Kraven was considered for film appearances several times before Sony Pictures became interested in a standalone film for the character, as part of its new shared universe, in 2017. Wenk was hired in August 2018, with Marcum and Holloway joining later. Chandor entered negotiations to direct in August 2020 and was confirmed in May 2021 when Taylor-Johnson was cast. Additional cast members joined in early 2022 before filming took place from late March until mid-June. Filming took place in London, Iceland, and Glasgow.
Kraven the Hunter is scheduled to be released by Sony Pictures Releasing in the United States on December 13, 2024.
Premise
Kraven has a complex relationship with his father which sets him on a path of vengeance and motivates him to become the greatest and most feared hunter.[3]
The film was announced in June 2021 and development was fast-tracked to prevent New Line from losing the film adaptation rights for Tolkien’s novels. Kamiyama was involved by then, as were producer Philippa Boyens—who co-wrote Jackson’s film trilogy—and writers Addiss and Matthews. Gittins and Papageorgiou re-wrote the script, which is based on details in the appendices of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings (1954–55) covering the history of Rohan’s rulers. They chose to focus on Helm’s unnamed daughter, whom they called Héra for the film. Sola Entertainment provided the traditional 2D animation, taking visual inspiration from Jackson’s films. The main cast was revealed in June 2022, including Wise as Héra and Otto reprising her role as Éowyn from the film trilogy. Jackson and his film trilogy co-writer Fran Walsh were being credited as executive producers by June 2024.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim was released theatrically in international markets on December 5, 2024, prior to releasing in the United States on December 13, 2024, by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Gaia Wise as Héra:
The tomboy-ish daughter of Helm who helps defend their people.[5][6] Wise said the character was closer to the female heroes from Hayao Miyazaki‘s anime films such as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) than Éowyn and Arwen, the female heroes in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy. While those characters are “fully formed women”, Wise said Héra was rebellious and complicated.[8]
Luke Pasqualino as Wulf:
The ruthless leader of the Dunlendings who seeks revenge against Rohan for the death of his father.[5] Unlike previous antagonists in the franchise, Wulf is just a human rather than an evil wizard or dark lord. Producer Philippa Boyens felt this made him more interesting and more dangerous, and said the character was relevant to “a lot of the crises that we’re facing today”.[8]
Odysseus (Fiennes) washes up on the shores of his home island Ithaca after twenty years fighting in and returning from the Trojan War. Scarred by his experiences, he is unrecognisable from the mighty warrior king that left, 20 years before. His wife Penelope (Binoche) is now a prisoner in her own home, hounded by many suitors to choose a new husband that would take the throne. Odysseus and Penelope’s son Telemachus (Plummer) is facing death at the hands of those who see him as a threat to their ambitions. Odysseus is forced to face his past in order to save his family and win back that which he has lost.[1]
The Six Triple Eight is scheduled to be released in select cinemas on December 6, 2024, before its streaming debut by Netflix on December 20, 2024.
Premise
The film is based on the 2019 WWII History magazine article, “Fighting a Two-Front War”, by Kevin M. Hymel on the contributions of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-black and all-female battalion, in World War II.
The Order premiered in competition at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in August 2024. It is set to be released on Prime Video in Canada. It will be released in the UK on December 27, 2024.
Premise
In 1983, an Idaho-based FBI agent spots a pattern in recent bank robberies, counterfeiting operations and armored car heists terrorizing communities across the Pacific Northwest. He sets out to prove it is not the work of a traditional organized crime unit, but a radical group led by charismatic leader Bob Mathews.[4]
Development on a follow-up to Moana originally began as a long-form limited streaming series for Disney+,[7] before it was reworked into a theatrical sequel by February 2024, with Derrick confirmed as both writer and director. The involvement of Hand, Miller, Chen, and Merino was confirmed in May; a month later, Bush was confirmed to be returning as a writer. Miller later replaced Derrick as a co-writer in August. Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa’i, the composers and co-songwriters of the first film, returned to score and write the songs, while Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear replace Lin-Manuel Miranda as additional songwriters.
