You know, that Roman Polanski guy may not be a nice guy after all. The Oscar-winning director who fled to France instead of facing up to the sentence on a charge of statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl, charges which he had pleaded guilty to, is now facing more accusations. French actress Valentine Monnier accused Polanski of raping her at a ski chalet in Switzerland in 1975, when the actress was 18.

Continue reading Roman Polanski Accused Of “Extremely Violent” Rape Of A French Actress In 1975 When She Was 18 at The Playlist.

He who laughs last, laughs best, right? That’s probably the case for director Todd Phillips, whose much-anticipated “Joker” had perhaps the most contentious film festival premiere in recent memory. While comic book fans were excited to see an infamous—and, let’s face it, beloved—character receive a prestige treatment, not everyone regarded “Joker” as a joyful combination of populist and auteurist filmmaking. Our own Jessica Kiang was a little skeptical, praising the film while also half-seriously noting that it’s the kind of movie that may inspire “background checks and a mandatory three-day waiting period” at movie theaters across the country.

Continue reading Todd Phillips’s ‘Joker’ Takes Home The Golden Lion At The 2019 Venice Film Festival at The Playlist.

The competition for this year’s Venice International Film Festival is stacked, to say the least. While there’s plenty to talk about regarding gender disparity, combined with the addition of Roman Polanski, just on paper, it would appear that Venice 2019 is going to have one of the most interesting competitions from any film festival this year. And with this morning’s announcement, we have some first look images from some of those films.

Continue reading Venice First Looks: Penelope Cruz In ‘Wasp Network,’ Johnny Depp In ‘Barbarians,’ Roman Polanski’s Latest & More at The Playlist.

Recently, it was announced that Warner Bros. is sitting out this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. This is especially interesting because the studio has multiple comic book properties on the slate, with the highly-anticipated “Joker” coming in October. However, according to a new report, it appears that WB might have bigger aspirations for the villainous film.

Deadline is reporting that there’s “chatter” that says Todd Phillips’ upcoming “Joker,” which stars Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beetz, and Robert De Niro, might actually be primed for a Venice Film Festival appearance.

Continue reading ‘Joker’ & The New Roman Polanski Film Could Be Heading To Venice Later This Year at The Playlist.

The last year and change have not been kind to filmmakers Woody Allen and Roman Polanski. Both critically-acclaimed and legends in the industry, Allen and Polanski have spent the last year blacklisted from Hollywood, as their sexual misconduct allegations from decades previous have resurfaced in light of the #MeToo movement. Interestingly enough, both are trying to find distribution for their new films. And they’re struggling.

As reported in a new profile by Vanity Fair, both Polanski and Allen have new films (“An Officer and a Spy” and “A Rainy Day in New York,” respectively) that they’re actively seeking worldwide distribution deals with.

Continue reading Woody Allen & Roman Polanski Are Both Getting The Cold Shoulder From US Distributors For Their New Films at The Playlist.

Just about a year ago, filmmaker Roman Polanski was formally kicked out of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The reason for his dismissal stemmed from the decades-old court case that involved the rape of an underage girl, for which Polanski is currently avoiding jail time by not coming back to the United States. At the time, there was a large contingent of people that supported the Academy’s decision, as it coincided with the expulsion of Bill Cosby.

Continue reading Roman Polanski Files Lawsuit Against The Academy After His 2018 Expulsion & Demands To Be Reinstated at The Playlist.

It appears that even if Roman Polanski wouldn’t have been kicked out of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last week, he would have still been making headlines. And probably not for the reasons he wanted.

Recently, the Polish edition of Newsweek (via AP) published an interview with the filmmaker that was conducted BEFORE the May 3 decision to expel him from the Academy. And in that interview, Polanski didn’t hold back when asked about the #MeToo movement.

Continue reading Roman Polanski Says #MeToo Movement Is “Collective Hysteria” And “Total Hypocrisy” at The Playlist.