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She's fended off White Walkers, The Night King, and Ramsay Bolton as Sansa Stark in Game Of Thrones. She's absorbed a cosmic entity, become the Dark Phoenix, and nearly-destroyed-but-then-actually-saved the universe as Jean Grey in X-Men: Dark Phoenix. And now it looks like Sophie Turner may just be about to add another iconic heroine to her acting resumé. As reported by THR, the in-demand star is in advanced talks to take on the role of British archaeologist and video game legend Lara Croft in Amazon and Crystal Dynamics' currently in development Tomb Raider series adaptation.

According to THR's sources, screen tests for Amazon's Croft took place in October, with Turner having appeared alongside Mackenzie Davis (Terminator: Dark Fate), Emma Mackey (Sex Education), and Lucy Boynton (Sing Street) on the shortlist to play the dual-wielding explorer. Masterminded by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who's set to serve as both writer and executive producer on the upcoming series,...

In recent years, we've seen a real resurgence of big ol' stage-to-screen movie musicals hitting cinemas and streamers. West Side Story, Wicked, In The Heights, Tick, Tick... Boom!, err... *cough* Dear Evan Hansen and Cats *cough* — you name it, some big wig in Tinseltown's already figuring out how to turn it into a blockbuster smash. Somewhat rarer however is the (non-Disney) movie musical that gets the screen-to-stage treatment. But now, having made a splash Off-Broadway back in 2019 before the pandemic halted its run, Sing Street: A New Musical — an all-singing, all-dancing stage adaptation of John Carney's beloved, music-driven 2016 movie — is heading for the West End.

As reported by What's On Stage, the Sing Street musical — which follows the coming-of-age movie's story of a 16-year-old Dubliner trying to start a band in the 1980s — will make its London debut at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre next summer, running from 8 July...

The stage musical adaptation of John Carney’s Sing Street is heading to London in 2025. Here’s what you can expect:

According to Deadline, the stage production of Sing Street is finally coming to the UK, having premiered in the US two years ago. It will play at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith from the 8th July to the 23rd August 2025, with the possibility of a West End transfer if it’s successful. James Bond's Barbara Broccoli is producing.

Walsh said in a statement that Broccoli “is steering the whole thing, she steered the show from the beginning. She’s the one who originally approached me to do it after we had so much fun on Once“.

Once is one of those ‘lightning in a bottle’ films that put the right people together at exactly the right time to create arguably one of the best musicals of the 2000s – writer...

Exclusive: Barbara Broccoli, with her theater hat on, is transferring the Sing Street musical to London. The play is based on John Carney’s charming 2016 coming-of-age movie about a group of skint schoolkids in 1982 Dublin who form a rock band to help them find love and forget their troubles.

The show, from the team behind Once, is another musical adapted from a film created by Carney.

Once, with James Bond producer Broccoli as lead producer, went on to win eight trophies at the 66th Tony Awards, including Best Musical and a Best Book win for playwright-screenwriter Enda Walsh, who performs the same writing duties on Sing Street.

Walsh confirmed that the Sing Street musical will preview at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, West London beginning July 8 for a limited run until August 23.

The show is billed as A Lyric Hammersmith Theatre Theatre Production but it’s being led by Broccoli, as...

If you’re missing your end of summer dose of a murder mystery entangled with an upperclass family committed to the facade of perfection, look no further.

“The Perfect Couple,” which is adapted from Elin Hilderbrand’s novel of the same name, centers on a murder investigation that happens just hours before the Winbury family is set to host the perfect Nantucket wedding to welcome their new daughter-in-law Amelia (Eve Hewson) into the family.

The queen of the genre, Nicole Kidman, leads the Netflix series as the family’s unflinching matriarch, and is joined by an ensemble cast including Hewson, Liev Schreiber, Dakota Fanning, Meghann Fahy and more.

Keep reading for a complete guide to the “The Perfect Couple” cast.

Nicole Kidman as Greer Garrison Winbury Nicole Kidman as Greer Winbury in “The Perfect Couple.” (Credit: Netflix)

Nicole Kidman stars in “The Perfect Couple” as Greer Garrison Winbury, the matriarch...

Tony Award nominee Gabby Beans (Skin of Our Teeth) and 13 Reasons Why’s Tommy Dorfman are among the complete cast for Romeo & Juliet, Sam Gold’s new Broadway production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, starring Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler. Rehearsals began today for the production, which is set to open this fall.

