On HBO’s hit show Insecure, Issa Rae and Jay Ellis portrayed the complex relationship between Issa Dee and Lawrence Walker. Their on-screen chemistry was a cornerstone of the series, capturing the ups and downs of a modern romance. Three years after the five-season show concluded, Rae joined Ellis to celebrate the launch of his book, Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just Me)?: Adventures in Boyhood. Fans loved seeing the pair reunite, especially since the chemistry was still there.
Issa Rae and Jay Ellis at the HBO’s ‘Insecure’ Center on October 6, 2016 in LA | Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Insecure received critical acclaim since its debut in 2016. Based on Rae’s web series Awkward Black Girl, the show made stars out of Rae, Ellis, and Yvonne Orji. In 2018, Ellis won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Rae received three Emmy nominations for Outstanding...
Issa Rae and Jay Ellis at the HBO’s ‘Insecure’ Center on October 6, 2016 in LA | Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Insecure received critical acclaim since its debut in 2016. Based on Rae’s web series Awkward Black Girl, the show made stars out of Rae, Ellis, and Yvonne Orji. In 2018, Ellis won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Rae received three Emmy nominations for Outstanding...
- 8/14/2024
- by Ali Hicks
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Horror video game adaptation Until Dawn has announced its first cast members and they’re all rising stars. More on the news below.
In January, we brought you the news that the horror video game Until Dawn was getting its own film adaptation. David F. Sandberg, known for Lights Out and the Shazam! films, was announced as the director.
Now, we can reveal the first bit of casting for Until Dawn. Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo and Odessa A’zion have been cast in the film, but no details on who they are playing have emerged yet. Deadline was the first to report the news.
“At PlayStation Productions, we are always looking to find creative and authentic ways to adapt our beloved games that our fans will enjoy,” said Asad Qizilbash, Head of PlayStation Productions, Head of Product for PlayStation Studios, Sony Interactive Entertainment. “Alongside Screen Gems, we’ve assembled...
In January, we brought you the news that the horror video game Until Dawn was getting its own film adaptation. David F. Sandberg, known for Lights Out and the Shazam! films, was announced as the director.
Now, we can reveal the first bit of casting for Until Dawn. Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo and Odessa A’zion have been cast in the film, but no details on who they are playing have emerged yet. Deadline was the first to report the news.
“At PlayStation Productions, we are always looking to find creative and authentic ways to adapt our beloved games that our fans will enjoy,” said Asad Qizilbash, Head of PlayStation Productions, Head of Product for PlayStation Studios, Sony Interactive Entertainment. “Alongside Screen Gems, we’ve assembled...
- 6/17/2024
- by Maria Lattila
- Film Stories
Screen Gems and PlayStation Productions have revealed four key cast members for the upcoming film adaptation of the popular horror game Until Dawn. According to Deadline, the actors cast are Michael Cimino, Odessa A'zion, Ella Rubin, and Ji-young Yoo.
The film version will be directed by Lights Out director David F. Sandberg. Annabelle Comes Home writer Gary Dauberman wrote the latest version of the script, with Blair Butler (Hell Fest) working on a previous draft.
Michael Cimino is best known for starring in Hulu's Love, Simon spinoff series Love, Victor, in addition to appearing in Never Have I Ever and Annabelle Comes Home. A'zion is probably best known for starring in the Netflix drama Grand Army, though she's no stranger to the horror genre, having starred in Hellraiser (2022). She also has the indie horror movie Hell House in development.
As for Rubin, you can catch her starring opposite Anne Hathaway...
The film version will be directed by Lights Out director David F. Sandberg. Annabelle Comes Home writer Gary Dauberman wrote the latest version of the script, with Blair Butler (Hell Fest) working on a previous draft.
Michael Cimino is best known for starring in Hulu's Love, Simon spinoff series Love, Victor, in addition to appearing in Never Have I Ever and Annabelle Comes Home. A'zion is probably best known for starring in the Netflix drama Grand Army, though she's no stranger to the horror genre, having starred in Hellraiser (2022). She also has the indie horror movie Hell House in development.
As for Rubin, you can catch her starring opposite Anne Hathaway...
- 6/14/2024
- by Mads Lennon
- 1428 Elm
Exclusive: Screen Gems and PlayStation Productions’ feature adaptation of the PlayStation game Until Dawn has set an ensemble of rising stars as Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo and Odessa A’zion have been cast in the upcoming pic. David F. Sandberg is set to direct.
“At PlayStation Productions, we are always looking to find creative and authentic ways to adapt our beloved games that our fans will enjoy,” said Asad Qizilbash, Head of PlayStation Productions, Head of Product for PlayStation Studios, Sony Interactive Entertainment. “Alongside Screen Gems, we’ve assembled a fantastic cast of new characters that builds upon our already stellar filmmaking team and their vision for the adaptation. We’re excited to reveal more about the movie soon.”
The logline is under wraps but the pic is being described as an R-rated and terrifying love letter to the horror genre, centering on an ensemble cast.
Gary Dauberman wrote...
“At PlayStation Productions, we are always looking to find creative and authentic ways to adapt our beloved games that our fans will enjoy,” said Asad Qizilbash, Head of PlayStation Productions, Head of Product for PlayStation Studios, Sony Interactive Entertainment. “Alongside Screen Gems, we’ve assembled a fantastic cast of new characters that builds upon our already stellar filmmaking team and their vision for the adaptation. We’re excited to reveal more about the movie soon.”
The logline is under wraps but the pic is being described as an R-rated and terrifying love letter to the horror genre, centering on an ensemble cast.
Gary Dauberman wrote...
- 6/14/2024
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Criminal: John Hawkes, Pat Healy, & more join Charlie Hunnam in Prime Video’s Ed Brubaker adaptation
John Hawkes has been one of my favorite character actors since he first came to my attention back in the ’90s with roles in films like Roadracers, Night of the Scarecrow, From Dusk Till Dawn, and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, so it’s cool to hear (from Deadline) that he’s going directly from a multi-episode role in the latest season of True Detective to landing a recurring role in the Prime Video series adaptation of Criminal, the Eisner Award-winning graphic novel series written by Ed Brubaker and illustrated by Sean Phillips. Hawkes, along with Pat Healy (Better Call Saul), Taylor Selé (Bmf), and Logan Browning (Dear White People), join previously announced cast members Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy), Adria Arjona (Hit Man), Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water), and Kadeem Hardison (A Different World).
Criminal tells “the interweaving saga of several generations of families tied...
Criminal tells “the interweaving saga of several generations of families tied...
- 6/10/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Normani Channeled Janet, Recruited Brandy, and Put ‘Absolutely Everything’ Into Her Album ‘Dopamine’
About four years ago, Normani seemed to disappear. The 28-year-old artist, who made it big as part of the girl group Fifth Harmony, went solo after the group disbanded in 2018, and found success with collaborations alongside Sam Smith and Khalid. She toured with Ariana Grande and riled up fans with her first single, the instantly catchy “Motivation.”
And then, her momentum slowed down. Normani would pop onto the scene briefly, drop a single or two, and then fade away again. She dealt with some ups and downs that kept her from releasing consistent music,...
And then, her momentum slowed down. Normani would pop onto the scene briefly, drop a single or two, and then fade away again. She dealt with some ups and downs that kept her from releasing consistent music,...
- 6/5/2024
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
Charlie Hunnam is set to make a return to series television. The former Sons of Anarchy star is set to play the lead in Prime Video’s highly anticipated Criminal, which is based on a series of graphic novels by Ed Brubaker. The series returns Hunnam to the world of organized crime, a genre that’s paid nice dividends for him in between Sons of Anarchy and The Gentlemen. According to Deadline, Hunnam is set to play the lead, “Leo, a brilliant master thief who sees all the angles, and specializes in plans with no guns and no violence. Like a chess player, Leo thinks three moves ahead. Other crooks think he’s a coward, especially compared to his father Tommy, who went to jail for murdering the most feared man in the city, Teeg Lawless.”