Moana 2 had its world premiere at the Lanikuhonua Cultural Institute in Kapolei, Hawaii on November 21, 2024,[8] and is scheduled to be released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in the United States on November 27, 2024. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who felt that it was considered inferior to the first film; however, the voice acting was praised.[9][10]
Premise
Three years after the events of the first film, Moana receives an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors and forms her own crew, reuniting with her friend, the demigod Maui. As they journey to the far seas of Oceania to break the god Nalo’s curse on the hidden island of Motufetu, which once connected the people of the ocean, they confront old and new foes, including the Kakamora and underworld goddess Matangi.[11]
Cast and characters
Auliʻi Cravalho as Moana,[12][13] the curious daughter of village chief Tui and his wife Sina, who is chosen by the ocean to break the curse on the island of Motufetu
Additionally, Johnson’s daughters Jasmine and Tiana provide voices for members of Moana’s fan club “MOANA-BE’s”.[19]Tofiga Fepulea’i voices the god Nalo in the mid-credits scene, which also features Tamatoa from the first film, again voiced by Jermaine Clement.
Set in 1950s Mexico City, it follows Lee who, after fleeing from a drug bust in New Orleans, wanders around the city’s clubs and becomes infatuated with drug user Allerton, a discharged American Navy serviceman.[5]
The film premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on August 29, 2024, where it competed for the Golden Lion and received generally positive reviews from critics, who singled out Jolie’s performance for praise. It will be released in select theaters in the United States on November 27, 2024, before streaming on Netflix on December 11. It will later be theatrically released in Italy by 01 Distribution on January 1, 2025, and in Germany by StudioCanal on February 6.
Premise
The film is reportedly set during Callas’ final years in the 1970s when she was living in Paris.[1]
That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about love and loneliness, family and friends, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys!
Jordan North and Dermot O’Leary also do all the additional voices in the film with Isabella Hopkins, Luke Jameson, Mary Moss and the film’s director Simon Otto
Universal Pictures and Marc Platt, who produced the stage musical, announced the film adaptation in 2012. After a long development and multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chu was hired to direct, with Erivo and Grande cast in their respective roles in 2021. It was also decided to split the film into two parts to meet the demands of the story’s epic scope and to expand upon the journeys of and relationships between the characters without cutting any songs and major plot points. Principal photography on both films began in December 2022 in England but was disrupted in July 2023 due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, concluding in January 2024.
Wicked premiered at the State Theatre in Sydney, Australia, on November 3, 2024, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on November 22, 2024. The sequel, Wicked Part Two, is scheduled to be released on November 21, 2025.
Sharon D. Clarke as the voice of the Midwife, a bear who helps deliver Elphaba during her birth
Jenna Boyd will appear in an undisclosed role.[17] Additionally, the lion makes an appearance as a Lion cub. Dorothy Gale, a Kansas farm girl who is accidentally transported to the Land of Oz by a tornado with her dog Toto, will also be featured alongside the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and an adult version of the Cowardly Lion in a brief cameo early in the film. Ama Clutch, a character from the Wicked novels but not present in the musical, will also appear. [18]Composer Stephen Schwartz cameos as the Emerald City guard who announces to Elphaba and Glinda that “the wizard will see them now” during the “One Short Day” sequence. [19]Various notable West End actors appear in the film, including Kerry Ellis,[20]Luke Bayer, Georgina Onuorah, andDianne Pilkington.[21]
A sequel to Gladiator was discussed as early as June 2001, with David Franzoni and John Logan set to return as screenwriters. Over the next few years, Scott offered occasional updates, including the possible involvement of the original film’s lead actor, Russell Crowe, along with plot ideas about the Roman afterlife and different historical time periods. Development was halted when DreamWorks sold the rights to the property to Paramount in 2006. The film was finally announced in 2018, and Mescal was cast in the lead role in January 2023, with a script by Scarpa. The rest of the cast signed on over the next several months. Filming occurred between June 2023 and January 2024, with a five-month hiatus due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.
Gladiator II had its world premiere in Sydney, Australia on October 30, 2024, and was released in the United Kingdom on November 15, and will be released in the United States on November 22. It received generally positive reviews from critics and has grossed $87 million. Another sequel, Gladiator III, is in early stages of development.