Beans will play ‘Mercutio/The Friar and Dorfman will portray The Nurse/Tybalt in her Broadway debut. Rounding out the cast are Nihar Duvvuri (Broadway Debut) as ‘Balthazar,’ Sola Fadiran (Camelot) as ‘Capulet/Lady Capulet,’ Daniel Bravo Hernández (Broadway Debut) as ‘Abraham,’ Taheen Modak (Broadway Debut) as ‘Benvolio,’ Jasai Chase Owens (Broadway Debut; The Expanse) as ‘Gregory,’ Gían Pérez (Sing Street) as ‘Samson/Paris/Peter’ and understudies Missy Malek (Broadway Debut), Timothy Oh (Broadway Debut), Susannah Perkins (The Wolves) and Daniel Velez (Broadway Debut).

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to be starting today with this brilliant ensemble,...

Power Ballad, directed by John Carney and starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, is coming to UK cinemas via Lionsgate. More here.

Now in post-production comes the latest film from John Carney. The man who previously brought us the likes of Once, Begin Again and Sing Street has been making a new musical comedy in Dublin, going by the name of Power Ballad.

News of it first came to light earlier this year, with a cast led by Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas. The story is that of a wedding singer – played by Rudd, and definitely not Adam Sandler – who’s had his best days. Then he comes into contact with a young rockstar, played by Jonas, and the idea there is that the songwriting of the former and help boost the career of the latter.

The film came together independently, and it’s now snapped up its distributor. Given...

John Carney’s next musical comedy “Power Ballad,” starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, has sold to Lionsgate.

The film, described as an “uplifting and music-driven story,” follows a has-been wedding singer (Rudd) and younger rock star (Jonas) — and the song that comes between them. Jack Reynor, who appeared in Carney’s prior movies “Sing Street” and “Flora and Son,” is also in “Power Ballad.”

Lionsgate will handle the theatrical release in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of John’s movies, and I’ve had my eye on this particular film for some time,” said Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson. “It combines the best of John’s immense creative talents with a marketable concept and an incredible cast. I couldn’t be happier that he and the rest of the team have entrusted us with it.

Lionsgate has acquired Power Ballad, the upcoming film from John Carney starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, for release in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Ireland. Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, made the announcement.

Power Ballad, which recently finished shooting in Dublin, focuses on a talented but past-his-prime wedding singer (Rudd) and a young rockstar (Jonas) who uses the wedding singer’s songwriting prowess to revitalize his own career.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of John’s movies, and I’ve had my eye on this particular film for some time,” said Fogelson. “It combines the best of John’s immense creative talents with a marketable concept and an incredible cast. I couldn’t be happier that he and the rest of the team have entrusted us with it.”

“I am so delighted this film, which has been in my heart for so long,...

One of the hot titles we were tracking for sales out of the Cannes Market has found a domestic home. “Power Ballad,” the new film from “Once” and “Sing Street” director John Carney, has been acquired by Lionsgate.

The film stars Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas and just wrapped shooting in Dublin, Ireland. Per the logline, the film focuses on a talented but past-his-prime wedding singer (Rudd) and a young rockstar (Jonas) who uses the wedding singer’s songwriting prowess to revitalize his own career. Sounds exactly like another heartwarming Carney musical comedy.

Lionsgate picked up rights in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Ireland, and the studio intends to release it theatrically. Carney’s last film “Flora and Son” (2023) was limited to a streaming release after it was picked up by Apple.

No release date has been set.

Carney directed and co-wrote the film alongside Peter McDonald. Anthony Bregman...

Actress Lucy Boynton poses for the June 2024 issue of “Harper’s Bazaar” (Taiwan) magazine, photographed by Paul Farnham:

Boynton made her feature film debut as young 'Beatrix Potter' in "Miss Potter" (2006), followed by "Copperhead" (2013), "Sing Street" (2016)...

..."Murder on the Orient Express" (2017) and "Apostle" (2018)...

...before portraying ‘Mary Austin’ in the biographical film "Bohemian Rhapsody"...

Boynton played 'Astrid Sloan' in the Netflix series "The Politician" (2018) and costars in the new series "The Ipcress File" (2022). New films include "Chevalier" (2023) and "The Pale Blue Eye".

Click the images to enlarge…...

Jack Reynor is reuniting with his “Sing Street” director John Carney for the musical comedy “Power Ballad.”

He will star alongside Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas. Described as an “uplifting and music-driven story,” the film follows a wedding singer, a rock star — and the song that comes between them. It’s unclear who any of the three actors will portray.

