For a period of Hollywood history where box office success is a complicated equation thanks to streaming and PVOD options, it’s somewhat disheartening how Jon M. Chu’s “In The Heights” has seemingly fallen out of Oscar contention. With vaccines driving down COVID cases and a “party like it’s the 1920s” atmosphere expected for the summer of 2021, “Heights” was positioned as a crowd pleasing movie that could help drive audiences back to theaters.

Continue reading Jon M. Chu On The Legacy Of ‘In The Heights’ & A ‘Wicked’ Update [Interview] at The Playlist.

There is a common refrain being heard around Hollywood these days and it’s not one that will make the Academy happy (and, no, it’s not about an Academy Museum which has only three floors of exhibits). As more and more AMPAS members screen this year’s crop of Best Picture contenders – and, granted, they are barely getting started – many are verbalizing their concern over the Academy’s decision to stick with 10 nominees this year.

Continue reading The Great Hunt For 10 Best Picture Nominees Continues [Contender Countdown] at The Playlist.

Yes, it’s that time again. Before you can even take a moment (or two months) to smell the roses, it’s Oscar season again and the race for that elusive Best Picture win. Granted, in a “traditional” year we’d be in a post-Cannes period looking forward to the deluge of fall festival world premieres. However, this year the pandemic pushed the annual French cinematic lovefest to July. With the Venice, Telluride, and TIFF trifecta beginning just six weeks later, the 2022 season is in for a fast and furious start.

Continue reading Ultimate 2022 Oscars Best Picture Contenders Guide at The Playlist.

In a Twitter post last night, Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator, and writer of the Broadway musical “In The Heights,”  on which the Jon M. Chu-directed film of the same name is based, posted an apology in response to discussions of the film’s colorism from audiences and critics. 

READ MORE: ‘In The Heights’ Is A Joyous Celebration Of The Latinx Diaspora [Review]

“I started writing In The Heights because I didn’t feel seen.

Continue reading Lin-Manuel Miranda Apologizes For ‘In The Heights’ Lack Of Representation at The Playlist.

The buzz around “In The Heights” has been building for a year. Warner Bros.’ crowd-pleasing movie musical that helped Jon M. Chu land the coveted gig directing the long-awaited film adaptation of “Wicked.” Through all the murmurs of how impressive “Heights” is, and trust, it’s likely your first Best Picture nominee of 2022, there was still one surprise, the star-making turn of Anthony Ramos.

READ MORE: “In The Heights” Is A Joyous Celebration Of The Latinx Diaspora [Review]

Granted, anyone who saw the original stage production of another Lin-Manuel Miranda production, “Hamilton,” or his supporting turn in “A Star is Born” knew he had talent, but “In The Heights” is the sort of performance that comes along once in a blue moon.

Continue reading Jon M. Chu On Putting ‘In The Heights’ Through The Filter Of Anthony Ramos [Interview] at The Playlist.

After a year that changed our relationship with movie-going, it would seem that things are trying to inch back into a semblance of “normalcy.” Theaters are reopening, and as people continue to receive their vaccinations, more and more will be looking to enjoy films on the big screen – especially those like the musical “In The Heights” or broad comedies and terrifying horror films which thrive on audiences feeding off of each other’s energy.

Continue reading 11 Movies to Watch in June: ‘Zola,’ ‘Sparks Brothers,’ ‘Luca’ & More at The Playlist.

There’s an uncontainable joy that’s threatening to burst out of most Latinxs when they hear someone shout ¿bendición? in a movie. Even more so when it happens in a movie like “In the Heights,” one of the biggest Hollywood productions in recent years to feature Latinxs front and center in a refreshing way. The truth is, not all Latinxs can sing or dance like the characters in Jon M.

Continue reading ‘In The Heights’ Is A Joyous Celebration Of The Latinx Diaspora [Review] at The Playlist.

So… I guess we’re back? If you’re an American, chances are you’ve been vaxxed to the max already and or are probably awaiting your second dose, which should come quickly.  As we already noted, folks like Marvel are already flexing, welcoming audiences back to theaters, and well, that means nature is healing, right? Cinema is healing too, and with New York vowing to reopen fully on June 1, that probably means the rest of the country isn’t far behind.

