The Academy of Motion Pictures and Arts and Sciences is ready to move on. Today, CEO Dawn Hudson and President David Rubin convened a meeting of the Board of Governors to discuss the Will Smith attack on Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards. Smith, who preemptively resigned as a member last week, was banned from attending any Academy event or programs, including the Oscars, for a period of 10 years.

Continue reading Will Smith Banned From Oscars Ceremonies For 10 Years at The Playlist.

It didn’t drop until after 4 PM PT, but Will Smith formally apologized to Chris Rock following their altercation during the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday evening. His Instagram statement came after both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced it was conducting a formal review of the incident and SAG-AFTRA, which also honored Smith at the SAG Awards earlier this month, condemned his actions describing them as “unacceptable.”

READ MORE: The Academy faces yet another unexpected controversy

Smith’s statement is as follows:

“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive.

Continue reading Will Smith Formally Apologizes While Academy Announces Formal Review at The Playlist.

While ABC looks to cut live technical award speeches from the hard-working department heads, they don’t seem to be terribly concerned about the time spent on the multiple Best Song performances, which can be something many people still look forward to. Others might see that time spent could be reclaimed for the ceremony as producers keep looking for ways to shorten the runtime. No matter where you land, it’s hard to argue that the musical performances do add a little energy if comedic bits from the host/hosts fall flat on their faces.

Continue reading Oscars 2022: Watch Best Song Winner Billie Eilish, Beyonce & All The Musical Performances at The Playlist.

It was a moment that many expected to play differently — Will Smith finally taking home his Best Actor trophy 20 years after his first Academy Award nomination. It was supposed to be a triumph for an actor, whose career warranted such praise— but instead, it was an uncomfortable moment that followed an unprecedented act of physical violence at the Oscars.

View the Full List of Oscar Winners

In “King Richard,” Smith plays Richard Williams — father to Venus and Serena Williams — whose presence looms large in their lives and careers.

Continue reading Will Smith Wins Best Actor For ‘King Richard’ at The Playlist.

The most obvious get for this year’s Oscars telecast producer, Will Packer, was Beyonce. Nominated for the first time for co-writing “Be Alive” from “King Richard,” an appearance by the 28-time Grammy winner would at least increase the Academy Award’s ratings by a 10th of a point. And, surprise, it’s likely happening.

READ MORE: “Power of the Dog” leads with 12 Oscar nominations [Complete List]

Multiple reports say that Beyonce is interested in either pre-taping a performance of the song at the Compton tennis courts where “King Richard’s” real-life subjects, Venus and Serena Williams, trained or a live version at the Dolby Theater.

Continue reading Surprise: Academy Wants Beyonce To Perform At The Oscars at The Playlist.

On Oscar nominations morning, Aunjanue Ellis did her best not to pay attention. The “King Richard” star didn’t watch the nominations announcement and she turned off her phone. Despite earning two Emmy nominations, for “When They See Us” and “Lovecraft Country,” and both BAFTA and Golden Globe Awards nominations for “Richard,” this was something else. So, in case it was bad news, she waited.

READ MORE: Will Smith chronicles tennis history as “King Richard” [Telluride Review]

“I didn’t know about them until about 11:00 that night.

Continue reading ‘King Richard’ Has Been “Miracles All Along The Way” For Aunjanue Ellis [Interview] at The Playlist.

Perhaps the Best Picture race is truly over. When the 2022 Oscar nominations were announced Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog” landed 12 nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, Adapted Screenplay, four acting nominations, and Editing. The only contender with nods in the five key categories. It also earned Original Score, Sound, Cinematography, and Production Design nods. In fact, the only qualifying branches that didn’t recognize it were Costumes and Makeup and Hair.

Continue reading Is ‘Power Of The Dog’ Your Oscar Winner For Best Picture? at The Playlist.

Spotting and scrutinizing movie posters this year has felt brand new – like seeing the world with fresh eyes as we rush back into cinemas and can once again place faith in the pictures we see, knowing we will, finally, slowly, be able to bookmark these promises with a trip to the cinemas once more. That’s not to say we’re totally out of the woods yet – rather that there is simply more hope and excitement rather than just longing and loneliness as there was when we made this list this time last year. 

Right now, we celebrate – the colors, the emotion, the unexpected thrills and bold statements filmmakers are once more making with the first images we see of the movies we will so soon fall in love with.

