Well, it’s official,  Mads Mikkelsen will replace Johnny Depp as the villain Gellert Grindelwald in “Fantastic Beasts 3.” It’s certainly an upgrade for the franchise, especially all the drama surrounding Johnny Depp and his various libel lawsuits against media outlets and his ex-wife Amber Heard. Still, it’s debatable if it’s an upgrade for the Danish actor himself (then again, after Marvel and “Star Wars,” maybe he’s turning into a franchise guy).

Continue reading ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’: It’s Official, Mads Mikkelsen Will Replace Johnny Depp As Grindelwald at The Playlist.

Following its very public drama with Johnny Depp who exited the franchise, Warner Bros.’ has delayed the release of “Fantastic Beasts 3” from its originally intentioned November 2021 premiere, to July 15, 2022.

READ
MORE: Johnny Depp Resigns From ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Role At The Request Of Warner
Bros.; New Sequel Gets Delayed To 2022

“The Fantastic Beasts” franchise hasn’t had it easy these last few years and Warner Bros.’ who wants the “Harry Potter” spin-off to be its new cash cow has been dealing with tons of public relations headaches.

Continue reading ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ Delayed Until Summer 2022, Johnny Depp Still Receiving 8-Figures In Pay-To-Play Deal at The Playlist.

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” managed to do what very few prequels are able to; it retained the mystical spirit of the beloved “Harry Potter” franchise, all while creating a world that could be appreciated on its own merit. The film gave us a new characters to root for including Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne, a socially awkward “magizoologist” (One who studies magical creatures), as well as an environmental conservation message that today, feels importantly timed.

Continue reading ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ Trailer Returns To Newt Scamander’s Wizarding World at The Playlist.

As #MeToo and #TimesUp continues to sweep through Hollywood, one actor who has so far been largely spared is Johnny Depp. Despite allegations by Amber Heard of domestic abuse and assault, Depp has continued to notch high profile roles, including in Kenneth Branagh‘s hit, “Murder On The Orient Express,” and the upcoming “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” The latter in particular has raised many eyebrows and criticisms, which some calls to recast the role, but Depp has been vigorously defended by director David Yates and author J.K.

Continue reading Daniel Radcliffe Responds To Johnny Depp’s ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Casting Controversy at The Playlist.

Sometimes, you have to choose the hill you’re going to die on, and right now, Johnny Depp probably isn’t the battle you want to stick with. The actor, at least online, has become something of a pariah, due to the allegations by Amber Heard of domestic abuse and assault. Nevertheless, his career has hardly hiccuped, as Hollywood continues to stick with Depp, with the actor most recently appearing in Kenneth Branagh‘s hit, “Murder On The Orient Express.” Beyond that, he’s got a juicy role in the upcoming “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” and presumably one that will extend into the planned sequels, and people aren’t having it.

Continue reading J.K. Rowling Defends Casting Johnny Depp In ‘Fantastic Beasts’ at The Playlist.

While everyone is griping about the multiple “Avatar” movies that James Cameron is plotting, has anyone really been itching for five “Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them” pictures? Well, Warner Bros. is hoping you’ll stay interested in the series, but here to poke a few holes into things are Screen Junkies and their Honest Trailer take on the first installment.

Continue reading ‘Harry Potter’ Comes To America In Honest Trailer For ‘Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them’ at The Playlist.

Yes, the entire world knows “Moonlight” was the huge upset shocker of last night’s 89th Annual Academy Awards ceremony. Though there’s obviously a huge argument to be made that the biggest surprise of the night was the painful mix up itself. Still, as we continue our comprehensive post-mortem on the Oscars, we analyze the winners and losers, what films were snubbed and what surprises the evening had in store.

Continue reading Oscars 2017: The Biggest Snubs & Surprises, Minus ‘Moonlight’ Of Course at The Playlist.

Well, that was something. As per usual, the Oscars were a marathon, and it was the very last category that provided the biggest spark the show has seen in decades, and maybe the most embarrassing moment in Warren Beatty‘s life.

The show trudged along into Best Picture to cap off the night, with Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of “Bonnie & Clyde,” coming out to present the winner.

Continue reading Oscars 2017: ‘Moonlight’ Surprise Best Picture Winner, ‘La La Land’ Wins 6 at The Playlist.

After a brief hiatus for self-care, spending the holidays with family, and catching up with the glut of titles that were released at the end of 2016, Over/Under Movies is back to ring in the new year.

For those new listeners who have come around the podcast since finding our home at The Playlist, we typically end the year (or, in this case, begin the new year) with a two-part episode of each host compiling their list for the most overrated and most underrated films of the film year, as opposed to our usual format of pitting two films against each other.

Continue reading Podcast: Over/Under Movies Discuss The Most Overrated Movies Of 2016 at The Playlist.

I couldn’t tell a well stitched dress from a beautifully designed gown, but that’s why the Costume Designers Guild are here. The group have looked over the year in television and film and nominated the cream of the crop when it comes to the attire we’ve seen on screens both big and small.