Plot
Sixteen years after the death of Maximus,[a] Lucius Verus lives with his wife, Arishat, in Numidia under the name “Hanno”. The Roman army, led by General Marcus Acacius, invaded the city. Arishat is killed, and Lucius is taken into slavery. He is forced to fight baboons in the local arena as a test for dealers who wish to buy slaves as gladiators. Many slaves are killed, including his friend King Jubartha, but Lucius defeats the baboons and earns the crowd’s support.
Macrinus, an arms dealer, buys Lucius. Viggo, Macrinus’s assistant, trains Lucius to become a gladiator in Rome‘s Colosseum. Macrinus notices Lucius’s skill and anger, promising him revenge against Acacius if he remains his gladiator. Acacius returns to Rome as a war hero and meets the twin emperors Geta and Caracalla, who have been neglecting the people of Rome. They arrange games in the Colosseum to celebrate Acacius’s victory. Acacius requests respite from war to spend time with his wife, Lucilla. The emperors refuse and order Acacius to conquer Persia and India.
Macrinus brings Lucius to a party at senator Thraex’s house, where Lucius fights and kills Thraex’s famed gladiator champion in the emperor’s presence. Geta greets Lucius for his victory. After initially refusing to speak, an enraged Lucius recites lines of Virgilian poetry, which intimidates Geta. Macrinus defuses the situation, and Lucius is taken away to heal. The gladiators’ doctor, Ravi, treats Lucius’s injuries and befriends him.
Acacius and Lucilla conspire to overthrow the emperors and restore Rome to its former state.
Cast
Paul Mescal as Lucius “Hanno” Verus: The former heir to the Roman Empire and son of Maximus Decimus Meridius, the main character in Gladiator (2000).[6] He has had no connection with his mother, Lucilla, for around 15 years.[7] Lucius lives with his wife in Numidia but is taken prisoner by the Roman army after they invade his home and kill his wife. He becomes a gladiator and seeks revenge against the Romans. He was portrayed by Spencer Treat Clark in Gladiator, who appears in the film through archive footage in flashbacks.
Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius: A Roman general who trained under Maximus. He leads an army to take over North Africa and invades Lucius’s home, but refuses to send more men to war for the emperors.[8] He associates with Lucilla and is reduced to fighting as a gladiator in the Colosseum. According to Pascal, he is “a very, very good general, which can mean a very good killer”, serving as a symbol to Lucius of everything he hates.[9]
Connie Nielsen as Lucilla (based on the historical figure Lucilla): Lucius’s mother, who sent Lucius to Numidia after the death of Maximus to protect him from Rome’s corruption. She associates with Acacius and watches Lucius fight in the Colosseum but initially does not recognize him as her son.[9] She is feared and exploited by those in power, such as the emperors.[10] Nielsen reprises her role from the original film.[9]
Denzel Washington as Macrinus: A former slave who plans to control Rome.[8] He keeps a stable of gladiators and mentors Lucius. He also works as an arms dealer, providing food and oil to the armies in Europe. Scott described him as “pretty fucking cruel” to the arena fighters,[9] with Washington adding that he “wants to be Emperor and he’s willing to do anything to get there”.[11] Scott also noted that Macrinus has a “twinkle” of bisexuality, describing him as a gangster who started as a prisoner of war, became a gladiator, and earned his freedom.[12] A scene involving Macrinus kissing another man was deleted from the film.[13]
Fred Hechinger as Emperor Caracalla (based on the historical figure Caracalla): The co-emperor of Rome alongside his brother, Geta. He has a pet monkey and is less stable than his brother due to cognitive erosion in his brain.[16] Hechinger discussed with Scott about finding inspirations to build Caracalla’s look from Sid Vicious,[17] with the monkey serving as another inspiration for the character’s “crazed behavior”.[16]
Lior Raz as Viggo: The trainer of gladiators for Macrinus. A former gladiator, Viggo is a “tough guy” who escorts the gladiators to their fights.[18]
Sir Derek Jacobi as Senator Gracchus: A member of the Roman Senate who opposes the growing corruption of the Imperial Court. Jacobi reprises his role from the original film.[10]
Peter Mensah as Jubartha: A black Numidian chieftain who mentored Lucius, with whom he is later enslaved and forced to become a gladiator.[19]
The original film uses archival footage of Russell Crowe as Maximus, Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus, Tomas Arana as Quintus, and Djimon Hounsou as Juba.[citation needed]May Calamawy, who was originally set to play an important character according to Deadline Hollywood,[20] appears in the final film in an uncredited, non-speaking background role as Macrinus’s companion.[21][22]
Initially titled Split, the project was announced in July 2017, shortly after Skydance Animation was formed in March 2017, with Paramount Pictures scheduling distribution for 2019. The film subsequently underwent changes, such as release dates, with Jenson later announced as the director, and the film’s title changed to The Unbreakable Spell [3] before eventually getting to its current title. Apple TV+ acquired the film in December 2020 before Netflix took over the rights in October 2023. Much of the main voice cast signed in June 2022, following Zegler’s casting in April 2022. Production was done remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spellbound is scheduled for release on Netflix on November 22, 2024.
