Zoe Saldana has waited quite a while for her first Oscar nomination, and now it looks like she could win too. The “Emilia Perez” co-star has recently been gaining on Best Supporting Actress front-runner Danielle Deadwyler (“The Piano Lesson”), and now they’re tied. Both women get 4/1 odds of prevailing, according to the combined predictions of thousands of Gold Derby users.
Deadwyler started the season leading our odds for her performance as Berniece Charles, who clashes with her brother (John David Washington) over a family heirloom. “Piano Lesson” is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by August Wilson, which earned S. Epatha Merkerson a Tony nomination on Broadway for playing Berniece. Then a TV adaptation earned Alfre Woodard an Emmy nomination as Berniece. An Oscar nom for Deadwyler would complete the trifecta, and she has an Oscar Iou after being shockingly snubbed for her lead performance in “Till,” so voters...
Deadwyler started the season leading our odds for her performance as Berniece Charles, who clashes with her brother (John David Washington) over a family heirloom. “Piano Lesson” is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by August Wilson, which earned S. Epatha Merkerson a Tony nomination on Broadway for playing Berniece. Then a TV adaptation earned Alfre Woodard an Emmy nomination as Berniece. An Oscar nom for Deadwyler would complete the trifecta, and she has an Oscar Iou after being shockingly snubbed for her lead performance in “Till,” so voters...
- 9/27/2024
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
The 2024 Middleburg Film Festival (Mff) has rounded out its list of honorees.
After previously announcing Steve McQueen (“Blitz”), Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”), and Isabella Rossellini (“Conclave”) as award recipients, the Middleburg Film Festival has unveiled its full lineup of honored filmmakers. The annual festival will take place October 17-20.
The Mff honorees hail from some of 2024’s most anticipated and applauded films.
“Nickel Boys” director RaMell Ross will receive the Special Achievement in Filmmaking Award. “Nickel Boys” was also selected as the closing film.
Danielle Deadwyler will receive the Breakthrough Actor Award for “The Piano Lesson.” The “Till” actress leads the film adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning stage play alongside John David Washington. The duo play two siblings who disagree about selling the family heirloom piano. “The Piano Lesson” marks Malcolm Washington’s feature directorial and screenwriting debut.
“Sing Sing” actors Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin will receive...
After previously announcing Steve McQueen (“Blitz”), Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”), and Isabella Rossellini (“Conclave”) as award recipients, the Middleburg Film Festival has unveiled its full lineup of honored filmmakers. The annual festival will take place October 17-20.
The Mff honorees hail from some of 2024’s most anticipated and applauded films.
“Nickel Boys” director RaMell Ross will receive the Special Achievement in Filmmaking Award. “Nickel Boys” was also selected as the closing film.
Danielle Deadwyler will receive the Breakthrough Actor Award for “The Piano Lesson.” The “Till” actress leads the film adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning stage play alongside John David Washington. The duo play two siblings who disagree about selling the family heirloom piano. “The Piano Lesson” marks Malcolm Washington’s feature directorial and screenwriting debut.
“Sing Sing” actors Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin will receive...
- 9/26/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Another batch of films and honorees has been announced for the Middleburg Film Festival. The festival takes place October 17-20 in the small Virginia town located an hour outside Washington, D.C.
The Closing Film will be the Orion/Amazon MGM title, “Nickel Boys,” which chronicles the friendship between two Black teenagers in a young person’s reformatory in Florida during the Jim Crow era. The movie’s Oscar-nominated director and co-writer RaMell Ross will attend to receive the Special Achievement in Filmmaking Award. Ross also happens to be a native of neighboring Fairfax County, Virginia.
The Saturday Spotlight film has been announced as Marielle Heller’s “Nightbitch” from Searchlight. The film stars Amy Adams as a woman who halts her career to be a stay-at-home mother but soon finds her life taking a surreal turn. Heller will be at the festival to conduct a Q&a following the screening.
The Closing Film will be the Orion/Amazon MGM title, “Nickel Boys,” which chronicles the friendship between two Black teenagers in a young person’s reformatory in Florida during the Jim Crow era. The movie’s Oscar-nominated director and co-writer RaMell Ross will attend to receive the Special Achievement in Filmmaking Award. Ross also happens to be a native of neighboring Fairfax County, Virginia.
The Saturday Spotlight film has been announced as Marielle Heller’s “Nightbitch” from Searchlight. The film stars Amy Adams as a woman who halts her career to be a stay-at-home mother but soon finds her life taking a surreal turn. Heller will be at the festival to conduct a Q&a following the screening.
- 9/26/2024
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Like sisters are supposed to, the stars of “His Three Daughters” will support each other throughout this year’s Oscar race.
Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olsen — all praised for their performances in Azazel Jacobs’ family drama — have chosen to submit for Oscar consideration in the supporting actress category, it was revealed to Variety exclusively. In addition, co-stars Jovan Adepo, Jay O. Sanders and Rudy Galvan will be vying for supporting actor consideration.
Read: You can see all Academy Award predictions in all 23 categories on one page on the Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars.
Written and directed by Jacobs, “His Three Daughters” follows three estranged sisters reuniting to care for their terminally ill father in his Brooklyn apartment. The film premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and was acquired by Netflix for a reported $7 million. It has since received glowing reviews, maintaining a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety’s chief film critic,...
Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olsen — all praised for their performances in Azazel Jacobs’ family drama — have chosen to submit for Oscar consideration in the supporting actress category, it was revealed to Variety exclusively. In addition, co-stars Jovan Adepo, Jay O. Sanders and Rudy Galvan will be vying for supporting actor consideration.
Read: You can see all Academy Award predictions in all 23 categories on one page on the Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars.
Written and directed by Jacobs, “His Three Daughters” follows three estranged sisters reuniting to care for their terminally ill father in his Brooklyn apartment. The film premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and was acquired by Netflix for a reported $7 million. It has since received glowing reviews, maintaining a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety’s chief film critic,...
- 9/26/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The 2024 Middleburg Film Festival in Virginia will open with Apple’s Blitz (with writer-director Steve McQueen on hand to collect the fest’s Visionary Director Award), close with Amazon/MGM’s Nickel Boys (with writer-director — and Fairfax native and Georgetown University alum — RaMell Ross in attendance to receive the Special Achievement in Filmmaking Award) and feature Searchlight’s Nightbitch as its Saturday Spotlight (with writer-director Marielle Heller present for a post-screening conversation), the fest announced Thursday.
The fest will also welcome — and present special honors to — a host of other top talent who are in awards contention. Among them: The Piano Lesson supporting actress Danielle Deadwyler (Breakthrough Actor Award), Maria cinematographer Ed Lachman (Lifetime Achievement Award for Cinematography), Sing Sing lead actor Colman Domingo and supporting actor Clarence Maclin (Impact Award), Unstoppable lead actor Jharrel Jerome (Rising Star Award) and Emilia Pérez composers and songwriters Camille Dalmais and Clément Ducol...
The fest will also welcome — and present special honors to — a host of other top talent who are in awards contention. Among them: The Piano Lesson supporting actress Danielle Deadwyler (Breakthrough Actor Award), Maria cinematographer Ed Lachman (Lifetime Achievement Award for Cinematography), Sing Sing lead actor Colman Domingo and supporting actor Clarence Maclin (Impact Award), Unstoppable lead actor Jharrel Jerome (Rising Star Award) and Emilia Pérez composers and songwriters Camille Dalmais and Clément Ducol...
- 9/26/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
To go lead or not to go lead? That is the question. Luckily, we got a lot of answers this week. Gold Derby editors and Experts Christopher Rosen and Joyce Eng are here to discuss the Oscar category campaigns of several high-profile contenders.
Saoirse Ronan already has a clear lead performance in “The Outrun,” but she won’t compete against herself for votes in the category. As Gold Derby reported, the four-time Oscar nominee will go supporting for Steve McQueen‘s upcoming World War II drama “Blitz,” in which she plays a mother who’s separated from her 9-year-old son, George (Elliott Heffernan). We discuss why this isn’t a case of category fraud and her likelihood of becoming the 13th performer to score double Oscar nominations in one year.
See Experts slugfest: Our post-festivals 2025 Oscar predictions
Other confirmed category placements were pretty much expected. Karla Sofía Gascón is going...