Continue reading The Best Film Posters Of 2021 at The Playlist.

Few actors are defined by the word “badass” the way that Jon Bernthal is. From playing the tragic villain Shane Walsh on “The Walking Dead” to the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s version of the brutal Frank Castle in “The Punisher,” right down to roles where he isn’t cracking heads—his eerily spot-on portrayal of Lee Iacocca in “Ford v Ferrari,” for example—Bernthal exudes an endless cool and charisma, while still looking like he could take on anyone in the room if he needed to.

Continue reading Jon Bernthal Talks ‘King Richard,’ How To Reboot ‘The Punisher’ & What Makes A Great Coach [The Fourth Wall Podcast] 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.

Paul Thomas Anderson is a film fan. I mean, that much is probably obvious given his chosen career path, of course. However, more than that, he also seems like a true movie buff—a guy that is willing to watch whatever movie is put in front of him and never look down on something because of its genre or the actors involved. He’s just ready to give any film a shot. This is why he’s willing to name-drop Marvel superhero movies next to Palme d’Or winners and prestige biopics when listing his recent film recommendations.

Continue reading Paul Thomas Anderson Says His Family Is “Marvel-Obsessed” & Praises ‘Venom 2’ And ‘Shang-Chi’ at The Playlist.

After taking a peek at what’s to come this November, there’s no denying that we’re fully in “the thick of it” when it comes to prestige film releases. Many festival darlings such as “Spencer” and “The Power of the Dog” are making their debut this month, while other slightly under the radar but still celebrated titles will be premiering as well.

Alongside the heavy lifting of some of these awards-friendly titles, there’s also plenty by way of blockbuster releases and easy escapism, from the latest Marvel release “Eternals” to the Netflix/Dwayne Johnson action film “Red Notice.” There will always be gems found in any month (and certainly films to almost always catch up on).

Continue reading 18 Films To See In November: ‘Eternals,’ ‘House Of Gucci,’ ‘Spencer’ & More at The Playlist.

There are parents that go to their kids’ soccer matches or football games and cheer them on, no matter how well they perform. Then there are parents that go the extra mile to make sure they help train their kids to be real athletes. Then, a few steps higher than those people, you have Richard Williams, the father of tennis legends, Venus and Serena Williams, and the subject of the upcoming drama, “King Richard.”

READ MORE: Will Smith Chronicles Tennis History As ‘King Richard’ [Telluride Review]

As seen in the newest trailer for “King Richard,” Will Smith portrays Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena, as he overcomes all obstacles to ensure that his daughters are the two greatest tennis players to ever grab a racket.

Continue reading ‘King Richard’ Trailer: Will Smith Trains Two Tennis Prodigies In The Upcoming Awards Season Contender at The Playlist.

Unlike Adapted Screenplay, the Original Screenplay category is not only more competitive but likely more settled with at least three nominees. Paul Thomas Anderson has four, yes, four Screenplay nominations to date (split in Original and Adapted), but has never won. Will “Licorice Pizza” deliver him a fifth nomination? It looks like it. Kenneth Branagh‘s autobiographical “Belfast” is pretty much a lock for a nomination (he earned an Adapted nod for “Hamlet” in 1998) and it’s likely Zach Baylin lands a nod for “King Richard.” As for the rest?

Continue reading Original Screenplay Oscars 2022 Predictions & Contenders at The Playlist.

A staple of awards season returns to Hollywood next month with the 2021 edition of AFI Fest. This year, the festival will feature the world premieres of Benjamin Cleary’s “Swan Song” and Lin Manuel-Miranda’s “Tick, Tick…Boom!.” Additionally, the festival will showcase red carpet premieres for Pedro Almodovar’s “Parallel Mothers” and previously announced galas for Reinaldo Marcus Green’s “King Richard” and Halle Berry’s “Bruised,” which had a “you had to be there” premiere at TIFF in 2020.

Continue reading ‘Parallel Mothers,’ ‘Swan Song’ Part Of Full 2021 AFI Fest Lineup at The Playlist.

This year’s Best Picture race is all about the 10. There won’t be seven, eight or nine nominees this year. No, the Academy has guaranteed that there will be 10 selections for the first time since 2011. What that means in terms of recognizable trends remains to be seen, but the increasingly international membership means there could be at least two non-English language players announced on February 8. Then again, maybe not.

READ MORE: Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Belfast’ Is A Stirring Coming-of-Age Portrait With Magnificent Performances [Telluride Review]

The other major aspect of the race involves time.

