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Denzel Washington kissed a guy, and he’d have liked it to stay in “Gladiator II.”

Washington told Gayety in the below video that a kiss between his character Macrinus and another man was cut from the film because “they weren’t ready for that yet.” While Washington did not clarify who “they” were, the feature is directed by Ridley Scott and is being distributed by Paramount, also the film’s studio. Washington’s character Macrinus does reference having relationships with other men onscreen during the film, though.

“I actually kissed a man in the film but they took it out, they cut it, I think they got chicken,” Washington said. “I kissed a guy full on the lips and I guess they weren’t ready for that yet. I killed him about five minutes later.”

He added, “It’s ‘Gladiator.’ It’s the kiss of death.”

“Gladiator II” is...

Denzel Washington To Consider Retirement After Recent Projects? (Photo Credit – Facebook)

Denzel Washington’s highly-anticipated Gladiator II is around the corner, and as excited as we are about the movie, the Hollywood icon is gearing up for a well-earned retirement. The celebrated actor known for his unforgettable roles in Malcolm X, Man on Fire, and The Equalizer series has confirmed that he’s stepping back from acting after treating audiences to a few final performances. At 69, he is set to star in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, followed by High and Low.

Denzel Washington On Retirement

During a recent interview with Today, Denzel Washington revealed his plans to retire from acting after completing a handful of new projects. He’s taking on a range of iconic Shakespearean roles and teaming up with visionary directors Steven McQueen and Ryan Coogler. His role in Black Panther 3 will mark one of his last appearances.

Denzel Washington is currently receiving all the praise from critics for his role as Macrinus in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II. The film has yet to hit the theaters but critics have given a positive verdict to the sequel of Russell Crowe’s Oscar-winning film. During the promotion of this movie, Washington hinted at one thing that has made his fans sad and excited at the same time.

Denzel Washington in a still from Gladiator II | Credits: Paramount Pictures

It appears that the actor has only a handful of films under his belt, after which he plans to say goodbye to his acting career. He shared that he was excited to play some iconic characters in these upcoming films, which has given fans a lot to be excited about.

Denzel Washington Hints At Retirement After A Handful Of Great Films Denzel Washington in a still from The Equalizer | Credits: Columbia Pictures

Denzel Washington,...

The “Girls” creator is turning a very controversial boy’s life story into a film.

Lena Dunham is set to bring the rise and fall of Ftx founder Sam Bankman-Fried to the screen for an upcoming Apple Original film in partnership with A24. Dunham will adapt the screenplay from Michael Lewis’ New York Times bestselling book, “Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon.”

Lewis’ past books “Moneyball” and “The Big Short” were also previously adapted to the screen. The official description of “Going Infinite” reads: “The book tells the story of Ftx’s spectacular collapse and the enigmatic founder at its center. When Michael Lewis first met him, Sam Bankman-Fried was the world’s youngest billionaire and crypto’s Gatsby. CEOs, celebrities, and leaders of small countries all vied for his time and cash after he catapulted, practically overnight, onto the Forbes billionaire list. Who was this...

Apple and A24 are in early development on a film adaptation of the Michael Lewis book “Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon” with Lena Dunham attached to write the script, Variety has learned exclusively.

Apple Studios and A24 are co-developing and co-producing the film. “Going Infinite” delves into the spectacular ascension and equally spectacular implosion of the cryptocurrency exchange and hedge fund Ftx as well as its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried. The book was originally released in October 2023 and went on to become a New York Times bestseller.

The official description of the book reads:

“When Michael Lewis first met him, Sam Bankman-Fried was the world’s youngest billionaire and crypto’s Gatsby. CEOs, celebrities, and leaders of small countries all vied for his time and cash after he catapulted, practically overnight, onto the Forbes billionaire list. Who was this rumpled guy in cargo shorts and limp white socks,...

Denzel Washington could be gearing up to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a new role in Black Panther 3 — though the storied actor is obviously doing it on his terms.

In a recent interview on Today (the Australian version, not the U.S. one), Washington said director Ryan Coogler was “writing a part for me in the next Black Panther.” He didn’t say anything more about the part, though, or the follow-up to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Rather, he dropped this nugget in a discussion of how he envisions his final act.

With a career spanning more than 40 years, nine Oscar nominations (a record for a Black actor) and a potential hit with Gladiator II, what else is left for Denzel Washington to accomplish on the big screen? As it turns out, maybe not so much after all, as the actor has indicated that he could possibly be nearing retirement as he nears 70.

