Dan Lin’s nonprofit content accelerator for Poc creators is continuing to grow.
Rideback Rise has tapped Diana Mogollón, the founder and former head of Warner Bros.’ Stage 13 digital content studio, to serve as its first-ever CEO. She will take the reins from Rise founding executive director Sabrina Pourmand, who was hired alongside Tracey Bing as head of content in February 2023. Pourmand and Bing will be departing Rise.
“Diana is an inspiring leader with an impressive track record of bringing underrepresented voices to the forefront, as evidenced by her vision and tenacity in building the Stage 13 studio to champion Poc storytellers. On behalf of the Rise board, I’m thrilled Diana is taking the help at Rise and applying her distinct vision, passion and leadership to advancing the Rise mission and working with Rise’s supremely talented storytellers of color to drive narrative change,” said Lin, who stepped down from...
Rideback Rise has tapped Diana Mogollón, the founder and former head of Warner Bros.’ Stage 13 digital content studio, to serve as its first-ever CEO. She will take the reins from Rise founding executive director Sabrina Pourmand, who was hired alongside Tracey Bing as head of content in February 2023. Pourmand and Bing will be departing Rise.
“Diana is an inspiring leader with an impressive track record of bringing underrepresented voices to the forefront, as evidenced by her vision and tenacity in building the Stage 13 studio to champion Poc storytellers. On behalf of the Rise board, I’m thrilled Diana is taking the help at Rise and applying her distinct vision, passion and leadership to advancing the Rise mission and working with Rise’s supremely talented storytellers of color to drive narrative change,” said Lin, who stepped down from...
- 5/23/2024
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Amazon MGM Studios has optioned the film rights to Elizabeth Rose Quinn’s unpublished novel Follow Me, with Adele Lim in negotiations to write and direct. Megha Parekh at Amazon Publishing has also acquired novel rights in a preempt for publication in 2025.
Sue Kroll’s Kroll & Co. are attached to produce the film via the banner’s first-look deal with the studio, along with Lim and Naia Cucukov also negotiating to produce.
Follow Me is a dark thriller described as Heathers meets The Stepford Wives at a mommy influencer retreat in Northern California. It’s a propulsive and witty novel, mixed with the scary social-commentary edge of Black Mirror.
Chelsea Bradshaw and Jessica Pugh are overseeing the project for Kroll & Co.
Deal marks the start of 100 Tigers, a new production company formed by Lim and producer Naia Cucukov. Lim’s work includes Joyride, Crazy Rich Asians, Raya and the Last Dragon,...
Sue Kroll’s Kroll & Co. are attached to produce the film via the banner’s first-look deal with the studio, along with Lim and Naia Cucukov also negotiating to produce.
Follow Me is a dark thriller described as Heathers meets The Stepford Wives at a mommy influencer retreat in Northern California. It’s a propulsive and witty novel, mixed with the scary social-commentary edge of Black Mirror.
Chelsea Bradshaw and Jessica Pugh are overseeing the project for Kroll & Co.
Deal marks the start of 100 Tigers, a new production company formed by Lim and producer Naia Cucukov. Lim’s work includes Joyride, Crazy Rich Asians, Raya and the Last Dragon,...
- 5/8/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, the leading film and television industry organization for Asian and Pacific Islanders, on Monday night presented its second annual Radiance Gala, celebrating the achievements of Asian and Pacific Islander Women and Non-Binary artists, artisans, and leaders in entertainment, presenting honors to actress Sandra Oh, the teams behind Lionsgate‘s Joy Ride and Hulu’s Black Cake, and more.
At the event held at at the Ebell in Los Angeles, Oh was presented with the Luminary Award by Jessica Yu, the director of her 20th/Hulu comedy Quiz Lady. Cast members of Black Cake, including Mia Isaac, Chipo Chung and Simon Wan, joined creator-showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar in accepting the Best in TV Award. Meanwhile, Joy Ride filmmaker Adele Lim was joined by writer-producers Teresa Hsiao and Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, and actors Sherry Cola and Desmond Chiam, in accepting the prize for Best in Film, presented by Baron Davis.
At the event held at at the Ebell in Los Angeles, Oh was presented with the Luminary Award by Jessica Yu, the director of her 20th/Hulu comedy Quiz Lady. Cast members of Black Cake, including Mia Isaac, Chipo Chung and Simon Wan, joined creator-showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar in accepting the Best in TV Award. Meanwhile, Joy Ride filmmaker Adele Lim was joined by writer-producers Teresa Hsiao and Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, and actors Sherry Cola and Desmond Chiam, in accepting the prize for Best in Film, presented by Baron Davis.
- 3/12/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2023 Oscars Predictions:
Best Original Screenplay Past Lives, from left: Teo Yoo, Greta Lee, John Magro, 2023. © A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection
Weekly Commentary: Following its victories at the Golden Globes for best screenplay and the BAFTA for original screenplay, it appears almost inevitable that “Anatomy of a Fall” will secure the Oscar for its co-writers,...
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2023 Oscars Predictions:
Best Original Screenplay Past Lives, from left: Teo Yoo, Greta Lee, John Magro, 2023. © A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection
Weekly Commentary: Following its victories at the Golden Globes for best screenplay and the BAFTA for original screenplay, it appears almost inevitable that “Anatomy of a Fall” will secure the Oscar for its co-writers,...
- 3/7/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best Achievement in Directing The Zone Of Interest, 2023. © A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection
Weekly Commentary: Christopher Nolan… in a walk. It’s not really worth going over any other potential upsets, but if you prefer — Jonathan Glazer for “The Zone of Interest.”
After a year hit with Hollywood...
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best Achievement in Directing The Zone Of Interest, 2023. © A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection
Weekly Commentary: Christopher Nolan… in a walk. It’s not really worth going over any other potential upsets, but if you prefer — Jonathan Glazer for “The Zone of Interest.”
After a year hit with Hollywood...
- 3/7/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Updated, 4:14 p.m.: Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment on Tuesday announced the honorees set for the second edition of its Radiance Gala, celebrating the achievements of Asian and Pacific Islander Women and Non-Binary artists, artisans and leaders in entertainment.
View the list and more information on the event below.
Honorees include:
Luminary Award
Sandra Oh
Julia S. Gouw Next Gen
Madeleine Yuna Voyles (20th Century Studios/New Regency’s The Creator)
Cindy Y. Huang Rising Star Award
Megan Suri (Neon’s It Lives Inside; Netflix’s Never Have I Ever)
Visionary
Fawn Veerasunthorn
Actor in TV
Sarayu Blue (Prime Video’s Expats)
Actor in Film
Ally Maki (Sony Pictures Classics’ Shortcomings; Seagrass)
Best in TV
Black Cake (Hulu)
Actors Mia Isaac, Chipo Chung, Simon Wan, Creator/Showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar are confirmed to attend.
Best...
View the list and more information on the event below.
Honorees include:
Luminary Award
Sandra Oh
Julia S. Gouw Next Gen
Madeleine Yuna Voyles (20th Century Studios/New Regency’s The Creator)
Cindy Y. Huang Rising Star Award
Megan Suri (Neon’s It Lives Inside; Netflix’s Never Have I Ever)
Visionary
Fawn Veerasunthorn
Actor in TV
Sarayu Blue (Prime Video’s Expats)
Actor in Film
Ally Maki (Sony Pictures Classics’ Shortcomings; Seagrass)
Best in TV
Black Cake (Hulu)
Actors Mia Isaac, Chipo Chung, Simon Wan, Creator/Showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar are confirmed to attend.
Best...
- 3/6/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The Academy has announced the five winners of the 2023 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting who each win a $35,000 prize and mentorship from an Academy member throughout their fellowship year.
