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There is no "Fast and Furious" franchise without Michelle Rodriguez ... and yet, the first entry in the property almost happened without her. The action star was still pretty new to acting when she was cast as Letty Ortiz in 2001's "The Fast and the Furious," having just made her screen debut in 2000 by starring in the indie sports drama hit "Girlfight." That mean "Fast and the Furious" was Rodriguez's first foray into Hollywood proper, and she nearly walked away from the project due to some problems with the original script.

The issue? A storyline that saw Letty romantically torn between Vin Diesel's Dom Toretto and Paul Walker's Brian O'Conner. "It was more of a 'Point Break' idea," Rodriguez told The Daily Beast in 2015. "They just followed the format without thinking about the reality of it. Is it realistic for a Latin girl who's with the alpha-est of...

“What you think about girls’ boxing?” The man asking that is Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry), the coach of a boys’ boxing club in Flint, Michigan. It’s 2012, and five years before he’d allowed one girl to join his club (even though it was against protocol): a coiled 11-year-old scowler named Claressa Shields, played by Jazmin Headley and then, as she grows up, by Ryan Destiny.

Claressa, the heroine of “The Fire Inside,” has the dogged determination to pummel her way into the ring. It’s not as if she talks her way in — Claressa, as we learn, doesn’t say much. She speaks with her fists. And one of the reasons she’s so brilliant at using them is that, by her own admission, she likes to hit people. She’s a bully, and owns it. She’s coming from a place of severe hardship: father behind bars,...

Lionsgate Television has optioned the R.F. Kuang novel “Yellowface” with plans to develop it as a scripted series, Variety has learned exclusively.

Karyn Kusama is onboard to direct and executive produce the potential series. Captivate Entertainment, known for the Jason Bourne film franchise, and Constance Wu and Justine Suzanne Jones of Tempo Wubato Productions are also set to produce, with Ben Smith of Captivate executive producing. Adam Docksey, vice president of development at Captivate, is helping to oversee the project for the company. No writer is currently attached.

The official logline states, “After watching friend and literary rival Athena Liu die in a freak accident, June Hayward steals the only copy of Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, passing off the experimental novel about Chinese laborers during WWI as her own. Newly styled as ‘Juniper Song,’ June rides high until the escalating consequences of her con threaten to crash down around her.

It's easy to get blasé about dramas that follow an individual as they learn a new sport/activity that becomes the centre of their world, giving their life deeper meaning; it's a common enough trope through cinema. But if you can get a filmmaker who finds a fresh take on that activity, and character, ti stands out. Such is the case with Girlfight, Karyn Kusama's 2000 feature debut. Winner of the Grand Jury and Directing Prizes at its release at Sundance Film Festival, it receives a fresh home release from Criterion. Even more than two decades later, the story of Diana, a teen from a difficult home with some growing anger issues, who discovers a talewnt for boxing, remains surprisingly relevant. At that time, women engaging...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Actor Michelle Rodriguez has starred in several box-office successes like the Fast and Furious franchise and Avatar. She’s also dabbled in a few indie films as well. To her, it seemed blockbusters became more worthwhile, even if the movie had little depth.

Why Michelle Rodriguez preferred blockbusters over indie dramas Michelle Rodriguez | Massimo Insabato/Getty Images

Rodriguez isn’t a stranger to doing indies. The actor famously had her start with the small feature Girlfight. The indie focused on a female boxer trying to prove herself as a fighter. Her performance in the flick impressed Vin Diesel, who invited her to become a part of his Fast and the Furious franchise.

According to Girlfight director Karyn Kusama, Rodriguez knew early on that Fast and Furious would be a hit. Ironically, Rodriguez also saw herself starring in a series of Resident Evil movies before the video game’s film adaptations became realized.

On January 22, 2000, writer/director Karyn Kusama‘s feature debut “Girlfight” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and, like “sex, lies, and videotape” and “Reservoir Dogs” before it, announced the arrival of a born filmmaker. Kusama has gone on to direct a wide array of great films and television episodes, including the once underrated but now properly exalted horror movie “Jennifer’s Body” and her searing masterpiece “Destroyer,” but “Girlfight” holds its own against Kusama’s later, more well-resourced work — her tale of a troubled teenager (a then-unknown Michelle Rodriguez) who channels her aggression into boxing has held up beautifully thanks to Kusama’s intensely personal investment in the story and her instinctive awareness of where to place the camera to tell that story with maximum impact.

If the movie, which Criterion has recently released on Blu-ray with a gorgeous new transfer supervised by Kusama, looks even better now than when it was released,...