Saoirse Ronan already has a clear lead performance in “The Outrun,” but she won’t compete against herself for votes in the category. As Gold Derby reported, the four-time Oscar nominee will go supporting for Steve McQueen‘s upcoming World War II drama “Blitz,” in which she plays a mother who’s separated from her 9-year-old son, George (Elliott Heffernan). We discuss why this isn’t a case of category fraud and her likelihood of becoming the 13th performer to score double Oscar nominations in one year.
See Experts slugfest: Our post-festivals 2025 Oscar predictions
Other confirmed category placements were pretty much expected. Karla Sofía Gascón is going...
- 9/26/2024
- by Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Oscar race contenders Justin Kurzel’s The Order, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist and Tim Fehlbaum’s September 5 have joined the lineup for the Austin Film Festival, which has unveiled the full screening lineup for its 31st edition.
The Order, the neo-Nazi crime thriller starring Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult, will be a Centerpiece Film presentation, with writer Zach Baylin and star Tye Sheridan attending. And the Oct. 24 to 31 festival will open with Malcolm Washington’s The Piano Lesson, which stars Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington and Danielle Deadwyler. Virgil Williams, who co-wrote the Netflix stage-to-screen adaptation produced by Denzel Washington, will attend.
Also headed to Austin is Maria, Pablo Larrain’s Maria Callas biopic for Netflix that stars Angelina Jolie. This year’s world premieres include the paranoia-thriller Crossword, co-written, directed and also starring Michael Vlamis in his directorial debut; the folk-horror pic The Fetch, starring Robert Longstreet...
The Order, the neo-Nazi crime thriller starring Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult, will be a Centerpiece Film presentation, with writer Zach Baylin and star Tye Sheridan attending. And the Oct. 24 to 31 festival will open with Malcolm Washington’s The Piano Lesson, which stars Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington and Danielle Deadwyler. Virgil Williams, who co-wrote the Netflix stage-to-screen adaptation produced by Denzel Washington, will attend.
Also headed to Austin is Maria, Pablo Larrain’s Maria Callas biopic for Netflix that stars Angelina Jolie. This year’s world premieres include the paranoia-thriller Crossword, co-written, directed and also starring Michael Vlamis in his directorial debut; the folk-horror pic The Fetch, starring Robert Longstreet...
- 9/25/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s the season of Samuel L. Jackson.
The legendary actor, who most recently stars in upcoming Oscar contender “The Piano Lesson,” will be honored by the Museum of Modern Art at the organization’s 2024 Film Benefit, presented by Chanel.
Jackson has made box office history, with his films cumulatively having grossed more at the global box office than any other actor. The frequent Quentin Tarantino collaborator has appeared in more than 150 films throughout his career, and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and an Emmy Award. Jackson was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2022.
“Samuel L. Jackson has become a landmark cultural figure thanks to his early film work with Spike Lee, which transfixed both audiences and critics, and his biblically powerful turn as the wise and merciless assassin Jules in ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994),” Rajendra Roy, MoMA’s Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film, said. “He...
The legendary actor, who most recently stars in upcoming Oscar contender “The Piano Lesson,” will be honored by the Museum of Modern Art at the organization’s 2024 Film Benefit, presented by Chanel.
Jackson has made box office history, with his films cumulatively having grossed more at the global box office than any other actor. The frequent Quentin Tarantino collaborator has appeared in more than 150 films throughout his career, and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and an Emmy Award. Jackson was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2022.
“Samuel L. Jackson has become a landmark cultural figure thanks to his early film work with Spike Lee, which transfixed both audiences and critics, and his biblically powerful turn as the wise and merciless assassin Jules in ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994),” Rajendra Roy, MoMA’s Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film, said. “He...
- 9/25/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Gotham Awards have named the first filmmaker to be honored at the 2024 ceremony: Denis Villeneuve.
This year’s ceremony, which will take place on Monday, December 2, will toast the “Dune: Part Two” auteur with the Gotham Director Tribute.
Villeneuve’s sci-fi sequel film starred Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya and was released in March 2024. The feature was the sequel to Villeneuve’s 2021 Oscar-winning “Dune,” which was adapted from the first half of Frank Herbert’s beloved novel of the same name.
In addition to the expanding “Dune” franchise, French-Canadian filmmaker Villeneuve has previously directed “Blade Runner 2049” (2017), “Arrival” (2016), and “Sicario” (2015), among other features. The Gotham also has a tie to one of Villeneuve’s early films, “Incendies” (2010), which the organization supported through the IFP Week Program.
“Denis Villeneuve has masterfully adapted Frank Herbert’s classic, first with 2021’s ‘Dune’ and now with ‘Dune: Part Two,’ creating a visually stunning and...
This year’s ceremony, which will take place on Monday, December 2, will toast the “Dune: Part Two” auteur with the Gotham Director Tribute.
Villeneuve’s sci-fi sequel film starred Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya and was released in March 2024. The feature was the sequel to Villeneuve’s 2021 Oscar-winning “Dune,” which was adapted from the first half of Frank Herbert’s beloved novel of the same name.
In addition to the expanding “Dune” franchise, French-Canadian filmmaker Villeneuve has previously directed “Blade Runner 2049” (2017), “Arrival” (2016), and “Sicario” (2015), among other features. The Gotham also has a tie to one of Villeneuve’s early films, “Incendies” (2010), which the organization supported through the IFP Week Program.
“Denis Villeneuve has masterfully adapted Frank Herbert’s classic, first with 2021’s ‘Dune’ and now with ‘Dune: Part Two,’ creating a visually stunning and...
- 9/24/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Nominations voting is from January 8-12, 2025, with official Oscar nominations announced January 17, 2025. Final voting is February 11-18, 2025. And finally, the 97th Oscars telecast will be broadcast on Sunday, March 2 and air live on ABC at 7:00 p.m. Et/ 4:00 p.m. Pt. We update our picks through awards season, so keep checking IndieWire for all our 2025 Oscar predictions.
The State of the Race
If there is any acting race where Netflix feels guaranteed to get more than one nomination in, it’s Best Supporting Actress. Coming out of the fall festivals, the streaming service dominated much of the awards chatter around that particular race. “The Piano Lesson” star Danielle Deadwyler and “Emilia Pérez” star Zoe Saldaña are already considered the two frontrunners to win the Oscar, with plenty of debate around whether or not the latter’s co-star, Selena Gomez, gets nominated as well, and who, if any of...
The State of the Race
If there is any acting race where Netflix feels guaranteed to get more than one nomination in, it’s Best Supporting Actress. Coming out of the fall festivals, the streaming service dominated much of the awards chatter around that particular race. “The Piano Lesson” star Danielle Deadwyler and “Emilia Pérez” star Zoe Saldaña are already considered the two frontrunners to win the Oscar, with plenty of debate around whether or not the latter’s co-star, Selena Gomez, gets nominated as well, and who, if any of...
- 9/23/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
If the 2025 Oscars nominations were announced today, what would Gold Derby predict as the nominees and winners? Our predictions center officially opened on July 1, 2024 and already more than 4,000 people have made their forecasts in the categories for picture, directing, acting, writing and animation. So who’s out front to claim these golden trophies, according to the Gold Derby Oscar predictions 2025?
Below, see a snapshot in time of our racetrack odds for the 97th Academy Awards, updated on September 23, 2024. See how the odds and rankings have changed over time by examining our previous Oscar snapshots on July 3, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 29, August 6, August 19, August 28, September 11 and September 19.
Now expected to receive a nomination since the last update: Brady Corbet in Best Director for A24’s Holocaust film “The Brutalist”; Felicity Jones in Best Supporting Actress for portraying Erzsébet Tóth, wife of Adrien Brody‘s László Tóth, in “The Brutalist”; and “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl...
Below, see a snapshot in time of our racetrack odds for the 97th Academy Awards, updated on September 23, 2024. See how the odds and rankings have changed over time by examining our previous Oscar snapshots on July 3, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 29, August 6, August 19, August 28, September 11 and September 19.
Now expected to receive a nomination since the last update: Brady Corbet in Best Director for A24’s Holocaust film “The Brutalist”; Felicity Jones in Best Supporting Actress for portraying Erzsébet Tóth, wife of Adrien Brody‘s László Tóth, in “The Brutalist”; and “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl...
- 9/23/2024
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Danielle Deadwyler aims to teach the Oscars about “The Piano Lesson” this awards season.
The critically acclaimed actor, who stars in Malcolm Washington’s directorial debut, “The Piano Lesson,” as the emotionally and spiritually charged widow Berniece, will be submitted for supporting actress consideration this awards season, Variety reports exclusively. Her co-star, John David Washington, will also campaign as the film’s sole lead, while Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts and Corey Hawkins will each vie for supporting actor recognition. The film will also be submitted in all major categories, including best picture and several artisan categories.