Speaking with Empire as part of their new cover story for Gladiator II – in which he plays Macrinus, a broker who wants to take over Rome – Denzel Washington said that at this point in his career, he really needs to find a compelling project to even consider signing on. “There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in, and I have to be inspired by the filmmaker, and I was tremendously inspired by Ridley…He’s engaged. He’s excited about life and his next film.

Is Denzel Washington considering retirement? Maybe so. Yes, he’s got “Gladiator II” coming out this November, a Spike Lee-directed remake of Akira Kurosawa’s “High and Low” in the can, and an epic re-teaming with frequent collaborator Antoine Fuqua on the horizon, but in a recent interview with Empire, the Academy Award-winning actor and occasional writer/director hinted that his career may be winding down, but it’s filmmakers like Ridley Scott that keep him interested.

“There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in, and I have to be inspired by the filmmaker, and I was tremendously inspired by Ridley,” Washington said, referencing his experience on “Gladiator II.”

Washington shared that his previous experience working with Scott on “American Gangster” helped persuade him to take on the role of Macrinus, a wealthy arms dealer in “Gladiator II” who “wants to be...

Election season is in the air and Turner Classic Movies is here to celebrate. Starting on September 6 and continuing every Friday up until this year’s general election, TCM will be running a nine-week limited series entitled “Making Change: The Most Significant Political Films of All Time.” This cinematic showcase is inspired by The New Republic rankings released in June 2023 and includes selections such as “All the King’s Men,” “Germany, Year Zero,” and “High and Low.”

To introduce the upcoming series, TCM host Ben Mankiewicz took to Washington D.C. for a trailer highlighting some of the films featured, as well as special guests like Stacey Abrams, Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, and John Turturro.

“I grew up here in Washington D.C.,” Mankiewicz said, the Capitol Building behind him. “My father’s life was politics — capital P politics. Though I went in a different direction, I understood at an early age,...

In the run-up to Election Day, TCM is going after the movie lovers’ popular vote by showing 50 films over nine successive Fridays under the banner Making Change: The Most Significant Political Films of All Time.

The series runs Sept. 6 to Nov. 1 — four days before America votes for its next president — and features TCM host Ben Mankiewicz in conversation with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Lee Grant, Sally Field, Andy Garcia, Melissa Etheridge, John Turturro, Bill Maher, Alexander Payne, Diane Lane, Josh Mankiewicz, Barry Levinson, Maureen Dowd, Stacey Abrams and former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Watch the trailer here.

Making Change showcases half of the movies unveiled by The New Republic in the rankings it released in June 2023. The films on TCM span the years 1915 to 2016 (from D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation to Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro); the whole thing kicks off with the No.

Ice Spice capped off the release day for her new album Y2K! with a visit to The Tonight Show, where she both performed a medley and sat down for an interview with host Jimmy Fallon.

For the performance, the rapper delivered the one-two punch of the album’s “Did It First” and “Think U The Shit (Fart)”:

Prior to that, Ice Spice chatted with Fallon about a variety of topics — many of which she spoke about in our new cover story — including collaborating with Taylor Swift, going viral...

Spongebob Squarepants is many things to many people: a wildly popular cartoon character, an endlessly renewable source of memes, a sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea. To Ice Spice, he’s an icon of hard work and hustle. We’re sitting in a private room at a steakhouse in New York City’s Meatpacking District in mid-June, talking about the era that inspired her debut album, Y2K! (out tomorrow). “I think I learned a lot from that show,” Ice says. “He never wanted a day off,...

Jeffrey Wright has joined the cast of Paramount+ With Showtime’s upcoming political thriller series “The Agency.”

As exclusively reported by Variety, the series is led by Michael Fassbender as Martian, a covert CIA agent. George Clooney serves as executive producer.

Wright will play Henry, the CIA’s director of operations overseeing non-official cover agents, and a mentor to Martian.

“The Agency” is based on the hit French series “The Bureau,” which ran on Canal+ from 2015 to 2020. Per the official loglline, the new series follows Martian as he’s “ordered to abandon his undercover life and return to London Station. When the love he left behind reappears, romance reignites. His career, his real identity and his mission are pitted against his heart, hurling them both into a deadly game of international intrigue and espionage.”

Wright was most recently seen leading the 2023 film “American Fiction” as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, and up next,...

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.NEWSThe Pill Pounder.The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival is known for audiences who talk back to the screen, but such rowdiness took a dark turn last weekend at a screening of Love Lies Bleeding (2024), during which homophobic and misogynistic taunts caused more than 60 attendees to walk out and then to stage a protest at the cinema door, which was broken up by the police.Italy’s right-wing government has left the country’s motion-picture industry stalled in uncertainty as they debate new regulations to tax incentives for film and television production, some of which may give preference to films “tied to Italy’s national identity.”Ten of thirteen IATSE locals now have tentative agreements with AMPTP. Talks...

