CANNES – If we know anything about Paolo Sorrentino, it’s that he adores his hometown of Naples, Italy. His last directorial effort, “The Hand of God,” was a love letter to the port city, and, in something of a surprise, he taps that well once again for “Parthenope,” a title in competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. A movie that chronicles a woman’s long and unexpected journey from a captivating young goddess to a respected academic.

Continue reading ‘Parthenope’ Review: Paolo Sorrentino’s Portrait Of An Italian Diva Coming Of Age [Cannes] at The Playlist.

The Cannes Film Festival is quickly approaching and begins on Tuesday, May 15, next week. With that comes lots of first-look images, new trailers, new clips, and more promotional aspects of some of the most highly anticipated films of the year (see our Cannes 2024 preview here). Three clips from David Cronenberg’s “The Shrouds” recently appeared on the Cannes Film Festival website, and more promotional elements are also surfacing.

Continue reading Cannes Trailer & Clips: ‘Marcello Mio,’ Nicolas Cage’s ‘The Surfer,’ & Miguel Gomes’ ‘Grand Tour’ at The Playlist.

Even though not all of Paolo Sorrentino’s films have been massive hits with fans or critics, his batting average is still pretty damn high. This is a filmmaker who is able to shake things up with each film, and yet, deliver something that is distinctly him. And his newest film, still untitled as of now, seems to follow suit.

READ MORE: Paolo Sorrentino On ‘The Hand of God,’ Oscar Glory & Recreating 1980s Naples [Interview]

Over the weekend, we got our first look at the film, courtesy of some behind-the-scenes pictures.

Continue reading Here’s Your First Look At Paolo Sorrentino’s New Drama Starring Gary Oldman at The Playlist.

Two years ago, Italian auteur Paolo Sorrentino won the Grand Jury prize at the Venice Film Festival for his autobiographical drama “The Hand Of God.” Now for his next film, Sorrentino returns to Naples for another tale about his hometown city.

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2023

Sorrentino’s follows the life of a woman named Partenope, “who bears the name of her city but is neither siren nor myth,” according to the press release for the film.

Continue reading Paolo Sorrentino Returns To Naples As He Starts Shooting His Untitled Next Film at The Playlist.

In “The Hand of God,” the Italian director Paolo Sorrentino conjures memories of his formative years in picturesque Naples. Capturing both the sun-dappled summer days he passed in the company of his larger-than-life family and the profound tragedy that set him on a path toward filmmaking, this partly autobiographical drama focuses on Fabio Schisa (Filippo Scotti), a teenager growing up in southern Italy during the 1980s. 

Both indulgent and incisive in its evocation of youth, “The Hand of God” departs from the baroque, cynically detached tone of Sorrentino’s best-known works.

Continue reading Paolo Sorrentino On ‘The Hand of God,’ Oscar Glory & Recreating 1980s Naples [Interview] at The Playlist.

Going home has been a common theme for filmmakers over the past few years. Alfonso Cuaron revisited his childhood in Mexico City with “Roma.” Kenneth Branagh has done the same with his appropriately titled Oscar contender “Belfast.” And now, Paolo Sorrentino has given his birthplace, Naples, Italy, the same treatment in “The Hand of God,” Italy’s submission for the International Film Oscar. Speak to Sorrentino, however, and it’s clear how difficult it was for him to tackle this subject matter.

Continue reading ‘Hand Of God’ Exclusive Featurette: Paolo Sorrentino Revisits Naples For His New Drama at The Playlist.

After Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God” debuted at the 2021 Venice Film Festival, media and attendees were buzzing about the film’s star, newcommer Filippo Scotti. The 21-year-old actor portrays Sorrentino at a crucial moment in the filmmaker’s life and has a natural charisma that had many referring to him as the “Italian Timothée Chalamet.” Speaking partially through a translator last month, Scotti appreciates the sentiment but is hoping the world takes him on his own merits.

Continue reading Filippo Scotti Doesn’t Want To Be Your Italian Timothée Chalamet [Interview] at The Playlist.

For years now, people have considered Paolo Sorrentino one of the best filmmakers working today. And it would appear by the rave reviews from this year’s Venice Film Festival, “The Hand of God” might just be one of his best films yet. 

READ MORE: ‘The Hand Of God’: Paolo Sorrentino Touches Divinity With An Evocative Coming Of Age Magnum Opus [Venice Review]

As seen in the trailer, “The Hand of God” is a coming-of-age film that mixes heartbreak and soccer in a way that captures the era and the feeling of youth in a beautiful way.

Continue reading ‘The Hand Of God’ Trailer: Paolo Sorrentino’s Coming-Of-Age Awards Contender Arrives On Netflix In December at The Playlist.

Are you old enough to remember when Netflix was an underdog in international film festivals? When trepidation towards the future of film distribution was enough to keep streaming titles from winning in major film competitions? With all due respect to the Cannes Film Festival, those days certainly seem to be coming to an end. The Venice Film Festival has announced its lineup of winners, and Netflix has made quite a show for itself in the major categories.