Adapted from the late playwright August Wilson’s “Century Cycle,” the film is set in 1936 Pittsburgh. It follows the Charles family as they grapple with familial trauma and the literal ghosts of their ancestors. The story is a history of violence, cruelty and oppression, symbolized through intricate carvings on a family piano.
The critically acclaimed actor, who stars in Malcolm Washington’s directorial debut, “The Piano Lesson,” as the emotionally and spiritually charged widow Berniece, will be submitted for supporting actress consideration this awards season, Variety reports exclusively. Her co-star, John David Washington, will also campaign as the film’s sole lead, while Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts and Corey Hawkins will each vie for supporting actor recognition. The film will also be submitted in all major categories, including best picture and several artisan categories.
Adapted from the late playwright August Wilson’s “Century Cycle,” the film is set in 1936 Pittsburgh. It follows the Charles family as they grapple with familial trauma and the literal ghosts of their ancestors. The story is a history of violence, cruelty and oppression, symbolized through intricate carvings on a family piano.
- 9/23/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Could “Challengers,” which moved from an awards season slot last year due to the strikes to a less prestigious March release date this year, actually be a contender after all? The psychosexual tennis drama generated a lot of buzz and a fairly impressive box office performance, and it wouldn’t be crazy to wonder if nominations for Zendaya (Best Actress), Josh O’Connor (Best Supporting Actor), and Justin Kuritzkes (Best Original Screenplay) are possible. Ok, they’re admittedly pretty unlikely, but we do predict that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross should be nominated for their pounding electronic score. The film is now available to stream on Prime Video.
“Challengers,” which hails from director Luca Guadagnino, is about a bizarre love triangle between Tashi (Zendaya), a tennis phenom whose career was derailed by an injury, her husband Art (Mike Faist), who became a superstar under her tutelage but is exhausted by his life,...
“Challengers,” which hails from director Luca Guadagnino, is about a bizarre love triangle between Tashi (Zendaya), a tennis phenom whose career was derailed by an injury, her husband Art (Mike Faist), who became a superstar under her tutelage but is exhausted by his life,...
- 9/20/2024
- by Liam Mathews
- Gold Derby
Now that the fall festivals of Toronto, Venice and Telluride have concluded, a number of anticipated awards season hopefuls have now premiered in front of audiences and critics. Some films that were at one point considered strong contenders are being reevaluated, while other films that were outside of prognosticators’ radars are suddenly looking likely to pick up a nod or two come Oscar nominations morning.
“Joker: Folie à Deux” received a somewhat mixed response in Venice. While critics have generally respected the new tonal direction of the sequel, most agree that it’s not quite as good as the first, which notably won the Golden Lion at Venice in 2019. As a result, the film has dropped out of the top ten in Gold Derby’s combined odds for Best Picture (15th at the time of writing), while star Joaquin Phoenix has dropped out of the top five for Best Actor (now 7th). Lady Gaga,...
“Joker: Folie à Deux” received a somewhat mixed response in Venice. While critics have generally respected the new tonal direction of the sequel, most agree that it’s not quite as good as the first, which notably won the Golden Lion at Venice in 2019. As a result, the film has dropped out of the top ten in Gold Derby’s combined odds for Best Picture (15th at the time of writing), while star Joaquin Phoenix has dropped out of the top five for Best Actor (now 7th). Lady Gaga,...
- 9/20/2024
- by Sebastian Ochoa Mendoza
- Gold Derby
Getting too close to the TV may not make you go blind, but it will suck you in. After a classmate and fellow troubled teen introduces him to a mysterious late-night show that shows a supernatural world beyond and beneath their own, Owen, in the pale glow of the TV, begins to question his reality and identity. Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine star in the A24 psychodrama “I Saw the TV Glow,” which has its streaming premiere on Friday, Sept. 20 on Max, followed by its linear TV debut on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 11:30 p.m. Et on HBO. You can watch on the 20th with 7-Day Free Trial of Max.
How to Watch “I Saw the TV Glow” When: Friday, Sept. 20, 2024 Where: Max Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Max. 7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month via amazon.com About “I Saw the TV Glow”
Written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun...
How to Watch “I Saw the TV Glow” When: Friday, Sept. 20, 2024 Where: Max Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Max. 7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month via amazon.com About “I Saw the TV Glow”
Written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun...
- 9/20/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
If the 2025 Oscars nominations were announced today, what would Gold Derby predict as the nominees and winners? Our predictions center officially opened on July 1, 2024 and already more than 3,900 people have made their forecasts in the categories for picture, directing, acting, writing and animation. So who’s out front to claim these golden trophies, according to the Gold Derby Oscar predictions 2025?
Below, see a snapshot in time of our racetrack odds for the 97th Academy Awards, updated on September 19, 2024. See how the odds and rankings have changed over time by examining our previous Oscar snapshots on July 3, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 29, August 6, August 19, August 28 and September 11.
Now expected to receive a nomination since the last update: Nicole Kidman in Best Actress for A24’s erotic thriller “Babygirl”; Selena Gomez in Best Supporting Actress for Netflix’s musical crime comedy “Emilia Perez”; Guy Pearce in Best Supporting Actor for A24’s historical...
Below, see a snapshot in time of our racetrack odds for the 97th Academy Awards, updated on September 19, 2024. See how the odds and rankings have changed over time by examining our previous Oscar snapshots on July 3, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 29, August 6, August 19, August 28 and September 11.
Now expected to receive a nomination since the last update: Nicole Kidman in Best Actress for A24’s erotic thriller “Babygirl”; Selena Gomez in Best Supporting Actress for Netflix’s musical crime comedy “Emilia Perez”; Guy Pearce in Best Supporting Actor for A24’s historical...
- 9/19/2024
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
In the 12 weeks since Gold Derby’s 2025 Oscars predictions center launched, over 3,800 users have made their nominee picks in nine major categories. The season’s most significant period of change so far coincided with the conduction of the annual Venice, Telluride, and Toronto film festivals, the awards portions of which have given the general public a clearer idea of which movies will ultimately appeal to academy voters.
One of the past week’s most interesting developments was the surprising coronation of “The Life of Chuck” as the Toronto festival’s newest People’s Choice Award winner. Many believed runners-up “Anora” and “Emilia Pérez” had better shots at the coveted prize, but neither ended up in the position to directly follow “American Fiction” as the 13th such honoree in a row to earn Best Picture and Screenplay Oscar nominations. Since being added to our predictions center last Sunday, “The Life of Chuck...
One of the past week’s most interesting developments was the surprising coronation of “The Life of Chuck” as the Toronto festival’s newest People’s Choice Award winner. Many believed runners-up “Anora” and “Emilia Pérez” had better shots at the coveted prize, but neither ended up in the position to directly follow “American Fiction” as the 13th such honoree in a row to earn Best Picture and Screenplay Oscar nominations. Since being added to our predictions center last Sunday, “The Life of Chuck...
- 9/19/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Nach seiner Weltpremiere auf dem Telluride Film Festival startet Malcolm Washingtons „The Piano Lesson“ am 22. November bei Netflix. Das Schauspieler-Ensemble wird bei der Verleihung der Gotham Awards am 2. Dezember ausgezeichnet.
John David Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Potts und Ray Fisher (v.l.n.r.) in „The Piano Lesson” (Credit: David Lee/Netflix)
Bei der 34. Verleihung der Gotham Awards am 2. Dezember, dem inoffiziellen Start in die Awards-Season, wird der Cast von Malcolm Washingtons „The Piano Lesson”, zu dem u.a. Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins und Erykah Badu gehören, mit dem Gotham Awards Ensemble Tribute geehrt.
„The Piano Lesson” basiert auf dem gleichnamigen Theaterstück von August Wilson und spielt 1936 in Pittsburgh kurz nach der großen Wirtschaftskrise zu Beginn der 1930er Jahre. Erzählt wird die Geschichte der Familie Charles, in deren Haushalt sich ein altes Klavier befindet. Von versklavten Vorfahren der Familie...
John David Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Potts und Ray Fisher (v.l.n.r.) in „The Piano Lesson” (Credit: David Lee/Netflix)
Bei der 34. Verleihung der Gotham Awards am 2. Dezember, dem inoffiziellen Start in die Awards-Season, wird der Cast von Malcolm Washingtons „The Piano Lesson”, zu dem u.a. Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins und Erykah Badu gehören, mit dem Gotham Awards Ensemble Tribute geehrt.
