Do young people remember “Sausage Party”? The movie about the hot dog that really wanted to find his place in a bun? While it may not feel that old to viewers of a certain age, the comedy about sentient food discovering the truth about what happens when they leave the grocery store is already eight years old, a lifetime in pop culture. And there are elements of it that feel even older, a product of a pre-COVID time when comedies aimed more directly at adults were more common.

Continue reading ‘Sausage Party: Foodtopia’ Review: Bursts of Comedy Flavor Keep Prime Video Animated Series From Going Bad at The Playlist.

Bear with me. George Lucas once said audiences never understood the “Star Wars” prequels because his Lucasfilm classics were always meant for kids, not adults. But the truth of the matter is that good storytelling, like the original “Star Wars” movies or classic Pixar movies, works for and engages the hearts and minds of all audiences and not just children. The one exception to the rule might be the sometimes impossibly silly and zany “Despicable Me” franchise which is arguably generally geared at children only with its Minion mania chaos of fart jokes, pratfalls, burps, things that explode in your face, and pandemonium that’s more akin to classic “Tom & Jerry” or “Looney Toons” cartoons without the cleverness or elegance.

Continue reading ‘Despicable Me 4’ Review: Mega Minions & More Villains Add Extra Chaos To An Overstuffed Family Affair at The Playlist.

How is it possible that Apple TV’s high-budget “Palm Royale” doesn’t work? With this insanely talented cast and trendy concept, it should be a slam dunk, right? The main reason it’s not is a depressingly common one in today’s TV and streaming landscape: It’s the wrong length. Like so many recent projects, it wears out its welcome with narrative diversions that don’t work and subplots that sag in the middle of the season to the point where it becomes impossible to care.

Continue reading ‘Palm Royale’ Review: Phenomenal Cast Can’t Save Tedious Shallowness of Apple TV+ Series at The Playlist.

Abe Sylvia‘s new Apple TV+ series stars Oscar winner Allison Janney, Oscar winner Laura Dern, Oscar and nine-time Emmy Award nominee Kristen Wiig, and latin music icon Ricky Martin. But the true star of “Palm Royale” may just be the one and only Carol Burnett. O.K., maybe that’s an exaggeration as Burnett’s character is in a coma for the first three episodes, but it was the first subject we broached with “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” screenwriter and he was game, noting that Burnett is “my favorite subject.”

READ MORE: “Palm Royale” Trailer: Kristin Wiig and Laura Dern’s beach club comedy ceries comes to Apple in March

Set in 1969, this very loose adaptation of Juliet McDaniel’s novel “Mr.

Continue reading ‘Palm Royale’ Creator: Carol Burnett “Wanted To Get In This Sandbox” With Kirsten Wiig & Allison Janey [Interview] at The Playlist.

What does it take to join high society? Maxine Simmons is about to find out in “Palm Royale.” The Apple TV+ series follows Simmons as she challenges societal divides and her own perceptions of fitting in. Set during the late ‘60s, the project examines this tumultuous period from a female perspective. ‘Royale” is loosely based on Juliet McDaniel’s novel “Mr.

Continue reading ‘Palm Royale’ Trailer: Kristin Wiig & Laura Dern’s Beach Club Comedy Series Comes To Apple In March at The Playlist.

Illumination’s “Despicable Me” franchise has grossed a total of more than $4.4 billion worldwide, and given the brand is the biggest global animated franchise in history, you can bet everyone wants more. So, today, Illumination and Universal revealed the first trailer for “Despicable Me 4,” the first film in the franchise in seven years (not counting “Minions” spin-offs and whatnot).

Continue reading ‘Despicable Me 4’ Trailer: Will Ferrell, Stephen Colbert & More Join Illumination’s Hit Franchise at The Playlist.

Our handy yearly feature of the Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2024 comes into play once more. And pretty high on the list is the highly anticipated Palm Beach-set series “Palm Royale,” an Apple TV+ comedy series from Laura Dern, creator Abe Sylvia (writer of “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”), and director Tate Taylor (“The Help”).

Continue reading ‘Palm Royale’ First Look: Apple TV+’s New Series Stars Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, Ricky Martin & More at The Playlist.

Kristen Wiig is easily one of the more prominent comedic voices in the genre, thanks, in part, to her tenure at “Saturday Night Live,” showcasing her fantastic sense of humor and proving that an all-female cast can lead a gross-out raunchy comedy by leading Paul Feig’s “Bridesmaids.” Now, as streamers continue paying top-dollar to get A-list talent onto their platforms, Wiig is heading back to the small screen with a little help from an unexpected person, veteran actress Laura Dern (“Marriage Story“) for Apple TV+.

Continue reading Kristen Wiig & Laura Dern Team For Apple’s 1970s-Set Comedy Series ‘Mrs. American Pie’ at The Playlist.

Comedic actress Kristen Wiig is coming off the D.C Comics sequel “Wonder Woman 1984” and ridiculous destination comedy “Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar.” Her next role sounds like it could be slightly more mature and adult than recent material. 