In a September 12, 1997 piece for The Wall Street Journal titled “Gridiron Feminism,” Camille Paglia argued that not only is football “congruent with an enlightened feminism,” but that the sport “is one of the best educational tools for showing women how to advance in the ‘hostile workplace,’—which current sexual harassment regulations try to control through intrusive, after-the-fact legal remedies.”

Karyn Kusama’s feature-length directorial debut, Girlfight, maps out a similar argument using the template of a boxing film, as high school student Diana (Michelle Rodriguez), perpetually surrounded by men who belittle her, including her patronizing father Sandro (Paul Calderón), trains to become an amateur fighter. Near the film’s end, as Diana prepares for a bout billed as “New York’s first gender-blind amateur boxing event,” it’s evident that Kusama’s film is tinged with a certain hard-nosed fantasy, one in which female equity extends to being able to...

Oh, Canada debuting this week on the Croisette is high time to see lesser-seen Schrader on the Criterion Channel, who’ll debut an 11-title series including the likes of Touch, The Canyons, and Patty Hearst, while Old Boyfriends (written with his brother Leonard) and his own “Adventures in Moviegoing” are also programmed. Five films by Jean Grémillon, a rather underappreciated figure of French cinema, will be showing

Series-wise, there’s an appreciation of the synth soundtrack stretching all the way back to 1956’s Forbidden Planet while, naturally, finding its glut of titles in the ’70s and ’80s––Argento and Carpenter, obviously, but also Tarkovsky and Peter Weir. A Prince and restorations of films by Bob Odenkirk, Obayashi, John Greyson, and Jacques Rivette (whose Duelle is a masterpiece of the highest order) make streaming debuts. I Am Cuba, Girlfight, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Dazed and Confused are June’s Criterion Editions.

Director Karyn Kusama has talked about her aborted Dracula movie at Blumhouse, claiming the film’s critical take on men was too much for the studio.

Go back three years or so and we were awash with projects based on Dracula. There was Last Voyage Of The Demeter, Renfield, Chloe Zao’s sci-fi vampire Western and Karyn Kusama’s Blumhouse project, all of which were set to offer varying takes on the Prince of Darkness.

As is often the case in Hollywood when lots of similar(ish) projects bubble up at the same time, not all of them made it into production. We did get Last Voyage Of The Demeter and Renfield (although the former never got a theatrical release in the UK) but some other projects have yet to materialise: Chloe Zhao ended up working on Hamnet, her take on Shakespeare and his wife dealing with the loss of their young son.

With one movie, Michelle Rodriguez went from a Toys “R” Us employee with zero acting experience to a bona fide movie star. That movie was 2000’s Girlfight.

Karyn Kusama, the writer-director of that indie — which tied for the grand jury prize at Sundance — joined The Hollywood Reporter‘s It Happened in Hollywood podcast to reminisce about making the landmark boxing film.

From the start, Rodriguez, 21 at the time, saw the blueprint for what would become a lasting career in the glare of the Hollywood mainstream.

“I remember really vividly after Sundance, after getting all this attention, she was telling me what she wanted to do,” Kusama said. “She was like, ‘You know, there’s this video game I love called Resident Evil. I really want to see if there’s a movie of that. And if there is, I want to be in it. And I read this script that...

Actor Michelle Rodriguez knew what it was like to play action stars after doing a feature like Girlfight. She looked forward to seeing another actor lace up boxing gloves in Clint Eastwood’d Million Dollar Baby. But although she enjoyed the film to a point, she felt it eventually let down her expectations.

What Michelle Rodriguez found disappointing about ‘Million Dollar Baby’ Michelle Rodriguez | Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage

Warning: Spoilers for ‘Million Dollar Baby’ is in this article

One of the reasons why Rodriguez was excited about seeing Million Dollar Baby was because it reminded her of her very first movie. Rodriguez got her breakthrough role doing Girlfight. There, she played a high school student trying to channel her aggression by becoming a boxer. She noticed the role by checking out Backstage magazine on a whim.

“Basically I was doing extra work for about a year before that, and I was...

Actor Michelle Rodriguez made a fortune off of the Fast and Furious franchise. She’s also starred in some of cinema’s biggest blockbusters over the years, all of which resulted in a sizable 2024 net worth.

What is Michelle Rodriguez’s overall current net worth? Michelle Rodriguez | Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Rodriguez came a long way from her humble beginnings. She didn’t start off wanting to be an actor and instead saw herself as more of a writer. But she also had to support herself to fulfill her passion, so her brother encouraged her to go to school and work a regular job.

“I was doing extra work because I quit school early and got my Ged. I wanted to be a writer and I didn’t know how to go about it. My brother told me to go to a technical school because they actually help you get...