This marks the fourth collaboration between Reynor and Carney following the musical comedies “Sing Street” and “Flora and Son,” as well as the Amazon Prime series “Modern Love.” Reynor is also known for Ari Aster’s horror film “Midsommar,” “Transformers: Age of Extinction” and Amazon’s TV series “The Peripheral.” He’ll be seen next in Netflix’s “The Perfect Couple” adaptation and Amazon’s series “Citadel,” now in its second season.

“Power Ballad” is currently filming in Dublin. Anthony Bregman and Peter Cron are producing for Likely Story with...

Following collaborations with music-driven auteur John Carney on last year’s Flora and Son and a pair of other high-profile projects, Jack Reynor has closed a deal to reteam with the Irish filmmaker on his latest effort, the musical comedy Power Ballad, starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas.

Details as to his role are under wraps, as are specifics of the plot, though the film is billed as an uplifting, music-driven story about a wedding singer, a rock star, and the song that comes between them. Deadline was first to tell you about the project.

Currently in production in Dublin, Power Ballad hails from 30West and Likely Story. Written by Carney and Peter McDonald, the film will be produced by Anthony Bregman and Peter Cron for Likely Story, Robert Walpole and Rebecca O’Flanagan for Treasure Entertainment, and Carney, all of whom produced Carney’s Flora and Son for Apple TV...

Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas will headline Power Ballad, a musical comedy from Once director John Carney. It’s in production now.

Once director John Carney’s next film is Power Ballad, a musical comedy which will follow “the story of a wedding singer (Paul Rudd), a rock star (Nick Jonas), and the song that comes between them.”

Carney will direct from a screenplay he wrote with Peter McDonald.

Carney said, in a statement to Deadline, “I’m delighted to be working with so many great people. I’ve been working on this script with my buddy Peter for years, and now Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas are in my kitchen.”

The film is set to be one of the main attractions at the market at this year’s Cannes film festival. Carney was attached to direct a biopic of The Bee Gees, he stepped back and was replaced by Lorene Scafaria.

Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd are set to star in “Power Ballad” a musical comedy from John Carney, who directed “Once” and “Sing Street.” They are currently filming in Dublin.

“Power Ballad” was written by Carney and Peter McDonald. The official logline for the film reads, “An uplifting music-driven story about a wedding singer, a rock star and the song that comes between them.”

Jonas and Rudd are both known for their work on-screen with Jonas’ credits including “Camp Rock,” Scream Queens” and “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and a TV performance of “Jersey Boys Live!” Rudd is known for “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “Only Murders In The Building,” “Knocked Up” and Marvel’s Ant-Man films.

However, both of them have stacked Broadway credits, too. Jonas started acting on Broadway at seven years old. He’s been in “Les Misérables,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Hairspray,” “Annie Get Your Gun” and “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying...

Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd are set to star in the latest movie from Jon Carney, the director behind Once and Sing Street.

The project, which was written by Carney and Peter McDonald, will follow Rudd as a wedding singer and Jonas as a flagging pop star who come together to write a song to comedic consequences. Filming is underway in Dublin.

Anthony Bregman’s Likely Story is producing along with 30West, which is also set to finance with Screen Ireland. Along with Carney and Bregman, Likely Story’s Peter Cron will produce with Robert Walpole and Rebecca O’Flanagan for Treasure Entertainment, who worked with Carney on his last film Flora and Son, which landed at Apple after a Sundance debut.

30West, WME Independent and UTA Independent Film Group are handling sales out of the Cannes market.

“I’m delighted to be working with so many great people,” said Carney.

Exclusive: Paul Rudd (Ant-Man) and Nick Jonas (Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle) are set to star in musical comedy Power Ballad from Once and Sing Street director John Carney, we can reveal.

30West and Anthony Bregman’s (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind) Likely Story are behind this movie, which will chart the story of a wedding singer (Rudd), a rock star (Jonas), and the song that comes between them.

Filming is underway in Dublin on the project which will be a hot one at the Cannes market this month. 30West, WME Independent, and UTA Independent Film Group will represent the domestic sales on the film, with WME Independent handling international rights.

Script comes from Carney and Peter McDonald (The Bachelor Weekend). 30West will finance the film, alongside Screen Ireland, and executive produce. Bregman and Peter Cron will produce for Likely Story with Robert Walpole and Rebecca O’Flanagan for Treasure Entertainment,...

Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton entering into a unique arrangement, J.Lo fighting evil artificial intelligence, the roasting of an NFL legend, a retelling of the invention of the Pop Tart, Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt at war and John Mulaney’s six-night live comedy event from Los Angeles are some of the big titles hitting Netflix in May.