„The Piano Lesson” basiert auf dem gleichnamigen Theaterstück von August Wilson und spielt 1936 in Pittsburgh kurz nach der großen Wirtschaftskrise zu Beginn der 1930er Jahre. Erzählt wird die Geschichte der Familie Charles, in deren Haushalt sich ein altes Klavier befindet. Von versklavten Vorfahren der Familie...
- 9/19/2024
- by Jochen Müller
- Spot - Media & Film
With “The Piano Lesson,” John David Washington had the rare acting opportunity to interpret August Wilson’s classic text for the stage in Broadway’s 2022 revival and now again in Netflix’s new feature adaptation, due Nov. 22.
Speaking with TheWrap as part of our TIFF 2024 interview and photo studio, Washington shared that playing Boy Willie on both stage and screen was “a liberating experience.” It helped, too, that he was led behind the camera by his brother Malcolm Washington, who makes his feature film directorial debut with “The Piano Lesson.”
“[It was] a liberating experience, given my reverence and my respect for the our filmmaker, for our director, our leader — what he envisioned, how he wanted to open up this story cinematically,” John David told TheWrap.
Speaking alongside co-stars Danielle Deadwyler, Corey Hawkins, Ray Fisher and Michael Potts (the latter two of whom also starred in the Broadway revival), John David celebrated...
Speaking with TheWrap as part of our TIFF 2024 interview and photo studio, Washington shared that playing Boy Willie on both stage and screen was “a liberating experience.” It helped, too, that he was led behind the camera by his brother Malcolm Washington, who makes his feature film directorial debut with “The Piano Lesson.”
“[It was] a liberating experience, given my reverence and my respect for the our filmmaker, for our director, our leader — what he envisioned, how he wanted to open up this story cinematically,” John David told TheWrap.
Speaking alongside co-stars Danielle Deadwyler, Corey Hawkins, Ray Fisher and Michael Potts (the latter two of whom also starred in the Broadway revival), John David celebrated...
- 9/19/2024
- by Benjamin Lindsay
- The Wrap
The Gotham Film and Media Institute announced on September 18 that it will present its special Ensemble Tribute Award to the cast of “The Piano Lesson,” which includes John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins and Erykah Badu. The film, set in 1936, tells the story of a Pittsburgh family brought together — and nearly torn apart — by a precious family heirloom. It’s based on the play by August Wilson, whose works “Fences” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” have also recently been adapted for the screen.
Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham, said in a statement, “‘The Piano Lesson’ is a stunning adaptation, bringing August Wilson’s play to life with captivating cinematic artistry. The remarkable talent, effort, and chemistry of this brilliant ensemble cast forms the heart of the film, elevating its touching story of family legacy. It’s precisely this kind of...
Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham, said in a statement, “‘The Piano Lesson’ is a stunning adaptation, bringing August Wilson’s play to life with captivating cinematic artistry. The remarkable talent, effort, and chemistry of this brilliant ensemble cast forms the heart of the film, elevating its touching story of family legacy. It’s precisely this kind of...
- 9/18/2024
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Gotham Film & Media Institute will honour the cast of Malcolm Washington’s recent Telluride world premiere The Piano Lesson with its 2024 Gotham Awards Ensemble Tribute.
The honour will be bestowed at the 34th Annual Gotham Awards ceremony in New York on December 2.
The Piano Lesson cast includes Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins, and Erykah Badu.
Based on the play by August Wilson, the film is set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression and follows the Charles family and the piano heirloom documenting their history through carvings made by their enslaved ancestor.
The honour will be bestowed at the 34th Annual Gotham Awards ceremony in New York on December 2.
The Piano Lesson cast includes Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins, and Erykah Badu.
Based on the play by August Wilson, the film is set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression and follows the Charles family and the piano heirloom documenting their history through carvings made by their enslaved ancestor.
- 9/18/2024
- ScreenDaily
The Gotham Awards said Wednesday that it will honor Netflix’s The Piano Lesson with the 2024 Gotham Awards Ensemble Tribute during the 34th annual awards ceremony December 2 in New York City.
The Piano Lesson, directed by Malcolm Washington and co-written by Washington and Virgil Williams based on the famed play by August Wilson, features a cast that includes Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins, and Erykah Badu.
Set in 1936 Pittsburgh just after 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 documents the family history through carvings made by their enslaved ancestor.
Related: 2024-25 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Oscars, Grammys, Guilds & More
The pic just had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival. It is set to premiere in select theaters on November 8 before...
The Piano Lesson, directed by Malcolm Washington and co-written by Washington and Virgil Williams based on the famed play by August Wilson, features a cast that includes Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins, and Erykah Badu.
Set in 1936 Pittsburgh just after 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 documents the family history through carvings made by their enslaved ancestor.
Related: 2024-25 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Oscars, Grammys, Guilds & More
The pic just had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival. It is set to premiere in select theaters on November 8 before...
- 9/18/2024
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The cast of Malcolm Washington’s Netflix film The Piano Lesson — John David Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins and Erykah Badu — will receive an Ensemble Tribute at the 2024 Gotham Awards ceremony, the Gotham Film & Media Institute announced Wednesday.
This honor — and a number of others still to be announced — will be presented during a gala dinner celebrating the 34th annual Gotham Awards at Cipriani Wall Street in New York on Monday, Dec. 2.
Recipients of the Ensemble Tribute, which was first introduced in 2005 “to recognize talented casts whose artistry and chemistry captivate audiences on the big screen,” have included The Hurt Locker, Babel, Winter’s Bone, Moonlight, The Favourite and The Trial of the Chicago 7.
“The Piano Lesson is a stunning adaptation, bringing August Wilson’s play to life with captivating cinematic artistry,” Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute,...
This honor — and a number of others still to be announced — will be presented during a gala dinner celebrating the 34th annual Gotham Awards at Cipriani Wall Street in New York on Monday, Dec. 2.
Recipients of the Ensemble Tribute, which was first introduced in 2005 “to recognize talented casts whose artistry and chemistry captivate audiences on the big screen,” have included The Hurt Locker, Babel, Winter’s Bone, Moonlight, The Favourite and The Trial of the Chicago 7.
“The Piano Lesson is a stunning adaptation, bringing August Wilson’s play to life with captivating cinematic artistry,” Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute,...
- 9/18/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There wasn’t much of a chance that any of the new movies would give Tim Burton and Michael Keaton‘s reunion for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” a run for the top spot. Read on for the weekend box office report.
Sure enough, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” was the number-one movie for a second weekend in a row with $51.6 million, down 54% from its opening weekend, bringing its domestic total to $188 million in North America. Overseas, it added another $28.7 million, which helped bring its international total to $76.3 million and worldwide box office to $264.3 million. We’re definitely going to have to wait to see how well this holds up against upcoming movies like “Transformers One.”
James McAvoy starred in the Blumhouse remake of the Danish horror film “Speak No Evil,” which Universal released into 3,375 theaters with strong reviews, currently at 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite a strong premise, the latest Blumhouse only brought in $1.3 million in...
Sure enough, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” was the number-one movie for a second weekend in a row with $51.6 million, down 54% from its opening weekend, bringing its domestic total to $188 million in North America. Overseas, it added another $28.7 million, which helped bring its international total to $76.3 million and worldwide box office to $264.3 million. We’re definitely going to have to wait to see how well this holds up against upcoming movies like “Transformers One.”
James McAvoy starred in the Blumhouse remake of the Danish horror film “Speak No Evil,” which Universal released into 3,375 theaters with strong reviews, currently at 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite a strong premise, the latest Blumhouse only brought in $1.3 million in...
- 9/15/2024
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
“The Piano Lesson” director Malcolm Washington wasn’t “trying to dishonor August [Wilson] in any way, but we were trying to tell the story for modern audiences in a way that I think communicates and articulates clearly visually,” as opposed to how it’s experienced on stage. He discussed the film, about a Black family in 1930s Pittsburgh and the title family heirloom that divides them, at a special screening and Q&a in New York City on September 12. He was joined by producer Todd Black, executive producer Katia Washington, and actors John David Washington and Danielle Deadwyler.
SEETelluride: ‘The Piano Lesson’ wins raves for Danielle Deadwyler
Malcolm continued, “This work is so layered, right? There’s so many elements at play here. There’s a lot of tones at play. There’s a lot of subtext in-between the lines, and we wanted to honor that and bring it out visually.