The recipients will also be featured at the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Awards and Live Read on April 25 at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater (pictured), where an ensemble of actors will read selected scenes from the 2023 winning scripts.
The 2023 winners appear below listed alphabetically:
Brent Delaney, Brownie Mary
At the height of the AIDS crisis, Mary Jane Rathbun illegally distributes cannabis-infused brownies to heal thousands of gay men in...
The recipients will also be featured at the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Awards and Live Read on April 25 at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater (pictured), where an ensemble of actors will read selected scenes from the 2023 winning scripts.
The 2023 winners appear below listed alphabetically:
Brent Delaney, Brownie Mary
At the height of the AIDS crisis, Mary Jane Rathbun illegally distributes cannabis-infused brownies to heal thousands of gay men in...
- 3/4/2024
- ScreenDaily
The highest-grossing movie of 2023 was directed by a woman – but equal opportunity for women behind the camera is as elusive as ever, caution San Diego State’s Martha Lauzen and Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s Stacy L. Smith.
The academics’ latest respective industry progress reports pour cold water on any premature celebrations prompted by the high-profile successes of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, the year’s top box office performer, and of Celine Song’s Past Lives, which received the highest Metacritic score.
While Annenberg’s “Inclusion in the Director’s Chair” surveys the 100 top-grossing movies annually and the Sdsu Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film’s “The Celluloid Ceiling” additionally widens the aperture to the top 250 releases, both conclude that women consistently account for a slim minority of directors working each year. (The two reports’ exact numbers differ slightly: Among the top 100 films of 2023, Annenberg calculated that women represented 12.1 percent of helmers,...
The academics’ latest respective industry progress reports pour cold water on any premature celebrations prompted by the high-profile successes of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, the year’s top box office performer, and of Celine Song’s Past Lives, which received the highest Metacritic score.
While Annenberg’s “Inclusion in the Director’s Chair” surveys the 100 top-grossing movies annually and the Sdsu Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film’s “The Celluloid Ceiling” additionally widens the aperture to the top 250 releases, both conclude that women consistently account for a slim minority of directors working each year. (The two reports’ exact numbers differ slightly: Among the top 100 films of 2023, Annenberg calculated that women represented 12.1 percent of helmers,...
- 1/3/2024
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Awards season kicks into overdrive on the first weekend of the year with the return of the Golden Globes. The 81st telecast has a new broadcast partner (CBS), a new host (Jo Koy), new catering (Nobu) and a new social calendar accompanying it. For years, the Golden Globes were followed by a crush of studio and network bashes inside the show’s headquarters at the Beverly Hilton, making it a favorite of countless party-hopping revelers. But pandemic era cutbacks and studio consolidation upended the festivities — gone is the Warner Bros. and InStyle soiree while HBO scaled back under new corporate parent Warner Bros. Discovery and will be hosting something on Emmy weekend — though all is not lost. This year’s parties are spread across the weekend and at various venues across the city.
Below is a roundup of what’s to come in the days ahead from hosts like Amazon...
Below is a roundup of what’s to come in the days ahead from hosts like Amazon...
- 1/2/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hollywood’s efforts to improve diversity among filmmakers were disparaged as “performative acts” in a new report detailing the still-scant directing opportunities afforded to women and people of color.
Per Variety, the new “Inclusion in the Director’s Chair” report from Dr. Stacy L. Smith at the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that, of the 116 directors attached to the 100 highest-grossing films of 2023, just 14 were women. That 12.1 percent figure is up from last year’s nine percent — though it’s not even a 10 percent increase from the 4.5 percent of female directors...
Per Variety, the new “Inclusion in the Director’s Chair” report from Dr. Stacy L. Smith at the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that, of the 116 directors attached to the 100 highest-grossing films of 2023, just 14 were women. That 12.1 percent figure is up from last year’s nine percent — though it’s not even a 10 percent increase from the 4.5 percent of female directors...
- 1/2/2024
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
The state of female filmmaking in Hollywood is still tenuous despite the historic success of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” according to two new university studies.
While “Barbie,” distributed by Warner Bros., made history as the highest-grossing film ever directed by a woman, the 26th annual Celluloid Ceiling report from San Diego State University and the 2023 Inclusion in the Director’s Chair study from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that female filmmakers — especially female filmmakers of color — are rarely hired by major studios.
“While Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ reigned supreme as the number one box office film, women remained dramatically underrepresented as directors,” the Celluloid Ceiling study reads, “accounting for just 16 percent of those working on the 250 top grossing films and 14 percent on the 100 top grossing films. It’s the ultimate illusion, Gerwig’s well-deserved triumph belied the gender inequality that pervades the mainstream film industry.”
According to the Celluloid Ceiling report,...
While “Barbie,” distributed by Warner Bros., made history as the highest-grossing film ever directed by a woman, the 26th annual Celluloid Ceiling report from San Diego State University and the 2023 Inclusion in the Director’s Chair study from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that female filmmakers — especially female filmmakers of color — are rarely hired by major studios.
“While Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ reigned supreme as the number one box office film, women remained dramatically underrepresented as directors,” the Celluloid Ceiling study reads, “accounting for just 16 percent of those working on the 250 top grossing films and 14 percent on the 100 top grossing films. It’s the ultimate illusion, Gerwig’s well-deserved triumph belied the gender inequality that pervades the mainstream film industry.”
According to the Celluloid Ceiling report,...
- 1/2/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Despite the box office success of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Elizabeth Banks’ “Cocaine Bear,” female directors are not getting the same opportunities in Hollywood as their male counterparts. At the same time, major studios, which pledged to reexamine their employment practices in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, fail to produce many films from people of color.
That’s the stark findings of a new report by USC Annenberg’s Inclusion Initiative, which calls the entertainment industry’s pledges to support inclusion “performative acts” and “not real steps towards fostering change.” It’s the second report in as many days to find that despite some important box office milestones for female filmmakers — “Barbie” was both the year’s most successful film and the highest-grossing movie ever directed by a woman — studios still give their highest-profile gigs to male directors. The other study was conducted by the Center for...
That’s the stark findings of a new report by USC Annenberg’s Inclusion Initiative, which calls the entertainment industry’s pledges to support inclusion “performative acts” and “not real steps towards fostering change.” It’s the second report in as many days to find that despite some important box office milestones for female filmmakers — “Barbie” was both the year’s most successful film and the highest-grossing movie ever directed by a woman — studios still give their highest-profile gigs to male directors. The other study was conducted by the Center for...
- 1/2/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Celine Song’s quietly bewitching drama told a complex story of shifting identity and love with beguilingly simple means
• More on the best films of 2023
• More on the best culture of 2023
Slowly and quietly this year, the film Past Lives from Korean-Canadian dramatist and director Celine Song, has been working its discreet magic. Pretty much every new audience member has been turned into a convert, recommending it to a handful more who joined this film’s growing congregation of fans that can hardly describe the spell it has cast over our hearts. This is partly a deeply romantic and sad movie about lost love and missed chances. It’s also a kind of reverie about alternative existences, and what-if life paths. And this is a more urgent question for first- and second-generation immigrant communities in the US. They may well, as they grow into their 30s and 40s, consider the...
• More on the best films of 2023
• More on the best culture of 2023
Slowly and quietly this year, the film Past Lives from Korean-Canadian dramatist and director Celine Song, has been working its discreet magic. Pretty much every new audience member has been turned into a convert, recommending it to a handful more who joined this film’s growing congregation of fans that can hardly describe the spell it has cast over our hearts. This is partly a deeply romantic and sad movie about lost love and missed chances. It’s also a kind of reverie about alternative existences, and what-if life paths. And this is a more urgent question for first- and second-generation immigrant communities in the US. They may well, as they grow into their 30s and 40s, consider the...