One of Hollywood's most frustrating recent news stories is that Francis Ford Coppola is having trouble finding distribution for his self-funded passion project, "Megalopolis" (via The Hollywood Reporter). In a just world, making "The Godfather" would grant Coppola a lifetime blank check, but that has never been the world we've lived in.

What you may not be aware of is one of Coppola's influences for his magnum opus. Like his friend "Star Wars" director George Lucas, Coppola looked to Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. While Lucas took after Kurosawa's Jidaigeki (historical) films, Coppola looked to one of the director's contemporary-set films: "The Bad Sleep Well."

Released in 1960 and starring his go-to leading man Toshiro Mifune, the movie is one of Kurosawa's (comparatively) more obscure ones. It was especially overshadowed by "High and Low," the masterful kidnapping thriller that Kurosawa and Mifune released in 1963. Both movies are set in the world of...

Ice Spice will make her acting debut in 'High and Low'.The 'Barbie World' rapper is set to make a cameo appearance in Spike Lee's English-language adaptation of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa's 1963 crime thriller of the same name that will star Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright and Ilfenesh Hadera.A24 posted a photo to the social media site X (formerly known as Twitter) on Wednesday (10.04.24) of Lee and Washington with the caption: "No. 5 now in production."'High and Low' marks the fifth collaboration between actor and filmmaker as they previously worked on the projects 'Inside Man', 'He Got Game', 'Malcolm X' and 'Mo' Better Blues'.The original 'High and Low' was loosely based on the 1959 novel 'King's Ransom', written by Evan Hunter under the pen name Ed McBain, and tells the story of a shoe company executive...

Ice Spice is branching out into acting with a part in Spike Lee’s forthcoming feature High and Low, which will reunite the filmmaker with Denzel Washington.

The rapper is set to appear in a cameo role that she has begun shooting for the project that is an English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller of the same name. Apple Original Films and A24 are behind Lee’s High and Low, which also stars Jeffrey Wright and Ilfenesh Hadera.

Ice Spice was nominated for four Grammys at this year’s ceremony, including best new artist. “Barbie World,” her song with Nicki Minaj, was featured on the Barbie soundtrack. Ice Spice has also had prominent collaborations with artists including Taylor Swift as she gears up to release her debut studio album, Y2K, later this year.

A24 posted a photo to X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday of Lee and Washington, along with the caption,...

Ice Spice has joined the cast of Spike Lee’s upcoming film High and Low, as Variety reports. The project will serve as the rapper’s acting debut.

Announced in February, Lee’s High and Low is an English-language remake of Akria Kurosawa’s 1963 original, which itself was a loose adaptation of Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom, and is set to star Denzel Washington and feature Jeffery Wright. The project marks the fifth collaboration between Washington and Lee, with 2006’s Inside Man being their most recent meeting. A24, Escape Artists, and Mandalay Pictures are developing and producing the project, while Lee and Alan Fox penned the script.

Though there is not yet a release date for the project, it has officially begun production. Once complete, A24 is set to distribute the film theatrically, followed by a global launch on AppleTV+, as Apple Original Films has partnered as a co-financier.

Ice Spice has joined the cast of Spike Lee’s upcoming film High and Low, as Variety reports. The project will serve as the rapper’s acting debut.

Announced in February, Lee’s High and Low is an English-language remake of Akria Kurosawa’s 1963 original, which itself was a loose adaptation of Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom, and is set to star Denzel Washington and feature Jeffery Wright. The project marks the fifth collaboration between Washington and Lee, with 2006’s Inside Man being their most recent meeting. A24, Escape Artists, and Mandalay Pictures are developing and producing the project, while Lee and Alan Fox penned the script.

Though there is not yet a release date for the project, it has officially begun production. Once complete, A24 is set to distribute the film theatrically, followed by a global launch on AppleTV+, as Apple Original Films has partnered as a co-financier.

The great philosopher Ice Spice once said: “How can I lose if I’m already chose?” The Bronx rapper’s affirmations have manifested into the kind of big screen acting debut that young actors often dream of. According to Variety, Ice Spice will act alongside Denzel Washington in Spike Lee’s forthcoming film High and Low, produced and developed by A24.

Currently in production, High and Low reinterprets Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller of the same name from 1963. The film is set for a theatrical release before entering the streaming...