While the movie industry seemingly buckles, Disney’s seemingly cutting back on any physical media anymore, and Best Buy is apparently ending its run of selling DVDs and Blu-Rays, companies like the Criterion Collection are staying the course. As usual, the boutique, cinephile-friendly company always aims to release and rediscover classic movies in the annals of film history, and they’re doing much the same with their May 2024 announcements.

Read More: Criterion Adds ‘I Am Cuba,’ ‘Werckmeister Harmonies’ & More For April 2024

Celebrated Senegalese film director Ousmane Sembène, known for 1966’s “Black Girl,” is getting his further due with “Three Revolutionary Films by Ousmane Sembène, “a three-disc box set featuring powerful 1970s works by the trailblazing Senegalese auteur.

Continue reading Criterion Adds ‘Anatomy Of A Fall,’ Karyn Kusama’s ‘Girlfight’ An Ousmane Sembène Box Set & More For May 2024 at The Playlist.

The Criterion Collection follows an auteur-based diet of cinema, offering a wondrous variety of films from all over the world to sate your appetite. Case in point, consider what May 2024 will bring from the home video label. (All verbiage courtesy of Criterion.) "Three Revolutionary Films by Ousmane Sembène, three powerful 1970s works by the trailblazing Senegalese auteur; Anatomy of a Fall, Justine Triet's masterful examination of the line between truth and fiction; and Girlfight, Karyn Kusama's singular tale of a young woman's path to self-realization. "Plus: a Blu-ray upgrade of A Story of Floating Weeds / Floating Weeds: Two Films by Yasujiro Ozu, a silent classic from one of cinema's greatest directors alongside his color remake, and Peeping Tom, Michael Powell's still-shocking masterpiece of...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Criterion’s got murder on their mind. This May will bring a 4K release of Michael Powell’s career-killing masterpiece Peeping Tom, supplemented by appearances from its biggest fans Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker. More recent (and less certain on questions of guilt) is Anatomy of a Fall, arriving on Blu-ray with a 5.1 surround DTS-hd Master Audio rendition of “P.I.M.P. (Instrumental).” Meanwhile, Karyn Kusama’s 2001 feature Girlfight gets a Bd.

Then there’s two sets. Sicking up the mantle of Janus’ career-spanning retrospective, Criterion will release a three-film Ousmane Sembène offering this May––Emitaï, Xala, and Ceddo spread across a nicely designed box––and Ozu’s Floating Weeds / A Story of Floating Weeds duology, which I honestly cannot believe has been stuck on DVD for decades. Color Ozu should be nationally subsidized, and this is a good start at least.

Find cover art below and more details...

The Sundance Film Festival is regarded as one of the most prestigious independent film festivals, where filmmakers have been premiering their movies and documentaries since 1984.

The festival was founded in 1978 by Sterling Van Wagenen, the head of Robert Redford’s company Wildwood, and John Earle of the Utah Film Commission under the name Utah/US Film Festival to attract more filmmakers to Utah.

Redford founded the Sundance Institute in 1981 to foster independence, risk-taking, and new voices in American film. That year, 10 emerging filmmakers were invited to the Sundance Resort in the mountains of Utah, where they worked with leading writers, directors and actors to develop their original independent projects.

By 1984, the festival had established itself and was officially renamed the Sundance Film Festival after Redford’s character in his 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. That year, the Grand Jury Prize in Dramatics was awarded to Old Enough, an...

The episode of Best Horror Movie You Never Saw covering The Invitation (2015) was Written by Andrew Hatfield, Edited by Juan Jimenez, Narrated by Kier Gomes, Produced by John Fallon and Tyler Nichols, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

Horror doesn’t always have to be jump scare after jump scare or a non-stop gore fest. It doesn’t have to have Aliens, Terminators, or Predators to say nothing of any of the other monsters we’ve seen over the years. Movies that don’t include those coveted horror checklists typically get lumped into the thriller category like Silence of the Lambs or even Get Out. Funny how those are the movies that the Globes and Oscars want to award. Without a shadow of a doubt horror films that can be labeled something a little more friendly to draw more audience demographics or get better ink in reviews. I’m here...

The Conference is a mystery horror film directed by Patrik Eklund, who also co-wrote the film with Thomas Moldestad and Mats Strandberg. The film revolves around a team-building conference for municipal employees, but things go batshit crazy when rumors of corruption plague everyone and a mysterious person starts killing the employees. So, if you loved the Netflix film here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Halloween (Crackle & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – Compass International Pictures

Synopsis: On a cold Halloween night in 1963, six year old Michael Myers brutally murdered his 17-year-old sister, Judith. He was sentenced and locked away for 15 years. But on October 30, 1978, while being transferred for a court date, a 21-year-old Michael Myers steals a car and escapes Smith’s Grove. He returns to his quiet hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, where he looks for his next victims.