- 12/22/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Asian talent from this year’s biggest movies and television shows gathered at the Beverly Hilton for the Unforgettable Gala on Dec. 16. The Character Media event celebrated emerging and established Asian American talent in the entertainment industry.
Netflix television series “Beef” saw its cast and creator spotlighted, with creator Lee Sung Jin, star Steven Yeun and actor Young Mazino among the honorees.
With the success of the show this awards season, Lee says that he’s still all in for a second season, telling Variety on the carpet, “If Netflix came calling for that, I’m definitely ready.”
“I think there’s so many different ways I could go,” Lee continued. “It’s hard to say right now, but I’m really definitely down to explore that.”
Lee, who currently has a multi-year overall deal with Netflix, was the winner of the Writer award. “Beef” actor Steven Yeun was honored...
Netflix television series “Beef” saw its cast and creator spotlighted, with creator Lee Sung Jin, star Steven Yeun and actor Young Mazino among the honorees.
With the success of the show this awards season, Lee says that he’s still all in for a second season, telling Variety on the carpet, “If Netflix came calling for that, I’m definitely ready.”
“I think there’s so many different ways I could go,” Lee continued. “It’s hard to say right now, but I’m really definitely down to explore that.”
Lee, who currently has a multi-year overall deal with Netflix, was the winner of the Writer award. “Beef” actor Steven Yeun was honored...
- 12/18/2023
- by Valerie Wu
- Variety Film + TV
Simu Liu has been announced as the host of the 21st Unforgettable Gala (Unfo), the annual awards show honoring the entertainment industry’s Asian Pacific Islander community. The “Barbie” and “Shang Chi” star returns as emcee after serving in the role in 2019.
The Unforgettable Gala, which will take place Dec. 16 at the Beverly Hilton, spotlights Api excellence and representation across entertainment, arts and culture. The black-tie gala will feature a performance from the band Common Kings and a Broadway musical medley celebrating Api Tony award winners performed by Broadway actors Jennifer Paz, Deedee Magno Hall and Joan Almedilla, and arranged by music director Troy Laureta.
“Unforgettable is one of my favorite events of the year, and I’m excited to return to emcee and celebrate with all the incredible talent in the room,” said Liu. “Despite a challenging year for the entertainment industry, Asian creatives in Hollywood are more resilient than ever,...
The Unforgettable Gala, which will take place Dec. 16 at the Beverly Hilton, spotlights Api excellence and representation across entertainment, arts and culture. The black-tie gala will feature a performance from the band Common Kings and a Broadway musical medley celebrating Api Tony award winners performed by Broadway actors Jennifer Paz, Deedee Magno Hall and Joan Almedilla, and arranged by music director Troy Laureta.
“Unforgettable is one of my favorite events of the year, and I’m excited to return to emcee and celebrate with all the incredible talent in the room,” said Liu. “Despite a challenging year for the entertainment industry, Asian creatives in Hollywood are more resilient than ever,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Jaden Thompson and Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Several months after the Hollywood Critics Association rebranded itself as the Hollywood Creative Alliance, the org has also given its signature awards shows a new name. The Hca announced Friday that its various Hca awards will now be known as ‘The Astra Awards.’
That means the Hca Film Awards, Hca TV Awards and Hca Creative Arts Awards will become the Astra Film Awards, Astra TV Awards and the Astra Creative Arts Awards. The name change was approved by the org’s advisory committee on Nov. 17.
“As the Hollywood Creative Alliance expands to include creatives and other industry professionals, we wanted an award name that would be reflective of the newly relaunched organization,” said Hca CEO Scott Menzel in a statement. “The name ‘Astra’ is a perfect award show title evoking celestial brilliance and creative mastery. It encapsulates the collaborative spirit, symbolizing individual stars and elegantly embodies the industry’s aspiration,...
That means the Hca Film Awards, Hca TV Awards and Hca Creative Arts Awards will become the Astra Film Awards, Astra TV Awards and the Astra Creative Arts Awards. The name change was approved by the org’s advisory committee on Nov. 17.
“As the Hollywood Creative Alliance expands to include creatives and other industry professionals, we wanted an award name that would be reflective of the newly relaunched organization,” said Hca CEO Scott Menzel in a statement. “The name ‘Astra’ is a perfect award show title evoking celestial brilliance and creative mastery. It encapsulates the collaborative spirit, symbolizing individual stars and elegantly embodies the industry’s aspiration,...
- 12/1/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks Productions added to its executive team Monday with the hiring of Scott Landsman and Melissa Fried, Seven Bucks president of production Hiram Garcia announced.
Landsman joins the production company as head of television while Fried joins as VP of film development and production. In their new roles, Landsman and Fried will oversee Seven Bucks’ production and development slate as the studio continues to grow since its 2012 launch.
“This is an extremely exciting moment for Seven Bucks, as we expand our team with two top-quality executives. Scott has consistently shown his ability to create some of television’s most appealing shows, and his expertise will be invaluable as Seven Bucks continues to scale its television endeavors,” Garcia said in a statement.
“On the film side,” the statement continued, “Melissa’s brilliant instincts on content and her unique ability to partner with and cultivate...
Landsman joins the production company as head of television while Fried joins as VP of film development and production. In their new roles, Landsman and Fried will oversee Seven Bucks’ production and development slate as the studio continues to grow since its 2012 launch.
“This is an extremely exciting moment for Seven Bucks, as we expand our team with two top-quality executives. Scott has consistently shown his ability to create some of television’s most appealing shows, and his expertise will be invaluable as Seven Bucks continues to scale its television endeavors,” Garcia said in a statement.
“On the film side,” the statement continued, “Melissa’s brilliant instincts on content and her unique ability to partner with and cultivate...
- 11/20/2023
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks Productions has brought in former senior Sony TV comedy executive Scott Landsman as Head of Television. Meanwhile, Verve’s Melissa Fried has come on board as VP of Film Development & Production.
Prior to joining Seven Bucks, Landsman served as SVP of Comedy Development for Sony Pictures Television, overseeing such series as The Afterparty for Apple TV+, Twisted Metal for Peacock, Woke for Hulu, the animated Good Times for Netflix, ABC’s syndicated hit The Goldbergs, and Live in Front of a Studio Audience, the Emmy-winning live specials executive produced by Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel.
He left Sony in the December executive shakeup and joined Seven Bucks a few months later, succeeding Kevin Hill who had left and is now Head of TV for Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort. Earlier in his career, Landsman was VP of Original Programming and Development at Comedy Central.
Prior to joining Seven Bucks, Landsman served as SVP of Comedy Development for Sony Pictures Television, overseeing such series as The Afterparty for Apple TV+, Twisted Metal for Peacock, Woke for Hulu, the animated Good Times for Netflix, ABC’s syndicated hit The Goldbergs, and Live in Front of a Studio Audience, the Emmy-winning live specials executive produced by Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel.
He left Sony in the December executive shakeup and joined Seven Bucks a few months later, succeeding Kevin Hill who had left and is now Head of TV for Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort. Earlier in his career, Landsman was VP of Original Programming and Development at Comedy Central.
- 11/20/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Adele Lim, the screenwriter behind “Crazy Rich Asians” and Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon” animation, says that the opportunities for Asian filmmakers are growing as Hollywood is becoming more receptive to international talent.
“[In Hollywood] I felt that I was disadvantaged, coming from Malaysia. It is not the cultural nexus,” said Lim, whose infancy was in Malaysia, before her family moved to the U.S. “Later I realized the multicultural advantages of Asia.”