Premise
The story is set in Lumbria, a world of magic where a young girl named Ellian must break a spell that has split her kingdom in two and transformed her parents into monsters.[4]
Voice cast
Rachel Zegler as Ellian, Princess of the Lumbria kingdom
In April 2020, composer Alan Menken announced that he was working on the project with Lasseter,[10] which was renamed to The Unbreakable Spell before it became Spellbound.[1] The film would be directed by Vicky Jenson, from a screenplay by Woolverton and the writing team of Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin, with songs by Menken and longtime collaborator Glenn Slater.[4] In July 2020, it was announced that Spellbound was still going to be released by Paramount Pictures without Paramount Animation[11] until Apple TV+ acquired the distribution rights in December 2020 as part of a larger pact with Skydance Animation.[12]Apple Studios would replace Paramount as a production company. However, in October 2023, Skydance Animation ended its deal with Apple, and later signed a multi-year deal with Netflix, which would take over distribution of the studio’s future films in production, including Spellbound.[13] In February 2024, Julia Miranda was revealed to have joined the writing staff. In June 2024, Woolverton was confirmed to be a producer on the film.[14]
Casting
In April 2022, Rachel Zegler was cast as the lead character.[15] Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, John Lithgow, Nathan Lane, Jenifer Lewis, André De Shields, and Jordan Fisher were added to the cast in June.[16] In June 2023, Tituss Burgess joined the cast, replacing De Shields.[17][18]
Animation
Skydance Animation Madrid has provided animation with portions of production done remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.[19]
A black cat wanders through a forest when a pack of dogs arrive by the river to catch fish. When two of the dogs fight over a fish, the cat takes the fish and is immediately chased by the dogs. The cat loses the dogs, but notices a deer stampede before a massive tidal wave catches it. The cat and the dogs survive the flood by reaching higher ground. A yellow Labrador Retriever follows the cat to an abandoned house decorated with wooden cat sculptures before they both notice the water level rising rapidly, and the Labrador joins the other dogs on a boat. With the house consumed by the flood, the cat climbs atop a giant cat statue until the waters reach the top of the statue’s head. Before completely submerging the statue, the cat jumps into an approaching sailboat with a capybara aboard.
Red One was released internationally by Warner Bros. Pictures on November 6 and is scheduled to be released in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on November 15, 2024.[7] The film received negative reviews from critics.
Plot
Callum Drift, head of Santa Claus‘s security, requests to retire after one last Christmas run, as he has become disillusioned with increased bad behavior in the world, exemplified by the growth of Santa’s Naughty List. On Christmas Eve, an infiltration team breaks into the North Pole complex and kidnaps Santa. Callum notifies Director Zoe Harlow of MORA (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority) about the kidnapping, and her team discovers that the North Pole’s secret location was found by Jack O’Malley, a mercenary hacker who claims to be able to find anything in the world.
Cast
Dwayne Johnson as Callum Drift, head of North Pole security for Saint Nicholas.
Chris Evans as Jack O’Malley, a hacker and bounty hunter.
All We Imagine as Light premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on 23 May 2024.[2][3] It was the first film from India to compete in the main competition since 1994, and it won the Grand Prix.
Plot
Prabha and Anu are Malayali nurses living together in Mumbai. Prabha is straight-laced and upright and yearns for her husband, who migrated to Germany soon after marriage. Anu is more outgoing and has a secret affair with a Muslim man named Shiaz. A doctor, Manoj, tries to woo Prabha, but she rejects his advances, claiming her marital status. One day, Prabha and Anu receive a modern rice cooker from an unknown sender.