Ice Spice is headed to the big screen!

The 24-year-old rapper has just been announced to join the cast of Spike Lee‘s upcoming movie High and Low, Variety reveals.

This will mark Ice Spice‘s first film role, and marks her acting debut!

Keep reading to find out more…

According to Variety, she has already started filming on the project, which stars Denzel Washington.

High and Low is an English-language reinterpretation of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa‘s 1963 crime thriller of the same name.

Apple Original Films and A24 are joining forces on the project, and it will debut in theaters before debuting on Apple TV+.

Ice Spice will also be heading to the desert this month, as she is performing on Saturday, April 13th and Saturday, April 20th at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. Check out the just announced set times here!

Ice Spice is set to appear in Spike Lee’s upcoming English-language reinterpretation of the Akira Kurosawa crime thriller “High and Low.”

“High and Low” will mark Ice Spice’s acting debut, and she’s already begun shooting for the project starring Denzel Washington.

The rapper skyrocketed to fame following the release of her breakthrough single, “Munch (Feelin’ U),” and subsequent collaborations with Pink Pantheress, Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift. She was nominated for four Grammys this year, including best rap song and best new artist. Ice Spice’s first studio album, “Y2K,” is due out this year.

The project is the fifth collaboration between Washington and Lee, and their first since 2006’s “Inside Man.” Apple Original Films and A24 are partnering on the project, which will be released theatrically by A24 before a global launch on AppleTV+.

Apple Original Films tweeted a photo of Washington and Lee on Wednesday...

Simone Ashley (Bridgerton) and Hero Fiennes Tiffin (After) are set to lead the romantic comedy ‘Picture This’.

Further cast includes Phil Dunster (Ted Lasso), Nikesh Patel (London Has Fallen), Adil Ray (Citizen Khan), Sindhu Vee (Matilda: The Musical), Anoushka Chadha (You), Kulvinder Ghir (Bend It Like Beckham) and Luke Fetherston (Still Up).

The story centres on Pia (Simone Ashley), single and without a man on the horizon, she runs a failing photography studio in London with her best friend Jay (Luke Fetherston). As her sister Sonal (Anoushka Chadha) prepares to get married and her mother Laxmi (Sindhu Vee) urges the resolutely independent Pia to partner up, a spiritual guru at Sonal’s engagement party predicts Pia will meet the love of her life among the next five dates she goes on. As her family intervene, setting her up on a series of increasingly desperate blind dates, Pia begins a hilarious...

Jeffrey Wright has joined Denzel Washington on the cast of Spike Lee’s upcoming feature ‘High and Low’.

Apple Original Films and A24 are partnering on the movie which chronicles the ruin of a businessman following a ransom payment to kidnappers.

Todd Black, known for producing ‘Emancipation’ and ‘The Equalizer’ films, will produce a new feature for Escape Artists along with Jason Michael Berman of Mandalay Pictures, who has previously worked on ‘Air’ and ‘Nine Days’. Spike Lee will also direct the film and serve as executive producer through his production company 40 Acres And A Mule Filmworks. Peter Guber of Mandalay Pictures will be another executive producer, along with Matthew Lindner, Chris Brigham, and Katia Washington of Juniper Productions. Jordan Moldo of Mandalay Pictures will be the co-producer.

Also in news – Andre Holland features in first look for AppleTV+ series ‘The Big Cigar’

The movie, which will be released...

Jeffrey Wright is to star in 'High and Low'.The 58-year-old actor is set to join Spike Lee's English-language adaptation of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa's 1963 crime thriller of the same name alongside Denzel Washington and Ilfenesh Hadera.The original 'High and Low' was loosely based on the 1959 novel 'King's Ransom', written by Evan Hunter under the pen name Ed McBain, and tells the story of a shoe company executive who falls victim to extortion when his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped and held for ransom. It is not yet clear if Lee's movie will follow the original storyline, while details about Jeffrey's role have not been revealed.Production on the flick is set to begin this month with Lee writing the screenplay with Alan Fox.Wright was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for his role as frustrated writer and professor Dr. Thelonious 'Monk'...

Fresh from his Oscar-nominated role in “American Fiction,” Jeffrey Wright has joined the cast of “High and Low.” The re-imagining of the Akira Kurosawa classic thriller is being directed by Spike Lee and will star Denzel Washington. Lee wrote the script with Alan Fox for the English-language adaptation of the story of a wealthy man dealing with a kidnapping. Production on the Apple Original Films starts this month.