Scream (Max & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – Dimension Films

Synopsis: Starring Neve Campbell,...

Exclusive: Michelle Rodriguez has inked with WME.

Rodriguez blasted onto the scene in 2000’s Girlfight at the Sundance Film Festival, playing a troubled boxer, a role that won her the Independent Spirit Award and Gotham Award for Best Debut Performance. Girlfight also won the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and the Directing Award for Karyn Kusama.

The San Antonio native continued on to several blockbusters, notably the Fast & Franchise franchise as Letty. Rodriguez starred in seven of the series’ 10 pics, her portion of the street-racing canon minting $5.5 billion worldwide. She recently starred in Fast X which grossed $705 million worldwide.

Earlier this year, Rodriguez starred opposite Chris Pine in Paramount/Hasbro’s Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which fired off its world premiere at SXSW. The pic grossed more than $208M worldwide. Rodriguez also starred as Trudy Chachon in the original Oscar-winning Avatar, which grossed $2.9 billion.

Additional film credits...

Michelle Rodriguez is a trailblazing actress best known for her tough, action-oriented roles in film and television. Over the years, her talent and charisma have captivated audiences worldwide. In this article, we will explore Rodriguez’s life and career, highlighting her breakthrough role in “Girlfight,” her contributions to successful franchises such as “The Fast and the Furious” and “Resident Evil,” and her efforts to break stereotypes and inspire others in the entertainment industry.

Early Life and Breakthrough Role Michelle Rodriguez. Depostiphotos

Born on July 12, 1978, in San Antonio, Texas, Mayte Michelle Rodriguez spent her early years in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico before returning to the United States. Growing up in a multicultural environment gave Rodriguez the resilience and adaptability that would later serve her well in the entertainment industry.

Her breakthrough role came in 2000 when she starred as Diana Guzman in the critically acclaimed indie film “Girlfight.” This gritty,...

Morgan Creek Entertainment is bringing David Cronenberg‘s Dead Ringers to the small screen, with Rachel Weisz starring in and exec producing the adaptation. The limited series will be hitting Prime Video on April 21, and the official trailer has arrived today.

A modern take on David Cronenberg’s 1988 thriller starring Jeremy Irons, Dead Ringers will feature Rachel Weisz playing the double-lead roles of Elliot and Beverly Mantle, twins who share everything: drugs, lovers, and an unapologetic desire to do whatever it takes—including pushing the boundaries of medical ethics—in an effort to challenge antiquated practices and bring women’s health care to the forefront. All six episodes premiere April 21 exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Rachel Weisz also serves as an executive producer for the limited series, which is created, written, and executive produced by Emmy-nominated writer and playwright Alice Birch (Normal People, Succession,...

Michelle Rodriguez is one of Hollywood’s most popular “tough girl” actors. She got her start in independent films but quickly transitioned to major franchises such as the Fast & Furious movies. Uncompromising and straightforward, Rodriguez has also acted prolifically in television, including in the TV series Lost. Many of her characters have something in common, in addition to their tough personas — they all die horrifically onscreen. Even James Cameron opted to kill off her fan-favorite Avatar character, revealing later that he very much regretted eliminating the chance for Rodriguez to appear in the sequel.

Michelle Rodriguez has died onscreen in a lot of movies Michelle Rodriguez attends the 2022 amfAR Gala Los Angeles at Pacific Design Center on November 03, 2022 in West Hollywood, California. | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Rodriguez got her start in independent movies, portraying a boxer in the 2000 film Girlfight. Just one year later, she originated the role of Letty...

Actor Michelle Rodriguez is a Hollywood mainstay. She’s been a movie star for over 20 years and appeared in several hit franchises. That includes roles in the Fast & Furious films and 2009’s Avatar. But despite her many action movies, Rodriguez recently shared why she no longer does most of her stunts.

Michelle Rodriguez has done many action movies Michelle Rodriguez attends the trailer launch of ‘Fast X’ on Feb. 9, 2023, in Los Angeles | Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage

Rodriguez demonstrated a knack for on-screen physicality upon her feature film debut. In 2000, she starred in director Karyn Kusama’s Girlfight as a young woman trying to make it in the male-dominated boxing world.

The following year, the actor landed her signature role as Letty Ortiz in the 2001 surprise smash The Fast and the Furious. But in addition to her continuing role in that franchise, Rodriguez has appeared in many other action hits. They include 2002’s Resident Evil,...

Exclusive: Emmy-winning writer/director/producer Karyn Kusama has signed with WME.

Kusama currently serves as executive producer on Showtime’s Yellowjackets. The show garnered seven Emmy nominations in 2022, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Kusama’s direction of the pilot episode.