The cast will include Adria Arjona, who’s earning the best reviews of her...
The cast will include Adria Arjona, who’s earning the best reviews of her...
- 5/31/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
At the start of the year, it was announced that Criminal, the Eisner Award-winning graphic novel series written by Ed Brubaker and illustrated by Sean Phillips, is getting a series adaptation from Prime Video. Now Variety reports that Adria Arjona of Morbius and the upcoming Netflix release Hit Man and Richard Jenkins of The Shape of Water and The Visitor are set to star in the series.
Criminal tells “the interweaving saga of several generations of families tied together by the crimes and murders of the past.” The official logline for the series says it will show viewers an interlocking universe of crime stories.
Brubaker has written the script for the pilot and will serve as showrunner of the series alongside Jordan Harper (Hightown). Brubaker and Harper are also executive producing with Sean Phillips, Sarah Carbiener, Phillip Barnett, and Legendary Television.
Arjona is taking on the role of Greta, “a...
Criminal tells “the interweaving saga of several generations of families tied together by the crimes and murders of the past.” The official logline for the series says it will show viewers an interlocking universe of crime stories.
Brubaker has written the script for the pilot and will serve as showrunner of the series alongside Jordan Harper (Hightown). Brubaker and Harper are also executive producing with Sean Phillips, Sarah Carbiener, Phillip Barnett, and Legendary Television.
Arjona is taking on the role of Greta, “a...
- 5/29/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Prime Video is gearing up for a strong Emmy push with Lulu Wang’s emotionally charged and intricately crafted miniseries “Expats.”
It was revealed exclusively to Variety that stars Nicole Kidman and Ji-young Yoo will be submitted for lead acting accolades, while Sarayu Blue and Ruby Ruiz will aim for supporting roles. Altogether, “Expats” will vie for 24 Primetime Emmy nominations, including outstanding limited or anthology series.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of Hong Kong, and adapted from the novel by Janice Y.K. Lee, “Expats” delves into the lives of a close-knit group of expatriates, navigating their affluent, yet complex world. The narrative centers around the mysterious disappearance of Margaret’s (Kidman) son during a market visit, intertwining the lives of three American women amidst the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests.
Read: All Primetime Emmy predictions in every category on Variety’s Awards Circuit.
Lulu Wang, the creator, writer and director of the...
It was revealed exclusively to Variety that stars Nicole Kidman and Ji-young Yoo will be submitted for lead acting accolades, while Sarayu Blue and Ruby Ruiz will aim for supporting roles. Altogether, “Expats” will vie for 24 Primetime Emmy nominations, including outstanding limited or anthology series.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of Hong Kong, and adapted from the novel by Janice Y.K. Lee, “Expats” delves into the lives of a close-knit group of expatriates, navigating their affluent, yet complex world. The narrative centers around the mysterious disappearance of Margaret’s (Kidman) son during a market visit, intertwining the lives of three American women amidst the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests.
Read: All Primetime Emmy predictions in every category on Variety’s Awards Circuit.
Lulu Wang, the creator, writer and director of the...
- 4/11/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
A cute little girl in a tutu turns out to be a bloodsucking monster. Here’s the new Abigail trailer.
In Abigail, the new horror film from directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (aka Radio Silence), the kid’s not alright.
The duo behind the two latest Scream films are reuniting with Melissa Barrera for a vampire film with a delicious twist.
Take a look at the brand new Abigail trailer below, and the first trailer from back at the start of the year just below that…
Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Angus Cloud and Kevin Durand also star in the film alongside Barrera. Matilda and Night Swim star Alisha Weir plays the titular Abigail.
This will be one of two projects released in 2024 involving Cloud, who died tragically in 2023. Abigail is heading to cinemas in April, but Cloud also stars in Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s next film, Freaky Tales with Pedro Pascal,...
In Abigail, the new horror film from directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (aka Radio Silence), the kid’s not alright.
The duo behind the two latest Scream films are reuniting with Melissa Barrera for a vampire film with a delicious twist.
Take a look at the brand new Abigail trailer below, and the first trailer from back at the start of the year just below that…
Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Angus Cloud and Kevin Durand also star in the film alongside Barrera. Matilda and Night Swim star Alisha Weir plays the titular Abigail.
This will be one of two projects released in 2024 involving Cloud, who died tragically in 2023. Abigail is heading to cinemas in April, but Cloud also stars in Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s next film, Freaky Tales with Pedro Pascal,...
- 4/4/2024
- by Maria Lattila
- Film Stories
In 2023, "Euphoria" star Angus Cloud sadly passed away at the age of 25. It was a particularly tragic loss as the young actor, who played Fezco "Fez" O'Neill on the hit HBO series, was clearly very talented, possessed a seemingly endless amount of charisma, and had a slate of exciting projects in the works at the time he passed. He'll soon posthumously star in the upcoming Universal Monsters film "Abigail," in which kidnappers battle a vampire ballerina, from "Scream" and "Ready or Not" directors, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. But that's far from the only project outside "Euphoria" that Cloud had in the works.
"Freaky Tales," from "Captain Marvel" directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, caused a small stir at Sundance earlier this year, though a wide release is still being hashed out. The Pedro Pascal-led indie drama focuses on four interconnected stories in 1987 Oakland, and paid tribute to Cloud at its Sundance debut.
"Freaky Tales," from "Captain Marvel" directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, caused a small stir at Sundance earlier this year, though a wide release is still being hashed out. The Pedro Pascal-led indie drama focuses on four interconnected stories in 1987 Oakland, and paid tribute to Cloud at its Sundance debut.
- 3/18/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Hello, and welcome to the Scene 2 Seen Podcast!
I am Valerie Complex, an associate editor and film writer at Deadline. Today I’m chatting with Ji-young Yoo, who has some anticipated performances on the horizon. It’s no wonder Variety named her one of the 10 Actors to Watch for 2023.
Ji-Young stars as a co-lead in the six-part limited series Expats, which is based on the Janice Y.K. Lee’s international best-selling novel, The Expatriates. Directed by Lulu Wang (The Farewell), the series also stars Nicole Kidman and Sarayu Blue. Set in Hong Kong 2014, the story centers on three American women – Margaret Mercy and Hilary – whose lives intersect after a sudden tragedy. The series made its debut at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival and was released on Prime Video in January.
The actress attended Sundance 2024 for the premiere of the immersive film Freaky Tales alongside Pedro Pascal and Jay Ellis. From Captain Marvel...
I am Valerie Complex, an associate editor and film writer at Deadline. Today I’m chatting with Ji-young Yoo, who has some anticipated performances on the horizon. It’s no wonder Variety named her one of the 10 Actors to Watch for 2023.
Ji-Young stars as a co-lead in the six-part limited series Expats, which is based on the Janice Y.K. Lee’s international best-selling novel, The Expatriates. Directed by Lulu Wang (The Farewell), the series also stars Nicole Kidman and Sarayu Blue. Set in Hong Kong 2014, the story centers on three American women – Margaret Mercy and Hilary – whose lives intersect after a sudden tragedy. The series made its debut at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival and was released on Prime Video in January.
The actress attended Sundance 2024 for the premiere of the immersive film Freaky Tales alongside Pedro Pascal and Jay Ellis. From Captain Marvel...
- 3/1/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
One month ago, heading into the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, the most anticipated title for buyers was not necessarily the action-adventure anthology with Pedro Pascal (Freaky Tales) or the Kristen Stewart-fronted post-apocalyptic love story (Love Me). It was Dídi, a coming-of-age film about a 13-year-old in the Bay Area from a first-time feature director with no notable U.S. stars. It quickly landed a deal with Focus Features, while films with shinier stars and higher concepts are still in negotiations for deals.