Continue reading Best Picture Oscars 2022 Predictions & Contenders at The Playlist.

Even though COVID might prevent a lot of folks from making the trip to the UK for this year’s BFI London Film Festival, the event is shaping up to be yet another fall film festival jam-packed with awesome features.

READ MORE: Fall 2021 Movie Preview: 60+ Must-See Films

According to BFI, this year’s LFF is going to feature 159 feature films, including 21 World Premieres. The biggest premiere is likely going to be Jeymes Samuel’s highly-anticipated Western, “The Harder They Fall,” which also serves as the Opening Night selection.

Continue reading BFI London Film Festival 2021 Lineup Includes ‘The Harder They Fall’ World Premiere, ‘Spencer,’ ‘Last Night In Soho’ & More at The Playlist.

TELLURIDE – For those of us lucky enough to attend Cannes, there was a genuine sense of euphoria about returning to an in-person film festival following the pandemic forced cancellation in 2020. Returning to Telluride, which only featured a historic “Nomadland” outdoor screening last year, due to said pandemic, warmed the heart. Obviously, it wasn’t the same. Mandatory masks in all theaters meant it was often more intrusive to speak with other festival goers about their thoughts on the selections than in previous years, but overall there was a collective sense of joy in just how lucky everyone was to return to the annual Colorado cinephile showcase

READ MORE: Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast” is a stirring coming of age portrait with magnificent performances [Telluride Review]

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a mainstay at Telluride, wasn’t “officially” on the ground this year due to concerns over the Delta variant, but many AMPAS members still made the trek.

Continue reading ‘Belfast’ & ‘King Richard’ Stir Oscar Season At Telluride at The Playlist.

TELLURIDE – To say that Richard Williams was a controversial figure in the world of tennis would be something of an understatement. The father and coach of legendary players Venus and Serena Williams was known to bicker with reporters and tournament officials. Often, especially with his daughters were younger, Williams would put himself front and center in a manner that appeared more to his own personal benefit. Some of that is chronicled with frank honesty in Reinaldo Marcus Green’s new film “King Richard.” The fact that many in the family were painted with racial prejudice, especially from the Tennis world, less so.

Continue reading Will Smith Chronicles Tennis History As ‘King Richard’ [Telluride Review] at The Playlist.

It’s that most wonderful, debilitating time of the year. The Fall Film Festival Season gives us myriad new films and ensures that some of us don’t go outdoors for about two weeks straight at the beginning of September. Such are the sacrifices we make for cinema. The Venice Film Festival has already kicked off today, and starting tomorrow, after a year away thanks to COVID-19, the Telluride Film Festival returns and returns rather triumphantly at that.

Continue reading Telluride 2021 Preview: 10 Must-See Films To Watch at The Playlist.

It really is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the fall film festival season. It would seem, with the announcement of each festival lineup, that these events are just completely jam-packed with high-profile films. And this year’s Telluride Film Festival is definitely no exception.

The organizers of Telluride have unveiled the lineup of films that will play in the main section of the festival, and much like we’ve seen with the likes of Venice, Cannes, TIFF, and NYFF, this lineup is stacked.

Continue reading Telluride 2021 Lineup Includes ‘King Richard,’ ‘C’mon C’mon,’ ‘Louis Wain’ & More at The Playlist.

Trust us when we say we hope there’s a day when the words pandemic and COVID-19 are never written on the pages of this website again, specifically in any intros to any features. However, the reality is that the collective disruption of 2020 was difficult, and it made 2021’s release schedule something of a log-jammed shitshow. That Delta variant could play havoc with things too, but we’re all starting to learn to live with a world that’s in flux. 

READ MORE: The Best Films Of 2021, So Far

All that said, the delays of 2021 have had their pluses.

Continue reading Fall 2021 Movie Preview: 60+ Must-See Films at The Playlist.

Actor Will Smith has returned to the genre of sports biopics with “King Richard,” after earning an Oscar nomination for Michael Mann‘s “Ali,” and the studio has officially released a first-look trailer.

READ MORE: Summer 2021 Preview: Over 50 Movies To
Watch

Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (“Monster and Men“) and based on the true story that will inspire the world, Warner Bros.

Continue reading ‘King Richard’ Trailer: A Determined Will Smith Trains Future Tennis Stars Serena & Venus Williams 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.

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.