Prabha tries to help Parvaty, the cook at their hospital, fight against a capitalistic builder who wants to demolish Parvaty’s chawl to build a high-rise. Unable to claim ownership of land, Parvarty decides to quit her job and move back to her village in Ratnagiri. Prabha and Anu travel with her to help her relocate.
Elton John: Never Too Late is a 2024 documentary film directed by R. J. Cutler and David Furnish.[2] A co-production of Walt Disney Pictures and Rocket Entertainment, it profiles Elton John on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road concert tour and integrates historic performance footage, excerpts from his private journals, and personal footage of his family life behind the scenes.
The film’s production was announced in 2022, originally titled Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances and the Years That Made His Legend.[4] Disney acquired the rights for the film for reportedly $30 million.
Documentary – Songwriter/artist Allee Willis began filming her life as a kid in 1950s Detroit and never stopped. She pursued creative expression at all costs while struggling to fit established gender and sexual norms – until she found a path to love.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is an upcoming American Christmas comedy-drama film directed by Dallas Jenkins. It is based on the 1972 novel by Barbara Robinson and centers around the Herdmans, a group of juvenile delinquent siblings who inadvertently find themselves starring in the town’s Christmas pageant. The film stars Judy Greer, Pete Holmes, Molly Belle Wright, and Lauren Graham.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is scheduled to be released theatrically by Lionsgate on November 8, 2024.
Premise
The Herdmans are six siblings with a reputation for being the worst kids in the world. However, when they take over the local church pageant during the holidays, they just might teach a shocked community the true meaning of Christmas.[1]
Renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli is celebrating his 30th anniversary with a three-day concert event in his Tuscan hometown. The event will feature duets with Ed Sheeran, Shania Twain, Will Smith, and others.
The Piano Lesson premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2024. It is scheduled to be released in select theaters in the United States on November 8, 2024, and then streamed on Netflix on November 22.
Premise
Set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression, The Piano Lesson follows the lives of the Charles family in the Doaker Charles household and an heirloom, the family piano, which is decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor.
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2024, and will be released in the United States by A24 on November 8, 2024.
Here premiered at the AFI Fest[9] on October 25, 2024 before being theatrically released in the United States by TriStar Pictures through Sony Pictures Releasing on November 1, 2024. The film received generally negative reviews from critics.
Premise
The story covers the events of a single spot of land and its inhabitants, spanning from the past to well into the future.
In a futuristic cyberpunk world, Hitpig, a bounty hunter pig, sets out to capture an elephant named Pickles but finds themselves on a criss-crossing world adventure.[1]
Juror #2 had its world premiere at AFI Fest on October 27, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on November 1, 2024.
Premise
Family man Justin Kemp, while serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma, one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict — or free — the accused killer.[3]
Hardy revealed in August 2018 that he was signed on to appear in a third and final Venom film, and Sony Pictures began development by December 2021, after the second film was released. Marcel and Hardy were writing the script by June 2022, and Marcel was set to make her directorial debut with the film that October. New cast members, including Ejiofor and Temple, joined in mid-2023, and filming began in Spain at the end of June 2023. Production was halted the next month due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, resumed that November after the strike ended, and was completed by the end of February 2024. The title was revealed a month later.
Venom: The Last Dance premiered at the Regal Times Square Theater in New York City on October 21, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on October 25, 2024. Like its predecessor, the film received mixed reviews from critics.
Juno Temple as Dr. Teddy Payne / Agony: A scientist, paralyzed in one arm, tracking Eddie and Venom, later becoming a host of a purple-colored symbiote.[7]
Rhys Ifans as Martin: A hippie and an alien enthusiast.[3]
Peggy Lu as Mrs. Chen: A convenience store owner who befriended Eddie and Venom.[8]
Alanna Ubach as Nova Moon: Martin’s wife and a fellow hippie.[3]
Stephen Graham as Patrick Mulligan / Toxin: A former police detective who previously encountered Eddie and Venom. He has been infected with a symbiote after coming into contact with Carnage.[6]
Conclave premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on 30 August 2024 and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States by Focus Features on 25 October 2024 and in the United Kingdom by Black Bear UK on 29 November 2024. The film received critical acclaim, with Fiennes’ performance being praised.