SEETelluride: ‘The Piano Lesson’ wins raves for Danielle Deadwyler
Malcolm continued, “This work is so layered, right? There’s so many elements at play here. There’s a lot of tones at play. There’s a lot of subtext in-between the lines, and we wanted to honor that and bring it out visually.
- 9/13/2024
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
The Hamptons International Film Festival has officially unveiled its full lineup, as IndieWire can announce.
The beloved Hiff has added a slew of buzzy features for its 2024 program, as presented by HamptonsFilm and Regina K. Scully’s Artemis Rising Foundation. This year, 45 percent of the featured films are directed by women and represent 50 countries from around the world. The festival will screen 86 features and 61 shorts with 8 World Premieres, 5 North American Premieres, 11 U.S. Premieres, 9 East Coast Premieres, and 20 New York Premieres, including the New York debuts of “Conclave,” “Bird,” and “The End.”
Festival favorites such as “Emilia Peréz,” “Maria,” and “The Room Next Door” are among the highlights of the new titles.
As previously announced, the festival will open October 4 with the East Coast Premiere of R.J. Cutler’s documentary feature “Martha” about Martha Stewart. The festival will also host the East Coast Premiere of Netflix’s “The Piano Lesson...
The beloved Hiff has added a slew of buzzy features for its 2024 program, as presented by HamptonsFilm and Regina K. Scully’s Artemis Rising Foundation. This year, 45 percent of the featured films are directed by women and represent 50 countries from around the world. The festival will screen 86 features and 61 shorts with 8 World Premieres, 5 North American Premieres, 11 U.S. Premieres, 9 East Coast Premieres, and 20 New York Premieres, including the New York debuts of “Conclave,” “Bird,” and “The End.”
Festival favorites such as “Emilia Peréz,” “Maria,” and “The Room Next Door” are among the highlights of the new titles.
As previously announced, the festival will open October 4 with the East Coast Premiere of R.J. Cutler’s documentary feature “Martha” about Martha Stewart. The festival will also host the East Coast Premiere of Netflix’s “The Piano Lesson...
- 9/12/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Toronto film festival: fantastic performances from Danielle Deadwyler and Samuel L Jackson enliven a soulful, if imbalanced, Netflix adaptation
The Piano Lesson is the third film, after Fences and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, that Denzel Washington has produced from playwright August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle. It’s also the finest. And this time, it’s a family affair.
The film stars Washington’s oldest son, John David, and is directed by his youngest, Malcolm. His daughters, Katia and Olivia, are also involved, as producer and actor in a small role respectively. And as the credits roll, there’s a dedication to the children’s mother, Pauletta. Call it projection, but it’s hard not to get sentimental about the kids getting together to grapple with this story. The Piano Lesson is about siblings fighting over the legacy their parents and ancestors passed down to them.
The Piano Lesson is the third film, after Fences and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, that Denzel Washington has produced from playwright August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle. It’s also the finest. And this time, it’s a family affair.
The film stars Washington’s oldest son, John David, and is directed by his youngest, Malcolm. His daughters, Katia and Olivia, are also involved, as producer and actor in a small role respectively. And as the credits roll, there’s a dedication to the children’s mother, Pauletta. Call it projection, but it’s hard not to get sentimental about the kids getting together to grapple with this story. The Piano Lesson is about siblings fighting over the legacy their parents and ancestors passed down to them.
- 9/11/2024
- by Radheyan Simonpillai in Toronto
- The Guardian - Film News
If the 2025 Oscars nominations were announced today, what would Gold Derby predict would be the nominees and winners? Our predictions center officially opened on July 1, 2024 and already more than 3,500 people have made their nominations forecasts in the nine top categories for picture, directing, acting, writing and animation. So who’s out front to claim these golden trophies, according to the Gold Derby Oscar predictions 2025?
Below, see a snapshot in time of our Oscar racetrack odds, updated on September 11, 2024.
Now expected to receive a nomination since the last update: “The Brutalist” in Best Picture, Angelina Jolie (“Maria”) and Saoirse Ronan (“The Outrun”) in Best Actress, Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”) and Daniel Craig (“Queer”) in Best Actor, and “Saturday Night” in Best Original Screenplay. Plus, take a gander at the initial lineup for the Best Animated Feature race, where the five expected nominees, as of this writing, are “The Wild Robot,” “Inside Out 2,...
Below, see a snapshot in time of our Oscar racetrack odds, updated on September 11, 2024.
Now expected to receive a nomination since the last update: “The Brutalist” in Best Picture, Angelina Jolie (“Maria”) and Saoirse Ronan (“The Outrun”) in Best Actress, Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”) and Daniel Craig (“Queer”) in Best Actor, and “Saturday Night” in Best Original Screenplay. Plus, take a gander at the initial lineup for the Best Animated Feature race, where the five expected nominees, as of this writing, are “The Wild Robot,” “Inside Out 2,...
- 9/11/2024
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Malcolm Washington is hitting the red carpet at the premiere of his directorial debut!
Malcolm, 33, premiered his new Netflix movie The Piano Lesson at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival on Tuesday (September 10) held at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, Canada.
Supporting Malcolm at the premiere were his parents Denzel and Pauletta Washington, sister Katia, and brother John David, who appears in the movie.
Cast members in attendance also included Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Skylar Aleece Smith, Danielle Deadwyler, Corey Hawkins, and Gail Bean.
Here’s the movie’s synopsis from Netflix: “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 documents the family history through carvings made by their enslaved ancestor.”
The Piano Lesson comes to select theaters on November 8 and will be released on Netflix...
Malcolm, 33, premiered his new Netflix movie The Piano Lesson at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival on Tuesday (September 10) held at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, Canada.
Supporting Malcolm at the premiere were his parents Denzel and Pauletta Washington, sister Katia, and brother John David, who appears in the movie.
Cast members in attendance also included Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Skylar Aleece Smith, Danielle Deadwyler, Corey Hawkins, and Gail Bean.
Here’s the movie’s synopsis from Netflix: “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 documents the family history through carvings made by their enslaved ancestor.”
The Piano Lesson comes to select theaters on November 8 and will be released on Netflix...
- 9/11/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Denzel Washington is proud of his children. Why wouldn’t he be? His youngest son, Malcolm Washington, just premiered his directorial debut with an adaptation of August Wilson’s play, “The Piano Lesson,” which he co-wrote with Virgil Williams. In addition, the film stars his Denzel’s eldest son, John David Washington, with his sister Katia serving as executive producer and Malcolm’s twin sister Olivia, also having a role in the movie.
Washington has been designated the custodian of Wilson’s legacy by Constanza Romero, and with it, he has an overall deal with Netflix to produce all of Wilson’s 10-play Pittsburgh Cycle, also known as “The Century Cycle.” Set across several decades of the 20th century, it chronicles the experience and heritage of the African American community.
His longtime producing partner, Todd Black, has collaborated with him for years on various projects, including the first three Wilson...
Washington has been designated the custodian of Wilson’s legacy by Constanza Romero, and with it, he has an overall deal with Netflix to produce all of Wilson’s 10-play Pittsburgh Cycle, also known as “The Century Cycle.” Set across several decades of the 20th century, it chronicles the experience and heritage of the African American community.
His longtime producing partner, Todd Black, has collaborated with him for years on various projects, including the first three Wilson...
- 9/10/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The first time Malcolm Washington attended the Toronto International Film Festival, he was a spectator, along for the ride as his older brother, actor John David Washington, debuted a film.
“I’m a movie lover — like, I’m a student of the game and a fan first, so I was watching a bunch of movies. I remember sitting there like, ‘I hope I get to experience this on the other side of it,’ Malcolm Washington tells Variety. That memory sprang to mind when he learned that “The Piano Lesson,” his film adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play and his feature directorial debut, had been selected for TIFF. “It’s surreal.’”
When the Netflix film makes its international premiere on Tuesday night at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Malcolm won’t take the “seasoned vet approach.” He plans to sit through the screening. “You make movies for audiences — to connect with people,...
“I’m a movie lover — like, I’m a student of the game and a fan first, so I was watching a bunch of movies. I remember sitting there like, ‘I hope I get to experience this on the other side of it,’ Malcolm Washington tells Variety. That memory sprang to mind when he learned that “The Piano Lesson,” his film adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play and his feature directorial debut, had been selected for TIFF. “It’s surreal.’”