The U.S. has long been known as the great arbiter of “bigger is better.” But being risk-averse, given current economic conditions and industry trends back home (Disney, Paramount Global, Amazon MGM, and others are currently undergoing layoffs), may, says one U.S. buyer, “no longer mean getting a massive star or big director — it means costing less.” Yet, internationally, the mandate seems to be business as usual,...
The U.S. has long been known as the great arbiter of “bigger is better.” But being risk-averse, given current economic conditions and industry trends back home (Disney, Paramount Global, Amazon MGM, and others are currently undergoing layoffs), may, says one U.S. buyer, “no longer mean getting a massive star or big director — it means costing less.” Yet, internationally, the mandate seems to be business as usual,...
- 2/18/2024
- by Scott Roxborough and Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Among the forthcoming MCU ventures slated for development and release in the coming years, none garners as much anticipation as the ‘Fantastic Four.’ While Marvel Studios remains tight-lipped about the official cast, rumors strongly suggest Pedro Pascal portraying Reed Richards alongside Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm. Additionally, there is substantial speculation surrounding Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s alleged casting as The Thing, with recent intriguing statements attributed to him in the press. While the news of Pedro Pascal’s likely portrayal of Reed Richards surfaced several months ago, it has now been substantiated by his SAG-AFTRA profile, which also indicates his imminent involvement in ‘Fantastic Four’ production.
Pedro Pascal can currently be seen starring opposite Ethan Hawke in Pedro Almodóvar’s short film, A Strange Way Of Life, which first premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Up next Pascal can be seen starring in Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s independent film,...
Pedro Pascal can currently be seen starring opposite Ethan Hawke in Pedro Almodóvar’s short film, A Strange Way Of Life, which first premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Up next Pascal can be seen starring in Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s independent film,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Valentina Kraljik
- Fiction Horizon
Out of all upcoming MCU projects scheduled to be developed and released in the next couple of years, none generates as much hype as the ‘Fantastic Four.’ While Marvel Studios is keeping the official cast under a tight lid. Rumors point in the direction of Pedro Pascal playing Reed Richards with Vanessa Kirby playing Sue Storm. It’s also heavily rumored that Ebon Moss-Bachrach has been cast as The Thing and he recently even gave an interesting statement to the press regarding it.
The fact that Pedro Pascal will be most likely playing Reed Richards was leaked several months ago and the fact is basically mainstream knowledge, we’re also happy to announce that the news was confirmed by Pedro’s SAG-AFTRA profile, and not only that, the profile also states that he will soon begin production on ‘Fantastic Four.’
“Pedro Pascal can currently be seen starring opposite...
The fact that Pedro Pascal will be most likely playing Reed Richards was leaked several months ago and the fact is basically mainstream knowledge, we’re also happy to announce that the news was confirmed by Pedro’s SAG-AFTRA profile, and not only that, the profile also states that he will soon begin production on ‘Fantastic Four.’
“Pedro Pascal can currently be seen starring opposite...
- 2/8/2024
- by Valentina Kraljik
- Comic Basics
As quickly as it came, Sundance 2024 is in the books, with it another excellent showcase of the hottest titles in independent cinema. This marked my fifteenth year attending the festival in Park City, Utah, and I ended up reviewing twenty-one movies as part of my coverage. Here are a few takeaways from the festival:
Horror is king at Sundance
The midnight section at Sundance has always been extensive, but in the last few years, thanks to the box office success of breakout acquisitions like Hereditary, The Babadook, and last year’s Talk to Me, it’s become the premiere section for big deals. A24 showed up with one of the most buzzed-about titles of the festival, I Saw the TV Glow (which I disliked – but I was in the minority), while Netflix spent $17 million on It’s What’s Inside, which could be a big horror breakout for them. The section is...
Horror is king at Sundance
The midnight section at Sundance has always been extensive, but in the last few years, thanks to the box office success of breakout acquisitions like Hereditary, The Babadook, and last year’s Talk to Me, it’s become the premiere section for big deals. A24 showed up with one of the most buzzed-about titles of the festival, I Saw the TV Glow (which I disliked – but I was in the minority), while Netflix spent $17 million on It’s What’s Inside, which could be a big horror breakout for them. The section is...
- 2/2/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Plot: The true story of Rob Peace (Jay Will), a promising academic who, in a desperate attempt to raise money for his incarcerated father (Chiwetel Ejiofor) started a marijuana business that put his future in jeopardy.
Review: One of the recurring themes of this year’s Sundance was fatherhood. It’s a theme that cropped up in one of the fest’s most popular documentaries, Daughters, and was also prominent in films like Freaky Tales, Love Lies Bleeding, and Exhibiting Forgiveness. Most of the relationships were depicted as at least somewhat dysfunctional, and Rob Peace, in some measure, follows suit.
It begs the question, what would you sacrifice to save your father? Most movies – when they ask this question – do the reverse. We’re used to seeing stories about parents sacrificing things for their children, but not the reverse. In Rob Peace, which is based on a story that’s all too tragically true,...
Review: One of the recurring themes of this year’s Sundance was fatherhood. It’s a theme that cropped up in one of the fest’s most popular documentaries, Daughters, and was also prominent in films like Freaky Tales, Love Lies Bleeding, and Exhibiting Forgiveness. Most of the relationships were depicted as at least somewhat dysfunctional, and Rob Peace, in some measure, follows suit.
It begs the question, what would you sacrifice to save your father? Most movies – when they ask this question – do the reverse. We’re used to seeing stories about parents sacrificing things for their children, but not the reverse. In Rob Peace, which is based on a story that’s all too tragically true,...
- 1/31/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
By Abe Friedtanzer
Pedro Pascal in Freaky Tales | Sundance Institute
This was my ninth time being in Park City for the Sundance Film Festival, and even though a family occasion meant I only arrived on Sunday (the festival started Thursday), I still saw twenty-five films in person and three before the fest. I did three days of five movies back-to-back, which is an incomparable thrill that can also prove quite exhausting. Fortunately, there was plenty of good fare worth remembering, and some of it is even coming soon to a screen of some sort near you!
Because there’s just so much playing, I didn’t actually see most of the official award winners, but you can peruse that list here. For my “jury of one,” here are my top ten films and a few other assorted honors. My reviews, if available, are hyperlinked, as well as notes on distribution if available.
Pedro Pascal in Freaky Tales | Sundance Institute
This was my ninth time being in Park City for the Sundance Film Festival, and even though a family occasion meant I only arrived on Sunday (the festival started Thursday), I still saw twenty-five films in person and three before the fest. I did three days of five movies back-to-back, which is an incomparable thrill that can also prove quite exhausting. Fortunately, there was plenty of good fare worth remembering, and some of it is even coming soon to a screen of some sort near you!
Because there’s just so much playing, I didn’t actually see most of the official award winners, but you can peruse that list here. For my “jury of one,” here are my top ten films and a few other assorted honors. My reviews, if available, are hyperlinked, as well as notes on distribution if available.
- 1/29/2024
- by Abe Friedtanzer
- FilmExperience
The Sundance Film Festival 2024, beloved by independent film enthusiasts, opens the film festival circuit with a bustling calendar of parties, thought-provoking panels, and red-carpet premieres.
Celebrating its 40th milestone, the lineup boasts diversity across various categories, featuring 53 short films, 35 documentary features, and 83 feature films. The award-winning films for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival were announced today at The Ray Theatre in Park City during a ceremony.
The jury and audience-awarded prizes include Grand Jury Prizes awarded to In The Summers (U.S. Dramatic Competition), Porcelain War (U.S. Documentary Competition), Sujo (World Cinema Dramatic Competition), and A New Kind of Wilderness (World Cinema Documentary Competition). The Next Innovator Award presented by Adobe was awarded to Little Death.