Lim, who also recently directed her first movie “Joy Ride,” was speaking at an on-stage event Wednesday in Taipei as part of the Taiwan Creative Culture Fest (Tccf), an annual convention and market for film and TV content and for story tech products.
“[When I arrived in Hollywood] “Flower Drum Song” and “Joy Luck Club” had preceded me. But there were few Asian writers. Hollywood was very masculine. Very white [..] There was this idea in America that Asians cannot be the hero of the story.
“[In Hollywood] I felt that I was disadvantaged, coming from Malaysia. It is not the cultural nexus,” said Lim, whose infancy was in Malaysia, before her family moved to the U.S. “Later I realized the multicultural advantages of Asia.”
Lim, who also recently directed her first movie “Joy Ride,” was speaking at an on-stage event Wednesday in Taipei as part of the Taiwan Creative Culture Fest (Tccf), an annual convention and market for film and TV content and for story tech products.
“[When I arrived in Hollywood] “Flower Drum Song” and “Joy Luck Club” had preceded me. But there were few Asian writers. Hollywood was very masculine. Very white [..] There was this idea in America that Asians cannot be the hero of the story.
- 11/8/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Adele Lim, screenwriter of Crazy Rich Asians and writer-director of Joy Ride, talked about the realities of bringing Asian stories to mainstream global audiences in a panel, ‘Asian Rising Power in Hollywood’, on the second day of Taiwan Creative Content Fest (Tccf).
Born in a small town in southern Malaysia, Lim explained that she studied in the U.S. and decided to work in Los Angeles after graduation as she wanted to be a writer and finally got a job as a writer’s assistant on a U.S. TV show.
“Growing up in Malaysia, I felt I was starting at a disadvantage, because I was nowhere near the cultural nexus of the world, which at that time was America and England, although that is all changing,” said Lim, who was also co-wrote Disney animation Raya And The Last Dragon.
“Then going over to the States, I realized that growing...
Born in a small town in southern Malaysia, Lim explained that she studied in the U.S. and decided to work in Los Angeles after graduation as she wanted to be a writer and finally got a job as a writer’s assistant on a U.S. TV show.
“Growing up in Malaysia, I felt I was starting at a disadvantage, because I was nowhere near the cultural nexus of the world, which at that time was America and England, although that is all changing,” said Lim, who was also co-wrote Disney animation Raya And The Last Dragon.
“Then going over to the States, I realized that growing...
- 11/8/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Launching in the first year of the pandemic in 2020, Taiwan Creative Content Fest (Tccf) has taken a few years to secure its positioning in the global film markets calendar, but this year’s edition is on track to be its biggest and most international yet.
The event, which runs November 7-12 at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei, is divided into three sections – Pitching, which has opened to international projects for the first time (see separate story for more details); Market, which has been extended from three to four days and has around 100 companies attending; and Innovation, which explores the intersection between content and technology.
Taiwan’s content industries suffered less than some of their neighbours during the pandemic, as being an island, the borders could be quickly closed, limiting the spread of Covid-19. For most of the past three years, shooting on film and TV projects has continued and cinemas remained open.
The event, which runs November 7-12 at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei, is divided into three sections – Pitching, which has opened to international projects for the first time (see separate story for more details); Market, which has been extended from three to four days and has around 100 companies attending; and Innovation, which explores the intersection between content and technology.
Taiwan’s content industries suffered less than some of their neighbours during the pandemic, as being an island, the borders could be quickly closed, limiting the spread of Covid-19. For most of the past three years, shooting on film and TV projects has continued and cinemas remained open.
- 10/30/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Netflix on Monday morning unveiled Verified Stand-Up, a new series featuring short sets from 10 comedians that’s set to premiere globally on November 28. Rising comedians that perform in the two-parter, filmed at Webster Hall in New York City, include Asif Ali, Dulcé Sloan, Gianmarco Soresi, Isiah Kelly, Leslie Liao, Nimesh Patel, Robby Hoffman, Rosebud Baker, Sabrina Wu, and Vanessa Gonzalez.
News of Netflix’s new stand-up series comes following its announcement of Improv: 60 And Still Standing, a comedy special celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Improv comedy clubs, which is set to premiere November 7th. Top comics dropping in for short sets as part of that project included Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Bert Kreischer, Craig Robinson, Deon Cole, Fortune Feimster, Jeff Dunham, Kevin Nealon, Mark Normand, Jo Koy, and Whitney Cummings.
Linda Mendoza directed Verified Stand-Up, with Anne Harris serving as executive producer.
Previously seen on Disney+’s WandaVision and The Mandalorian,...
News of Netflix’s new stand-up series comes following its announcement of Improv: 60 And Still Standing, a comedy special celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Improv comedy clubs, which is set to premiere November 7th. Top comics dropping in for short sets as part of that project included Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Bert Kreischer, Craig Robinson, Deon Cole, Fortune Feimster, Jeff Dunham, Kevin Nealon, Mark Normand, Jo Koy, and Whitney Cummings.
Linda Mendoza directed Verified Stand-Up, with Anne Harris serving as executive producer.
Previously seen on Disney+’s WandaVision and The Mandalorian,...
- 10/23/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Ah, the old fake dating trope. A classic rom-com staple that's been around since, well, probably Shakespearean times, the idea of two people pretending to be in love is nothing new. Yet the upcoming film "Anyone But You" aims to breathe new life into an old premise with the help of "Euphoria" star Sydney Sweeney and "Top Gun: Maverick" breakout Glen Powell. The pair will presumably play the Benedick and Beatrice-like roles in the loose adaptation of the Bard's "Much Ado About Nothing," as their characters -- old enemies from college -- end up faking a relationship when invited to a destination wedding that'll be attended by both their exes (per Entertainment Weekly).
This is the kind of classic romance novel-type setup that could easily go wrong, but with two talented, popular, and versatile stars in the lead roles, it could also go very right. Sweeney and Powell have noted...
This is the kind of classic romance novel-type setup that could easily go wrong, but with two talented, popular, and versatile stars in the lead roles, it could also go very right. Sweeney and Powell have noted...
- 10/19/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Jon M. Chu's 2018 romantic comedy "Crazy Rich Asians" -- based on the novel by Kevin Kwan -- was a massive, massive hit. Made for only $30 million, Chu's lightweight puffball grossed $239 million worldwide. It follows the adventures of a young economics professor named Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) who has been enjoying her romantic relationship with the dash-handsome Nick Young (Henry Golding). Nick is called back to his home country of Singapore to attend a wedding, and Rachel is reluctantly invited along. Reluctantly, because Nick has been trying to keep his vast wealth hidden from Rachel. It seems his family is practically royalty in Singapore, inviting new conversations about honesty and their inescapable class divide into their relationship. Also, Nick's family doesn't necessarily approve of a middle-class woman dating one of their own, and some of them accuse Rachel of being a golddigger.
Oh yes, and Nick fully intends to...
Oh yes, and Nick fully intends to...
- 10/15/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Actress Ashley Park, who is gearing up for the Ott debut of her drama-comedy or dramedy film ‘Joy Ride’, has called her character in the film-Audrey Sullivan,’ an honour to play’ and one of those roles which come, the moment you need them. Detailing how she felt playing the role, Ashley Park said: “Audrey Sullivan has been an honour to play. I feel like there are certain roles that find you in your life exactly when you need them. It was my first time playing the protagonist in the story.”
Describing the character, she added: “She’s a character that feels like she has it all together and understands how to navigate this world, this community, this industry that has been built for and people who don’t look like her.
“She doesn’t understand that there’s something missing in her own identity until she goes on to...