Debuting on May 3 is Jerry Seinfeld’s directorial debut, Unfrosted. The comedy legend works both sides of the camera for this humorous feature take on the birth of the Pop Tart. The movie is set in 1963 as breakfast cereal giants Kellogg’s and Post compete to become the first company to create a morning pastry. Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan and Amy Schumer also star, with Hugh Grant more than likely to steal the whole film with a turn as Tony the Tiger.

May is comedy month on Netflix and to coincide...

As summer approaches (for the Northern Hemisphere at least), Netflix is set to premiere a fresh season of one of its biggest hits.

Brigerton season 3 is set to arrive on May 16 and will debut a “new crop of debutantes” into the regency drama fray. Other original series of note this month include Indian drama Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (May 1), the Jeff Daniels-starring A Man in Full (May 2), and intriguing Korean title The 8 Show (May 17). Of course, Netflix is also rolling out a suite of true crime docs and docuseries as well. Chief among those options is Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal on May 15.

It’s the movie side of things where Netflix is feeling particularly lively though. May 3 sees the arrival of Jerry Seinfeld Pop Tart comedy Unfrosted. That will be followed by rom-com Mother of the Bride (May 9) and the Jennifer Lopez-starring Atlas (May 24).

If none...

Here comes another time-traveling fantasy, but with a twist. As the kids on Bandstand used to say to Dick Clark, “It’s a gotta’ good beat. You can dance to it”. Maybe you could even do the twist. That’s because the force to send this story back through the decades isn’t a big machine, like the one H.G. Welles conjured or even the beloved DeLorean that Doc Brown modified. Nor is it hypnosis ala’ Somewhere In Time, though the brain is involved along with…the ears. You see the gimmick here is music, specifically certain pop tunes that propel a twenty-something woman into the past. And just what is she doing six or seven years ago? Making “sure bet” investments perhaps? No, she’s trying to save a “lost love”, so this is really a romantic fantasy with a soundtrack that’s this couple’s take on...

Plot: Harriet finds art imitating life when she discovers certain songs can transport her back in time – literally. While she relives the past through romantic memories of her former boyfriend, her time traveling collides with a burgeoning new love interest in the present. As she takes her journey through the hypnotic connection between music and memory, she wonders – even if she could change the past, should she?

Review: Music connects people in ways beyond sharing similar tastes in genre or artists. Music can evoke memories of times and places where significant events have occurred. Whether it be a happy or tragic memory, music can take us back whether we like it or not. That is the central conceit of The Greatest Hits, which literally takes the magic of music as it pushes and pulls the main character into moments from her relationship with her deceased boyfriend. It is a wonderfully...

From Begin Again to Yesterday, Sing Street to Almost Famous, music-centered movies have been bringing film lovers joy for years. It’s a sub-genre that helps us resonate and connect with the film differently, heavily shaping our emotions. The Greatest Hits, directed by Ned Benson, merges music with time travel to create an entirely unique approach. The story follows grieving Harriet, who discovers that certain songs can transport her back in time – literally. She uses music to relive the past, through romantic memories of her former boyfriend who died in an accident. Torn between attempting to change the past in order to save him or moving on with a potential new love interest in her life, Harriet’s complex journey is one full of emotion. Tremendously well acted by Lucy Boynton and featuring great tracks alongside a truly unique story, The Greatest Hits is an emotional yet toe-tappingly fantastic exploration of grief,...

The romance genre is rare in that even the most conventional films can land extremely well. Somewhat fittingly titled, The Greatest Hits feels like an amalgamation of all the familiar beats of the romance genre. Nevertheless, writer-director Ned Benson and his cast infuse the movie with so much charm and humanity that the result is something incredibly charming and very special.

In the film, Lucy Boynton plays a woman with a mysterious affliction: every time she hears a certain song, she is literally transported back in time to the last time she heard it with her late boyfriend. It’s a high-concept blend of sci-fi and romance, and while it goes through a lot of conventional motions, it’s consistently lovable.

The characters’ arcs play out in pretty much the exact way you would expect. The protagonist has to learn to love again after being hurt by tragedy, and she finds a handsome,...

Music is one of humankind’s most potent art forms. Music can help heal the deepest depths of depression, call to higher powers for prosperity and nourishment, and, in Ned Benson’s upcoming dramatic comedy The Greatest Hits, facilitate traveling back in time to relive romantic memories. Today, Searchlight Pictures is proud to announce the release date of The Greatest Hits, with the film coming to select theaters on April 5 and to Hulu on April 12.