It’s a fascinating group of films that have been nominated together. The fashion forward comedy “Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie” rubs shoulders with “La La Land” and “Nocturnal Animals” (note: Tom Ford did not design the clothes for his own film, that task went to Arianne Phillips).

Continue reading ‘La La Land,’ ‘Rogue One,’ And More Nominated For 2017 Costume Designers Guild Awards at The Playlist.

The Art Directors Guild of America announced the 21st Annual Excellence In Production Design Awards nominations this morning, and the biggest surprise had to be the tie in two categories.

Both the Period Film and Variety, Reality or Competition Series categories have six nominees due to a tie in the nominating voting process. Even with that extra slot in the former and the guild’s three film categories (Period, Fantasy and Contemporary), there were still some notable snubs.

Continue reading ‘Jackie,’ ‘Rogue One,’ ‘The Crown’ And ‘Game of Thrones’ Earn Key Art Directors Guild Awards Nods at The Playlist.

Prediction based on nominations [Feb. 5]

NOMINEES
1. “La La Land”
2. “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”
3. “Arrival”
4. “Hail, Caesar!”
5. “Passengers”

PREVIOUS CONTENDERS (for historical context)
“Florence Foster Jenkins”
“The Handmaiden”
“Jackie”
“Live by Night”
“Passengers”
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”
“Rules Don’t Apply”
“Silence”

Gregory Ellwood’s Current Oscar Predictions:
Best Picture
Director
Best Actress
Best Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Original Screenplay
Adapted Screenplay
Editing
Cinematography 
Production Design
Animated Feature Film
Foreign Language Film
Documentary Feature
Original Score
Original Song
Costume Design
Makeup and Hairstyling
Visual Effects
Sound Mixing
Sound Editing

Continue reading 2017 Best Production Design Oscars Predictions at The Playlist.

Prediction based on nominations [Feb. 5]

NOMINEES
1. “The Jungle Book”
2. “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”
3. “Doctor Strange”
4. “Kubo and the Two Strings”
5. “Deepwater Horizon”

PREVIOUS CONTENDERS (for historical context)
“Arrival”
“The BFG”
“Captain America: Civil War”
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”
“Kubo and the Two Strings”
“Passengers”

Gregory Ellwood’s Current Oscar Predictions:
Best Picture
Director
Best Actress
Best Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Original Screenplay
Adapted Screenplay
Editing
Cinematography 
Production Design
Animated Feature Film
Foreign Language Film
Documentary Feature
Original Score
Original Song
Costume Design
Makeup and Hairstyling
Visual Effects
Sound Mixing
Sound Editing

Continue reading 2017 Best Visual Effects Oscars Predictions at The Playlist.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 10 finalists for the VFX Oscar that will participate in the annual “bake off” to determine the 2017 nominees.

READ MORE: The 89th Oscars Finally Find Some Producers In Michael De Luca And Jennifer Todd

On Dec. 2 AMPAS announced 20 films that were officially in the running.  Now the field has been cut in half. Missing from the shorter list are notable contenders “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “Deadpool” “Alice Through The Looking Glass,” “Independence Day: Resurgence,” “Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children,” “Star Trek Beyond,” “Suicide Squad,” “Sully,” “X-Men: Apocalypse” and “Warcraft.” The latter is particularly surprising as many believed it was a lock for a nomination overall.

Continue reading ‘Doctor Strange’ And ‘Rogue One’ Are Among Oscars 10 Visual Effects Finalists at The Playlist.

It’s been something of a mixed year for movies in some ways — a fairly sparse first half of the year, including the worst blockbuster season in living memory, followed by an absolutely rammed fall season that, even more than most, has seen a wealth of pleasures in movie theaters. But one thing for sure is that it’s been a really great year for music and the movies (and yes, .)

READ MORE: 11-Minute Video Essay Listens To The Power Of A Film’s Score

Perhaps appropriately for a year where a musical looks to be the Oscar front-runner, we’ve had all kinds of wonderful scores and soundtracks, from a young composer turning the biopic on its head to an instantly iconic Netflix synthpop score, from a blast of original hip-hop from a little-seen indie to some unusually convincing comedy songs from some ex-SNLers.

Continue reading The 30 Best Film Scores & Soundtracks Of 2016 at The Playlist.

While the awards season is geared specifically to honor the more artistic achievements of the medium across the last year, for those who like their entertainment with a little more spectacle, there’s always the VFX categories. And this year, the Oscar race is not short on blockbusters to choose from.

READ MORE: The 20 Best Movie Trailers Of 2016

The Academy released their shortlist of the 20 films that have made it to the next round of consideration for Oscar VFX nominations, and there are some heavyweights in here.

Continue reading 20 Contenders In VFX Oscar Race Include ‘Batman v Superman,’ ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ ‘Rogue One,’ More at The Playlist.