Premise
Cardinal Lawrence, tasked with organizing the election of the successor to the deceased pope, discovers the former pope had a secret that must be uncovered concerning one or more of the candidates to succeed to the papacy.[3]
The family starring in ‘A New Kind of Wilderness’ lives on a farm in the middle of nowhere in Norway. They try to live as much as possible from what the land and nature give them. Vegetables, animals, wood for heating, and lots of fresh air. It all looks very idyllic. Four children, father and mother, and a lot of warmth and love for each other. The children are homeschooled and seem to be outside almost permanently. The reason for this way of life? Mom and Dad have chosen to spend more time with the children.
This emotional documentary was named the best foreign documentary by the jury of the Sundance Film Festival in 2024. An award that filmmaker Evensmo Jacobsen certainly deserves. She came across Maria and Nik through a blog post in which they shared their experiences with the world. Fascinated by the subject, she became acquainted with the family, and after Maria’s death, she proposed to share their story with the world through a documentary. It is impressive to see how the family lives in and with nature and for what purpose. It is also impressive to see how they end up being bigger than the challenges they are presented with.
Themes: Human Rights, Justice, Reproductive Rights, Women, women’s Rights
Year: 2024
A group of women denied abortions, even at the brink of death, banded together with a fearless attorney to sue the state of Texas in an extraordinary effort to regain their rights and reproductive futures — not only for themselves but millions of others.
Executive Producers: Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Jennifer Lawrence, Justine Ciarrocchi, Bari Lurie, Johnny Webb, Linda Himelstein, Laurie Michaels, Amy Metzler Ritter
Co-executive Producers: Lisa And Jeffrey Akin, Suzanne Lerner, Emily Liu Foy, Cristina Ljungberg, Nancy Mcgregor And Neal Manne, Gretchen Sisson, Amanda Stephens, Jacob And Terese Hershey Foundation, The Boone Family Foundation
The film premiered in Los Angeles on October 8, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States by Ketchup Entertainment on October 18, 2024.
Premise
After his younger second wife leaves him and enters a 90-day rehab program, Los Angeles art dealer Andy Goodrich seeks out his adult pregnant daughter Grace for help with raising his nine-year-old twins.[1][2]
A Real Pain follows mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin), who reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd couple’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.
Anora is a 2024 American romanticcomedy-drama film written, directed, and edited by Sean Baker. It stars Mikey Madison as an exotic dancer in the title role and follows her beleaguered romance with the son of a Russian oligarch. It also stars Mark Eidelstein, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, and Aleksei Serebryakov.
The film premiered on May 21, 2024, in competition at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d’Or, the first American film to do so since The Tree of Life in 2011. Neon is scheduled to release it on October 18, 2024. It received widespread critical acclaim, with major praise for Madison’s performance and Baker’s direction, screenplay, and editing.
Plot
Ani is a young Russian-American exotic dancer from Brighton Beach, a Russian-speaking neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City. As she is somewhat conversant in Russian, her boss fixes her up with Russian-speaking clients. She is introduced to Vanya, the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch, who pays her to move into his mansion and become his girlfriend. A whirlwind romance commences, resulting in them flying to Las Vegas and eloping.
Vanya’s parents learn of this development through social media and order Toros, Vanya’s handler, to rectify the situation before they arrive in America the following day. Toros sends two henchmen, Garnick and Igor, to Vanya’s house to confront them; a struggle ensues in which Vanya runs away, and Ani injures both Garnick and Igor before being subdued. Toros arrives soon after and demands an annulment of the marriage, but Ani refuses, claiming that she and Vanya are in love.
As her firm receives more and more complaints against Canadian for-profit senior care homes, attorney Melissa Miller builds a case to sue facilities for neglect and expose a system wrought with abuse.
The film is presented in a nonlinear narrative. The following is a linear summary of the plot.
Weetabix representative Tobias Durand, while out purchasing a pen to sign divorce papers served to him by his wife, wanders into the road and is struck by a car driven by Almut Brühl, a former figure skater turned Bavarian-fusion chef. At the hospital, Almut offers to treat Tobias and his wife to a meal at the restaurant she works at, though Tobias does not disclose his divorce to her. On the night of his dinner, Tobias, now separated, goes to the restaurant alone, informing Almut about his divorce. The two have sex and begin living with each other soon after.
