try to convince them to be more open and available, but they often only stay 48 hours, 72 hours in Venice, because of the cost of staying here, so it's difficult to meet all the requests they get from journalists. It's a major problem, but I don't know what we can do to solve it. You also mentioned in your presentation how submitted films are getting longer and longer. How big a problem is that when it comes to programming? It's a big issue because we usually have four [competition] films a day, in the main theater, two in the afternoon and two in the evening. If every film is two hours long or more, it means the last film won't start until very late in the evening. It's a huge problem for everybody. From tomorrow, I'll start working on the screening schedule, and I'll see how things look, but I'm a little worried. We'll find a solution, of course, but it's not easy. This is a trend that started one to two years ago and has become a really major trend. Most of the films are more than two hours long, and many are two hours and 30 minutes long or longer. It's a problem. Venice has never avoided political films, but current events seem at the center of a lot of movies in this year's lineup, from Kathryn Bigelow's to Kaouther Ben Hania's to Olivier Assayas' . Why did you think it was important to program these movies? They are all very strong films in of themselves. Not only very emotional but excellent films dealing with contemporary issues. Most of the films this year are dealing with contemporary problems. Whether it's the use of atomic weapons [A House of Dynamite], to the horrors of the wars in Ukraine or Gaza, or looking at dictatorships in many countries in the world. It's the comeback of the cinema of reality, and I think it's important that the festival is open to the contemporary world and not closed off inside the universe of films and cinema, that cinema of dreams. There will still be a lot of entertaining films, spectacular films, at the festival, but most of the films are strongly connected to contemporary problems and issues. Some are very strong and emotional. I get emotional talking about The Voice of Hind Rajab. I was so impressed when I watched that film. Every time I think about it, I get emotional again. I think it will be one of the films that will get the most intense response from everybody, from the press and from the audience, for obvious reasons, not only political reasons but for emotional, human reasons. Netflix is also back in force this year, after . Yes, they couldn't come last year because they didn't have any films to offer, but they have three very strong films this year, from Kathryn Bigelow, from Noah Baumbach and from Guillermo de Toro. We worried if it was a good idea to have three films from Netflix in the main competition, but they are all so good, they all deserve to be in there. Do you ever worry that your streak at Venice will end, that this could be your last good year? Every time. After every festival, I tell myself, I won't be able to do as strong a lineup next year. And then we are lucky enough to get access to the most interesting films of the season. And this is the case again. For this year at least. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Greatest Needle Drops in Film History The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best Solve the daily Crossword
Business Insider
20-07-2025
- Business Insider
My phone addiction is poisoning my retirement. I'm setting rules to help me reclaim my golden years.
When Orrin Onken retired in 2020, he thought his golden years would look quiet and relaxing. Instead, he realized his phone addiction was recreating the stress he experienced at work. Onken, a former lawyer, is now setting rules to prevent his phone from poisoning his retirement. Recently, I decided to watch The Brutalist — a movie that's won multiple Academy Awards and has been widely praised by critics — with my wife. I got snacks from the kitchen, snuggled into my recliner, and prepared to be mesmerized by great art. Not even 10 minutes had passed before I reached for my smartphone. No one was calling me. I wasn't expecting any texts, emails, or alerts. Yet, as the movie played, for reasons unknown even to me, I was staring at the tiny screen in my hand. Relentless phone-checking has become a regular occurrence in my life, so much so that it's poisoning my retirement. It's become an addiction, and I'm determined to overcome it. When I was a lawyer, my phone was mostly a helpful tool I retired from the practice of law in 2020. During my working years, my screen time was quite limited. My staff screened calls to the office, and I checked emails twice a day on my computer. My mobile mostly stayed in my pocket, reserved for communicating with my office on court days or for calling my wife. When the time came for me to stop working, my retirement plans were ordinary. I imagined the time-consuming demands of clients and courts would be replaced by travel, gardening, and the leisurely reading of good books. But what I didn't predict was that my handy pocket computer would turn on me and become a source of the kind of stress I retired to escape. As a retiree, I find myself checking my phone all too often My smartphone is an amazing tool. It opens and starts my car. With it, I can locate my house keys, my luggage, and even my wife. I can change the temperature in my home and see what the security cameras see. I can read books, play five-minute chess, and follow the news. But what do I really do? I check it dozens of times a day for little or no reason. I get hooked on clickbait in my news feed: "The ingredient that every grilled cheese sandwich needs," "Five exercises that will give you eternal life," and whatever else the algorithm has concocted to catch my attention. When I was still working as a lawyer, I didn't get sucked into my news feed in the same way, mostly because I didn't have the time. Nowadays, I find myself checking my phone because it relieves the anxiety I feel when I leave it unchecked for too long. In the course of my life, I've overcome difficulties with alcohol, nicotine, and overeating. With each of those addictions, I knew I was in trouble when I was no longer going for the substance to feel good, but because using gave me temporary respite from withdrawal symptoms. I was doing the same thing with my phone. Over time, I realized the relaxed retirement I'd envisioned was being sandwiched into the intervals between checking my phone. During my working days, I obsessed about my cases, and my mind would wander off to one of them at random moments. Today, it wanders off similarly to the call of social media and my news feed. Phones are too valuable a tool in our modern society for abstinence, so I knew I had to learn to regulate my screen use instead of going cold turkey. The journey to wean myself from addiction has begun I want a retirement in which I participate in the world, instead of being pulled out of it by repeatedly engaging in behaviors that don't make me happy. My first step toward this goal was to admit my dependence and then become sensitive to the difference between using my phone productively and grabbing it at every uncomfortable juncture in life. Two months ago, I set some rules I adapted from when I quit smoking twenty-five years ago. I'd notice when I felt an urge to check my phone, and then tell myself to wait 10 minutes. When that time had passed, I'd often forget about the urge or decide I could wait another 10 minutes. My aim is to be intentional about checking my phone. And it's working. Those intermittent rewards are already losing their grip on me. When I do eventually look at my phone, because I have a reason to, the cheap reward of three likes on my social media post still gives me a little thrill, but I no longer go looking for them by refreshing my feed twenty minutes after I posted. I want to learn to control my phone, rather than let it control me As I navigate healthier phone use, I won't condemn myself for watching funny videos of cats or stop playing online chess. I only want to end the mindless checking — the things that, when I am finished, make me feel stupid and sad. I didn't walk away from the pressures of the law office to replace them with pressure from my phone. I aspire to a retirement of simple tasks and quiet days. It's a vision that no one ever achieves in this day and age, but for now, I won't allow that fantasy to be destroyed by my own behaviour and a tiny screen inside my pocket.