Describing the character, she added: “She’s a character that feels like she has it all together and understands how to navigate this world, this community, this industry that has been built for and people who don’t look like her.
“She doesn’t understand that there’s something missing in her own identity until she goes on to...
- 9/19/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Actress Ashley Park, who is gearing up for the Ott debut of her drama-comedy or dramedy film ‘Joy Ride’, has called her character in the film-Audrey Sullivan,’ an honour to play’ and one of those roles which come, the moment you need them. Detailing how she felt playing the role, Ashley Park said: “Audrey Sullivan has been an honour to play. I feel like there are certain roles that find you in your life exactly when you need them. It was my first time playing the protagonist in the story.”
Describing the character, she added: “She’s a character that feels like she has it all together and understands how to navigate this world, this community, this industry that has been built for and people who don’t look like her.
“She doesn’t understand that there’s something missing in her own identity until she goes on to...
Describing the character, she added: “She’s a character that feels like she has it all together and understands how to navigate this world, this community, this industry that has been built for and people who don’t look like her.
“She doesn’t understand that there’s something missing in her own identity until she goes on to...
- 9/19/2023
- by Agency News Desk
With TV and films stalled due to the ongoing writers and actors strike, director Judd Apatow and filmmaker J.J. Abrams sat down for a virtual conversation with Ed Solomon on Tuesday evening to talk in-depth about their writing process and working alongside filmmaker Matt Reeves as teenagers. During the 11th episode of The Black List’s Word by Word, the trio steered clear of conversations about the double strike.
At the start of the conversation, Solomon shared that Abrams and Apatow were eager to jump on the episode when learning...
At the start of the conversation, Solomon shared that Abrams and Apatow were eager to jump on the episode when learning...
- 9/6/2023
- by Kalia Richardson
- Rollingstone.com
It's a dog's life for R-rated comedies at the box office these days, and "Strays" is the latest unlucky puppy to learn that lesson. Directed by Josh Greenbaum and featuring the voices of Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx, the raunchy talking-animal adventure is heading for an estimated opening weekend of $8.5 million (via The Hollywood Reporter), which will leave it scrapping for fourth place against "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," now in its third weekend.
"Strays" was already starting off on the back foot, since R-rated comedies have become one of the toughest genres to succeed with at the box office. Even with the star power of Jennifer Lawrence onboard, Sony's "No Hard Feelings" wrapped its theatrical run with just $86 million worldwide, which might have turned a profit were it not for the movie's $45 million production budget. Adele Lim's "Joy Ride" was made for a more conservative budget of around $20 million,...
"Strays" was already starting off on the back foot, since R-rated comedies have become one of the toughest genres to succeed with at the box office. Even with the star power of Jennifer Lawrence onboard, Sony's "No Hard Feelings" wrapped its theatrical run with just $86 million worldwide, which might have turned a profit were it not for the movie's $45 million production budget. Adele Lim's "Joy Ride" was made for a more conservative budget of around $20 million,...
- 8/19/2023
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
In films like No Hard Feelings, Joy Ride and Asteroid City, full-frontal female nudity is back. What has changed in the #MeToo era?
After years of chaste superhero movies dominating the box office and frequent laments for the death of the sex scene, full frontal nudity is making a comeback on screen in a crop of summer comedies, with female stars daring to bare all for laughs.
In Adele Lim’s new Asian-led comedy Joy Ride, which channels the raucous spirit of Bridesmaids, there is a gasp-out-loud scene in which Stephanie Hsu’s character, Kat, a soap opera star, has her skirt whipped off at the end of a dance sequence to reveal a lurid devil tattoo on her vulva. It is an outrageous stunt that is hilariously cringeworthy. Hsu, though, has been keen to point out that a body double was used.
After years of chaste superhero movies dominating the box office and frequent laments for the death of the sex scene, full frontal nudity is making a comeback on screen in a crop of summer comedies, with female stars daring to bare all for laughs.
In Adele Lim’s new Asian-led comedy Joy Ride, which channels the raucous spirit of Bridesmaids, there is a gasp-out-loud scene in which Stephanie Hsu’s character, Kat, a soap opera star, has her skirt whipped off at the end of a dance sequence to reveal a lurid devil tattoo on her vulva. It is an outrageous stunt that is hilariously cringeworthy. Hsu, though, has been keen to point out that a body double was used.
- 8/11/2023
- by Ann Lee
- The Guardian - Film News
We’re a bit over halfway through the year and 2023 has had its share of great movies already. Festivals like Sundance and SXSW kicked things off early with several strong new films, and the summer movie season has offered its fair share of Best of the Year contenders.
But what makes a movie one of the best? It’s a strange alchemy, from actors to script to story, and of course, taste is subjective. But TheWrap’s film team feels these following 21 films are some of the cream of the crop, with justification for why each should be in any conversation about the “best films of 2023.”
Behold, some of our favorite movies of 2023 so far.
Searchlight Pictures
“Chevalier” (Searchlight Pictures)
“Chevalier” came and went so quickly early in 2023 that it’s only now, revisiting it on Hulu where it’s streaming, that more people are actually taking it in. The...
But what makes a movie one of the best? It’s a strange alchemy, from actors to script to story, and of course, taste is subjective. But TheWrap’s film team feels these following 21 films are some of the cream of the crop, with justification for why each should be in any conversation about the “best films of 2023.”
Behold, some of our favorite movies of 2023 so far.
Searchlight Pictures
“Chevalier” (Searchlight Pictures)
“Chevalier” came and went so quickly early in 2023 that it’s only now, revisiting it on Hulu where it’s streaming, that more people are actually taking it in. The...
- 8/9/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
‘Barbie’ enters all-time top 20; ‘Oppenheimer’ in top 100, passes ‘Inception’.
RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Aug 4-6)Total gross to date Week 1. Barbie (Warner Bros) £7.9m £67.5m 3 2. Oppenheimer (Universal) £5.5m £38.2m 3 3. Meg 2: The Trench (Warner Bros) £3.8m £3.8m 1 4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount) £1.7m £3.7m 1 5. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount) £1m £22.8m 4
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.28
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has entered the all-time UK-Ireland box office top 20, adding a further £7.9m on its third weekend to hit a £67.5m total.
The Warner Bros blockbuster is the 18th highest-grossing film of all time in the territory,...
RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Aug 4-6)Total gross to date Week 1. Barbie (Warner Bros) £7.9m £67.5m 3 2. Oppenheimer (Universal) £5.5m £38.2m 3 3. Meg 2: The Trench (Warner Bros) £3.8m £3.8m 1 4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount) £1.7m £3.7m 1 5. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount) £1m £22.8m 4
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.28
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has entered the all-time UK-Ireland box office top 20, adding a further £7.9m on its third weekend to hit a £67.5m total.
The Warner Bros blockbuster is the 18th highest-grossing film of all time in the territory,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Spoiler Alert: This contains spoilers from “Shortcomings, now in theaters.
When Ally Maki received the script for Randall Park’s “Shortcomings,” she read it in one sitting and knew she had to be a part of it. Whether it was just to audition or land the role, “I’d be happy to just perform that piece, the opening which was a nine-pager,” says the actor, who has appeared in shows including “Wrecked” and “Hacks.”
Maki ended up landing the role of Miko, who is in a complicated relationship with her boyfriend, Ben (Justin H. Min) which slowly disintegrates when he is caught surfing porn on the internet, and Miko takes a leap, accepting an internship in New York.
Maki spoke with Variety about working with Park, playing a character that resonated with her own heritage and experiences in the film with a predominantly Aapi cast and her apparel company Asian American Girl Club.