Related: Sundance Film Festival Awards: ‘In The Summers’, ‘Didi’, ‘Daughters’ Top Winners List
Audiences came together in person over the weekend in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance Resort with talent that included June Squibb,...
Celebrating its 40th milestone, the lineup boasts diversity across various categories, featuring 53 short films, 35 documentary features, and 83 feature films. The award-winning films for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival were announced today at The Ray Theatre in Park City during a ceremony.
The jury and audience-awarded prizes include Grand Jury Prizes awarded to In The Summers (U.S. Dramatic Competition), Porcelain War (U.S. Documentary Competition), Sujo (World Cinema Dramatic Competition), and A New Kind of Wilderness (World Cinema Documentary Competition). The Next Innovator Award presented by Adobe was awarded to Little Death.
Related: Sundance Film Festival Awards: ‘In The Summers’, ‘Didi’, ‘Daughters’ Top Winners List
Audiences came together in person over the weekend in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance Resort with talent that included June Squibb,...
- 1/26/2024
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
Plot: Four interconnected tales follow a teenager in love (Jack Champion), two female rappers trying to make it (Normani and Dominique Thorne), a world-weary debt mob enforcer (Pedro Pascal ) and a basketball legend (Jay Ellis) looking for vengeance in 1987 Oakland.
Review: Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson) make a triumphant return to Sundance with one of the festival’s most energetic offerings in years. Mixing a Tarantino-style crime tale with high-octane action, Boden and Fleck use the bag of tricks they earned working for the MCU (Captain Marvel) to deliver an unexpected smash. Freaky Tales is the kind of movie Sundance would have shown in its nineties heyday, with it likely the only film playing this year that ends in a kung-fu-heavy bloodbath. I loved every second of it.
Freaky Tales mostly takes place over a single night in Oakland; it uses a few things that were...
Review: Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson) make a triumphant return to Sundance with one of the festival’s most energetic offerings in years. Mixing a Tarantino-style crime tale with high-octane action, Boden and Fleck use the bag of tricks they earned working for the MCU (Captain Marvel) to deliver an unexpected smash. Freaky Tales is the kind of movie Sundance would have shown in its nineties heyday, with it likely the only film playing this year that ends in a kung-fu-heavy bloodbath. I loved every second of it.
Freaky Tales mostly takes place over a single night in Oakland; it uses a few things that were...
- 1/26/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Before the early-morning Sundance premiere of Freaky Tales, one of the festival’s programmers introduced the movie as an explosive, crazy ride that would surely wake an under-caffeinated audience. That same sentiment was shared moments later in the opening frames, promising that Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Oakland-based 1980s mosaic would be a “hella wild” ride. Like the common trope of freeze-frame narration that begins in media res, it’s a bold choice to tell––instead of show––your audience what they’re about to get into.
And what do you get into with Freaky Tales? Unfortunately, something clever, self-satisfied, and much sleepier than its predetermined adrenaline rush. Its filmmakers made their first splash at Sundance with Half Nelson in 2006, eventually compounding their indie success through sensitive (It’s Kind of a Funny Story) and smart (Mississippi Grind) features that showcased their writing skills and casting decisions. Their mainstream...
And what do you get into with Freaky Tales? Unfortunately, something clever, self-satisfied, and much sleepier than its predetermined adrenaline rush. Its filmmakers made their first splash at Sundance with Half Nelson in 2006, eventually compounding their indie success through sensitive (It’s Kind of a Funny Story) and smart (Mississippi Grind) features that showcased their writing skills and casting decisions. Their mainstream...
- 1/25/2024
- by Jake Kring-Schreifels
- The Film Stage
When basketball legend Sue Bird decided to let a team of filmmakers capture her final season after playing 21 years in the WNBA, she wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from watching her career be contextualized on film, but it turned out to be wonderful.
“You play such a long time — so many different moments, so many different memories — and to have it now, in this one film is amazing,” Bird said, visiting the Variety Studio presented by Audible at the Sundance Film Festival. “I think the hardest part throughout the process was showing those emotional moments.”
When she was on her own, the emotions flowed freely. “I’d be crying like a baby, like in the shower,” Bird admitted, laughing. “But then the minute I was in front of the cameras or in front of the crowd, the emotions didn’t always come,” she said, turning to the filmmakers seated alongside her.
“You play such a long time — so many different moments, so many different memories — and to have it now, in this one film is amazing,” Bird said, visiting the Variety Studio presented by Audible at the Sundance Film Festival. “I think the hardest part throughout the process was showing those emotional moments.”
When she was on her own, the emotions flowed freely. “I’d be crying like a baby, like in the shower,” Bird admitted, laughing. “But then the minute I was in front of the cameras or in front of the crowd, the emotions didn’t always come,” she said, turning to the filmmakers seated alongside her.
- 1/23/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Malia Obama stepped onto a red carpet last week for the first time, with good reason. The former first daughter hit Park City for the Sundance Film Festival premiere of her short film The Heart, an 18-minute directorial debut that snagged a spot in the U.S. short fiction films program of the 2024 edition. The premiere screening happened on the fest’s opening day, Jan. 18, and screened two more times over the weekend. The budding filmmaker, who participated in all post-screening Q&As to discuss her work, also took time out of her busy schedule to screen the film and speak with a group of students at Park City High School about all things creative from writing to directing.
Malia Obama attended The Heart premiere and posed with her actors and short-film collaborators.
It wasn’t all work and no play for the 25-year-old daughter of Barack and Michelle Obama.
Malia Obama attended The Heart premiere and posed with her actors and short-film collaborators.
It wasn’t all work and no play for the 25-year-old daughter of Barack and Michelle Obama.
- 1/22/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Deadline photo studio hosted talent at the Sundance Film Festival, as cast members of Sundance-premiering films stopped by including Glen Powell and Richard Linklater for Hit Man; John Earl Jelks, Andra Day, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Titus Kaphar and André Holland for Exhibiting Forgiveness; Fred Hechinger, Clark Gregg, June Squibb and Josh Margolin for Thelma; Kerry Washington for Daughters; Nora Fingscheidt and Saoirse Ronan for Outrun; Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun for Love Me; Kieran Culkin for A Real Pain; Pedro Pascal, Dominique Thorne, Normani Kordei Hamilton & Jack Champion for Freaky Tales and many more.
Related: Sundance Film Festival 2024: Film Premieres, Panels & Parties Gallery
The Deadline Studio at Sundance Film Festival runs January 19-22, where the cast and creatives behind the best and buzziest titles in this year’s lineup sit down with Deadline’s festival team to discuss their movies and the paths they took to get to Park City.
Related: Sundance Film Festival 2024: Film Premieres, Panels & Parties Gallery
The Deadline Studio at Sundance Film Festival runs January 19-22, where the cast and creatives behind the best and buzziest titles in this year’s lineup sit down with Deadline’s festival team to discuss their movies and the paths they took to get to Park City.
- 1/21/2024
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
Justice Smith’s career has taken him to the forefront of major Hollywood tentpoles such as “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” and “Pokémon: Detective Pikachu,” but it has never taken him to the Sundance Film Festival until now. The 28-year-old actor was one of five honorees at the Variety & Golden Globes Breakthrough Artists Party presented by Adobe, and earning a breakthrough artist award was “a really warm welcome” to the annual Park City event. Smith has two films world premiering at Sundance: A24’s “I Saw the TV Glow” and Focus Features’ “The American Society of Magical Negroes.”
“I have a note in here to ask if this award shows up on my IMDb, because all that is there is a Razzie nomination,” Smith told the audience to much laughter. “So I would really appreciate if that could make it on there. This is the...
“I have a note in here to ask if this award shows up on my IMDb, because all that is there is a Razzie nomination,” Smith told the audience to much laughter. “So I would really appreciate if that could make it on there. This is the...