In addition to Washington, “High and Low” also stars Ilfenesh Hadera (“Billions”). A24 will release the film theatrically before its global launch on Apple TV+.

The feature will be produced by Todd Black, who worked with Washington on “The Equalizer” films, for Escape Artists and Jason Michael Berman (“Air”) for Mandalay Pictures. In addition to directing, Lee will serve as executive producer through his 40 Acres And A Mule Filmworks. Mandalay’s Peter Guber will serve as executive producer, along with Juniper Productions’ Matthew Lindner,...

Fresh off his Oscar nomination for best actor, Jeffrey Wright has set his next film.

Apple Original Films and A24 announced Tuesday that Wright is joining Denzel Washington in director Spike Lee’s next film, High and Low. A24 will give the film a theatrical release before its global launch of Apple TV+. A release date has yet be announced.

The thriller, which starts production this month, is the English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller High and Low. The 1963 Japanese movie told of a shoe executive that was in the middle of a complex corporate takeover when his plans are derailed by the accidental kidnapping and ransom of his chauffeur’s son, instead of his own son.

The movie adaption was developed and produced by A24, Escape Artists and Mandalay Pictures, and written by Alan Fox and Lee.

High and Low marks the second collaboration between Apple Original...

Hot on the heels of his first Academy Award nomination for his lead role in American Fiction, Jeffrey Wright has been set to join Denzel Washington and Ilfenesh Hadera in Spike Lee’s High and Low, an English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller, for Apple and A24.

Details as to his role are under wraps.

Loosely based on the 1959 novel King’s Ransom, written by Evan Hunter under the pen name Ed McBain, the original High and Low follows a shoe company executive who becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom. It’s unclear how closely Lee’s film will hew to the original storyline.

Developed and produced by A24, Escape Artists and Mandalay Pictures, High and Low is written by Alan Fox and Lee. Todd Black and Jason Michael Berman are producing for Escape Artists and Mandalay Pictures,...

Exclusive: Ilfenesh Hadera (Godfather of Harlem) has been tapped to star opposite Denzel Washington in Apple and A24’s High and Low, an English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller, from filmmaker Spike Lee.

She comes to the project following collaborations with Lee on his acclaimed Netflix series She’s Gotta Have It, based on his classic 1986 film, as well as his movies Chi-Raq and Oldboy.

Loosely based on the 1959 novel King’s Ransom, written by Evan Hunter under the pen name Ed McBain, the original High and Low watches as a shoe company executive becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom. It’s unclear how closely Lee’s film will hew to the original storyline, and there’s no word yet as to the role Hadera will play.

Developed and produced by A24, Escape Artists and Mandalay Pictures, Lee...

The one thing that Academy Award haters and lovers can agree on is the long and fascinating history of Oscar snubs. It’s the “Predator handshake” topic that brings us all together. It happens every year: the wrong movie wins a certain award or fails to secure the nomination it deserves. Some would say it’s a big part of the awards show experience.

Every now and then, though, the Academy Awards go above and beyond by implementing a “blanket snub.” It’s one thing for a great movie or actor to not get the win or nomination they’ve earned in the eyes of theater audiences. It’s quite another to realize that there have been numerous all-time great films throughout history that didn’t even get a single Oscar nomination, much less an Oscar win.

But let’s go one step further than that. We’re not going...

Hoyte Van Hoytema has taken top honors at the 38th annual American Society of Cinematographers Awards for his work on “Oppenheimer.”

Van Hoytema topped a field that included Edward Lachman for “El Conde, Matthew Libatique for “Maestro,” Rodrigo Prieto for “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Robbie Ryan for “Poor Things.”

The awards were handed out Sunday night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel with Ed Helms hosting the festivities.

All five theatrical feature film nominees are also nominated for best cinematography at the Oscars.

In its 38-year history, only 17 have gone on to win the Oscar. Last year, Mandy Walker made history when she became the first woman to win an ASC award for her work on “Elvis.” The Academy Award ultimately went to James Friend for “All Quiet on the Western Front.”

On the TV side, winners included Carl Herse for “Barry” and Ben Kutchins for “Boston Strangler.”

Van...

Kevin Macdonald’s High & Low: John Galliano is another hagiography in an increasingly long list of public relations exercises masquerading as substantial fashion profiles. Except this documentary is a more perverse exercise in self-celebration than its predecessors, as it shamelessly announces from the very start that it’s an attempt at atonement for disgraced designer John Galliano, who was widely condemned in 2011 for racist and antisemitic rants.