When Ally Maki received the script for Randall Park’s “Shortcomings,” she read it in one sitting and knew she had to be a part of it. Whether it was just to audition or land the role, “I’d be happy to just perform that piece, the opening which was a nine-pager,” says the actor, who has appeared in shows including “Wrecked” and “Hacks.”
Maki ended up landing the role of Miko, who is in a complicated relationship with her boyfriend, Ben (Justin H. Min) which slowly disintegrates when he is caught surfing porn on the internet, and Miko takes a leap, accepting an internship in New York.
Maki spoke with Variety about working with Park, playing a character that resonated with her own heritage and experiences in the film with a predominantly Aapi cast and her apparel company Asian American Girl Club.
- 8/5/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ looks for piece of the action.
Shark sequel Meg 2: The Trench is the first major challenger to the Barbenheimer supremacy, opening in 544 cinemas at the UK-Ireland box office this weekend.
Meg 2 will look to challenge both its Warner Bros stablemate Barbie, and Universal’s Oppenheimer, while benefitting from the surge in audiences those titles have brought in the past fortnight.
The first title, 2018’s The Meg, started with £3.7m also in early August; and ended on a sharp £15.9m.
Jason Statham returns for the sequel, which sees a research team encounter multiple threats...
Shark sequel Meg 2: The Trench is the first major challenger to the Barbenheimer supremacy, opening in 544 cinemas at the UK-Ireland box office this weekend.
Meg 2 will look to challenge both its Warner Bros stablemate Barbie, and Universal’s Oppenheimer, while benefitting from the surge in audiences those titles have brought in the past fortnight.
The first title, 2018’s The Meg, started with £3.7m also in early August; and ended on a sharp £15.9m.
Jason Statham returns for the sequel, which sees a research team encounter multiple threats...
- 8/4/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
“Joy Ride” is a 2023 American comedy directed by Adele Lim in her directorial debut, and written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao, based on a story by Lim, Chevapravatdumrong, and Hsiao. The film stars Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu, with Ronny Chieng, Meredith Hagnery, and David Denman among others.
The film achieves something quite difficult in pure comedy: naturalness.
Synopsis
Four Asian-American friends bond and discover the truth of what it means to know and love who they are while traveling through China in search of one of their biological mothers.
About the Film
A comedy about integration and cultural differences in a kind and enjoyable movie that is also funny. Without too many complications or gimmicks, these four comedians join forces in a road movie through China.
The film skillfully balances hilarity with emotion, making it a sure hit at the box office. As always in comedy,...
The film achieves something quite difficult in pure comedy: naturalness.
Synopsis
Four Asian-American friends bond and discover the truth of what it means to know and love who they are while traveling through China in search of one of their biological mothers.
About the Film
A comedy about integration and cultural differences in a kind and enjoyable movie that is also funny. Without too many complications or gimmicks, these four comedians join forces in a road movie through China.
The film skillfully balances hilarity with emotion, making it a sure hit at the box office. As always in comedy,...
- 7/29/2023
- by Veronica Loop
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Blue Jean (Georgia Oakley)
The Blue Jean of David Bowie’s 1984 hit was a girl with “a camouflage face,” not unlike the singer and the two personas he splintered into for the song’s video: a djinn-like rockstar dancing onstage and his ordinary, besuited doppelganger watching from below. So it is for the young woman at the center of Georgia Oakley’s own Blue Jean. A Pe teacher stranded in Tyneside, England, Jean (Rosy McEwen) is a divorcée in a same-sex relationship that no-one––least of all her pupils and co-workers––must ever know about. For the year is 1988 and Britain’s grappling with the revolting aftermath of Section 28. The bill passed by Thatcher’s government banned “the promotion of homosexuality” by local authorities,...
Blue Jean (Georgia Oakley)
The Blue Jean of David Bowie’s 1984 hit was a girl with “a camouflage face,” not unlike the singer and the two personas he splintered into for the song’s video: a djinn-like rockstar dancing onstage and his ordinary, besuited doppelganger watching from below. So it is for the young woman at the center of Georgia Oakley’s own Blue Jean. A Pe teacher stranded in Tyneside, England, Jean (Rosy McEwen) is a divorcée in a same-sex relationship that no-one––least of all her pupils and co-workers––must ever know about. For the year is 1988 and Britain’s grappling with the revolting aftermath of Section 28. The bill passed by Thatcher’s government banned “the promotion of homosexuality” by local authorities,...
- 7/28/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Tom Cruise‘s action flick “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” the seventh installment of the franchise that began way back in 1996, opened across the country and did decently, but maybe not as well as some hoped or expected. Read on for the weekend box office report.
“Mission: Impossible 7” opened early on Wednesday with previews on Tuesday, but it came into the week with absolutely fantastic reviews with 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie (his third movie in the franchise), Cruise was once again joined by Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames and Vanessa Kirby, with new players in Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales and Pom Klementieff.
See 2023 box office hits: Every movie that made more than $100 million
Paramount reports that “Dead Reckoning” brought in an estimated $56.2 million over the weekend, which brings its opening week to a cool $80 million in five days (including all previews). The movie...
“Mission: Impossible 7” opened early on Wednesday with previews on Tuesday, but it came into the week with absolutely fantastic reviews with 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie (his third movie in the franchise), Cruise was once again joined by Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames and Vanessa Kirby, with new players in Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales and Pom Klementieff.
See 2023 box office hits: Every movie that made more than $100 million
Paramount reports that “Dead Reckoning” brought in an estimated $56.2 million over the weekend, which brings its opening week to a cool $80 million in five days (including all previews). The movie...
- 7/16/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
By now, I hope people have figured out that women can be just as gross as men, that we can want sex just as much as men, and that you can have a buddy comedy with women that both delves into the politics of race, sex, and friendship while still being raunchy and sexy. If you haven't, then Joy Ride is the film for you. Written and directed by Adele Lim (the writer behind Crazy Rich Asians and the wonderful Raya and the Last Dragon), Joy Ride is both following in a tradition of raunchy road road trip comedies, and taking in a new direction by focusing on four Asian women and their own cross-cultural angst. There is a lot there for shock value, but...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 7/12/2023
- Screen Anarchy
Indiana Jones’ reign atop the box office was short-lived. In its second weekend in theatres, the Disney release was usurped by another franchise fifth – “Insidious: The Red Door.” The horror film starring and directed by Patrick Wilson scared up $32.7 million in ticket sales from 3,188 theatres, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
It did better than the last installment, “Insidious: The Last Key,” from 2018 and is the most any PG-13 horror movie has earned in its debut in the past two years.
“Insidious 5” was not well reviewed — but modestly budgeted scary movies are often critic-proof when it comes to the box office. This Blumhouse-produced franchise starring Wilson and Rose Byrne began in 2011 under the direction of James Wan and has been responsible for over $570 million in global box office returns — and none of the films have cost more than $16 million to produce. Only the first movie received a “fresh” rating...
It did better than the last installment, “Insidious: The Last Key,” from 2018 and is the most any PG-13 horror movie has earned in its debut in the past two years.
“Insidious 5” was not well reviewed — but modestly budgeted scary movies are often critic-proof when it comes to the box office. This Blumhouse-produced franchise starring Wilson and Rose Byrne began in 2011 under the direction of James Wan and has been responsible for over $570 million in global box office returns — and none of the films have cost more than $16 million to produce. Only the first movie received a “fresh” rating...
- 7/10/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
It was quite a shocking weekend at the box office, as “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” lost first place to the fifth installment of a more recent franchise, “Insidious: The Red Door.” Read on for the weekend box office report.