READ MORE: ‘Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar’: The Relentless Banality Of Middle-Aged Midwestern White Woman & Absurdist Floridian Tackiness Is An Unfunny, Hellish Vacation [Review]

A new report coming from Deadline says Wigg has landed the lead role in “The Husbands,” based on an upcoming novel from Chandler Baker.

Continue reading Kristen Wiig Tapped To Lead MGM, Plan B Thriller & Chandler Baker Adaptation, ‘The Husbands’ at The Playlist.

Barb and Star are heading to Disney to help develop a new film about Cinderella’s evil step-sisters.

According to Deadline, Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo are co-writing a new Disney film that will put the evil step-sisters of Cinderella, Anastasia and Drizella Tremaine, front and center. The film, much like the forthcoming “Cruella,” is said to focus on the villainous characters as they try to keep their family together and preserve their legacy while their step-sister goes off and has a fairy tale wedding.

Continue reading Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo Are Developing A ‘Cinderella’ Spinoff Film About The Evil Step-Sisters at The Playlist.

If America currently howls in psychic pain, broken and divided, suffering from various emotional, spiritual, political crises, hemorrhaging each day in existential agony from the soul-crushingly bleak, relentlessly interminable horror that is life during a pandemic and the failure of leadership to see us through it, let me submit to you that American comedy is also lost and in deep crisis. Without a collective audience to conjure the contagiousness of enjoyable, transmissible theatrical laughter, without instantaneous stand-up reaction and feedback loop to tell comedians what’s funny, without much direction or togetherness, humorists are left to their own insulated devices, their own peculiar observations, and their idiosyncratic penchant for what they find amusing.

Continue reading ‘Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar’: The Relentless Banality Of Middle-Aged Midwestern White Woman & Absurdist Floridian Tackiness Is An Unfunny, Hellish Vacation [Review] at The Playlist.

We have now seen a teaser and a trailer for the upcoming comedy film, “Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar,” and for the life of me, I really can’t tell you what it’s about. I mean, the short answer is obvious, the film stars Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo as the title characters who, uh, go to Vista Del Mar. But other than that, the film remains a mystery.

Continue reading ‘Barb & Star’ Go To Vista Del Mar’ Trailer: Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo Make Hot Dog Soup In New Ridiculous Comedy at The Playlist.

“Bridesmaids” is one of the most iconic comedy films of the past decade. The raunchy comedy not only featured a breakout performance from Melissa McCarthy but also served as the launching point for Kristen Wiig’s Post-‘SNL’ career. And a large part of the credit can also be given to screenwriter, Annie Mumolo. Now, Wiig and Mumolo are combining forces yet again for another comedy, “Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar.”

READ MORE: The 20 Best Performances Of 2020

As seen in the teaser trailer, ‘Barb & Star’ features Wiig and Mumolo in the cast as the two leading ladies.

Continue reading ‘Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar’ Trailer: Kristen Wiig & ‘Bridesmaids’ Writer Star In A New Comedy Coming In February at The Playlist.

Following the news of major layoffs at WarnerMedia and its many subsidiaries, DC Comics and DC Universe have faced a very tough summer. But, in a bid to outdo the virtual Comic-Con@Home this year, DC’s summer event DC Fandome has thrown out all the stops with their first annual virtual presentation. One of the biggest flexes Fandome unveiled: the new trailer for “Wonder Woman 1984” with lots of shiny, colorful new footage and the first real look at Kristen Wiig’s villainess in the movie Barbara Minerva/Cheetah.

Continue reading ‘Wonder Woman 84’: Kristen Wiig’s Cheetah Is Finally Unleashed In New DC FanDome Trailer at The Playlist.

If it isn’t already abundantly clear by the state of the film industry, the COVID-19 pandemic has crippled just about every aspect of the business, with theaters closing, films being delayed, and productions being halted. But not only that, the global event is causing filmmakers like Patty Jenkins to second-guess what they were working on with franchises like ‘Wonder Woman,’ as the world tries to figure out what the hell is going to happen in the future.

Continue reading Patty Jenkins Has “Hit The Pause Button” On ‘Wonder Woman 3’ & Spin-Off Film Due To Pandemic at The Playlist.

It actually happened. The #BongHive hype paid off and “Parasite” became the first film not in the English language to win Best Picture at the Oscars, and also the first film to win both Best Picture and Best International Film (previously s Best Foreign Language Film). Beyond the historic win, lots of love, respect, and awards were shared between the nominated films, as all the Best Picture nominees (except “The Irishman”) got some awards recognition.

Continue reading Best and Worst Oscars 2020: ‘Parasite,’ Janelle Monáe, Eminem at The Playlist.

The second-straight “host-less” Oscars is counting on presenter star power to boost ratings and the first participants who are not nominees were announced today. The lineup includes Zazie Beetz, Timothée Chalamet, Will Ferrell, Gal Gadot, Mindy Kaling, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anthony Ramos, Mark Ruffalo, Kelly Marie Tran and Kristen Wiig.