High & Low opens with the case that triggered Galliano’s public downfall, all but promising that it will confront his demons head on and leave no stone unturned. Instead, it enlists Galliano’s high-profile friends and former colleagues—among them Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Penélope Cruz, Charlize Theron, and, of course, Anna Wintour—to make the case that it wasn’t really “John” talking at the Paris café La Perle when he used expressions such as “fucking ugly Jewish bitch...

National Geographic’s new female-led docuseries Queens premieres March 4th on National Geographic and will stream on Disney+ and Hulu the next day.

“Helmed by a female-led production team from around the world — groundbreaking in the natural history space — and guided by powerful narration from award-winning actress Angela Bassett, Queens is bringing the natural world into focus through the female lens for the very first time.”

Did you catch the magnificent trailer for FX’s Shogun during the Super Bowl? It was a daunting task to remake the classic miniseries, and it almost didn’t happen.

“It wasn’t just the length; it was the subject matter, or Marks’ impression of it, from the book’s reputation and from its famed 1980 miniseries adaptation: his notion of a story about a white European arriving in a strange land. ‘The silhouette of a character who kind of looks like me, wearing clothes...

At the end of January, Greece saw its 3rd International Film Festival take place at the Alimos “Karolos Koun” Municipal Theatre in Athens, with the likes of Sir Ian McKellen and Jason Watkins winning awards.

At the closing ceremony, the awards for the best short, medium and feature films took place, which saw both Sir Ian McKellen awarded a gong for Best Voice Over and Jason Watkins a Best Actor award for their performances in the Short Film ‘The One Note Man’ directed by Greek director George Siougas.

Films that had their world, European and Greek premieres were screened, with Fiction, Documentary, Animation and Video Clip themes. Also participating in the competition were Short and Feature Film Screenplays, Theatrical Plays and Photographs.

A highlight of the festival were the talks given by directors Mary Kolonia (Armchair on the Pavement), Fivos Imellos (Wings), Alexandros Kakouris and Giorgos Dellis, (Xenia), Vassilis Economou...

Actor Denzel Washington and director Spike Lee announced they are joining forces once more, the first time in 18 years, for a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller “High and Low.” The duo have collaborated four times previously, on “Mo’ Better Blues,” “Malcolm X,” “He Got Game,” and, most recently, “Inside Man.”

“High and Low” was originally based on the novel “King’s Ransom” by the prolific American author Ed McBain. McBain was a nom de plume for Evan Hunter, who also wrote “The Blackboard Jungle” (adapted to a popular film with a significant early turn by Sidney Poitier) and was a co-screenwriter of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.”

The original “High and Low” starred Toshiro Mifune as an executive who faces a moral crisis during a pivotal moment of his career—just as he had intended to move a vast amount of his personal wealth for business reasons, his son...

Denzel Washington and Spike Lee are set to reunite for their fifth film together on the English-language interpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller ‘High and Low.’

Apple Original Films and A24 are partnering on the movie which chronicles the ruin of a businessman following a ransom payment to kidnappers.

Todd Black, known for producing ‘Emancipation’ and ‘The Equalizer’ films, will produce a new feature for Escape Artists along with Jason Michael Berman of Mandalay Pictures, who has previously worked on ‘Air’ and ‘Nine Days’. Spike Lee will also direct the film and serve as executive producer through his production company 40 Acres And A Mule Filmworks. Peter Guber of Mandalay Pictures will be another executive producer, along with Matthew Lindner, Chris Brigham, and Katia Washington of Juniper Productions. Jordan Moldo of Mandalay Pictures will be the co-producer.

Also in news – Margot Robbie & Colin Farrell to team up for ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey...

Spike Lee and Denzel Washington are set to re-team for a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller High And Low.

Denzel Washington has recently finished up work on Gladiator 2 for Ridley Scott and we know that at some point, he’s set to play Hannibal in Antoine Fuqua’s take on the mighty conqueror – you know, the elephant-riding, Rome-conquering one whose name still rings throughout history.

We don’t yet know when Hannibal will go before cameras but we do now know it won’t be Washington’s next project.

Instead, Washington will be working with another key collaborator: Spike Lee.

The duo are set to make their fifth film together according to The Hollywood Reporter. What’s more, it’s set to be a remake of an Akira Kurosawa movie.

Apple Studios and A24 have joined forces to back the project with A24 putting the film out for theatrical release.

