“Gladiator II” picks up 16 years after the first film ends. When director Ridley Scott was conceiving the original, the approach was, “Build the sets, fight real tigers, shoot real arrows,” says cinematographer John Mathieson. This time around, things had moved forward and the Colosseum was at its height. But also there had been huge […]

Yes, that is Saoirse Ronan singing in Steve McQueen’s “Blitz.” In the World War II drama, now streaming on AppleTV+,  Ronan plays a young mother, Rita, searching for her young son who has been sent away and gone missing. In one scene, Rita who works at a bomb-making factory, gets up to sing a wartime […]

The sky’s the limit as the award-winning documentary “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” will officially release on Max Dec. 7. The film originally had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival where it was met with strong critical reception. Most recently, the film had a theatrical run in the U.S. and won six […]

Production designer Nathan Crowley has been waiting his entire career for a film in which he could build an entire fantasy world. He found that with “Wicked.” When director Jon M. Chu called on him to work on “Wicked” for the film adaption of the Broadway musical, Crowley’s dream came true. “Jon wanted it to […]

Sweet Oz! “Wicked” fans now have a chance to visit Munchkinland. Well, sort of. When Jon M. Chu was making the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway musical, practical sets were a must. “Wicked’s” grand production shot in 17 stages and on four backlots, two of which were the size of four American football fields. Among […]

Composer Harry Gregson-Williams understood the assignment when director Ridley Scott asked him to score “Gladiator 2.” “It was to embody the spiritual essence of the first film, but move forward into a fresh new world,” Gregson-Williams explains. In early talks with Scott, Gregson-Williams also knew he would have to compose at least 100 minutes of […]

SPOILER ALERT: This story discusses major plot points, including the ending for “Gladiator II,” currently playing in theaters. All hail Macrinus! In a world of political backstabbing, power and ambition, Denzel Washington’s Macrinus enters the arena in Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” with troops and guards under a canopy. He reeks of wealth and oozes power. The […]

When Cynthia Erivo signed on to play Elphaba in Universal’s big-screen adaptation of “Wicked,” she knew one thing: she wanted to be green. But Erivo wanted to actually be green, not have the color superimposed onto her skin in post. So, the film’s makeup designer Frances Hannon — who was thrilled by the actor’s insistence […]

Filmmaker Chris Sanders was visiting DreamWorks Animation to see what was in development, when he came across Peter Brown’s novel “The Wild Robot.“ The first few sentences of Brown’s story inspired Sanders so much so that he anxiously told the studio, “Don’t give this to anybody else.” “This is the kind of story that I […]

Spoiler alert. That’s actress Karla Sofia Gascón playing both roles in Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez.” The film, now streaming on Netflix, follows Emilia (Karla Sofia Gascón), a feared drug lord who seeks the help of a lawyer, Rita (Zoe Saldaña), to fake her death and undergo gender-affirming surgery. Gascón portrays a fearsome drug lord before […]

SPOILER ALERT: This story discusses major plot points, including the ending for “Emilia Pérez,” currently streaming on Netflix. Mickey Rourke’s Randy Robinson in “The Wrestler” and the timeless looks of Catherine Deneuve served as inspiration for the titular character in Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez.” The film follows Emilia (Karla Sofia Gascón), a feared cartel leader who seeks […]

San Francisco Film, which presents the San Francisco International Film Festival, has named Steve McQueen as the honoree for the 2024 SF Honors Award for his latest film, “Blitz.” The Academy Award-winning filmmaker will receive the recognition in person during a pre-screening award presentation. After the screening, there will be an in-depth conversation with McQueen, […]

Fatima Robinson (“The Color Purple”) and Parris Goebel (“Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show”) took home top honors at the World Choreography Awards. The awards were handed out on Sunday night in Los Angeles. Other winners included Tessandra Chavez for her work on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” and Jon Boogz for Starz’s “Blindspotting.” In a statement […]

The video game “Gotham Knights” served as an unexpected inspiration when it came to building Gotham City for HBO’s “The Penguin.” Sony-owned Pixomondo, which specializes in pre-production, virtual production and visual effects, was tasked with the environmental design of Gotham’s world-building. Among those designs were the skylines of Gotham City, the aftermath of the flood […]

Epic sandworm rides across the desert of Arrakis, a thrilling gladiator battle involving a rhino and a display of the unmitigated feeling of pure Anxiety —those are just a few scenes and characters that have entertained audiences this past year, none of which would be possible without the artisans who make the magic happen behind […]

Joan Chen is finally getting her flowers. At the Critics Choice Association Celebration of AAPI Cinema and Television, Chen received a standing ovation as she accepted the career achievement award. Chen, who was recognized for her work on “Twin Peaks,” and “The Last Emperor,” stars in Sean Wang’s “Didi.” She had received glowing reviews for […]

Intimacy coordinators have voted to join SAG-AFTRA, the union announced on Tuesday. The vote is the latest step in a five-year effort to professionalize the role of intimacy coordinators, who serve as liaisons between performers and the production during filming of sex scenes. The union did not reveal the number of intimacy coordinators who voted […]

“I take my anger and I turn it into jokes, and I take my sadness and I turn it into music, and that’s how I survive.” It’s an empowering declaration from “RuPaul’s Drag Queen” alum and Broadway star Jinkx Monsoon. Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme are on the road for “The Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show.” The […]

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” and World of Wonder co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato were exchanging text messages early in the afternoon on election day. “Randy texted me an obscenity and said ‘We’re gonna lose,’ very early on,” says Bailey. Barbato sent the message at 3:48 p.m. precisely. How did Barbato know, when most felt optimistic […]