Months later, Tobias expresses to Almut his desire to start a family with her and that he’s begun to fall in love with her. Almut viciously rebuffs him, and Tobias leaves without saying a word. Later, at a baby shower for one of Almut’s co-workers, Tobias sneaks in and apologizes to Almut for his hastiness while criticizing the way she responded to him in front of all the guests. Tobias once again professes his love to her and they reconcile.
10 Lives is a 2024 animated comedy film directed by Chris Jenkins from a screenplay by Jenkins, Karen Wengrod and Ken Cinnamon. The film features the voices of Mo Gilligan, Simone Ashley, Sophie Okonedo, Zayn Malik, Dylan Llewellyn, Jeremy Swift, Tabitha Cross and Bill Nighy. The story follows a pampered housecat named Beckett who totally takes for granted the lucky hand he has been dealt; rescued and loved by Rose, a kind-hearted and passionate student focused on saving the world’s bee population after she looses his ninth life.
10 Lives had its world premiere on January 20, 2024, at the Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah.[1] In the United Kingdom, the film classes as a Sky Original, where it became available to watch on Sky Cinema and streaming on Sky’s streaming service NOW. Briarcliff Entertainment acquired the North American distribution rights to the film, and it is set to be released on an underdetermined date in the United States.[2]
Plot
As a kitten, Beckett is adopted by Rose, a student specialised in bees. Later, Rose receives the visit of Larry, her ex-boyfriend, who helps her find a solution to the problem of the recent death of numerous bees. Beckett is jealous and tries to make Larry leave the house but the cat loses his ninth life. Beckett pleads Grace, responsible for the afterlife of animals, to be allowed to return to his former life: the Gatekeeper allows him to return to earth with a new set of lives, but in a variety of different forms: badger, rat, cockroach, parrot, fish, dog and horse.
Cast
Mo Gilligan as Beckett, a pampered and selfish housecat. His fur is entirely gray and white and his eyes are yellow and blue with are odd-eyed. He is rescued and loved by Rose.
Simone Ashley as Rose, a kind-hearted and passionate student.
Sophie Okonedo as Grace, an ethereal, no-nonsense woman with the power to grant Beckett the cat his new lives.
Bill Nighy as Professor Craven, Rose’s superior and the main antagonist.
Dylan Llewellyn as Larry, Rose’s socially discomfited lab partner.
Zayn Malik as Kirk and Cameron, a bee pair of tough-acting twins.
The Apprentice had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on October 11, 2024.[4]
Premise
Set during the early years of Trump’s business career, the film focuses on the relationship of Trump and Roy Cohn, a New York City prosecutor known for working with Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Second Red Scare.[5]
It may sound hard to believe, but John Lennon and Yoko Ono became daytime talk show hosts more than 50 years ago–For one week only.
The new documentary Daytime Revolution, directed by Erik Nelson, chronicles that pop culture moment in February 1972 when John and Yoko took over The Mike Douglas Show, producing and co-hosting the afternoon talker. Kino Lorber plans to release the film on more than 50 screens across the country on October 9 — what would have been Lennon’s 84th birthday.
“Daytime Revolution takes us back in time, as we observe John and Yoko interacting with a transfixed studio audience in revealing Q and A sessions where John Lennon was astonishingly candid about his life after the Beatles,” notes a release. “John and Yoko also got to pick the guests, some very controversial at the time, like [anti-war activist and Yippie] Jerry Rubin and Black Panther Bobby Seale, as well as Ralph Nader and George Carlin. In addition, the shows featured blazing musical performances, including an epic duet with Chuck Berry, and a poignant rendition of the now classic ‘Imagine.’ Conceptual art events and even cooking segments were woven into the crazy fabric of the format.”
Yoko Ono explained at a press conference in 1972, “We wanted to do the shows to show that we are working for peace and love, and also to change the world, not with violence, but with love. And everybody that we selected is participating in efforts to change the world.”
1972, of course, was a presidential election year (and the year of the Watergate break-in), when incumbent Pres. Richard Nixon would face off against the eventual Democratic presidential nominee, George McGovern. Fifty-two years later, we’re in another momentous presidential election cycle. The timing didn’t escape director Erik Nelson.
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