"Mo Better Blues." "Malcolm X." "He Got Game." "Inside Man." It is always an event when Spike Lee and Denzel Washington team up for a movie, and they always, always deliver. "Mo Better Blues" suffered from being Lee's follow-up to his masterpiece "Do the Right Thing," but its critical reputation has improved significantly over time. "Malcolm X" is probably the second most important (and brilliant) film about race next to "Do the Right Thing." "He Got Game" is an electric-yet-harrowing father-son drama set against the wanton corruption of college basketball. And "Inside Man" is just a plain old pip of a heist movie, one that makes you wish Lee would place his stylistic spin on more straight-up genre stories.

According to Variety, Lee is set to tackle one of the most masterfully crafted cop tales ever made, and you best believe he's re-teaming with Washington to bring it off.

The project is "High and Low,...

The pair, who last worked together on 2006’s Inside Man, will reimagine the 1963 crime drama High and Low for Apple and A24

Spike Lee and Denzel Washington are teaming up for the fifth time, reimagining Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime drama High and Low.

The pair, whose previous projects include Malcolm X and He Got Game, will start filming a reinterpretation in March. Based on the novel King’s Ransom by Ed McBain, the original film stars Toshiro Mifune as a wealthy man in ruin after paying the ransom for a kidnapping.

A pact between Apple Original Films, A24, Spike Lee, and Denzel Washington is making noise this Thursday with news about a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime drama High and Low. Lee and Washington are old friends, of course, with the duo’s fourth collaboration being for 2006’s Inside Man.

In Kurosawa’s High and Low, an executive of a Yokohama shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom. Details about Lee’s remake are scarce, though we know it will be an English-language reimagining of the original—details about how and if the plot will differ from Kurosawa’s classic crime drama remains a mystery.

Alan Fox and Lee wrote the screenplay for the High and Low remake, with A24, Escape Artists, and Mandalay Pictures handling development. Production kicks off in March, with Todd Black producing for...

Following Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game, and Inside Man, Spike Lee and Denzel Washington are planning a reunion. With the director being on the longest break between narrative features since his debut in 1986, having last helmed 2020’s Da 5 Bloods, it’s now been unveiled he will direct a reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low.

Variety reports that Washington will lead the project, scripted by Alan Fox and Spike Lee, and backed by Apple Original Films and A24. Based on Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom, the original film starred Toshiro Mifune as a wealthy industrialist whose family becomes the target of a ruthless kidnapper.

High and Low will also mark Lee’s second high-profile remake after his 2013 feature Oldboy. With production beginning this spring, a theatrical release has also been confirmed––which we imagine will take place in 2025––followed by an Apple TV+ global bow.

Denzel Washington and Spike Lee are reuniting for their fifth film together – the first since 2006’s “Inside Man.” Apple Original Films and A24 are partnering on “High and Low,” which will be released theatrically by A24 before a global launch on AppleTV+.

The thriller, which starts production in March, is the English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller of the same name. The 1963 film starring Toshiro Mifune was based on the Ed McBain novel “King’s Ransom,” which chronicles the ruin of a businessman following a ransom payment to kidnappers.

Developed and produced by A24, Escape Artists and Mandalay Pictures, “High and Low” features a script written by Alan Fox and Spike Lee.

As Apple is a co-financier on “High and Low,” this project will not be included in a recent multi-year deal that A24 brokered with competing streaming service Max last year, sources familiar with the movie said. The...

Apple Original Films and A24 are partnering on High and Low, which reunites longtime collaborators Spike Lee and Denzel Washington with Washington starring and Lee directing. A24 will release the film theatrically before its global launch on Apple TV+.

The film is an English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller. While its unknown how similar the High and Low plot will be, Kurosawa’s movie follows an executive at a Yokohama shoe company who becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom.

Developed and produced by A24, Escape Artists and Mandalay Pictures and written by Alan Fox and Lee, the new thriller starts production in March. High and Low will be produced by Todd Black for Escape Artists and Jason Michael Berman for Mandalay Pictures. In addition to directing, Lee will serve as executive producer through his 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks.

A new Spike Lee Joint is in the works that will reunite the director with Denzel Washington. Apple Original Films is partnering with A24 on “High and Low,” an English-language adaptation of the 1963 Akira Kurosawa crime film of the same name.

“High and Low” marks the first time Washington and Lee will work together since 2006’s “Inside Man.” It will be their fifth film together in addition to “Mo’ Better Blues,” “Malcolm X,” and “He Got Game.”

The project also brings back together Washington and Todd Black, who produced “Fences,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and “The Equalizer” films. Washington previously starred in another Apple and A24 film, Joel Coen’s 2022 “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” which netted Denzel his 10th Oscar nomination.

Production on “High and Low” will start in March. A24 plans to release the film theatrically before it streams on Apple TV+.