Kusama previously helmed the Golden Globe-nominated film Destroyer starring Nicole Kidman that was written by her frequent collaborators, Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi. The trio’s banner, Familystyle Film, is currently under a first-look deal with MRC.

Her feature credits include indie thriller The Invitation, as well as Jennifer’s Body, Aeon Flux, and her Cannes and Sundance-award winning debut, Girlfight.

On the TV side, Kusama has directed episodes for such series as Billions, The Man in the High Castle, Dead Ringers, The Outsider, and The Mysterious Benedict Society, for which she won a Children’s and Family Emmy.

She continues to be managed by Black Bear Management.

"A modern take on David Cronenberg’s 1988 thriller starring Jeremy Irons, Dead Ringers will feature Rachel Weisz playing the double-lead roles of Elliot and Beverly Mantle, twins who share everything: drugs, lovers, and an unapologetic desire to do whatever it takes—including pushing the boundaries of medical ethics—in an effort to challenge antiquated practices and bring women’s health care to the forefront. The series’ ensemble cast includes Britne Oldford as Genevieve, Poppy Liu as Greta, Michael Chernus as Tom, Jennifer Ehle as Rebecca, and Emily Meade as Susan.

Filmmaker Sean Durkin directed the first two episodes and co-directed the last episode of the series. Durkin also serves as an executive producer. The directing team also includes Karyn Kusama, Karena Evans, and Lauren Wolkstein.

Dead Ringers is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Annapurna Television. Alice Birch, who is the series showrunner, serves as an executive producer alongside Rachel Weisz for Astral Projection,...

Morgan Creek Entertainment is bringing David Cronenberg‘s Dead Ringers to the small screen, with Rachel Weisz starring in and exec producing the adaptation. The limited series will be hitting Prime Video on April 21, with all six episodes premiering at once.

While you wait, check out a new clip as well as new poster art below.

A modern take on David Cronenberg’s 1988 thriller starring Jeremy Irons, Dead Ringers will feature Rachel Weisz playing the double-lead roles of Elliot and Beverly Mantle, twins who share everything: drugs, lovers, and an unapologetic desire to do whatever it takes—including pushing the boundaries of medical ethics—in an effort to challenge antiquated practices and bring women’s health care to the forefront. All six episodes premiere April 21 exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Rachel Weisz also serves as an executive producer for the limited series, which is created,...

Actor Michelle Rodriguez made quite an impression on James Cameron when they collaborated for Avatar. So much so that Cameron kicked himself for writing the actor off in the first movie.

How Michelle Rodriguez ended up in ‘Avatar’ Michelle Rodriguez | Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Rodriguez had a few notable films to her name by the time Avatar rolled around. She’d gotten her breakthrough role in Girlfight, which eventually led her to more work like Lost and The Fast and The Furious.

In 2009, Rodriguez added Cameron’s Avatar to her growing filmography at the time. It was a film she didn’t have to audition for. The actor simply popped into Cameron’s head when he came up with the Avatar character Trudy.

“According to Jim, a while back he had taken a trip on a chopper in some cold place. I don’t know if it was Antarctica; it was one of his adventure trips,...

Rachel Weisz has two exciting new roles, and her new series looks like a winner.

Prime Video released the teaser trailer for the highly anticipated psychological thriller Dead Ringers.

The series is a modern take on David Cronenberg's 1988 thriller starring Jeremy Irons, Dead Ringers will feature Rachel Weisz playing the double-lead roles of Elliot and Beverly Mantle.

The streaming service describes them as "twins who share everything."

"Drugs, lovers, and an unapologetic desire to do whatever it takes—including pushing the boundaries of medical ethics—in an effort to challenge antiquated practices and bring women's health care to the forefront," the logline adds.

All six episodes premiere on April 21 exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Weisz also serves as an executive producer for the limited series, which is created, written, and executive produced by Emmy-nominated writer and playwright Alice Birch.

The series' ensemble cast includes Britne Oldford as Genevieve,...

Morgan Creek Entertainment is bringing David Cronenberg‘s Dead Ringers to the small screen, with Rachel Weisz starring in and exec producing the adaptation. The limited series will be hitting Prime Video on April 21, and today the official teaser trailer has arrived.

A modern take on David Cronenberg’s 1988 thriller starring Jeremy Irons, Dead Ringers will feature Rachel Weisz playing the double-lead roles of Elliot and Beverly Mantle, twins who share everything: drugs, lovers, and an unapologetic desire to do whatever it takes—including pushing the boundaries of medical ethics—in an effort to challenge antiquated practices and bring women’s health care to the forefront. All six episodes premiere April 21 exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Rachel Weisz also serves as an executive producer for the limited series, which is created, written, and executive produced by Emmy-nominated writer and playwright Alice Birch. The series...