- 1/20/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Pedro Pascal shared the perks of being part of an indie production while discussing his film Freaky Tales at The Hollywood Reporter‘s studio during the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on Friday.
The Last of Us actor stars alongside Jay Ellis in the Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden-helmed comedic thriller, in which he returns to his indie roots in his role as Clint, a retiring debt-collecting assassin who fights neo-Nazis.
“I was really lucky to start my character’s storyline in the first week of shooting and that felt like everything was my favorite [about being part of an indie production], from everybody introducing themselves to the physical shooting of the experience,” said Pascal. “It did feel a lot different from being in overblown projects where you’re kind of just getting into a much more intimate experience and you’re fast-tracking the connection to one another because the elements are us.”
The filmmakers and the film...
The Last of Us actor stars alongside Jay Ellis in the Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden-helmed comedic thriller, in which he returns to his indie roots in his role as Clint, a retiring debt-collecting assassin who fights neo-Nazis.
“I was really lucky to start my character’s storyline in the first week of shooting and that felt like everything was my favorite [about being part of an indie production], from everybody introducing themselves to the physical shooting of the experience,” said Pascal. “It did feel a lot different from being in overblown projects where you’re kind of just getting into a much more intimate experience and you’re fast-tracking the connection to one another because the elements are us.”
The filmmakers and the film...
- 1/19/2024
- by Tatiana Tenreyro
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spoiler Alert: This story hints at a major cameo in the Sundance Film Festival premiere “Freaky Tales,” which debuted on opening night.
Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s electrified the opening night of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival with “Freaky Tales,” a genre-driven anthology movie that tells four interconnected stories in 1987 Oakland, California. The movie is a return to indie filmmaking for Fleck and Boden, who made a name for themselves as the directors of indie hits like “Half Nelson” before they jumped into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Captain Marvel.”
“It was great to come back to the indie film world in a lot of ways,” Boden said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible. “It felt really natural because we’re telling a story that is very personal. At the same time, we had all these tools we learned from making ‘Captain Marvel,’ from the stunts to the action and visual effects…...
Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s electrified the opening night of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival with “Freaky Tales,” a genre-driven anthology movie that tells four interconnected stories in 1987 Oakland, California. The movie is a return to indie filmmaking for Fleck and Boden, who made a name for themselves as the directors of indie hits like “Half Nelson” before they jumped into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Captain Marvel.”
“It was great to come back to the indie film world in a lot of ways,” Boden said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible. “It felt really natural because we’re telling a story that is very personal. At the same time, we had all these tools we learned from making ‘Captain Marvel,’ from the stunts to the action and visual effects…...
- 1/19/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Normani provided a long-awaited update on her debut album.
The 27-year-old Fifth Harmony alum jumpstarted her solo career with her candy coated single “Motivation” back in 2019. Since then, she’s dropped a couple of other songs. However, an album has yet to materialize. That will change before long, though!
While on the red carpet at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival promoting her new movie Freaky Tales, she provided an update on the project and teased when fans would be hearing it.
Read more about Normani’s new era…
Speaking to Deadline, Normani confirmed that the new music was coming this year. However, the plans were a little different than before.
“The singles have changed. I will definitely say that. And you guys won’t know what’s coming,” she teased, adding, “I’m so, so excited.”
The hitmaker also addressed jokes about the album’s delay.
“I want this to come...
The 27-year-old Fifth Harmony alum jumpstarted her solo career with her candy coated single “Motivation” back in 2019. Since then, she’s dropped a couple of other songs. However, an album has yet to materialize. That will change before long, though!
While on the red carpet at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival promoting her new movie Freaky Tales, she provided an update on the project and teased when fans would be hearing it.
Read more about Normani’s new era…
Speaking to Deadline, Normani confirmed that the new music was coming this year. However, the plans were a little different than before.
“The singles have changed. I will definitely say that. And you guys won’t know what’s coming,” she teased, adding, “I’m so, so excited.”
The hitmaker also addressed jokes about the album’s delay.
“I want this to come...
- 1/19/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
‘Freaky Tales’ Sundance Review – Energetic Genre Mixtape Starring Pedro Pascal Revels in ‘80s Excess
Writer/Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck interconnect four energetic, frequently bloody stories in infectious anthology Freaky Tales. The filmmakers set Freaky Tales in 1987 Oakland, capturing the subculture of the Bay Area amidst the peak of ‘80s excess. It yields an anything-goes anarchic spirit that, when combined with an impressive cast game for this type of madness, plays like a stylish and entertaining genre mixtape.
Borrowing a page from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Freaky Tales segments its stories into four chapters, but they overlap in ways that don’t immediately reveal themselves as characters and timelines blur across the entire anthology. That careful structure makes up a large part of the fun, and Boden and Fleck bide their time immersing viewers in an eclectic world of punks versus Nazis, crooked cops, a crime enforcer’s attempt at retirement, and one Warrior all-star player who’s harnessed the mysterious green...
Borrowing a page from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Freaky Tales segments its stories into four chapters, but they overlap in ways that don’t immediately reveal themselves as characters and timelines blur across the entire anthology. That careful structure makes up a large part of the fun, and Boden and Fleck bide their time immersing viewers in an eclectic world of punks versus Nazis, crooked cops, a crime enforcer’s attempt at retirement, and one Warrior all-star player who’s harnessed the mysterious green...
- 1/19/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Sundance film festival: Captain Marvel directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck have made a bizarrely misjudged hodgepodge of gore, needle drops and nostalgia
More often than not, the opening night slot at Sundance has become more curse than blessing, too many films living and dying in just one night, barely to be seen again. Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s sci-fi comedy The Pod Generation anyone? How about the Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore melodrama After the Wedding? Daisy Ridley’s suicide drama Sometimes I Think About Dying? Or maybe that sequel to An Inconvenient Truth that you didn’t even know existed? This year’s sacrificial lamb, the 80s-set anthology Freaky Tales, is nothing if not confident in its ability to make an impact, asserting itself as an experience that won’t easily be forgotten.
Acting as its own hype man, the film begins with a block of narrated...
More often than not, the opening night slot at Sundance has become more curse than blessing, too many films living and dying in just one night, barely to be seen again. Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s sci-fi comedy The Pod Generation anyone? How about the Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore melodrama After the Wedding? Daisy Ridley’s suicide drama Sometimes I Think About Dying? Or maybe that sequel to An Inconvenient Truth that you didn’t even know existed? This year’s sacrificial lamb, the 80s-set anthology Freaky Tales, is nothing if not confident in its ability to make an impact, asserting itself as an experience that won’t easily be forgotten.
Acting as its own hype man, the film begins with a block of narrated...
- 1/19/2024
- by Benjamin Lee in Park City, Utah
- The Guardian - Film News
The Bay Area was a weird place in 1987. You had the remnants of the Me Decade’s cults of touchy-feeliness bumping up against Silicon Valley’s computer-nerd capitalism. Competing D.I.Y. music scenes meant you could surf between S.F. Thrash, East Bay rap, and pockets of punk popping up from everywhere; shows and entrances to a subculture of your choice were just a Bart ride away. Other than the San Francisco 49ers, still deep into their Joe Montana-led winning streak, sports meant rooting for underdogs. (The Oakland...
- 1/19/2024
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
“These are the tales, the freaky tales,” repeatedly intones Oakland rap legend Too $hort over the interstitials of writer and directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s “Freaky Tales.” This Bay Area anthology film takes its title from the over nine-minute song, which is itself an extended chronicle of prominent personalities the rapper encounters. While the directing duo occasionally approximates something wild in their headrush of 1987 nostalgia, they do not earn the second line of the rap.
Continue reading ‘Freaky Tales’ Review: Pedro Pascal Stars In An Energetic But Overstuffed Bay Area Anthology Loveletter [Sundance] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Freaky Tales’ Review: Pedro Pascal Stars In An Energetic But Overstuffed Bay Area Anthology Loveletter [Sundance] at The Playlist.