When the Netflix film makes its international premiere on Tuesday night at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Malcolm won’t take the “seasoned vet approach.” He plans to sit through the screening. “You make movies for audiences — to connect with people,...
- 9/10/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Denzel Washington is paying homage to the late actor James Earl Jones, who died this week at 93.
“He’s my hero,” Washington tells Variety. “My college theater career started because of ‘The Emperor Jones’ and ‘Othello’ with James Earl Jones.”
Jones starred in the stage adaptation of Eugene O’Neill’s play “The Emperor Jones” in 1971 and played the titular “Othello” in Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival and later Off-Broadway production in 1964.
A larger-than-life titan in film, TV, and theater, Jones was most recognizable for his unmistakable baritone voice, which he used to portray the villainous Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” franchise and King Mufasa in the animated classic “The Lion King.”
Washington continues, “I wasn’t going to be as big as him. I wanted to sound like him. He was everything to me as a budding actor. He was who I wanted to be.”
In a 1998 interview,...
“He’s my hero,” Washington tells Variety. “My college theater career started because of ‘The Emperor Jones’ and ‘Othello’ with James Earl Jones.”
Jones starred in the stage adaptation of Eugene O’Neill’s play “The Emperor Jones” in 1971 and played the titular “Othello” in Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival and later Off-Broadway production in 1964.
A larger-than-life titan in film, TV, and theater, Jones was most recognizable for his unmistakable baritone voice, which he used to portray the villainous Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” franchise and King Mufasa in the animated classic “The Lion King.”
Washington continues, “I wasn’t going to be as big as him. I wanted to sound like him. He was everything to me as a budding actor. He was who I wanted to be.”
In a 1998 interview,...
- 9/10/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Producers of 40 Acres, a dystopian thriller starring Danielle Deadwyler that had its world premiere at TIFF, have addressed cost overruns during the movie’s production a year ago that led to some local crew and vendors being left unpaid, according to the U.S.-based union IATSE.
“We had cost overruns on the production. It’s a big, wonderful movie financed almost entirely out of Canada, but we made payroll every week and in a timely manner,” the film’s producer, Jennifer Holness, told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, some vendors remain unpaid. We take this matter seriously and have been working tirelessly with independent accountants to address all approved costs and we have kept vendors informed that we remain committed to paying them also,” Holness added.
On the heels of 40 Acres bowing at TIFF, IATSE issued a statement indicating the film’s producers had yet to...
“We had cost overruns on the production. It’s a big, wonderful movie financed almost entirely out of Canada, but we made payroll every week and in a timely manner,” the film’s producer, Jennifer Holness, told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, some vendors remain unpaid. We take this matter seriously and have been working tirelessly with independent accountants to address all approved costs and we have kept vendors informed that we remain committed to paying them also,” Holness added.
On the heels of 40 Acres bowing at TIFF, IATSE issued a statement indicating the film’s producers had yet to...
- 9/10/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IATSE has called out the producers of “40 Acres,” a drama that premiered this weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival, saying that almost a year after the film wrapped principal photography crew and vendors have yet to be paid.
Based in Ontario, Canada, IATSE Local 634 issued a formal statement to members on September 6, the same night that “40 Acres” made its TIFF world premiere. The union local said there are “significant outstanding payments to its employees and vendors” and it is “profoundly disappointing” that the film is screening at a major festival despite the unpaid crew.
“The actions of this production company are highly troubling and highlights their disregard for professional ethics and responsibility,” IATSE wrote in the statement. “The making of ’40 Acres’ should not have come at the expense of well-being and financial security of its actors, crew, and local businesses who provided their services.”
“40 Acres” is...
Based in Ontario, Canada, IATSE Local 634 issued a formal statement to members on September 6, the same night that “40 Acres” made its TIFF world premiere. The union local said there are “significant outstanding payments to its employees and vendors” and it is “profoundly disappointing” that the film is screening at a major festival despite the unpaid crew.
“The actions of this production company are highly troubling and highlights their disregard for professional ethics and responsibility,” IATSE wrote in the statement. “The making of ’40 Acres’ should not have come at the expense of well-being and financial security of its actors, crew, and local businesses who provided their services.”
“40 Acres” is...
- 9/9/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Ray Fisher made headlines for what he described as Joss Whedon’s "gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable" behaviour on the set of Justice League’s reshoots.
After sending shockwaves through Hollywood, Non-Disclosure Agreements mean the actor has been unable to share specifics for the most part, while WarnerMedia’s underwhelming conclusion from their investigation failed to shed any light on the repercussions for those involved (Fisher has frequently mentioned Geoff Johns and Jon Berg for allegedly being complicit in Whedon’s actions).
Whedon's career is seemingly over after similar claims of abusive behaviour surfaced and Fisher has largely moved on, something he acknowledged while discussing his role as Lymon, the best friend of lead character Boy Willie Charles, played by John David Washington, in Netflix's The Piano Lesson.
"What helped this entire process is, I’ve got to give it up to August Wilson," the Rebel Moon actor explained.
After sending shockwaves through Hollywood, Non-Disclosure Agreements mean the actor has been unable to share specifics for the most part, while WarnerMedia’s underwhelming conclusion from their investigation failed to shed any light on the repercussions for those involved (Fisher has frequently mentioned Geoff Johns and Jon Berg for allegedly being complicit in Whedon’s actions).
Whedon's career is seemingly over after similar claims of abusive behaviour surfaced and Fisher has largely moved on, something he acknowledged while discussing his role as Lymon, the best friend of lead character Boy Willie Charles, played by John David Washington, in Netflix's The Piano Lesson.
"What helped this entire process is, I’ve got to give it up to August Wilson," the Rebel Moon actor explained.
- 9/9/2024
- ComicBookMovie.com
Ray Fisher ignites the screen as Lymon, the best friend of lead character Boy Willie Charles, played by John David Washington, in Netflix’s period drama “The Piano Lesson.” His portrayal has even sparked some early Oscar buzz.
Fisher’s last few years have been challenging following his public dispute with “Justice League” director Joss Whedon and former DC Films president Walter Hamada. But this project offers Fisher a chance to move forward.
“What helped this entire process is, I’ve got to give it up to August Wilson,” Fisher said during an interview at the Variety Studio, sponsored by J.Crew and SharkNinja, at the Toronto International Film Festival. “The juxtaposition that existed within the piece, within the character. I think there’s a little of Lymon Jackson in all of us. There’s an innocence about him in this piece that many lose as time passes, especially when you endure such hardship.
Fisher’s last few years have been challenging following his public dispute with “Justice League” director Joss Whedon and former DC Films president Walter Hamada. But this project offers Fisher a chance to move forward.
“What helped this entire process is, I’ve got to give it up to August Wilson,” Fisher said during an interview at the Variety Studio, sponsored by J.Crew and SharkNinja, at the Toronto International Film Festival. “The juxtaposition that existed within the piece, within the character. I think there’s a little of Lymon Jackson in all of us. There’s an innocence about him in this piece that many lose as time passes, especially when you endure such hardship.
- 9/8/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The Variety and Chanel Female Filmmakers Dinner brought together an A-list lineup of Hollywood stars and creatives including Andrew Garfield, Elizabeth Olsen, “Nightbitch” director Marielle Heller (who attended this event mere moments before her film’s premiere), Danielle Deadwyler, Barry Keoghan and more for a vibrant night amidst the Toronto Film Festival. The vibe was electric, with drinks flowing, delicious food on hand and a spontaneous game of “Two Truths and a Lie” breaking out.
The event, which took place at Soho House Toronto, featured a cocktail hour downstairs before a three-course dinner on the second floor of the social club. Inside, the hotly anticipated “Saturday Night” film cast Cory Michael Smith, Lamorne Morris, Ella Hunt and Dylan O’Brien stopped in before their Tuesday night premiere. The film, a hot title at TIFF, is set within the chaotic 90 minutes before the first episode of “SNL” aired in 1975. The group mingled...
The event, which took place at Soho House Toronto, featured a cocktail hour downstairs before a three-course dinner on the second floor of the social club. Inside, the hotly anticipated “Saturday Night” film cast Cory Michael Smith, Lamorne Morris, Ella Hunt and Dylan O’Brien stopped in before their Tuesday night premiere. The film, a hot title at TIFF, is set within the chaotic 90 minutes before the first episode of “SNL” aired in 1975. The group mingled...