Continue reading Venice Film Festival Awards: ‘Happening,’ Jane Campion, Netflix Win Big at The Playlist.

“I don’t like reality anymore. Reality is lousy,” teenager Fabietto Schisa (Filippo Scotti) says mournfully at a crucial, spiritually lonely moment in Paolo Sorrentino’s evocative new coming of age story, “The Hand Of God.” Sitting on a mountain, looking to the sky, the heavens, for answers, Fabietto should know. Reality has given him a raw deal; tragedy and heartbreak, the kind that no kid should experience that young.

Continue reading ‘The Hand Of God’: Paolo Sorrentino Touches Divinity With An Evocative Coming Of Age Magnum Opus [Venice Review] at The Playlist.

Since his directorial debut in 2001, Paolo Sorrentino has become one of the premier auteurs in Italian cinema. Now, Sorrentino looks to further cement his legacy as his next film, “The Hand Of God,” vies for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival this September.

READ MORE: Netflix To Have A Heavy Presence At The Venice Film Festival; Paolo Sorrentino’s Latest Among Their Lineup

In his most personal film to date, Sorrentino looks back on his youth in a semi-autobiographical tale about an Italian teen coming of age in the mid-1980s.

Continue reading ‘The Hand Of God’ Trailer: Paolo Sorrentino’s Latest Vies For Golden Lion At Venice, Hits Netflix On Dec 15 at The Playlist.

Academy Award-winning Italian director Paolo Sorrentino (“La Grande Bellezza,” “The Young Pope“) and Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence (“Don’t Look Up,” “Silver Linings Playbook“) are teaming up for an untitled biopic about the trailblazing Hollywood superagent Sue Mengers. Mengers crashed the Hollywood boys club of agenting in the ’60s and ’70s with an outsized personality to go with her client list that included actors like Barbra Streisand, Candice Bergen, Peter Bogdanovich, Michael Caine, Dyan Cannon, Cher, Joan Collins, and many more. 

READ MORE: Jennifer Lawrence To Star In Paolo Sorrentino’s Superagent Project; Starts $80 Million Streaming Bidding War

Lauren Schuker Blum, Rebecca Angelo, and John Logan wrote the screenplay.

Continue reading Apple Expected To Land Sue Mengers Biopic Starring Jennifer Lawrence & Directed By Paolo Sorrentino at The Playlist.

How do new streaming companies compete with established movie studios like Warner Bros., Paramount, Disney, Fox and more? Pay everyone twice as much money as you normally would for a hot project. That’s what’s going on with a new project from Academy Award-winning Italian director Paolo Sorrentino starring Jennifer Lawrence. The untitled project is a drama that would see Lawrence play legendary talent agent Sue Menger. Still, the difference between this and the run-of-the-mill biopic is that everyone wants it.

Continue reading Jennifer Lawrence To Star In Paolo Sorrentino’s Superagent Project; Starts $80 Million Streaming Bidding War at The Playlist.

Exactly twenty years ago, Italian writer-director Paolo Sorrentino shot his directorial debut “One Man Up” in his hometown of Naples. Just four years later, Sorrentino won the Oscar for Best Foreign-Language Film for “The Great Beauty.” In recent years, Sorrentino has had his hand at directing television, with the Jude Law-led “The Young Pope” in 2016 and “The New Pope” in 2019.

Continue reading Paolo Sorrentino To Direct ‘The Hand Of God’ For Netflix at The Playlist.

Over the past few months, we’ve seen several filmmakers work on new shorts while in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Folks like Spike Lee, Michel Gondry, and David F. Sandberg have created films with no crew, no budget, and only their creativity to guide them. Well, Netflix is taking that idea to the next level with “Homemade.”

READ MORE: ‘Spencer’: Kristen Stewart To Play Princess Diana In Pablo Larraín’s New Film

Instead of one filmmaker creating a new film during lockdown, “Homemade” is a collection of short films from prominent directors all shot in the same circumstances that many people have experienced during the pandemic.

Continue reading ‘Homemade’ Trailer: Netflix Brings Together Pablo Larraín, Kristen Stewart & More For Shorts Made In Quarantine at The Playlist.

With “Chernobyl,” “Barry,” “Veep,” “Big Little Lies,” and most recently, “Watchmen,” HBO has had a hell of a year. (Sorry, “Game of Thrones,” you didn’t quite make the cut.) And it looks like the premium network is kicking off 2020 with a bang, thanks to the return of Jude Law’s ‘Young Pope’ in a new series titled “The New Pope.”

As seen in the trailer for “The New Pope,” Law is back as Pope Pius XIII, but after the events of last season, the character has to retake his title as leader of the Catholic Church.

Continue reading ‘The New Pope’ Trailer: HBO Kicks Off The New Year With A Battle Between John Malkovich & Jude Law at The Playlist.