Ned Benson, the director of films like Four Lean Hounds, The Westerner, Yes, and the Disappearance of Elenor Rigby trilogy, directs The Greatest Hits from his own script, with Lucy Boynton, David Corenswet, Justin H. Min, and Austin Crute leading the cast.

Here’s the official synopsis for The Greatest Hits courtesy of Searchlight Pictures:

Harriet (Lucy Boynton) finds art imitating life when she discovers certain songs can transport her back in time – literally. While...

Ridley Scott looks set to take on the long-in-gestation biopic of the Bees Gees, according to a new report: more here.

The official biopic of the musical brothers The Bee Gees has gone through a couple of gestations in recent times. I remember stories writing about when Kenneth Branagh was set to direct the film. Then, Sing Street’s John Carney was attached. Now though? It looks as if the thing is finally going to get made, because Sir Ridley Scott looks set to jump aboard.

He’s in post-production at the moment on Gladiator 2, and showing little sign of waiting around for his next film. He’s in negotiations to direct the Bee Gees film for Paramount Pictures, with a screenplay by John Logan apparently pretty much in place.

The film has the backing of Barry Gibb, who’s serving as executive producer on the project. Paramount got...

Bill Nighy and “Jojo Rabbit” breakout Roman Griffin Davis are lined up to star in “500 Miles,” directed by BAFTA winner Morgan Matthews.

Beta Cinema has acquired international sales rights to the film, and will launch sales at next week’s European Film Market.

The film, described as a “thrilling road movie full of heart, wit and wonder,” follows a broken family forced to come together when 16-year-old Finn (Davis) and his livewire younger brother Charlie run away from trouble at home in England to reach their estranged grandfather (Nighy) on Ireland’s stunning and wild west coast.

Matthews, director of drama “X+Y” starring Asa Butterfield and Sally Hawkins as well as documentary “Williams,” is set to direct from a script by Malcolm Campbell, based on the novel “Charlie and Me” by Mark Lowery.

Former head of BBC Film David Thompson is producing with Alex Gordon and Keren Misgav Ristvedt for Origin Pictures,...

Actress Lucy Boynton poses for the latest issue of “Elle (France) magazine, photographed by Paola Kudacki:

Boynton made her feature film debut as young 'Beatrix Potter' in "Miss Potter" (2006), followed by "Copperhead" (2013), "Sing Street" (2016)...

..."Murder on the Orient Express" (2017) and "Apostle" (2018)...

...before portraying Mary Austin in the biographical film "Bohemian Rhapsody"...

Boynton played 'Astrid Sloan' in the Netflix series "The Politician" (2018) and costars in the new series "The Ipcress File" (2022). New films include "Chevalier" (2023) and "The Pale Blue Eye".

Click the images to enlarge…...

Actress Lucy Boynton (“Chevalier”) poses for the latest issue of “The Laterals” magazine:

Boynton made her feature film debut as young 'Beatrix Potter' in "Miss Potter" (2006), followed by "Copperhead" (2013), "Sing Street" (2016)...

..."Murder on the Orient Express" (2017) and "Apostle" (2018)...

...before portraying Mary Austin in the biographical film "Bohemian Rhapsody"...

Boynton played 'Astrid Sloan' in the Netflix series "The Politician" (2018) and costars in the new series "The Ipcress File" (2022). New films include "Chevalier" (2023) and "The Pale Blue Eye".

Click the images to enlarge…...

Kneecap, the Belfast-based, Irish-language rap trio that became a symbol of a civil rights struggle to save the Irish tongue. The three members play themselves in Kneecap, a Sundance 2024 Next selection and Rich Peppiatt’s take on the band’s story. Serving as editor is Julian Ulrichs, who also cut the music-heavy Sing Street. Below, he talks about what drew him to the film and how he balanced the film’s humor with its heart. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor questionnaire here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and […]

The post “I Approached Each Edit as I Would an Onion”: Editor Julian Ulrichs on Kneecap first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Kneecap, the Belfast-based, Irish-language rap trio that became a symbol of a civil rights struggle to save the Irish tongue. The three members play themselves in Kneecap, a Sundance 2024 Next selection and Rich Peppiatt’s take on the band’s story. Serving as editor is Julian Ulrichs, who also cut the music-heavy Sing Street. Below, he talks about what drew him to the film and how he balanced the film’s humor with its heart. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor questionnaire here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and […]

The post “I Approached Each Edit as I Would an Onion”: Editor Julian Ulrichs on Kneecap first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2023, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.