- 9/8/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
For as long as Danielle Deadwyler has had to wait to take the lead in an action film like “40 Acres,” it takes far less time for the “Till” star to demonstrate the full range of her strengths. Given the kind of introduction usually reserved for the likes of Clint Eastwood or Bruce Willis as a camera runs up her back, only to reveal her face after plunging a knife into an intruder on her property, it just hits differently when a Black woman is presented with such power, and though R.T. Thorne’s dynamic siege thriller has some familiar moves, it is full of fresh ideas.
Set in a dystopian future where the animal population has been wiped out 14 years earlier because of a fungal pandemic, “40 Acres” shows a new world order: Farmers who can produce their own crops hold their own while others shuffle along for survival...
Set in a dystopian future where the animal population has been wiped out 14 years earlier because of a fungal pandemic, “40 Acres” shows a new world order: Farmers who can produce their own crops hold their own while others shuffle along for survival...
- 9/8/2024
- by Stephen Saito
- Variety Film + TV
By Sunday morning US acquisitions activity at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was starting to grind through the gears.
Buyers were understood to be circling Mike Flanagan’s Stephen King adaptation The Life Of Chuck and David Gordon Green’s festive festival opener Nutcrackers, while A24 announced at the start of the day its US buy on Brady Corbet’s Venice Silver Lion winner The Brutalist.
The Life Of Chuck stars Tom Hiddleston and is a drama, despite the heavyweight horror credentials of King and Flanagan. It premiered on Friday and played again as a P&i and public screening on Saturday,...
Buyers were understood to be circling Mike Flanagan’s Stephen King adaptation The Life Of Chuck and David Gordon Green’s festive festival opener Nutcrackers, while A24 announced at the start of the day its US buy on Brady Corbet’s Venice Silver Lion winner The Brutalist.
The Life Of Chuck stars Tom Hiddleston and is a drama, despite the heavyweight horror credentials of King and Flanagan. It premiered on Friday and played again as a P&i and public screening on Saturday,...
- 9/8/2024
- ScreenDaily
The thriller film “40 Acres” will make its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The movie tells the story of a family struggling to survive in a post-collapse society and protect their farmland. Director R.T. Thorne started developing the idea six years ago but the Covid-19 pandemic also influenced his vision.
The movie stars Danielle Deadwyler as Hailey Freeman, a former soldier who now protects her rural home with her partner, played by Michael Greyeyes. Hailey’s eldest son, portrayed by Kataem O’Connor, wants a different life, causing tension. Set in Northern Ontario, the Freeman family defends their 40 acres of land from an organized militia aiming to take it over.
Thorne says the story explores important themes like land ownership during crises and the divide between generations. He wanted to show how parents prepare kids for hard times ahead. A key plot focuses on Hailey advocating...
The movie stars Danielle Deadwyler as Hailey Freeman, a former soldier who now protects her rural home with her partner, played by Michael Greyeyes. Hailey’s eldest son, portrayed by Kataem O’Connor, wants a different life, causing tension. Set in Northern Ontario, the Freeman family defends their 40 acres of land from an organized militia aiming to take it over.
Thorne says the story explores important themes like land ownership during crises and the divide between generations. He wanted to show how parents prepare kids for hard times ahead. A key plot focuses on Hailey advocating...
- 9/7/2024
- by Naser Nahandian
- Gazettely
There is a good chance that if Danielle Deadwyler was actually faced with an apocalypse, she’d be able to navigate the chaos of it all with the same poise that she does in “40 Acres.”
At least, her latest resolute-yet-vulnerable performance certainly makes the case for it. Alongside the great Michael Greyeyes, she gives this post-apocalyptic family drama a sense of gravity just as she is able to leap into action when bloody battles ensue.
Though Deadwyler has already gained acclaim for her work on everything from “Till” to this year’s “The Piano Lesson,” “40 Acres” lets her flex other genre muscles while never missing a step in her acting. Even as she’s been outstanding in the series “Station Eleven,” which was also about the end of the world, this newest project is more confined while still having plenty to chew on about civilization’s collapse.
Specifically,...
At least, her latest resolute-yet-vulnerable performance certainly makes the case for it. Alongside the great Michael Greyeyes, she gives this post-apocalyptic family drama a sense of gravity just as she is able to leap into action when bloody battles ensue.
Though Deadwyler has already gained acclaim for her work on everything from “Till” to this year’s “The Piano Lesson,” “40 Acres” lets her flex other genre muscles while never missing a step in her acting. Even as she’s been outstanding in the series “Station Eleven,” which was also about the end of the world, this newest project is more confined while still having plenty to chew on about civilization’s collapse.
Specifically,...
- 9/7/2024
- by Chase Hutchinson
- The Wrap
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, The Perfect Couple and Rebel Ridge.
Rebel Ridge special screening
Netflix hosted a special screening at the Egyptian Theatre on Tuesday to celebrate the upcoming release of Rebel Ridge, in partnership with Beyond Fest. Stars Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson and AnnaSophia Robb attended.
Aaron Pierre, AnnaSophia Robb, Jeremy Saulnier and Don Johnson Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist premiere
Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson, Taraji P. Henson, Don Cheadle and Terrence Howard walked the carpet at the NYC premiere of their new Peacock series
Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson, Taraji P. Henson and Will Packer Kevin Hart The Perfect Couple premiere
Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Eve Hewson and Meghann Fahy debuted their Netflix murder mystery series on Wednesday, alongside EPs Susanne Bier,...
Rebel Ridge special screening
Netflix hosted a special screening at the Egyptian Theatre on Tuesday to celebrate the upcoming release of Rebel Ridge, in partnership with Beyond Fest. Stars Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson and AnnaSophia Robb attended.
Aaron Pierre, AnnaSophia Robb, Jeremy Saulnier and Don Johnson Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist premiere
Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson, Taraji P. Henson, Don Cheadle and Terrence Howard walked the carpet at the NYC premiere of their new Peacock series
Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson, Taraji P. Henson and Will Packer Kevin Hart The Perfect Couple premiere
Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Eve Hewson and Meghann Fahy debuted their Netflix murder mystery series on Wednesday, alongside EPs Susanne Bier,...
- 9/6/2024
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In his dystopian thriller 40 Acres, director R.T. Thorne tells the story of Hailey Freeman, a mother played by Danielle Deadwyler, and her eldest son (Kataem O’Connor) as they hold opposing beliefs about how to survive the end of the world.
Set in a famine-decimated future, Hailey is a fiercely protective ex-military matriarch leading descendants of a Black family of farmers who settled in Canada after the American Civil War. Haunted by the murder of her father, Hailey seeks total isolation as she tells her children to stay on the farm to battle an organized militia looking to violently seize their 40 acres.
But Hailey’s son Emanuel, rebelling against his family’s seclusion, has other ideas. He wants to explore the world and seek alliances after meeting a young woman from a nearby farm, played by Milcania Diaz-Rojas, in the forest beyond his farm’s perimeter. Thorne argues that 40 Acres,...
Set in a famine-decimated future, Hailey is a fiercely protective ex-military matriarch leading descendants of a Black family of farmers who settled in Canada after the American Civil War. Haunted by the murder of her father, Hailey seeks total isolation as she tells her children to stay on the farm to battle an organized militia looking to violently seize their 40 acres.
But Hailey’s son Emanuel, rebelling against his family’s seclusion, has other ideas. He wants to explore the world and seek alliances after meeting a young woman from a nearby farm, played by Milcania Diaz-Rojas, in the forest beyond his farm’s perimeter. Thorne argues that 40 Acres,...
- 9/6/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: The 60th Chicago International Film Festival has named the Netflix film The Piano Lesson as its opener, and the fest award first time director and co-writer Malcolm Washington its Breakthrough Award. The film’s star, John David Washington, will be presented the Spotlight Award “in recognition of the emotional complexity and power he brings to his transfixing performance as Boy Willie.”
The festival opening festivities take place October 16. The Netflix adaptation of the August Wilson play is a Washington family affair. Aside from siblings Malcolm and John David, The Piano Lesson is produced by their father, Denzel Washington, alongside his oft-collaborator Todd Black. Their sister, Katia Washington, is executive producer, and mom, Pauletta Washington, plays the role of Mama Ola.
In the famous Wilson play, a battle brews in the Charles household. At the center stands a prized heirloom piano tearing two siblings apart. On one side, a brother...