- 1/19/2024
- by Marshall Shaffer
- The Playlist
In recent years, a lot of ink has been spilled about the Sundance-to-studio pipeline, where talented independent filmmakers are plucked out of festival lineups to direct the latest Warner Bros. monster movie, Marvel installment or season of prestige TV. Less documented is the journey back.
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck will find themselves at Sundance a decade after their feature Mississippi Grind sold to then-little-known distributor A24 in 2015 and 18 years after the 2006 premiere of their feature debut, Half Nelson, starring a then-little-known Ryan Gosling. (He would receive his first Oscar nom for the role.) More recently, Boden and Fleck have been ensconced in the studio system with Marvel’s Captain Marvel and big-budget TV projects like Apple’s upcoming World War II drama Masters of the Air.
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Fleck has long harbored an ambition to make a film inspired by the Too Short track he was obsessed with as a 10-year-old,...
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck will find themselves at Sundance a decade after their feature Mississippi Grind sold to then-little-known distributor A24 in 2015 and 18 years after the 2006 premiere of their feature debut, Half Nelson, starring a then-little-known Ryan Gosling. (He would receive his first Oscar nom for the role.) More recently, Boden and Fleck have been ensconced in the studio system with Marvel’s Captain Marvel and big-budget TV projects like Apple’s upcoming World War II drama Masters of the Air.
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Fleck has long harbored an ambition to make a film inspired by the Too Short track he was obsessed with as a 10-year-old,...
- 1/19/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Season 2 of the HBO series adaptation of the video game The Last of Us is expected to start filming in Vancouver, Canada very soon, and Pedro Pascal is set to reprise the role of Joel when the new episodes start filming. Season 2 is based on the video game The Last of Us Part II, and while Pascal made his way down the red carpet at the Sundance Film Festival premiere of his movie Freaky Tales, Deadline took the opportunity to ask Pascal if his character arc on the show will differ from what Joel goes through in the video game source material.
Pascal answered, “Does it deviate from the game? That’s a good question. I think that they’re always going to find ways to build on the incredible source material that they have, and surprise us with how they can use that material in a different format like a television show.
Pascal answered, “Does it deviate from the game? That’s a good question. I think that they’re always going to find ways to build on the incredible source material that they have, and surprise us with how they can use that material in a different format like a television show.
- 1/19/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
TikTok has taken the world by storm — skyrocketing in use amid the pandemic as a source of entertainment and human connection — and now it wants to change the way Hollywood markets movies and TV series. The social video platform is hoping to make inroads at its first Sundance Film Festival — and it’s bringing a dozen people from its creators program to Park City.
Catherine Halaby, the head of entertainment for TikTok in North America, says Sundance creates an opportunity to support established and emerging creators and “uplevel their content and their industry savvy and their exposure.” She adds, “We’re really thinking from a content-first perspective and how we can be an accelerant to those creators in their growth on and off platform.”
Two of those creators spoke with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the trip. Joe Aragon, known on TikTok as Cinema Joe, has more than 1 million followers,...
Catherine Halaby, the head of entertainment for TikTok in North America, says Sundance creates an opportunity to support established and emerging creators and “uplevel their content and their industry savvy and their exposure.” She adds, “We’re really thinking from a content-first perspective and how we can be an accelerant to those creators in their growth on and off platform.”
Two of those creators spoke with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the trip. Joe Aragon, known on TikTok as Cinema Joe, has more than 1 million followers,...
- 1/19/2024
- by Ashley Cullins
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Taking a one-for-us victory lap after one-for-them studio smash “Captain Marvel,” indie duo Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden blow a big, self-indulgent kiss to the late-’80s East Bay with nostalgia-fueled “Freaky Tales.” Berkeley-born Fleck was all of 10 years old in early 1987, when this overstuffed anthology film is set, which explains the wide-eyed way he romanticizes the defining subcultures of the time.
In four distinct but intertwining chapters — populated mostly with fresh faces, plus grizzled-but-gorgeous Pedro Pascal — “Freaky Tales” melds wildly different sectors of the city: There’s the rowdy-yet-respectful Gilman Street punk crowd; the revolutionary Oakland hip-hop scene; the Warriors’ historic victory over the Lakers, in which local basketball legend Eric “Sleepy” Floyd scored a record-setting 29 points in the fourth quarter; and a disturbing spike in neo-Nazi-linked hate crimes, which strangely serves to tie everything else together.
As if those disparate realms weren’t enough of a grab bag,...
In four distinct but intertwining chapters — populated mostly with fresh faces, plus grizzled-but-gorgeous Pedro Pascal — “Freaky Tales” melds wildly different sectors of the city: There’s the rowdy-yet-respectful Gilman Street punk crowd; the revolutionary Oakland hip-hop scene; the Warriors’ historic victory over the Lakers, in which local basketball legend Eric “Sleepy” Floyd scored a record-setting 29 points in the fourth quarter; and a disturbing spike in neo-Nazi-linked hate crimes, which strangely serves to tie everything else together.
As if those disparate realms weren’t enough of a grab bag,...
- 1/19/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
If it takes doing an MCU movie, with all the corporate constrictions that entails, to plunge into the kind of exhilarating creative exorcism that Freaky Tales represents, then bring on the superhero as stepping-stone. Before they made Captain Marvel, longtime filmmaking duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck established their talents with three boldly idiosyncratic indies, Half Nelson, Sugar and Mississippi Grind. But nothing in those distinctive works can prepare you for the kinetic energy, the freewheeling imagination and the righteous battles — we’re talking rap and some serious blade slice-and-dice — of their love letter to the Bay Area and the pop-cultural imprint it left on Fleck as a kid in the ‘80s.
The tales of the title are four chapters all built around the theme of underdog victory, each of them different in texture and tone yet all ingeniously interconnected and all owing something to the big-screen aesthetics of the time.
The tales of the title are four chapters all built around the theme of underdog victory, each of them different in texture and tone yet all ingeniously interconnected and all owing something to the big-screen aesthetics of the time.
- 1/19/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There’s nothing so freaky about “Freaky Tales,” Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s sci-fi omnibus ode to ‘80s cinema nostalgia that takes the definition of “derivative,” packages a bunch of retro cinematic references smugly into winky “you get it, right?” pastiche, and stretches it to its furthest possible event horizon.
The problem with structuring your film around four interlocking chapters, each with its own segueing title card, is if you’re not down with the first, you’ll be counting down the passage of time groaningly until the next. Last time they were behind the camera, Boden and Fleck had decamped their indie roots, including the lovely “Half Nelson” and “Sugar” — films powered by real characters — for the irresistible Faust’s bargain of directing 2019’s “Captain Marvel.” It seems they have not stripped themselves of the MCU’s cheeky, self-reflexive DNA, here writing and directing a film that thinks...
The problem with structuring your film around four interlocking chapters, each with its own segueing title card, is if you’re not down with the first, you’ll be counting down the passage of time groaningly until the next. Last time they were behind the camera, Boden and Fleck had decamped their indie roots, including the lovely “Half Nelson” and “Sugar” — films powered by real characters — for the irresistible Faust’s bargain of directing 2019’s “Captain Marvel.” It seems they have not stripped themselves of the MCU’s cheeky, self-reflexive DNA, here writing and directing a film that thinks...
- 1/19/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Oakland’s freaky side emerges in Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s ambitious yet tonally uneven new anthology film Freaky Tales starring Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Ben Medelsohn, Jack Champion, Ji-Young Yoo, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Too Short and Lenny G. The directors spotlight diverse local subcultures against the backdrop of Too Short’s hit of the same name, with the film intertwining four tales linked by unfolding events and a puzzling supernatural emerald glow permeating the city. Though the gritty visuals and soundtrack immerse in the look and feel of 1987 Oakland, the narrative struggles to weave these stories into a satisfying whole.