One of the problems of the award season industrial complex that takes over film discourse in the early months of the year is that it tends to reduce great films to talking points. It also encourages groupthink, even if some of the nominated films are, well, deserving of those nominations. There’s the predictable pattern of acclaim, backlash, backlash to the backlash, and then maybe a few awards and the hopes of a short memory about how the awards campaign went.

Thus, creating a top-ten is always a bit tough. It’s a mixture of subjective and objective critiques, personal preferences mixed with universally regarded favorites. With that, there’s been more than enough written about Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, Barbie, The Holdovers, etc. that...

Actress Lucy Boynton (“Chevalier”) poses for the latest issue of “The Laterals” magazine:

Boynton made her feature film debut as young 'Beatrix Potter' in "Miss Potter" (2006), followed by "Copperhead" (2013), "Sing Street" (2016)...

..."Murder on the Orient Express" (2017) and "Apostle" (2018)...

...before portraying Mary Austin in the biographical film "Bohemian Rhapsody"...

Boynton played 'Astrid Sloan' in the Netflix series "The Politician" (2018) and costars in the new series "The Ipcress File" (2022). New films include "Chevalier" (2023) and "The Pale Blue Eye".

Click the images to enlarge…...

Was 2023 a good year for movies? The end of each moviegoing year always raises that age-old question and, as always, the ultimate answer remains squarely in the eye of the beholder. For most, that tends to come down to the most populist theatrical offerings. If the latest superhero sequels and nostalgic remakes and most highly-anticipated blockbusters failed to live up to their crowd-pleasing billing, well, at least there's always next year. But for those of us who spend entirely too much time and effort on the hunt for hidden gems beneath the surface, international cinema from the most exciting talent around the globe, and overlooked indies that didn't have millions of marketing dollars to throw around, that turns out to be the wrong question to ask in the first place.

What we should be talking about is whether we've caught up on all the undeniably great movies readily available to us,...

The ominous task that faced Eve Hewson when she first read John Carney’s script for Flora and Son had been accepted before she even realized it.

Sure, she knew Carney’s work, almost exclusively delivering features that baked music into the very fabric of their construction. She’d seen Glen Hansard belting at the top of his lungs in Carney’s debut, Once; Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo making sweet music together in Begin Again; Ferdia Walsh-Peelo embracing ’80s pop in Sing Street. She knew what was coming, but still hoped it never would.

She fell madly in love with Flora, a single mum living in a Dublin apartment block with her delinquent teenage son Max, turning each page as Flora salvaged a guitar from a skip, had it tidied up, and gifted it to Max. She followed along as the character started taking guitar lessons by Zoom with...

Alex Dimitriades, Jamie Dornan, and Damon Herriman in The Tourist (Photograph by Ian Routledge/Two Brothers Pictures)

Season two of the Australian thriller The Tourist starring Jamie Dornan has found a new home at Netflix. The BBC series’ first season premiered in the U.S. on HBO Max, but the streamer declined to pick up the distribution rights for season two. Netflix moved in and snatched up the series, setting a February 29, 2024 premiere date for the new season.

Season one’s also coming to Netflix and will be available to binge on February 1, 2024.

The series follows BAFTA and Golden Globe award-nominated Jamie Dornan as Elliot, a man who wakes up in the Australian outback with no idea of who he is or how he got there. Season two finds Elliot and Helen (Danielle Macdonald) heading to Ireland in hopes of discovering more details about his identity. Per Netflix, “instead, they...

Pat Monahan, appearing with his band Train on today’s episode of ABC’s The View, said the group is at work writing the music for a new stage adaptation of the 2013 musical-comedy film Begin Again that starred Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo.

The film was written and directed by John Carney, who wrote and directed the 2007 film Once and the 2016 film Sing Street. Both of those movies were later adapted as stage musicals.

Monahan provided no further details on the project, including whether anyone from the film version is involved in the stage adaptation.

The film version featured songs written by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois, Nick Lashley, Rick Nowels, and Nick Southwood. The film’s stand-out song “Lost Stars,” performed by by Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, was nominated for...

After earworm-filled musical dramas “Once,” “Begin Again” and “Sing Street,” “Flora and Son” marks a notable first for writer-director John Carney: it’s the first time he wrote a song for a film that’s designed to underwhelm. “I always thought, what would it be like if you started a song and you just didn’t get the response that you’re supposed to get in a musical?” Carney says about the central song in the AppleTV+ feature starring Eve Hewson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

“Flora and Son” tells the story of Dublin-based Flora (Hewson), a young single mom who is struggling with her life and especially her teenage son, Max (Orén Kinlan). She digs a guitar out of the trash, but Max is not interested — he only wants to make music using Garage Band and his laptop. So Flora decides to learn to play, and finds washed-up songwriter Jeff (Gordon-Levitt) offering guitar lessons online,...