The festival opening festivities take place October 16. The Netflix adaptation of the August Wilson play is a Washington family affair. Aside from siblings Malcolm and John David, The Piano Lesson is produced by their father, Denzel Washington, alongside his oft-collaborator Todd Black. Their sister, Katia Washington, is executive producer, and mom, Pauletta Washington, plays the role of Mama Ola.
In the famous Wilson play, a battle brews in the Charles household. At the center stands a prized heirloom piano tearing two siblings apart. On one side, a brother...
- 9/6/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
In August Wilson’s play “The Piano Lesson” — revived on Broadway in 2022, adapted with care and much the same cast for the screen by Malcolm Washington — Berniece hasn’t played the piano since her mother died. It just sits in her living room, reminding her of everything her parents, and their parents before them, endured so that subsequent generations could be free. In literary terms, the piano is a powerful and none-too-subtle symbol, the thing that represents her family’s achievement and sacrifice. Carved into the precious heirloom’s polished wood surface are the faces of her ancestors.
Berniece has an adult brother called Boy Willie, who comes bursting into her house at the top of the play with a plan. Boy Willie believes he can get enough money selling that piano (plus a truck full of watermelons he has parked outside) to buy a piece of the land his family once worked as slaves.
Berniece has an adult brother called Boy Willie, who comes bursting into her house at the top of the play with a plan. Boy Willie believes he can get enough money selling that piano (plus a truck full of watermelons he has parked outside) to buy a piece of the land his family once worked as slaves.
- 9/5/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
On a bright, late summer day in midtown Manhattan, the city’s bustling sidewalk traffic has been brought to a standstill. Clutching morning coffees, a small gaggle of curious onlookers have gathered on a Fifth Avenue corner to watch Danielle Deadwyler pose for a photographer who can’t get enough of the gamine star’s enviable beauty. It helps that Deadwyler, sporting a perilously low-plunging Sportmax sheath dress and demure white patent leather pumps, is putting on quite the show, serving a range of looks — from coquettish to fierce — in rapid-fire succession. “Is she famous,” a tourist, thrilled to be enjoying a New York moment, asks. “Should I know her?”
The answer is a definitive yes. Though not yet a household name, Deadwyler has been delivering the type of performances that garner rapturous praise from critics, co-stars and fans alike. An actor’s actor, she shined as the tortured graphic...
The answer is a definitive yes. Though not yet a household name, Deadwyler has been delivering the type of performances that garner rapturous praise from critics, co-stars and fans alike. An actor’s actor, she shined as the tortured graphic...
- 9/4/2024
- by Lola Ogunnaike
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 2024 Telluride Film Festival was a success on many fronts, delivering packed screenings (and commensurate turnaways) at the big titles booked in the popular venues, with smaller turnouts for docs and classic titles in the less-frequented theaters. Below, IndieWire lays out the festival hits, commercial breakouts, Oscar contenders, and distribution seekers.
Festival Holdovers
The Telluride movies that played best for audiences were already anointed with credibility from prior festival reviews and/or prizes. That includes Cannes prize-winners “Emilia Pérez”, “Anora”, “All We Imagine as Light”, and “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”, the banned Iranian film submitted for Oscar consideration by Germany. All will be strong Oscar contenders, assuming that “All We Imagine as Light” is submitted by India or France for Best International Film, which is not a foregone conclusion. From Sundance was secret screening “A Real Pain” (Searchlight), starring Kieran Culkin and writer/director Jesse Eisenberg, which played...
Festival Holdovers
The Telluride movies that played best for audiences were already anointed with credibility from prior festival reviews and/or prizes. That includes Cannes prize-winners “Emilia Pérez”, “Anora”, “All We Imagine as Light”, and “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”, the banned Iranian film submitted for Oscar consideration by Germany. All will be strong Oscar contenders, assuming that “All We Imagine as Light” is submitted by India or France for Best International Film, which is not a foregone conclusion. From Sundance was secret screening “A Real Pain” (Searchlight), starring Kieran Culkin and writer/director Jesse Eisenberg, which played...
- 9/3/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The 51st edition of the Telluride Film Festival concluded on Labor Day, with three standout films generating significant Oscar buzz: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner “Anora,” Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language musical “Emilia Pérez,” and Jason Reitman’s dark comedy “Saturday Night.”
Distributed by Sony Pictures, “Saturday Night” marks Reitman’s return to both directing and screenwriting, collaborating with co-writer Gil Kenan. While the film takes a high-tension look at the 90 minutes leading up to the first episode of the iconic sketch show “Saturday Night Live,” it has received mixed reactions from critics. However, history has shown that critical reception does not always align with Oscar success, as evidenced by past Best Picture winners like “Green Book” (2018) and “Coda” (2021). The No. 1 rule of Oscar punditry is to remember critics are not Oscar voters.
On the other hand, RaMell Ross’s “Nickel Boys” could be poised to make an impression with both the L.
Distributed by Sony Pictures, “Saturday Night” marks Reitman’s return to both directing and screenwriting, collaborating with co-writer Gil Kenan. While the film takes a high-tension look at the 90 minutes leading up to the first episode of the iconic sketch show “Saturday Night Live,” it has received mixed reactions from critics. However, history has shown that critical reception does not always align with Oscar success, as evidenced by past Best Picture winners like “Green Book” (2018) and “Coda” (2021). The No. 1 rule of Oscar punditry is to remember critics are not Oscar voters.
On the other hand, RaMell Ross’s “Nickel Boys” could be poised to make an impression with both the L.
- 9/3/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
“The Piano Lesson” seems to be hitting all the right Oscar notes.
With Black excellence, impeccable filmmaking, and towering performances, Netflix’s “The Piano Lesson” hit the awards season scene this weekend at the Telluride Film Festival. Debut director Malcolm Washington and stars John David Washington and Danielle Deadwyler were on hand as the film premiered to strong reviews. Given the response and Netflix’s enthusiasm for the project, “The Piano Lesson” could find itself with a best picture nomination.
The latest adaptation from the late playwright August Wilson’s “Century Cycle,” the film is set in 1936 Pittsburgh. It follows the Charles family as they grapple with familial trauma and the (literal) ghosts of their ancestors — it’s a history of violence and cruelty and oppression that are illustrated in the elaborate decorations and designs that have been carved into a piano. And the fate of that family heirloom — whether...
With Black excellence, impeccable filmmaking, and towering performances, Netflix’s “The Piano Lesson” hit the awards season scene this weekend at the Telluride Film Festival. Debut director Malcolm Washington and stars John David Washington and Danielle Deadwyler were on hand as the film premiered to strong reviews. Given the response and Netflix’s enthusiasm for the project, “The Piano Lesson” could find itself with a best picture nomination.
The latest adaptation from the late playwright August Wilson’s “Century Cycle,” the film is set in 1936 Pittsburgh. It follows the Charles family as they grapple with familial trauma and the (literal) ghosts of their ancestors — it’s a history of violence and cruelty and oppression that are illustrated in the elaborate decorations and designs that have been carved into a piano. And the fate of that family heirloom — whether...
- 9/2/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Pauletta Pearson Washington says that the film adaptation of August Wilson’s acclaimed play The Piano Lesson has been a family affair. “All my babies are involved in this,” the actor, musician and philanthropist declares.
“My son directed it,” she says pointing to filmmaker Malcolm Washington, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Virgil Williams.
“And John David’s in it,” Washington adds, referring to her eldest child, the actor John David Washington.
“And so is Olivia, we play the same role at different ages,” she says proudly of daughter Olivia Washington.
“And here’s Katia,” who was seated by her at a cocktail party hosted by Netflix to celebrate the streamer’s roster of movies being screened at the Telluride Film Festival.
Katia is an executive producer of The Piano Lesson.
Pauletta, Malcolm, John David and Katia Washington. Photo by Baz Bamigboye/Deadline
Her husband Denzel Washington is a producer of The Piano Lesson,...
“My son directed it,” she says pointing to filmmaker Malcolm Washington, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Virgil Williams.
“And John David’s in it,” Washington adds, referring to her eldest child, the actor John David Washington.
“And so is Olivia, we play the same role at different ages,” she says proudly of daughter Olivia Washington.
“And here’s Katia,” who was seated by her at a cocktail party hosted by Netflix to celebrate the streamer’s roster of movies being screened at the Telluride Film Festival.
Katia is an executive producer of The Piano Lesson.
Pauletta, Malcolm, John David and Katia Washington. Photo by Baz Bamigboye/Deadline
Her husband Denzel Washington is a producer of The Piano Lesson,...
- 9/2/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
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