Dead Ringers Photos & Premiere Date: "Prime Video announced the premiere date and released first-look images of Rachel Weisz as Obgyn twins Beverly and Elliot Mantle for the highly anticipated psychological thriller Dead Ringers. Weisz also serves as an executive producer. The limited series is created, written, and executive produced by Emmy-nominated writer and playwright Alice Birch. All six episodes premiere April 21 exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

A modern take on David Cronenberg’s 1988 thriller starring Jeremy Irons, Dead Ringers will feature Rachel Weisz playing the double-lead roles of Elliot and Beverly Mantle, twins who share everything: drugs, lovers, and an unapologetic desire to do whatever it takes—including pushing the boundaries of medical ethics—in an effort to challenge antiquated practices and bring women’s health care to the forefront. The series’ ensemble cast includes Britne Oldford as Genevieve, Poppy Liu as Greta, Michael Chernus as Tom,...

Yellowjackets fans have been wondering if the character Van Palmer survived to reach adulthood… and Showtime has gone ahead and answered the question by announcing that we will indeed be seeing adult Van in Yellowjackets season 2. And she’s going to be played by Lauren Ambrose (Servant).

The teenage Van will also benefit from the addition of adult Van to the show, as Liv Hewson (Santa Clarita Diet) – who plays teen Van – has officially been promoted to series regular for season 2.

Christina Ricci and Juliette Lewis star in Yellowjackets, which is is described as “equal parts survival epic, horror story, and coming-of-age drama.” The story centers on

a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the Ontario wilderness. The series will chronicle their descent from a complicated but thriving team to warring, cannibalistic clans, while also...

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Lifetime, which is set to air a movie starring Anne Heche in September, said it is “deeply concerned” about the actress’ health following a car crash last week.

Heche stars in Girl in Room 13, playing a woman who goes on a relentless search for her daughter (Larissa Dias) after the young woman becomes a human trafficking victim. The movie is set to air in September on Lifetime.

“All of us here at Lifetime are deeply concerned for [Heche] and everyone affected” by the accident, Lifetime executive vp and head of programming Amy Winter told reporters Thursday during the network’s time in front of the Television Critics Association. Heche is in a coma and in critical condition, according to reports, after a car she was driving crashed into a house in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles on Friday.

Los Angeles police are...

In “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” Francie Nolan sat on her fire escape, ate peppermint wafers, spied on her neighbors, and read books. In Aurora, I sat on my roof, ate pretzels, spied on my neighbors, and read “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.” I felt seen by Francie Nolan and it surprised me when people were surprised by the fact that I related to her. At a certain point, I understood that people assumed I’d have more in common with the slum kids in “City of Joy” than Francie. No matter what came out of my mouth, my skin had already spoken for me.

I grew up with films, books, art and music from all over the world and felt kinship with so many people who didn’t necessarily share my heritage. But I became a filmmaker because I wanted to be a part of the movement I saw...

After the 2000s seemingly kickstarted a new wave of independent horror, the 2010s (and beyond) were an exceptional time for new and emerging, as well as established, filmmakers to leave their own mark on the landscape of genre storytelling. One of the most notable aspects, or even trends, that I noticed while doing research for this entire series of retrospectives is how out of all of the decades, it feels like the 2010s was one of the best times for female filmmakers to get the opportunity to take the helm in comparison to other decades. The 1980s had a handful of women directors working in independent horror, but during both the ’90s and ’00s, it felt like the industry as a whole had taken a few steps backwards in providing female filmmakers the opportunity to tell the stories they wanted to tell.

Thankfully, though, the door swung back open in...

After a hiatus as theaters in New York City and beyond closed their doors during the pandemic, we’re delighted to announce the return of NYC Weekend Watch, our weekly round-up of repertory offerings. While many theaters are still focused on a selection of new releases, there’s a handful of worthwhile repertory screenings taking place.

IFC Center

A Paul Verhoeven retro is underway as the 4K restoration of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s masterpiece Cure continues and World of Wong Kar-wai keeps going, Lost Highway, Mulholland Dr., House, and Persona have showings.

Museum of the Moving Image

“See It Big: Extravaganzas!” offers Daisies and films by Guy Maddin and Wes Anderson; Little Fugitive plays on Saturday.

Metrograph

A series on punk cinema is underway, spearheaded by Dennis Hopper’s incredible Out of the Blue. Karyn Kusama’s Girlfight screens on Sunday.

Film Forum

While the stacked series of road movies continues,...

The first television project from Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, two of the producers behind “Narcos” and “Narcos: Mexico,” is nearly here. The duo’s “Yellowjackets” series is slated to premiere November 14 on Showtime.