READ MORE: Elton John, Idina Menzel and Cynthia Erivo will sing for the 2020 Oscars Supper

In a statement from The Academy, show producers Howell Taylor and Stephanie Allain noted, “We’re excited to welcome these talented artists to help celebrate this year’s movies.

Continue reading Timothée Chalamet, Gal Gadot & Kelly Marie Tran Among 92nd Oscars Presenters at The Playlist.

Not a screwball comedy or inspirational tale of creativity unleashed but trying to be both those things and more, Richard Linklater’s lackluster adaptation of Maria Semple’s bestselling novel “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?” is a late, dull entry in a louder-than-usual summer movie season that truly needed something special, warm, and human-scale. Try as the filmmakers do to conjure a restorative kind of magic in its searching, yearning storyline of renewal, they are not able to come up with much more than a limping comedy about a woman with all-too-easily-explained mental issues.

Continue reading ‘Where’d You Go Bernadette?’: Richard Linklater & Cate Blanchett Totally Miss The Mark In A Limping Twee Comedy [Review] at The Playlist.

The floor was so wet presenters and winner slipped getting on the stage and the food served was arguably the worst it’s ever been, but there was a lot to enjoy at the 2018 Independent Spirit Awards Saturday afternoon.  The mammoth Film Independent membership found a way to spread the wealth so almost every major film went home with one award and a diverse group of presenters remained true to the show’s progressive roots.

Continue reading Best And Worst Of The 2018 Spirit Awards: ‘Get Out,’ Greta Gerwig, Elisabeth Olsen at The Playlist.

The DC Extended Universe has faced enormous challenges and been rife with problems. “Justice League” its most recent flagship film was a massive disappointment and Joss Whedon recently dropped out of directing “Batgirl,” which has slunk back into development But Warner Bros. still has “Wonder Woman,” the crown jewel in the entire franchise thus far. “Wonder Woman 2” is gearing up and in a surprise move, may hire comedienne Kristen Wiig to star as the movie’s antagonist.

Continue reading ‘Wonder Woman 2’: Kristen Wiig Will Play The Main Villain at The Playlist.

Apple is busy ramping up of original programming to try and shake up the streaming world, but no one is quite clear on how they’ll deliver that content. Wall Street thinks there’s a chance that the tech company might scoop up Netflix, but Apple certainly already has their iTunes Store to reach customers. Among the shows in development are Steven Spielberg’s anthology series “Amazing Stories,” a drama about a morning show that will star Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, “Are You Sleeping” starring Octavia Spencer, and possibly a space drama produced by J.J.

Continue reading Kristen Wiig Lands Comedy Series At Apple at The Playlist.

Earning rave reviews in Venice, followed by a much more modest reception at TIFF, it remains to be seen how Alexander Payne‘s “Downsizing” will land in the awards season. Paramount is certainly trying to revive interest in the high concept dramedy, with a new trailer that swings right for mainstream audiences, by highlighting its unique, oddball premise.

Starring Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau and Kristen Wiig, the story follows and everyday schlub who decides to shrink himself, and join the world of literally smaller people, in order to change his life.

Continue reading ‘Downsizing’ Trailer: Matt Damon Gets Small & Starts Over at The Playlist.

There are so many exciting, long-awaited festival films about to hit theaters for us normal, non-festival-going film folk (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” “The Square,” and “Roman J. Israel, Esq.,” to name but a few that I’ve personally been shivering with anticipation over), but none promise so much sheer originality as Alexander Payne‘s “Downsizing.” Here’s the synopsis:

When scientists discover how to shrink humans to five inches tall as a solution to over-population, Paul (Matt Damon) and his wife Audrey (Kristen Wiig) decide to abandon their stressed lives in order to get small and move to a new downsized community — a choice that triggers life-changing adventures.

Continue reading ‘Downsizing’ Trailer: A Big World Is Waiting at The Playlist.

Can there be any clearer signal of reality warping as we hurtle toward imminent apocalypse than the fact that Alexander Payne has made a life-affirming film? Venice opener “Downsizing” takes the long road getting there, and it’s a journey full of witty, skittish, scenic detours leading to the occasional dead end. But the ride is not only peppered with moments of inspired humor, it’s also peopled by characters who are expressly, unapologetically likeable, so that by its unexpectedly chipper ending, it’s been an enjoyable, broadly accessible and wonkily heartfelt good-time-at-the-movies. 

Continue reading Alexander Payne’s ‘Downsizing’ With Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig & Christoph Waltz [Venice Review] at The Playlist.

Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig get small in the first teaser for Alexander Payne’s “Downsizing,” setting up a full trailer for the movie in a couple of weeks, and tied to the movie’s premiere as the Venice Film Festival opener today. The film follows Damon and Wiig’s married couple as they embark on a radical procedure to literally shrink themselves. The synopsis, like the characters is rather tiny.

Continue reading Alexander Payne’s ‘Downsizing’: Get Shrunk With First Trailer Starring Matt Damon at The Playlist.