The film opens on chaos with the segment The Gilman Strikes Back as young punks Tina (Yoo) and Lucid (Champion), usually retreating from violent Nazi skinheads, finally fight back when their underground venue is attacked. Next, in Don’t Fight the Feeling, best friends and rap duo Barbie...
The film opens on chaos with the segment The Gilman Strikes Back as young punks Tina (Yoo) and Lucid (Champion), usually retreating from violent Nazi skinheads, finally fight back when their underground venue is attacked. Next, in Don’t Fight the Feeling, best friends and rap duo Barbie...
- 1/19/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Sundance revved up with the premiere of Freaky Tales tonight, a debut met with rousing applause, including at the film’s last title card that read, “In loving memory of Angus Cloud.”
The Euphoria actor died last year of a drug overdose at 25. His role is small in Freaky Tales, but Cloud “gave such a great performance, and was just there to have so much fun with,” said Jay Ellis, one of the film’s stars. “Rest in peace to Angus.”
The anthology set in 1987 Oakland was written and directed by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, and also stars Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn Normani, Dominique Thorne and Ji-Young Yoo.
Tom Hanks has a surprise cameo as a garrulous video store owner, talking movies with
“This is sort of like my 12-year old fantasy of a movie,” said an exuberant Fleck. “You know, some movies you want to make to work...
The Euphoria actor died last year of a drug overdose at 25. His role is small in Freaky Tales, but Cloud “gave such a great performance, and was just there to have so much fun with,” said Jay Ellis, one of the film’s stars. “Rest in peace to Angus.”
The anthology set in 1987 Oakland was written and directed by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, and also stars Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn Normani, Dominique Thorne and Ji-Young Yoo.
Tom Hanks has a surprise cameo as a garrulous video store owner, talking movies with
“This is sort of like my 12-year old fantasy of a movie,” said an exuberant Fleck. “You know, some movies you want to make to work...
- 1/19/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Freaky Tales officially kicked off the 2024 Sundance Film Festival with Pedro Pascal as a soon-to-be-retired fixer and Jay Ellis as NBA All-Star and former Golden State Warrior Sleepy Floyd.
The Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck-directed film received the prime 7 p.m. slot at the Eccles Theater, with the audience giving it a warm welcome. The filmmakers, whose recent credits include Captain Marvel and Masters of the Air, were welcomed back to the festival, where their feature debut Half Nelson screened in 2006 and Mississippi Grind screened in 2015.
“The last time I was here with Mississippi Grind I had to lie to get on an airplane about how pregnant I was. I was so pregnant, and I had to pretend I was less pregnant than I was. And now the person I was pregnant with is here tonight, and she is 8 years old ,” said Boden ahead of the screening to audience applause.
The Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck-directed film received the prime 7 p.m. slot at the Eccles Theater, with the audience giving it a warm welcome. The filmmakers, whose recent credits include Captain Marvel and Masters of the Air, were welcomed back to the festival, where their feature debut Half Nelson screened in 2006 and Mississippi Grind screened in 2015.
“The last time I was here with Mississippi Grind I had to lie to get on an airplane about how pregnant I was. I was so pregnant, and I had to pretend I was less pregnant than I was. And now the person I was pregnant with is here tonight, and she is 8 years old ,” said Boden ahead of the screening to audience applause.
- 1/19/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The filmmakers behind Freaky Tales are talking about the experience of working with late actor Angus Cloud in one of his final roles.
The Euphoria actor, who died at age 25 in July, is posthumously onscreen at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in the Anna Boden- and Ryan Fleck-directed feature, which premiered on Jan. 18 in Park City, Utah.
Freaky Tales, which defies traditional genre definitions, has punk rockers fighting neo-Nazis, rap battles featuring real-life pop star Normani, Pedro Pascal as a soon-to-retire fixer, and an entire plot centered on Golden State Warrior All-Star Sleepy Floyd’s performance in the 1987 playoff game against the “showtime”-era Lakers. The film, told in four interweaving chapters, is set in 1987 in Cloud’s native Oakland.
“He’s got the Bay Area accent. It’s important that we had some people that talked that way [in the movie],” Fleck told THR prior to the festival. Boden added, “We...
The Euphoria actor, who died at age 25 in July, is posthumously onscreen at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in the Anna Boden- and Ryan Fleck-directed feature, which premiered on Jan. 18 in Park City, Utah.
Freaky Tales, which defies traditional genre definitions, has punk rockers fighting neo-Nazis, rap battles featuring real-life pop star Normani, Pedro Pascal as a soon-to-retire fixer, and an entire plot centered on Golden State Warrior All-Star Sleepy Floyd’s performance in the 1987 playoff game against the “showtime”-era Lakers. The film, told in four interweaving chapters, is set in 1987 in Cloud’s native Oakland.
“He’s got the Bay Area accent. It’s important that we had some people that talked that way [in the movie],” Fleck told THR prior to the festival. Boden added, “We...
- 1/19/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After a snowy Wednesday in Park City dampered some of the arrival fanfare of previous festivals, Sundance soaked up the sun on Thursday’s opening day. With plenty of powder to lend an idyllic backdrop to selfies and social media updates, the festival crowd was buzzing in line for the day’s largest film opening: “Freaky Tales,” taking the coveted early evening spot at the Eccles Center. Dozens of stand-by hopefuls were left in the cold for the popular event though, which kicked off the festival with a riotous screening.
The film marks a Sundance homecoming for director Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, whose breakout hit was the 2006 Sundance favorite “Half Nelson”; the pair most recently helmed the decidedly not indie 2019 superhero flick “Captain Marvel.” “Freaky Tales” is a return to their scrappy roots: An anthology horror-thriller-comedy that pays tribute to ’80s Oakland, the film stars Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis,...
The film marks a Sundance homecoming for director Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, whose breakout hit was the 2006 Sundance favorite “Half Nelson”; the pair most recently helmed the decidedly not indie 2019 superhero flick “Captain Marvel.” “Freaky Tales” is a return to their scrappy roots: An anthology horror-thriller-comedy that pays tribute to ’80s Oakland, the film stars Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis,...
- 1/19/2024
- by William Earl, J. Kim Murphy and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The sling was off as The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal made his way through the red carpet for the Sundance Film Festival premiere of his movie Freaky Tales on Thursday.
That is good news for The Last of Us fans after Pascal had his arm wrapped at events for most of the past two weeks as he has been nursing a shoulder injury, most recently at the Emmy Awards on Monday. As Deadline reported, the injury, sustained in a fall, was not expected to impact production on Season 2 of the Emmy-winning HBO series, thought with start of production just a couple of weeks away, there was concern.
Pascal appeared ready to go back to The Last of Us tonight with hair and beard channeling his character Joel. He was asked by Deadline whether Joel’s Season 2 arc will deviate from the game. People familiar with the video game,...
That is good news for The Last of Us fans after Pascal had his arm wrapped at events for most of the past two weeks as he has been nursing a shoulder injury, most recently at the Emmy Awards on Monday. As Deadline reported, the injury, sustained in a fall, was not expected to impact production on Season 2 of the Emmy-winning HBO series, thought with start of production just a couple of weeks away, there was concern.
Pascal appeared ready to go back to The Last of Us tonight with hair and beard channeling his character Joel. He was asked by Deadline whether Joel’s Season 2 arc will deviate from the game. People familiar with the video game,...
- 1/19/2024
- by Nellie Andreeva and Natalie Sitek
- Deadline Film + TV
Normani and Dominique Thorne are all smiles while stepping out for the premiere of their new movie Freaky Tales held at Eccles Theatre on Thursday (January 18) in Park City, Utah.
The 27-year-old singer and the 26-year-old Black Panther: Wakanda Forever actress joined several of their co-stars at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival premiere.
This actually marks Normani‘s film debut!