The premium network recently revealed the trailer for the upcoming 10-episode survival drama, along with the official description:

Equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama, “Yellowjackets” is the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over.

The series’ trailer aptly plays on the disparate themes of “Yellowjacket.

Some traumas are hard to overcome, as seen in the first trailer for Showtime’s survival epic Yellowjackets (premiering Sunday, Nov. 14 at 10/9c).

Melanie Lynskey (Two and a Half Men), Juliette Lewis (Camping), Christina Ricci (Z: The Beginning of Everything) and Tawny Cypress (Unforgettable) headline the 10-episode series, which is described as a “psychological horror story” and a “coming-of-age drama.” It tells the story of “a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness.

More from TVLineDexter Revival: Jennifer Carpenter Confirmed to Return...

Exclusive: Sarah Desjardins (Riverdale), Kevin Alves (Locke & Key) and Alexa Barajas (The Flash) are set for recurring roles in Showtime’s drama series Yellowjackets. Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci and Tawny Cypress star in the drama series from writers Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, Entertainment One and studio-based producer Drew Comins. Production has begun in Vancouver, Canada for a 2021 debut on the network.

Equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama, Yellowjackets is the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over.

Michelle Rodriguez has proven over her career that she has no time for negative stereotypes. She has always been a performer that speaks her mind, even early in her career after breaking out in 2000's Girlfight. The Fast and the Furious, released only a year later, was Rodriguez's first big studio film but that didn't stop her from insisting on rewrites…...

Familystyle has entered into a first-look deal with Entertainment 360, the joint venture between MRC Television and Management 360, Variety has learned exclusively.

Familystyle is the production company run by Karyn Kusama, Matt Manfredi, and Phil Hay. The first project being developed under the deal is the series “The Occupant.” Kusama is attached to direct with Manfredi and Hay attached to write. The Los Angeles-set conspiracy is about a mentally fragile but idealistic person who becomes a reluctantly pivotal figure in the clandestine struggle between a seemingly benign modern megacorporation and the ragtag groups of Angelenos who oppose it.

“Phil, Matt, and I have made some of our most personal work as a team,” said Kusama. “We are truly thrilled that MRC Television and E360 are the latest additions to our creative family. From the get-go, it was clear that our friends there shared our enthusiasms and ambitions and would...

Charlize Theron occupies a rare space in Hollywood because not only is she widely recognized as one of the finest actresses of her generation, having won an Academy Award, Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award for her transformative performance in Monster and scored further nominations from the same bodies for her work in North Country and Bombshell, but the 45 year-old is also regarded as one of cinema’s premiere action stars.

Not a lot of talents can pull off the jump between critically-acclaimed dramas and action-packed blockbusters, but Theron made it look easy in the likes of Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde, The Fate of the Furious and most recently, Netflix’s smash hit The Old Guard. You can fully understand why she was furious about being offered the role of Wonder Woman’s mother then when she could quite easily have played the title character herself.

That being said,...

Read more from Variety’s Directors on Directors, in which filmmakers praise their favorite movies of the year, here.

Light and sky. Rain and wind. Sea and smoke. These are the fearsome natural elements that Robert Eggers’ “The Lighthouse” explores, creating a modern cinema that manages to look both backward and forward. Backward, to an almost square format and to the visual sorcery of Bergman and Dreyer, of Herzog and Lang. But forward as well, to Eggers’ own imagining of a peculiarly American past, and toward his own brutal conception of masculinity in a death match with itself.

The seemingly simple story of two lighthouse keepers — one older, one younger — thrillingly operates on multiple levels. For me, the film serves as a parable for alcoholism, capturing the mania of its deadly grip with a visual perversion of space and the narrative collapse of time. It also plays as a mythic...

Showtime has given a pilot greenlight to Yellowjackets, a drama from writers Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Narcos), Entertainment One and studio-based producer Drew Comins. Karyn Kusama (Destroyer) will direct and executive produce the pilot, a co-production of Showtime and Entertainment One. Production begins this fall in Los Angeles.

Written by Lyle and Nickerson, Yellowjackets is equal parts survival epic, horror story and coming-of-age drama and relates the narrative of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the Ontario wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to warring, cannibalistic clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over.

Lyle, Nickerson and Kusama executive produce...

The hour-long drama “Yellowjackets” has been ordered to pilot at Showtime, Variety has learned.

In addition, “Destroyer” director Karyn Kusama has come onboard to direct the pilot in addition to serving as an executive producer. The series was created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, who will also executive produce and serve as showrunners. Drew Comins of Creative Engine will also executive produce. The pilot will be a co-production between Showtime and eOne and will film in Los Angeles this fall.

“Yellowjackets” tells the story of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who survive a plane crash deep in the Ontario wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to warring, cannibalistic clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over.