Normally, a horror franchise like the “Insidious” movies might feel like old hat by the fifth installment, even when compared to a movie starring an 80–year-old Harrison Ford as one of his most popular film characters. “Insidious: The Red Door” marked the directorial debut by Patrick Wilson, who returned as his character from the original two movies, along with Ty Sympkins and Rose Byrne.
See 14 most anticipated movies for July include ‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ ‘Barbie’ … [Photos]
Sony held onto reviews as long as humanly possibly, probably realizing that critics wouldn’t be kind with the movie only receiving a 36% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviews didn’t really matter,...
Normally, a horror franchise like the “Insidious” movies might feel like old hat by the fifth installment, even when compared to a movie starring an 80–year-old Harrison Ford as one of his most popular film characters. “Insidious: The Red Door” marked the directorial debut by Patrick Wilson, who returned as his character from the original two movies, along with Ty Sympkins and Rose Byrne.
See 14 most anticipated movies for July include ‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ ‘Barbie’ … [Photos]
Sony held onto reviews as long as humanly possibly, probably realizing that critics wouldn’t be kind with the movie only receiving a 36% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviews didn’t really matter,...
- 7/9/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
After proving that Asian actors were more than capable of carrying a movie to a massive box office haul with “Crazy Rich Asians” (which she co-wrote), Lim went in a much raunchier direction for her directorial debut. Her SXSW hit “Joy Ride,” which follows a group of four messy, oft-horny friends taking a trip to China to find one of their birth mothers, has earned plenty of praise for bringing a dose of diversity to the R-rated comedy space — but as it turns out, it could have been even wilder.
At a Q&a at the Directors Guild of America over the weekend, Lim spoke about the lengthy process of bringing her vision to the big screen. She recalled that the original script she co-wrote with Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao featured the four friends crossing a river on a water buffalo. While the scene was ultimately scrapped due to logistical concerns,...
At a Q&a at the Directors Guild of America over the weekend, Lim spoke about the lengthy process of bringing her vision to the big screen. She recalled that the original script she co-wrote with Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao featured the four friends crossing a river on a water buffalo. While the scene was ultimately scrapped due to logistical concerns,...
- 7/9/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
As one franchise’s final adventure craters, another thrives as Insidious: The Red Door opened to a healthy $32.6 million knocking Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny off its perch to second place with just $26.5 million, representing a 56% decline.
Let’s start with the good, Insidious: The Red Door flew past expectations (including our own) to achieve the second best opening weekend in the franchise’s history (after insidious: Chapter 2’s opening of $40.2 million). Not just that, but now star Patrick Wilson can claim a number one finish for his directorial debut, something not all directors can do. What’s even more impressive is that this is the fifth film in a horror franchise proving Insidious is immune to the law of diminishing returns. To add even more praise to the film and its box office: the budget was a modest $16 million, meaning that in just its opening...
Let’s start with the good, Insidious: The Red Door flew past expectations (including our own) to achieve the second best opening weekend in the franchise’s history (after insidious: Chapter 2’s opening of $40.2 million). Not just that, but now star Patrick Wilson can claim a number one finish for his directorial debut, something not all directors can do. What’s even more impressive is that this is the fifth film in a horror franchise proving Insidious is immune to the law of diminishing returns. To add even more praise to the film and its box office: the budget was a modest $16 million, meaning that in just its opening...
- 7/9/2023
- by Brad Hamerly
- JoBlo.com
Indiana Jones had a short-lived box office reign. Disney’s action-adventure “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” dropped to the No. 2 spot in its second weekend of release, earning $26.5 million from 4,600 North American theaters. It was dethroned by Sony’s horror-thriller “Insidious: The Red Door,” which beat expectations with its $32.6 million debut from 3,188 venues.
Ticket sales for “Indiana Jones,” the fifth and final installment to star Harrison Ford’s swashbuckling adventurer, declined by 56% from its $60 million opening weekend, continuing the theatrical misfortunes for the nearly $300 million-budgeted movie. “Dial of Destiny” added $31.8 million at the international box office, bringing worldwide ticket sales to $247.9 million. It has a long and winding journey to get out of the red, at least in its box office run.
The fifth “Insidious” movie cost just $16 million to make, so it’s already reaping big rewards in its box office run. That improves on the start of its predecessor,...
Ticket sales for “Indiana Jones,” the fifth and final installment to star Harrison Ford’s swashbuckling adventurer, declined by 56% from its $60 million opening weekend, continuing the theatrical misfortunes for the nearly $300 million-budgeted movie. “Dial of Destiny” added $31.8 million at the international box office, bringing worldwide ticket sales to $247.9 million. It has a long and winding journey to get out of the red, at least in its box office run.
The fifth “Insidious” movie cost just $16 million to make, so it’s already reaping big rewards in its box office run. That improves on the start of its predecessor,...
- 7/9/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Stephanie Hsu has revealed that a gay romance was cut from 'Joy Ride'.The 32-year-old actress stars alongside Sabrina Wu, Ashley Park and Sherry Cola in Adele Lim's comedy about a group of friends who go on a road trip across China to discover their birth mothers and revealed that a "whole gay track" between her character and Lolo - played by Sherry - ended up on the cutting room floor but teased that the idea could be saved for a potential sequel.She told Collider: "There's a whole gay track between Sherry's character and my character that kind of got edited and will be saved for the sequel. Sherry's livid about it."In the joint interview, Sabrina - who also stars alongside Ashley Park and Sabrina Wu in the movie - agreed that the idea of a romance did "need to happen" in a follow up before...
- 7/9/2023
- by Jordan Beck
- Bang Showbiz
Summer is in full swing, and even as Hollywood’s actors circle a July 12 strike deadline, A-listers are finding reasons to celebrate and keep things hopping. While pink is sure to become the color of the season with “Barbie”‘s July 9 premiere, Ashley Park and Stephanie Hsu took a “Joy Ride” into theaters this week, Netflix brought its top chefs to cook for Angelenos and Arnold Schwarzenegger looked to rule the world of coffee table books.
“Joy Ride” Los Angeles Premiere
Regency Village Theatre, Westwood
Stephanie Hsu was all smiles at the “Joy Ride” Los Angeles premiere at the Regency Village Theatre in Westwood. (Araya Doheny/Getty Images for Lionsgate)
Hitting the “Joy Ride” premiere was quite a jaunt for comedy lovers in L.A., as Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu brought some of her pals and costars to the center of Westwood for the fun. Joined by her fellow stars Ashley Park,...
“Joy Ride” Los Angeles Premiere
Regency Village Theatre, Westwood
Stephanie Hsu was all smiles at the “Joy Ride” Los Angeles premiere at the Regency Village Theatre in Westwood. (Araya Doheny/Getty Images for Lionsgate)
Hitting the “Joy Ride” premiere was quite a jaunt for comedy lovers in L.A., as Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu brought some of her pals and costars to the center of Westwood for the fun. Joined by her fellow stars Ashley Park,...
- 7/8/2023
- by Jenny Peters
- The Wrap
Indiana Jones has faced Nazis and aliens, snakes and the fury of an Old Testament God — but he has never faced the terrors of the Red Door.
Sony’s “Insidious: The Red Door,” the latest installment in the supernatural series, blew by expectations on its opening day with a $15.2 million gross from 3,188 venues — a figure that includes $5 million in Thursday previews. Horror entries usually face front-loaded weekend performances, but the Screen Gems, Stage 6 Films and Blumhouse co-production has fired off with a commanding lead. It looks to land the top spot on domestic charts for the weekend, projecting a $31 million haul and toppling last week’s victor “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” in the process.
Ho-hum, it’s another unimpeachable box office success story for the horror genre. Studios and exhibitors are still having trouble fully bouncing back after the Covid pandemic shuttered business — this summer’s box...
