Can Ellian save an entire kingdom? A young hero’s journey is at the heart of Netflix’s “Spellbound.” The animated project hails from director Vicky Jenson, whose previous work includes “Shrek” and “Shark Tale.” Lauren Hynek & Elizabeth Martin and Julia Miranda are co-writers on the upcoming film. 

READ MORE: 2024 Fall Film Preview: 50 Movies To Watch

Rachel Zegler stars as the strong-willed Ellian.

Continue reading ‘Spellbound’ Trailer: Rachel Zegler, Javier Bardem & Nicole Kidman Star In Netflix’s Animated Adventure at The Playlist.

TORONTO: Does “Dicks: The Musical” even need a review? If you’ve seen the trailer, you know exactly what you’re getting into, but we’re gonna give it our best shot. Already a cult movie musical before it even hits theaters (not a bad thing), this A24 production is adapted from UCB veterans Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson‘s two-person stage show “F**king Identical Twins,” which used to play in the basement of a New York City Gristedes supermarket before the pandemic.

Continue reading ‘Dicks: The Musical’ Review: Megan Mullally, Nathan Lane, Sewer People & A Dream [TIFF] at The Playlist.

Can twins successfully bring their parents back together? That sounds like the plot of “The Parent Trap,” but the similarities between that film and “Dicks: The Musical” (previously known as “F*cking Identical Twins“) end there. The new A24 film updates that old formula to instead present two adult businessmen with a similar secret. And with legendary director Larry Charles (“Seinfeld,” “Borat“) at the helm, expect this film to be full of laughs.

Continue reading ‘Dicks: The Musical’ Trailer: Larry Charles Returns With A New Comedy From A24 On September 29 at The Playlist.

Filmmaker Ari Aster has oedipal issues. The artist has deeply complicated and unresolved issues with his mother that go back to his earliest movies (to this day, Aster won’t really talk about his mother in the press and has hinted at a troubled, rocky relationship). His feature-length debut, “Hereditary,” a blistering horror he wrote and directed, not only announced him as an immediate writer/director auteur to watch but unveiled the notions of emotional traumas, toxic relationships, and damaged family legacies handed down—from the matriarchs of the family—that would span his short, but specific and still-blossoming career.

Continue reading ‘Beau Is Afraid’ Review: Joaquin Phoenix Guides Ari Aster’s Hilarious, Horrific, Despairing Nightmare, Hellish Mom Comedy at The Playlist.

So far in his short career, filmmaker Ari Aster has become an indie auteur in the vein of Jordan Peele in just two short films. His films may not be of the same scale—yet—but they are just as ambitious. So far, Aster is known for freaky, distressing horrors like “Hereditary” (about dysfunctional, toxic families)  and “Midsommar” (about poisonous relationships). Still, his latest, “Beau Is Afraid,” is more of a twisted dark comedy, an existential comedy about a life spanning several lifetimes and decades.

Continue reading ‘Beau Is Afraid’ BTS Trailer: Ari Aster Describes His Dark Odyssey As “A Jewish ‘Lord Of The Rings,’ But He’s Just Going To See His Mom” at The Playlist.

It’s been four long years (including a pandemic) since Ari Aster‘s last film, 2019’s “Midsommar.” But now, after some release days and a title change, Aster’s latest is set to hit theaters: “Beau Is Afraid” arrives this April, as per A24‘s brand new poster for the film.

READ MORE: ‘Beau Is Afraid’: Ari Aster’s New Nightmare Comedy WIth Joaquin Phoenix Changes Its ‘Disappointment Blvd’ Title & Drops Teaser Poster

Many expected a Cannes premiere for “Beau Is Afraid” in May this year, so now speculation abounds about where and when the film has its world premiere.

Continue reading ‘Beau Is Afraid’ Poster: Ari Aster’s New Nightmare Comedy With Joaquin Phoenix Arrives In April at The Playlist.

A24 Films and director Larry Charles (“Borat“) are teaming up for an R-rated musical titled “F*cking Identical Twins” with the studio handling the global release and Chernin Entertainment is involved as well. The film stars and is written by Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp—featuring original songs by Jackson, Sharp, and Karl Saint Lucy—based on the triumvirate’s original two-man stage show that premiered at the Upright Citizens Brigade in 2014. 

It’s been announced that the cast is growing with seasoned broadway actor Nathan Lane (“Only Murders In The Building“), Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace“), rising comedic voice Bowen Yang (“SNL“), and professional musician Megan Thee Stallion, who is known for her popular bubblegum sex-positive music videos that have been seen as somewhat controversial.

Continue reading ‘F*cking Identical Twins’: Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Bowen Yang & Megan Thee Stallion Join A24 Musical From Director Of ‘Borat’ at The Playlist.

Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” reunites the incredible comedy duo of Steve Martin and Martin Short, whose prodigious talents are both a blessing and a curse to this murder mystery sitcom. On the one hand, they are both able to elevate thin material with such ease that the show is a pleasant, breezy watch. Just spending time with the stars of “Three Amigos” and “An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life” can create more moments of amiable charm in one episode than most other shows produce in a season.

Continue reading ‘Only Murders In The Building’ Is A Breezy, Fun Escape That Should Be Much More [Review] at The Playlist.

Joaquin Phoenix is considered a rarity in Hollywood, as he started out working as a child to become one of the top actors in his generation, recently winning the Best Actor Oscar for his fantastic performance in Todd Phillips‘ “Joker” in 2020. That success was only heightened as the film made on a modest budget of $55 million became a billion-dollar box office hit and certainly makes the actor notable to international audiences to a new level. 

Continue reading Ari Aster’s ‘Disappointment Blvd’ Enlists Amy Ryan, Patti LuPone, Nathan Lane & Kylie Rogers To Star Opposite Joaquin Phoenix at The Playlist.

The American Theater Wing handed out the 72nd Tony Awards on Sunday night and the big winners were “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” and “The Band’s Visit” taking Best Play and Best Musical respectively.  “Angels in America” and, in a surprise, “Once On This Island” took Best Revival of a Play and Best Revival of a Musical.

READ MORE: Andrew Garfield is burnt out after the first run of “Angels in America”

In a ceremony hosted by Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” won six honors including Best Direction, Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Sound Design and Best Costumes in a Play.  

Continue reading ‘Harry Potter’ Triumphs As ‘Mean Girls’ Is Snubbed At 2018 Tony Awards at The Playlist.

There’s often a figurative hole in the middle of films about writers, especially fictional ones. While other kinds of artists like musicians, dancers, or painters can briefly display their artistry within a film, few movies take the time to give a granular depiction of the process of writing (exceptions like “Paterson” are delightful). Breaking the classic rule of show, don’t tell, films such as “The Vanishing of Sidney Hall” rely on repeatedly insisting to the audience that the writer is a genius, even when most other evidence suggests otherwise.

Continue reading ‘The Vanishing Of Sidney Hall’ Starring Logan Lerman & Elle Fanning Is A Literary Misfire [Review] at The Playlist.

How do you make a movie title more interesting? Add the word “vanishing.” Last year at the Sundance Film Festival, you probably forgot that a movie called “Sidney Hall” premiered. Despite a pretty solid ensemble, reception was pretty muted, and the picture was forgotten. Well, A24 thinks they can find an audience for it with a snappier title — “The Vanishing Of Sidney Hall” (which makes it sound like a horror movie) — and the first trailer is here.

Continue reading ‘The Vanishing Of Sidney Hall’ Trailer: Elle Fanning Steps Into A Novelist’s Life at The Playlist.

Sometimes, being a teenager means feeling a bit out-of-step or uncertain of your place in their world. But for the titular “Carrie Pilby,” that feeling is only exacerbated by being a genius who went to Harvard at the age of 14. From that viewpoint, the entire world can feel alien.

READ MORE: ‘Diary Of A Teenage Girl’ Star Bel Powley Returns In Coming-Of-Age Comedy ‘Carrie Pilby’ [TIFF Review]

The coming-of-age dramedy is led by “The Diary Of A Teenage Girl” star Bel Powley, who is joined by Gabriel Bryne, Nathan Lane and Vanessa Bayer, in the story of a young woman who sets some goals to try to change her life.

Continue reading ‘Diary Of A Teenage Girl’ Star Bel Powley Sets Some Goals In New Trailer For ‘Carrie Pilby’ at The Playlist.

Carrie Pilby is such a delightful character that she deserves a movie better than the one that bears her name. As played by Bel Powley, the heroine of the indie comedy “Carrie Pilby” is a 19-year-old genius, smart enough to know that she may have peaked at 14, when she was admitted to Harvard. At the start of the film Carrie’s unemployed and friendless in New York City, and seeing a therapist, Dr.

Continue reading ‘Diary Of A Teenage Girl’ Star Bel Powley Returns In Coming-Of-Age Comedy ‘Carrie Pilby’ [TIFF Review] at The Playlist.

How ‘The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story’ Became A Triumphant TV Highlight Of 2016

Continue reading How ‘The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story’ Became A Triumphant TV Highlight Of 2016 at The Playlist.

Continue reading Eye-Popping First Look At Julia Roberts As The Evil Queen In Tarsem’s Snow White Film at The Playlist.