“I did not know that we were going to do that,” admits Joseph Gordon-Levitt about his unconventional first day in Ireland to film “Flora and Son.” For our recent webchat he explains, “So I showed up in Ireland and we’re scheduled to start shooting, but a couple days before, we had some recording studio time booked. I show up at the recording studio, and this is exciting, I’m an actor, I don’t usually get to go to a recording studio,” he recalls. “‘What are we recording today?’ And [director] John’s like, ‘I don’t know, we’re going to figure that out.’ That day, Eve and John, and John’s musical partner Gary, the four of us, made a song together in a day.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

See John Carney interview: ‘Flora and Son’ writer/director

In the Apple Original Films music-infused dramedy, Eve Hewson...

Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with Flora and Son, John Carney’s latest indie ode to music that stars Eve Hewson in a breakout role.

Written and directed by Carney, whose credits include the song-centered Once, Begin Again and Sing Street, the film premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival where Apple Original Films jumped on it, scoring one of the fest’s splashiest acquisitions after an all-night bidding war. It was Apple’s biggest deal in Park City since landing eventual Best Picture Oscar winner Coda in 2021.

Flora and Son hit theaters in late September before launching on Apple TV+.

Hewson, the daughter of U2 frontman Bono, stars as a single mom in Dublin who looks to use a shared love of music to break through with her troubled teen son Max (Orén Kinlan), who is heading down the wrong side of the tracks.

“I was terrified. This was the last thing I’ve ever wanted to do in my life! Honestly, I would rather swim with sharks,” admits “Flora and Son” star Eve Hewson about singing live on-screen. “But the part was so good. Working with John was so good. I had to do it, I just had to get over it. And, I just went for it and I’m really glad I did, because I didn’t have that much to worry about!.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

See John Carney interview: ‘Flora and Son’ writer/director

In the Apple Original Film, the “Bad Sisters” star plays a single mom who is at war with her rebellious teenage son Max (Orén Kinlan). Trying to find a hobby for Max, she rescues a guitar from a dumpster and finds that one person’s trash can be a family’s salvation. The...

In Apple Original Films’ Flora and Son, single mom Flora (Eve Hewson) is at a loss about what to do with her rebellious teenage son Max (Orén Kinlan). Encouraged by the police to find Max a hobby, Flora tries to occupy him with a beat-up acoustic guitar. With the help of a washed-up L.A. musician (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Flora and Max discover the transformative power of music.

In order to build up believable chemistry between its leads in the film and tenderize the relationship between mother and son, songwriter and composer Gary Clark first had to build a relationship with director John Carney, a feat Clark would find was three decades in the making. At Deadline’s Sound & Screen: Film event, Clark reflected on the oddly coincidental meeting that set their now frequent collaboration partnership on full course.

“When John first called me, we’d never met, and the only...

John Carney loves music. And he loves music in his movies. Oh, and he knows you love music in his movies. The Irish filmmaker saw his breakout film, “Once,” take the Original Song Oscar for “Falling Slowly,” “Begin Again,” earn a nomination for “Lost Stars,” and his fantastic period piece “Sing Street” robbed for a nom a few years later. Now, Carney is back with “Flora and Son,” which popped at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival before landing in theaters and Apple TV+ this Summer.

Continue reading John Carney Breaks Down ‘Flora And Son’s Original Song Oscar Contender “High Life” at The Playlist.

Here’s the latest episode of The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.

For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro-budget indie films to bigger-budget studio films and everything in between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dome Lenoir, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk about how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their filmmaking experiences from directors, writers, producers and screenwriters, to actors, cinematographers and distributors.

The Filmmaker’s Podcast #361:Once, Begin Again, Sing Street and Flora & Son director,...

“Flora and Son” was an impossible movie three years ago. From “Once” to “Sing Street,” director John Carney has found different ways to bring not just song but the joy of creating music to characters who desperately need it. But he also continually wants to complicate what music is and can be to someone — not every breakthrough is meant to be an elaborate song and dance and not every piece of music can be enough to push someone in the right direction.

The idea of the woman who would become Flora (Eve Hewson), seeking an escape from her troubled son Max (Orén Kinlan) by learning guitar, felt very contemporary with one problem: Carney couldn’t see her actually leaving her flat to take guitar lessons. So he tried to write a version where she took video lessons on her laptop from failed songwriter Jeff (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).