Continue reading Summer 2021 Preview: Over 50 Movies To Watch at The Playlist.

This year’s Tribeca Film Festival is going to be different than previous years. Yes, even when you compare it to last year’s mid-pandemic event. For the 20th anniversary of the festival, Tribeca is going to include digital screenings, as we’ve seen from other festivals and events over the past year. However, it’s going to supplement that with outdoor in-person screenings positioned all over New York City.

READ MORE: ‘In The Heights’ To Kick Off This Year’s Outdoor Tribeca Film Festival

And with the festival mere weeks away, the organizers at Tribeca have unveiled the full lineup for this historic event.

Continue reading Tribeca 2021 Lineup: New Films Featuring Ilana Glazer, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Kirby & More To Play At The 20th Anniversary Event at The Playlist.

This year’s Tribeca Film Festival is expected to be very different than previous events. Not only is it the 20th anniversary of the festival, but it’s also the first year the event will be held outdoors in multiple open-air venues, providing the chance for audiences to experience a film festival in person in the age of COVID. And as we approach the June start date, we now know which film will kick the event off, Jon M.

Continue reading ‘In The Heights’ To Kick Off This Year’s Outdoor Tribeca Film Festival at The Playlist.

Thanks to his Broadway sensation “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda is a superstar. The play won eleven Tonys, including Best Musical, and the Pulitzer Prize For Drama in 2016. On top of his own three Tonys, three Grammys, one Emmy, and one Oscar nomination, Miranda is not only decorated but now can do whatever creative project he wants for the rest of his life.  

READ MORE: ‘In The Heights’ Trailer: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway Hit Gets The Hollywood Treatment

One arena Miranda still hasn’t yet tackled is the movie screen; that is, until now (a live stage recording of “Hamilton,” released exclusively on Disney+ last July, doesn’t count).

Continue reading ‘In The Heights’ Trailer: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s First Broadway Hits Theaters & HBO Max In June at The Playlist.

I’m not telling you anything you don’t know. Aside from the election result, Trashfire 2020™ was a shitty year. And a weird and disorienting year thanks to COVID-19 and having to shelter-in-place, quarantine, and social distance from one another blah, blah, blah coronavirus f*cked us hard. Movies certainly took it in the teeth this year, and especially the theatrical industrial complex, which feels like it’s on its last legs. But regardless of what happens next for theaters, people are going to continue making and releasing movies.

Continue reading The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2021 at The Playlist.

We are still only in March, but Hollywood studios continue to predict the theatrical shutdown timeline by delaying more and more films. We’ve seen all of April and May clear out, with films like “F9,” “Black Widow,” and “No Time To Die,” get delayed as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic continues to spread around the world. Now, it seems as if studios are beginning to wonder if June isn’t safe, as Warner Bros.

Continue reading ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ Pushed To August As Studio Hopes The World Will Be “Safer & Healthier” By Then at The Playlist.

The career of Lin-Manuel Miranda deserves to be compared to a rocket, a spaceship, anything that has reached outer space, the moon, and beyond. In his short 39 years of life, Miranda has received three Tony Awards, three Grammy awards, an Emmy award, a Pulitzer Prize, and an Oscar nomination. He provided the music and lyrics for three Broadway productions, including his first real hit “In the Heights.” He has become a star.

Continue reading ‘In the Heights’ Trailer: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway Hit Gets The Hollywood Treatment at The Playlist.

It’s been a pretty good week so far for “Hamilton” creator/star Lin-Manuel Miranda. He landed the co-starring role in Disney‘s upcoming “Mary Poppins Returns,” and now the Broadway show that first put him on the map is (finally) headed to the big screen.

The Weinstein Company have picked up the rights to “In The Heights,” the Tony and Grammy award winning production that was also nominated for a Pulitzer prize.

Continue reading ‘Hamilton’ Star Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘In The Heights’ Back On At The Weinstein Company at The Playlist.