Sony’s “Insidious: The Red Door,” the latest installment in the supernatural series, blew by expectations on its opening day with a $15.2 million gross from 3,188 venues — a figure that includes $5 million in Thursday previews. Horror entries usually face front-loaded weekend performances, but the Screen Gems, Stage 6 Films and Blumhouse co-production has fired off with a commanding lead. It looks to land the top spot on domestic charts for the weekend, projecting a $31 million haul and toppling last week’s victor “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” in the process.
Ho-hum, it’s another unimpeachable box office success story for the horror genre. Studios and exhibitors are still having trouble fully bouncing back after the Covid pandemic shuttered business — this summer’s box...
- 7/8/2023
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Numbers have begun rolling in for this mid-summer weekend and as expected Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is looking to drop the 60% we predicted on Thursday. If that number holds it would be about a 5% steeper decline than 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which may not sound like much until you consider that Skull opened with over $100 million (or $126.9 million when you account for its 4-day Memorial Day gross.) So when Crystal Skull dropped to number 2 in its second week to the ladies of Sex and the City, it was still able to manage over $44 million, Dial of Destiny will be lucky to see $28 million in its second week.
If there is a glimmer of hope for Indy to maintain its pole position it is that horror films tend to be very front loaded and because of that, Insidious: The Red Door may win the Friday box...
If there is a glimmer of hope for Indy to maintain its pole position it is that horror films tend to be very front loaded and because of that, Insidious: The Red Door may win the Friday box...
- 7/8/2023
- by Brad Hamerly
- JoBlo.com
Sony/Screen Gems/Blumhouse’s “Insidious: The Red Door” is beating both “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and its own box office projections to take the No. 1 spot at the box office, earning $15 million from 3,188 theaters on its opening day as industry estimates now have it earning $31 million this weekend.
Earlier this week, independent projections had the fifth “Insidious” film earning a $22-24 million opening. Instead, “The Red Door” — a film that marks the directorial debut of series star Patrick Wilson and concludes the story of his character, Josh Lambert — is set to pass the $29.5 million opening of “Insidious: The Last Key” in 2018 to set a new high for the horror franchise. It is just above the $30.4 million opening of fellow Blumhouse production “M3GAN” earlier this year.
Like the rest of Hollywood, the famously thrifty Blumhouse has not been able to avoid the toll of inflation on production...
Earlier this week, independent projections had the fifth “Insidious” film earning a $22-24 million opening. Instead, “The Red Door” — a film that marks the directorial debut of series star Patrick Wilson and concludes the story of his character, Josh Lambert — is set to pass the $29.5 million opening of “Insidious: The Last Key” in 2018 to set a new high for the horror franchise. It is just above the $30.4 million opening of fellow Blumhouse production “M3GAN” earlier this year.
Like the rest of Hollywood, the famously thrifty Blumhouse has not been able to avoid the toll of inflation on production...
- 7/8/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
If you’re like me, there comes a moment of truth in raunchy film comedies when you decide whether to fully join in the fun — or ride it out on the fence.
It often comes in a key early comic scene. Can they pull it off? If so you’ll be putty in their hands for two hours, ready to chuckle along no matter how gross it gets (think of that bridal dress fitting in “Bridesmaids.”) If not, you’ll shuffle uncomfortably on the sidelines, feeling rather like a prude.
In first-time director Adele Lim’s ebullient, chaotic, nothing’s-too-gross-if-it’s funny road comedy “Joy Ride,” that moment came for me when watching Ashley Park swallow a disgusting concoction in a drinking contest, pretending all’s fine as her insides erupt. Expert comic chops cannot be faked. Park had me from that guzzle (and cemented it later with her Gollum impression.
It often comes in a key early comic scene. Can they pull it off? If so you’ll be putty in their hands for two hours, ready to chuckle along no matter how gross it gets (think of that bridal dress fitting in “Bridesmaids.”) If not, you’ll shuffle uncomfortably on the sidelines, feeling rather like a prude.
In first-time director Adele Lim’s ebullient, chaotic, nothing’s-too-gross-if-it’s funny road comedy “Joy Ride,” that moment came for me when watching Ashley Park swallow a disgusting concoction in a drinking contest, pretending all’s fine as her insides erupt. Expert comic chops cannot be faked. Park had me from that guzzle (and cemented it later with her Gollum impression.
- 7/7/2023
- by Anita Tai
- ET Canada
“Joy Ride” opened to strong numbers at the box office from Thursday previews alone.
The R-rated comedy cleaned up with $1.1 million, with predictions for the film’s opening weekend in the $7 million to $9 million range, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Read More: ‘Joy Ride’ Director Adele Lim Has The Perfect Response To Critic Who Said The Movie ‘Targets White People’
It had tough competition with the third installment in the “Insidious” franchise, “The Red Door”, making $5 million in previews, and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”, which earned around $5.2 million on Thursday.
The raunchy comedy from the producers of “Neighbors” and the co-screenwriter of “Crazy Rich Asians”, stars Joy Ride stars Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu as four unlikely friends who embark on a once-in-a-lifetime international adventure.
Read More: ‘Joy Ride’ Director Adele Lim Talks Working With Seth Rogen, Reveals Film’s Original Title
Director...
The R-rated comedy cleaned up with $1.1 million, with predictions for the film’s opening weekend in the $7 million to $9 million range, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Read More: ‘Joy Ride’ Director Adele Lim Has The Perfect Response To Critic Who Said The Movie ‘Targets White People’
It had tough competition with the third installment in the “Insidious” franchise, “The Red Door”, making $5 million in previews, and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”, which earned around $5.2 million on Thursday.
The raunchy comedy from the producers of “Neighbors” and the co-screenwriter of “Crazy Rich Asians”, stars Joy Ride stars Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu as four unlikely friends who embark on a once-in-a-lifetime international adventure.
Read More: ‘Joy Ride’ Director Adele Lim Talks Working With Seth Rogen, Reveals Film’s Original Title
Director...
- 7/7/2023
- by Anita Tai
- ET Canada
Spoiler alert: This post contains spoilers for”Joy Ride”
The new comedy “Joy Ride” may be filled with many raunchy, R-rated scenes, but one emotional arc towards the end of the film includes a cameo that will make viewers grab their tissues.
In the film, Audrey (Ashley Park) travels to China to close a business deal. Her best friend Lolo (Sherry Colaa) encourages Audrey to contact her birth mother while there. While in China, Audrey makes a discovery that will change her life forever.
Turn back now if you don’t want to be spoiled.
Also Read:
‘Joy Ride’ Review: A Hilarious but Heartfelt Buddy Film That Hits All the Right Notes
Audrey, Lolo and Lolo’s cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu) fly to China so Audrey can secure a deal on behalf of her law firm. While in China, they meet up with Kat (Stephanie Hsu), Audrey’s best friend from college.
The new comedy “Joy Ride” may be filled with many raunchy, R-rated scenes, but one emotional arc towards the end of the film includes a cameo that will make viewers grab their tissues.
In the film, Audrey (Ashley Park) travels to China to close a business deal. Her best friend Lolo (Sherry Colaa) encourages Audrey to contact her birth mother while there. While in China, Audrey makes a discovery that will change her life forever.
Turn back now if you don’t want to be spoiled.
Also Read:
‘Joy Ride’ Review: A Hilarious but Heartfelt Buddy Film That Hits All the Right Notes
Audrey, Lolo and Lolo’s cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu) fly to China so Audrey can secure a deal on behalf of her law firm. While in China, they meet up with Kat (Stephanie Hsu), Audrey’s best friend from college.
- 7/7/2023
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
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