“I had written 20 pages...

Musicians often have a signature style, and for Irish writer-director-musician John Carney, it only makes sense that his films have one, as well.

Carney’s brand of musical drama usually tells a relatable story about the healing power of music, and his latest film for Apple TV+, Flora and Son, is no exception. As a child in Dublin, Ireland, Carney’s world was forever changed when he was gifted a guitar by his mother, and so he wanted to explore that idea with a single mom named Flora (Eve Hewson) and her troubled teenage son, Max (Orén Kinlan). Flora’s secondhand gift of a guitar doesn’t impress Max in the way that she expected, but she eventually realizes through Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s online guitar teacher, Jeff, that she can still use the instrument to hopefully repair her broken family.

There’s been renewed interest in nepotism throughout the entertainment...

Plot: Flora (Eve Hewson) is a hard-partying young mother living in Dublin with her teenage son, Max (Orén Kinlan). He’s a would-be delinquent constantly in trouble with the cops, while her ex (Jack Reynor) is a well-meaning but unreliable flake. When she finds a guitar in the trash, she decides, spur of the moment, to take online guitar lessons. Her teacher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) turns out to be kind-hearted and sympathetic, and soon she discovers that music could be a way that finally allows her to reach her son.

Review: When it comes to making movies about the healing power of music, there’s simply no one better than John Carney. He’s directed a couple of classics: Once, Begin Again, and Sing Street. Flora and Son is very much in the mode of those other films, telling a profane, hilarious, and touching story about how even the most troubled...

It's another jam-packed episode of the Empire Podcast this week, as Chris Hewitt chats to three very different directors, and learns a lot about them (and himself) along the way. First up is John Carney, the Irish director of ultra-charming musical comedy-dramas like :a[Sing Street]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sing-street-review/' } and his new movie, :a[Flora & Son]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/flora-and-son/' }, who tells Chris all about his first guitar, focusing on his childhood, and directing Eve Hewson in the title role. Then Gareth Edwards, who makes a triumphant return this week with new sci-fi :a[The Creator]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-creator/' } some seven years after his bruising experience directing :a[Rogue One]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/rogue-one-star-wars-story-review/' }, sits down with Chris for a natter about opening weekends, and forging the right creative path.

As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and when Flora finds a beat-up acoustic guitar in a skip, it looks less like junk and more like salvation— for both her and her rebellious son Max. The latest from “Once” and “Sing Street” writer-director John Carney, “Flora and Son” will cross continents and land on Apple TV+ on Friday, Sept. 29, one week after its Sept. 22 premiere in select theaters. You can watch with a 60-Day Free Trial of Apple TV+.

How to Watch 'Flora and Son' When: Friday, September 29, 2023 Where: Apple TV+ Stream: Watch with a 60-Day Free Trial of Apple TV+. 60-Day Free Trial$6.99 / month apple.com

Get a 2-Month Free trial if you sign up before Sept. 30

About 'Flora and Son'

“Flora and Son” stars Eve Hewson (“Bad Sisters”) as single mom Flora, who is at a loss about...

While teaching his pupil how to play guitar in Flora and Son, a music instructor explains that writing a song doesn’t come down to how many chords one knows as much as how those chords are used. It could very easily be a metaphor for the career of writer/director John Carney.

Since 2007’s Once, Carney has specialized in stories about music’s power to connect and heal. It’s a theme present throughout the majority of his filmography, even if the tone and subject vary. From the scrappy, no-budget Once to the joyful period piece Sing Street (2016), no other filmmaker has been as curious about music’s power to transform. Carney returns to those themes in Flora and Son, a comedy-drama about a single mother, her son and a guitar. And he proves again that few directors understand how to use music and songwriting to tackle ideas of...

Flora and Son is a musical comedy-drama film written and directed by John Carney. The Apple TV+ film follows the story of Flora, a single mother trying to figure out how to keep her delinquent son away from illegal activities so that he doesn’t end up in jail. That’s when she finds a guitar and tries to make her son interested in music but when that doesn’t work out she starts learning the guitar herself. Flora and Son stars Eve Hewson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Orén Kinlan, and Jack Reynor. So, if you loved the musical comedy-drama film here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Sing Street Credit: The Weinstein Company

Synopsis: In 1980s Dublin, 14-year-old Conor is looking for a break from a home strained by his parents’ relationship and money troubles, while trying to adjust to his new inner-city public school. He finds a glimmer...