“High and Low” is just one of Japanese master Kurosawa’s masterpieces,...

“High and Low” received nominations for the Golden Lion at the 24th Venice Film Festival, and the Best Foreign Film at the 21st Golden Globe Awards. It was also awarded at the Mainichi Film Awards for the Best Film, and for the Best Screenplay. Upon its release in Japan, it earned approximately $1.3 million and became the top-grossing film of 1963.

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The script, written by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Eijiro Hisaita, and Ryuzo Kikushima, is loosely based on Evan Hunter's novel from 1959, “King's Ransom”. Toho, the film company that Kurosawa was working with at the time, acquired the film rights for $5,000. The first half of the story revolves around Kingo Gondo (Toshiro Mifune), a board member of a Japanese shoe company, facing a critical dilemma. He must decide whether to use his considerable wealth to secure executive control in the company or help his chauffeur,...

The Academy has revealed the list of eligible films for consideration in best animated, documentary and international feature of the year, encompassing a broad range of blockbusters and critically acclaimed titles.

GKids’ “The Boy and the Heron,” Pixar’s “Elemental,” Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and Illumination’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” are among the 33 animated films in the running. This is up from 27 in 2023, when “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” took home the prize.

The eventual five nominees are determined by members of the shorts and animation branch, and any Academy members outside the branch who wish to participate. The number of outside members who opt in is unknown. All films submitted for animated feature also qualify for the Academy Awards in other categories, including best picture.

Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.

There are 88 films representing their countries for the international feature Oscar,...

Kevin Macdonald’s moving 2018 bio-doc, Whitney, did a great job of fortifying Whitney Houston’s legacy while wiping away the smear of the predatory celebrity culture that made a mockery of one of contemporary pop’s most exceptional talents during the worst and most public period of her drug addiction. Another price-of-fame subject, disgraced British fashion designer John Galliano, is a trickier prospect that does the director no favors.

If you come to this film looking for a brisk overview of his achievements in couture, you might find High & Low more than serviceable. Footage of shows, especially from Galliano’s big-budget tenure as creative director at Dior make for fabulous wardrobe porn, highlighting the haute theatricality and ravishing romance that turned him into a fashion rock star. But if you’re expecting the definitive closing leg of the redemption tour, it’s unlikely you’ll find this a persuasive argument...

With the festival kicking off tomorrow, Telluride Film Festival has now unveiled its lineup, featuring new films from Jeff Nichols (the first image from which can be seen above), Emerald Fennell, Annie Baker, Andrew Haigh, Yorgos Lanthimos, Justine Triet, Wim Wenders, Kitty Green, Ethan Hawke, and many more.

“Fifty years is a long time to do anything. And while we might be a little biased, we feel the work that Tff does is pretty important,” comments Telluride Film Festival director Julie Huntsinger. “We take the charge of preserving the theatrical experience and promoting film seriously, but with necessary winks here and there. We’re ecstatic to share a program we feel reflects so much of the past fifty years, naturally and organically, films old and new, which stand as a testament to our beloved co-founders Tom Luddy and Bill Pence who are no longer with us.”

• All Of US Strangers...

2023 Festival dedicated to founders Tom Luddy, Bill Pence, Stella Pence, James Card.

Telluride Film Festival has announced its 2023 50th anniversary line-up with Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winner Anatomy Of A Fall, and Steve McQueen’s Occupied City on the roster.

The selection, which will play in the Colorado Rockies locale from August 31 to September 4, includes Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders, Jonathan Glazer’s Cannes sensation The Zone Of Interest, Pablo Larrain’s El Conde, Kitty Green’s The Royal Hotel, George C. Wolfe’s Rustin, Nyad from Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin,...

Everyone is hiding something in twisty Max thriller “Full Circle” — right down to the view outside the Manhattan apartment of parents Sam (Claire Danes) and Derek (Timothy Olyphant).

“Full Circle” is the first production to tout Rosco’s Rdx Lab System for interactive digital backgrounds on an LED wall inside the show’s crucial apartment set build. This is where Sam and Derek reside near Washington Square Park, their secrets unraveling after the botched kidnapping of their son, Jared (Ethan Stoddard).

After first using LED wall tech on “Kimi,” director-cinematographer Steven Soderbergh returned to it for this crime thriller limited series loosely inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s “High and Low.” But this was a new software system and a different situation from the more elaborate 3D Volume demands of “Kimi.”

Rdx, with software by FuseFX, allowed Soderbergh and gaffer Derek Gross to use an iPad app to project and alter...