Also stepping out from the movie were Pedro Pascal, who notably was not wearing an arm sling, Jay Ellis, Keir Gilchrist, Jack Champion, Michelle Farrah Huang and Ji-young Yoo. Writers and directors of the movie, Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, were in attendance as well.
Here’s a synopsis: In 1987 Oakland, a mysterious force guides The Town’s underdogs in four interconnected tales: Teen punks defend their turf against Nazi skinheads, a rap duo battles for hip-hop immortality, a weary henchman gets a shot at redemption, and an NBA All-Star settles the score.
The 27-year-old singer and the 26-year-old Black Panther: Wakanda Forever actress joined several of their co-stars at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival premiere.
This actually marks Normani‘s film debut!
Also stepping out from the movie were Pedro Pascal, who notably was not wearing an arm sling, Jay Ellis, Keir Gilchrist, Jack Champion, Michelle Farrah Huang and Ji-young Yoo. Writers and directors of the movie, Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, were in attendance as well.
Here’s a synopsis: In 1987 Oakland, a mysterious force guides The Town’s underdogs in four interconnected tales: Teen punks defend their turf against Nazi skinheads, a rap duo battles for hip-hop immortality, a weary henchman gets a shot at redemption, and an NBA All-Star settles the score.
- 1/19/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
The 40th Sundance Film Festival kicks off Thursday in snow-covered Park City, Utah. In the wake of twin strikes and an indie biz still recovering from the Covid pandemic, it’s difficult to read how hungry buyers are for films that are mostly light on starpower and an overtly commercial premise.
For instance, the buzziest title seems to be Love Me, because it stars Kristen Stewart and freshly minted Emmy-winning Beef star Steven Yeun. But it is a completely execution-dependent premise — long after humanity’s extinction, a buoy and a satellite meet online and fall in love. Two fine actors, but neither is a giant theatrical So there could be competition for this one, but buyers will be coming in cold and, as one veteran fest buyer said, “it’s like every other movie here. Let’s see what you got.”
One wrinkle in the continuing tectonic shifts in the...
For instance, the buzziest title seems to be Love Me, because it stars Kristen Stewart and freshly minted Emmy-winning Beef star Steven Yeun. But it is a completely execution-dependent premise — long after humanity’s extinction, a buoy and a satellite meet online and fall in love. Two fine actors, but neither is a giant theatrical So there could be competition for this one, but buyers will be coming in cold and, as one veteran fest buyer said, “it’s like every other movie here. Let’s see what you got.”
One wrinkle in the continuing tectonic shifts in the...
- 1/18/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
No one quite knows what to expect of the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival, the first major fest following the end of the dual Hollywood strikes.
The strikes, which stopped production during the months when many Sundance features normally film, have had some impact on the lineup of U.S.-produced titles, with insiders noting that many titles needed some more time, post-strikes, to finish production than the Sundance submissions deadlines allowed. A slimmed U.S. Dramatic Competition section is now 10 films, down from 13.
As for sales, a top agent pegs this year’s market as landing “somewhere between last year’s Sundance and this year’s Toronto.” That is to say, there likely will be several big sellers like Chloe Domont’s Fair Play (Sundance) and Richard Linklater’s Hitman (Toronto), both of which landed at Netflix in big eight-figure deals, followed by a long tail of...
The strikes, which stopped production during the months when many Sundance features normally film, have had some impact on the lineup of U.S.-produced titles, with insiders noting that many titles needed some more time, post-strikes, to finish production than the Sundance submissions deadlines allowed. A slimmed U.S. Dramatic Competition section is now 10 films, down from 13.
As for sales, a top agent pegs this year’s market as landing “somewhere between last year’s Sundance and this year’s Toronto.” That is to say, there likely will be several big sellers like Chloe Domont’s Fair Play (Sundance) and Richard Linklater’s Hitman (Toronto), both of which landed at Netflix in big eight-figure deals, followed by a long tail of...
- 1/18/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Variety is returning to the Sundance Film Festival this year with its annual Interview Studio, presented by Audible, the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling. Throughout the festival, videos from the interview studio will be distributed across Variety.com as well as Variety and Audible’s social media channels.
Beginning Friday, January 19, running through Sunday, January 21, the Variety Studio, presented by Audible, will feature interviews with industry-leading directors and top talent from the films premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. Confirmed talent includes Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”); Jodie Foster, Alex Hedison, Alok Vaid-Menon (“Alok”); Lionel Richie, Bao Nguyen, Julia Nottingham (“The Greatest Night in Pop”); Kerry Washington, Angela Patton, Natalie Rae (“Daughters”); June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Clark Gregg, Josh Margolin (“Thelma”); Anna Fleck, Ryan Boden, Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorn, Ji-Young Yoo, Jack Champion (“Freaky Tales”); Richard Linklater, Glen Powell (“Hit Man”); Susanna Fogel,...
Beginning Friday, January 19, running through Sunday, January 21, the Variety Studio, presented by Audible, will feature interviews with industry-leading directors and top talent from the films premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. Confirmed talent includes Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”); Jodie Foster, Alex Hedison, Alok Vaid-Menon (“Alok”); Lionel Richie, Bao Nguyen, Julia Nottingham (“The Greatest Night in Pop”); Kerry Washington, Angela Patton, Natalie Rae (“Daughters”); June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Clark Gregg, Josh Margolin (“Thelma”); Anna Fleck, Ryan Boden, Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorn, Ji-Young Yoo, Jack Champion (“Freaky Tales”); Richard Linklater, Glen Powell (“Hit Man”); Susanna Fogel,...
- 1/17/2024
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
Returning to an in-person edition, along with the continuation of virtual offerings, the Sundance Film Festival kicks off this Thursday and lasts through January 28, offering a first glimpse at the year in cinema. While the annual festival has its fair share of returning filmmakers, it is certainly most renowned as a beacon of discovery, and we look forward to providing extensive coverage that one can follow via our daily newsletter.
Before reviews arrive, we’re highlighting the premieres that should be on your radar––a few we’ve already had the opportunity to see. If you’re interested in experiencing Sundance in person or from afar, one can see available tickets here ahead of Thursday’s in-person opening and an online viewing window that kicks off January 25.
Between the Temples (Nathan Silver)
After working at a prolific pace throughout his early career, it’s been a few years since we...
Before reviews arrive, we’re highlighting the premieres that should be on your radar––a few we’ve already had the opportunity to see. If you’re interested in experiencing Sundance in person or from afar, one can see available tickets here ahead of Thursday’s in-person opening and an online viewing window that kicks off January 25.
Between the Temples (Nathan Silver)
After working at a prolific pace throughout his early career, it’s been a few years since we...
- 1/16/2024
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
On a recent Screen Talk podcast, producers Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman said they specifically tried to avoid overhyping T-Street’s film “Fair Play” before it sold to Netflix for $20 million and became Sundance 2023’s biggest sale. Elsewhere, Lily Gladstone took time at the IndieWire Honors gala to champion her competition title “Fancy Dance,” which to this day inexplicably hasn’t sold despite all the praise around it in last year’s competition slate.
Turns out, it was “Fancy Dance,” not “Fair Play,” that we included in last year’s Hot Sales Titles gallery. That shows how unpredictable Sundance can be, and why it’s so exciting. Surprise breakout hits pop every year. Movies with big star power don’t get scooped up by a streamer and give the little guys a chance to make a bid. And titles with all the buzz lose a lot of steam once audiences have finally seen them,...
Turns out, it was “Fancy Dance,” not “Fair Play,” that we included in last year’s Hot Sales Titles gallery. That shows how unpredictable Sundance can be, and why it’s so exciting. Surprise breakout hits pop every year. Movies with big star power don’t get scooped up by a streamer and give the little guys a chance to make a bid. And titles with all the buzz lose a lot of steam once audiences have finally seen them,...
- 1/16/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
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