Prediction based on nominations [Feb. 5]

NOMINEES
1. Mary Zophres, “La La Land”
2. Madeline Fontaine, “Jackie”
3. Consolata Boyle, “Florence Foster Jenkins”
4. Johanna Johnston, “Allied”
5. Colleen Atwood, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”

PREVIOUS CONTENDERS (for historical context)
Sharen Davis, “Fences”
Renee Ehrlich Kalfus, “Hidden Figures”
Seong-hie Ryu, “The Handmaiden”
Jacqueline West, “Live by Night”
Albert Wolsey, “Rules Don’t Apply”
Mary Zophres, “Hail, Caesar!”
Colleen Atwood, “Alice Through The Looking Glass”
Colleen Atwood, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”
Erin Benach, “Loving”
Alexandra Byrne, “Doctor Strange”
Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh, “Love & Friendship”
David Crossman, Glyn Dillon, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

Gregory Ellwood’s Current Oscar Predictions:
Best Picture
Director
Best Actress
Best Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Original Screenplay
Adapted Screenplay
Editing
Cinematography 
Production Design
Animated Feature Film
Foreign Language Film
Documentary Feature
Original Score
Original Song
Costume Design
Makeup and Hairstyling
Visual Effects
Sound Mixing
Sound Editing

Continue reading 2017 Best Costume Design Oscars Predictions at The Playlist.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock recently, you’re aware that last Friday saw the release of the first chapter of the ‘Harry Potter’ spin-off “Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them.” After just three days of release, the film has already grossed well over $200 million worldwide, and the studio has previously announced that they’re going to release a total of five ‘Fantastic Beasts’ movies. That means there will likely be many more connections to come to the ‘Harry Potter’ series, but ‘Fantastic Beasts’ has plenty on its own.

Continue reading All The Easter Eggs, ‘Harry Potter’ References & More In ‘Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them’ at The Playlist.

Another weekend with more evidence that Hollywood’s box office tracking system is about as accurate as throwing darts blindfolded and seeing where it lands. It was only a few days ago that pundits were excitedly predicting that “Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them” would open to $90 million this weekend, but alas, the numbers are a lot smaller.

The first entry in a five film franchise, the “Harry Potter” spinoff debuted with $75 million.

Continue reading ‘Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them’ Makes Magic At The Multiplex [Box Office] at The Playlist.

It hasn’t been that long since we last visited the wizarding world of Harry Potter. When “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” brought closure to the on-screen journey in 2011, amusement parks, sanctioned plays, digital publications and more kept the spirit of Hogwarts burning inside the hearts of fans everywhere. It’s not hard to see why, either. In the age of persistent nostalgia, Potter remains a bright, warm fixture of comfort, excitement and bedazzlement for audiences of all ages.

Continue reading ‘Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them’ Waves Its Wand, But Doesn’t Quite Conjure The Same ‘Harry Potter’ Magic [Review] at The Playlist.

A week ago came the most WTF casting in recent memory when it was revealed that Johnny Depp was joining the “Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them” universe. Set to play Gellert Grindelwald, the actor will be making a cameo in the first ‘Fantastic Beasts’ film before taking a more prominent role in the subsequent sequels. However, some were left with a sour taste at Depp’s casting, particularly given the allegations of domestic abuse that surfaced earlier this year.

Continue reading David Yates Says He Cast Johnny Depp In ‘Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them’ Because He’s “A Real Artist” at The Playlist.

Between awards season and our current political season, you’d be forgiven if you forgot “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” the J.K. Rowling-penned spin-off to her popular “Harry Potter” film franchise, is merely a few weeks away. Warner Bros.’ attempt to revitalize one of their most popular properties, which will supposedly ignite a five film series, remains a huge question mark.

Continue reading 4 New Clips From ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ Uncovers Magical Mayhem at The Playlist.

Well, call it the November surprise. With “Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them” set to open in a few weeks, the film has been tracking to open domestically around $75 million, which some thought was a bit low. But that figure would be the same as “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” which came around the middle of that franchise, and I think that’s a reasonable expectation for Warner Bros.

Continue reading Johnny Depp Joins ‘Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them’ Sequel, Will Cameo In First Movie at The Playlist.

Movie lovers have always found hope, reassurance and, of course, escape during anxious times. Now that we’re finally here in November, and this three ring circus masquerading as an election will (finally!) come to an end early next week, and there’s a crammed slate of titles all the way through the end of the year that should give plenty of options to find what each of us needs at the cinema or on VOD.

While it’s looking like another strong month of releases (many with awards hopes), the film of the month is one that won’t get a ton of theatrical play, unless you live in a city that has a cool arthouse theater to make room for it.

Continue reading 12 Films To See In November at The Playlist.

E-mails, schemails. Want something to cheer you up just in time for the weekend?  Well, BBC‘s “The Graham Norton Show” may have just the shot of fun you need to forget about yet another Anthony Weiner scandal.

READ MORE: ‘Doctor Strange’ With Benedict Cumberbatch Is A Visual Wonder But Is That Enough? [Review]

Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne and Oscar nominees Benedict Cumberbatch and Bryan Cranston appeared as guests on the popular late night program that aired tonight in the U.K.  

Continue reading Benedict Cumberbatch And Eddie Redmayne Doing Magic Is Really Everything You Need Today at The Playlist.