Paramount Network is moving ahead with a prequel TV series adapting the acclaimed crime drama, Sexy Beast.

Sexy Beast made its share of waves during the 2002 awards season, notably due to the 2001-released crime drama’s showcase of Sir Ben Kingsley – in shockingly transformative form – in his Best Supporting Oscar-nominated performance as the sociopathic powder-keg of a criminal, Don Logan. However, it seems that the property will do so again, this time in the form of a prequel TV series on the Paramount Network.

Indeed, the Sexy Beast prequel series – a shopped project picked up last year – has officially received the green light from Paramount Network, which just made the confident-inspired move of a straight-to-series order for a 10-episode inaugural season, according to Variety.

While no casting information has been revealed, the series, reportedly set during “the vibrant and volatile 1990s,” will explore the formation of the...

In honor of the women’s U.S soccer team beating out the Netherlands in Sunday’s World Cup Final, watch these inspiring female athletes bring their star-power to the silver-screen. From “Bring it On” to “Bend it Like Beckham,” we have you covered with movies that run the athletic gamut.

“Bring it On”

Two rival cheerleading squads duke it out in a teen flick fraught with routine theft, betrayal, romantic drama, and of course high flying cheer stunts. The movie delivers on its title’s promise — the girls of Rancho Carne and East Compton High indeed “bring it on.” Watch the young Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union give starmaking performances in this cult classic.

“Bring it On Again”

The cheerleading sequel has graduated from high school drama to college campus drama. With an entirely new cast and plotline, the followup still maintains the cheer squad battles that made its predecessor so entertaining.

It’s one thing to see celebrity Emmy voters rave about a TV show on social media. It’s all together more important when they reveal that they checked off the series and its leading lady on their nomination ballot as filmmaker Rod Lurie (“The Contender”) did on Monday.

Just filled out my Emmy nomination ballot. @fleabag is absolutely front and center. I do believe the reign of #Veep is over- as is that of the great #JuliaLouiseDreyfus. Nobody will touch the performance or writing of #PhoebeWaller-Bridge. What a show. What a talent.

— Rod Lurie (@RodLurie) June 23, 2019

This week there was also a “Fleabag”-related Democratic debate tweet that MSNBC’s Chris Hayes retweeted:

I'm voting for whichever candidate wears the Fleabag jumpsuit to tonight's debate.

— R. Eric Thomas (@oureric) June 27, 2019

Yes, there are lots of photos of female fans wearing the cleavage-baring black jumpsuit that its star and creator,...

In a smart and utterly absorbing performance, Kidman transforms her appearance to play an La detective brutalised by her work undercover

Director Karyn Kusama kickstarted her career in 2000 with the fierce Girlfight; she gives us a sense-memory of that picture with this bruisingly excellent La crime thriller, written for the screen by Phil Kay with Matt Manfredi.

The La they imagine has a bleak, scorched, arid look in which the sunlight is always harsh, like that seen by a daytime drinker emerging from a bar, or that same drinker waking up in his car the next morning. Production designer Kay Lee and cinematographer Julie Kirkwood create the colours and textures of this hostile world, but its overall mood is down to its star, Nicole Kidman, cast against type as Erin Bell, an Lapd detective who has become prematurely haggard and brutalised by her experiences undercover 16 years before, as a cop...

Director Karyn Kusama’s favorite film noirs have always been crime investigations where the sense of dread comes from uncovering the horror humans are capable of committing. In Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay’s “Destroyer” script, Kusama fell in love with how the investigation is being conducted by a deeply flawed and beatdown detective, Erin (Nicole Kidman), compelled to unearth her own transgressions.

“Part of why I wanted to make the movie in the first place was that sense that it was so present in the culture right now, that we are craving moral accountability and not seeing it,” said Kusama on IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast. “I found this story really appealing [because] we were witnessing a character come to some sense of need to be personally responsible, even late in the game you realize it’s not too late.”

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Erin’s uncomfortable,...

It takes a lot of inner confidence to pull off what Karyn Kusama and Nicole Kidman have done with “Destroyer.” Here is the noir antihero that our current cinema has been longing for. The genre is traditionally an exclusive realm for steely male icons like Clint Eastwood or even Jamie Foxx in “Django Unchained” — but here’s a shatterproof hardcore woman hellbent on making things right once and for all.

When the film begins, Kidman’s Erin Bell is a wrecked woman, someone so repulsive to look at you have to turn away the moment she starts walking toward you. Part of that is the distinctive look the actress has adopted for the role: makeup and wig that makes her look like she’s slept in the desert in a sleeping bag, chewed on charcoal, and not taken a shower for two weeks. Or maybe she’s someone unable to kick a hardcore heroin addiction.