“The New Pope” might have a different title than its predecessor, “The Young Pope,” but make no mistake, the new HBO limited series is very much a sequel. Picking up less than a year after the shocking end of “The Young Pope,” director Paolo Sorrentino returns with a new story of the papacy and the drama that follows the highest title in the Catholic Church.

Continue reading ‘The New Pope’ Trailer: Jude Law & John Malkovich Battle For The Title In Paolo Sorrentino’s HBO Series at The Playlist.

If you’ve seen his Oscar-winning “The Great Beauty” or last year’s “Loro,” you’ll already be aware of Paolo Sorrentino’s directorial MO: he’s a stylistic auteur who readily embraces the ornate, the flamboyant, and the glamorous. Unlike others of his ilk, though – your Nicholas Winding Refns, your Gaspar Noés, your Tom Fords – it’ll be a rare day when Sorrentino’s aesthetic sensibility comes at the expense of his storytelling aptitude.

Continue reading ‘The New Pope’: The Second Coming Of The Acclaimed Paolo Sorrentino Series Is Dazzling [Venice Review] at The Playlist.

Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Young Pope” was a surprise hit for HBO when it premiered in early 2017. The, uh, interesting take on the Catholic Church featured actor Jude Law becoming the new leader, with his unlikely and non-traditional ways of running things. The series was critically acclaimed, with Law earning a Golden Globe nomination for his performance. However, it wasn’t supposed to continue on. Alas, it has, and now the world is about to be introduced to “The New Pope.”

READ MORE: Michael Shannon Joins Jason Clarke In The Cast Of HBO’s Los Angeles Lakers Series Directed By Adam McKay

As seen in the new teaser for the sequel series, which once again sees Law return as Lenny Belardo, aka Pope Pius XIII, “The New Pope” isn’t about to change what made the first series work so well.

Continue reading ‘The New Pope’ Teaser: Paolo Sorrentino’s New Series Finds Jude Law & John Malkovich On Very Different Paths at The Playlist.

When Jennifer Lawrence isn’t starring in huge franchise films like “Hunger Games” or the various ‘X-Men’ projects, she’s seemingly always attached to a film with an acclaimed filmmaker. Whether it’s with David O. Russell, Darren Aronofsky, or someone else, Lawrence peppers in interesting, smaller films amongst her big-budget spectacle. And according to a new report, she’s set to do that again with filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino.

Continue reading Jennifer Lawrence To Team With Filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino On Crime Film ‘Mob Girl’ at The Playlist.

With the US going through plenty of its own political scandals and corruption, it’s hard to really pay much attention to the rest of the world. However, thanks to a new film from Paolo Sorrentino, titled “Loro,” we can watch the story of another egomaniac billionaire that is given the keys to a country.

As seen in the trailer for “Loro,” the film tells the story of Silvio Berlusconi, the man who became Prime Minister in the mid-2000s Italy.

Continue reading ‘Loro’ Trailer: Paolo Sorrentino Tells The Story Of An Egomaniacal Billionaire That Gains Political Power…In Italy at The Playlist.

“The Young Pope” was a bit of a surprise when it hit the TV airwaves in 2016. The series, which stars Jude Law as the younger Pope with a bit of a wild side, came from acclaimed filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino and would go on to garner some awards consideration, including a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination for Law. And now, the series is set to return, albeit with a fairly new cast and a new title, “The New Pope.”

So, why the title change?

Continue reading ‘The New Pope’ First Look: Jude Law Is Joined By John Malkovich In The New Version Of The Hit Series at The Playlist.

Poorly structured, half-baked, and unrealized, writer/director Paolo Sorrentino‘s “Loro” is the worst kind of movie not because it is bad, but because it squanders immeasurable potential. A true-ish story about greed, ambition, sex, and politics, the film should blow the ceilings off theaters in Toronto, where it premiered this week at TIFF, yet it’s unlikely to do much except bore, confuse, and frustrate. Badly drawn characters push up hard against a script that doesn’t know how to balance one story against the others, resulting in a film that falls on its face as it tries to keep both feet planted on different sides of a narrative fence.

Continue reading Paolo Sorrentino’s Truncated Version Of ‘Loro’ Is A Mess [TIFF Review] at The Playlist.

Reports of Jude Law’s death at the end of “The Young Pope” have been greatly exaggerated, apparently. At the end of the 2017 limited series, which earned Law a Golden Globe nomination, the fate of the actor’s titular character was left open. Did he die? Will he return? Well, a year ago it seemed as if Law’s character was destined to meet his maker after the actor insinuated that he wouldn’t be returning.

Continue reading Jude Law Joined By John Malkovich For ‘Young Pope’ Sequel ‘The New Pope’ at The Playlist.

While yesterday saw the announcement that Asghar Farhadi’s “Everybody Knows” will open the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, everyone is now curious what other filmmakers will have entries in this year’s event. As of yet, we don’t have a full listing of which films will be screened, but according to a new report, we know some popular filmmakers that won’t be entering.

Continue reading Cannes: Xavier Dolan, Barry Jenkins & More Won’t Play At The Film Festival at The Playlist.