There is no denying the fact that Roman Polanski’s 1968 film “Rosemary’s Baby” is a classic, genre-defining piece of cinema. The franchise, comprising the original film, a television movie, and a negatively-received TV miniseries, is now getting its fourth installment in the form of a prequel — yes, a prequel. And after Paramount’s alarming success with “A Quiet Place,” “Apartment 7A” has high expectations to live up to, and the star-studded cast sure seems promising.

Continue reading ‘Apartment 7A’ Trailer: Creepy ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ Prequel Starring Julia Garner Hits Paramount+ On September 27 at The Playlist.

Can you separate the art from the artist? Many people have various answers to that question. And how you answer it really does shape how you view certain things. For Zoë Kravitz, she can and she does. 

As revealed in a new Esquire interview, where she’s promoting her directorial debut, Zoë Kravitz opened up about enjoying some classic films, including those by Roman Polanski, a convicted rapist.

Continue reading Zoë Kravitz Says It’s “Controversial” That She Likes Roman Polanski Films But “It’s OK That Somebody Bad Was Involved In Something Good” at The Playlist.

With 12 reviews so far, Roman Polanski’s latest film, “The Palace,” currently sits at a horrendous 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Polanski hasn’t really had a hit film in a very long time and has also been at the center of controversy for decades, but a 0% is still really rough, with some reviews calling it the worst movie of the year. But somehow, “The Palace” had a massive debut at the Venice Film Festival, where the festival director Alberto Barbera defended the film’s inclusion despite the filmmaker’s aforementioned controversy.

Continue reading Venice Director Admits Roman Polanski’s ‘The Palace’ Is A “Weak” Film But Says Negative Reviews Were Too “Mean” at The Playlist.

While SAG-affiliated actors may not be on the Lido for the Venice Film Festival at the end of the summer, two filmmakers with less than stellar reputations will be: Woody Allen and Roman Polanski. Venice creative director Albert Barbera said he doesn’t “see where the issue is” for both filmmakers bring their new films to the festival, albeit out of competition. So here they are, Allen with his first film in three years and Polanski with his first in four.

Continue reading ‘The Palace’ First Look Clip: Roman Polanski’s Black Comedy Premieres At 2023 The Venice Film Festival at The Playlist.

Earlier today, the full lineup of films selected for this year’s Venice Film Festival was announced. Some of the highlights include new films from David Fincher, Ava DuVernay, Wes Anderson, and Bradley Cooper. However, two of the names that really stood out to many, and not for the best reasons, are Woody Allen and Roman Polanski, who both have new features debuting at the event.

Continue reading Venice Director Isn’t Worried About Woody Allen & Roman Polanski Being Selected: “I Don’t See Where The Issue Is” at The Playlist.

The controversy that surrounds filmmaker Roman Polanksi isn’t something that was newly discovered when the #MeToo movement began several years ago. No, Polanski’s well-documented conviction of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor has been public knowledge for decades, and his eventual escape to Europe to evade prison time has lasted just as long. But as with Woody Allen, the revival of interest in Polanski’s sexual assault and fugitive status came several years ago, leading to his dismissal from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a persona non grata status amongst Hollywood studios.

Continue reading ‘The Palace’: Roman Polanski Will Begin Production On His Next Film This Fall In Europe at The Playlist.

Movies about the making of 'Chinatown' and 'The Godfather'? Series adaptations of 'Scenes from a Marriage' and 'Rashomon'? What's going on here?

Continue reading Welcome The New Trend Of ‘Prestige IP’: Studios Are Mining Their Vaults To Keep Franchises Going at The Playlist.

It’s pretty crazy to think that it’s been more than 25 years since Kate Winslet had her breakout role in the film, “Heavenly Creatures.” Over that time span, she’s won an Oscar (along with various other prestigious awards), she’s starred in one of the biggest films of all time (“Titanic”), and a number of other acclaimed features that have gained her the status of being one of the very best performers in the industry.

Continue reading Kate Winslet Regrets Working With Woody Allen & Roman Polanski: “What The F*ck Was I Doing?” at The Playlist.

People having panic attacks talk about the sensation of the walls closing in, a feeling with which this critic is not totally unfamiliar, but lately, it’s been more like they’re alive.

If I time everything correctly, I only have to venture out beyond the confines of my clean (well, sanitary) apartment and into the viral wilds of New York once per week to replenish supplies of groceries and red wine. That means that in the best-case scenario, the body will remain in what an optimist would generously describe as a “cozy” space for one-hundred-and-sixty-ish hours at a time.

Continue reading ‘Repulsion’ Is A Chilling Tale Of Isolation & A Must-See During Quarantine at The Playlist.

About a week ago, France held its annual César Awards ceremony. The 2020 edition of the event was overshadowed by the controversy leading up to the evening, with Roman Polanski’s film “An Officer and a Spy” earning the most César nominations with 12. And though Polanski and the rest of the cast and crew from the film didn’t appear at the ceremony, the night still proved to be controversial, as Polanski secured the win for Best Director, prompting folks like actress Adèle Haenel to walk out of the festivities.

Continue reading Casting Director Says Adèle Haenel Has A “Well-Deserved Dead Career” After Awards Protest Of Roman Polanski at The Playlist.

As if this year’s César Awards couldn’t be more controversial. Following the French Film Academy‘s polarizing choice to give Roman Polanski not one, but 12 nominations for his controversial film “An Officer And A Spy,” the embattled filmmaker and convicted child rapist was awarded the Best Director prize on Friday. Immediately after, several female attendees left the ceremony in disgust and protest, including “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” actress Adèle Haenel and director Céline Sciamma.

Continue reading Adèle Haenel Storms Out Of César Awards After Roman Polanski Wins Best Director; Public Protests Sparked at The Playlist.

Without a doubt, there are more eyes on this year’s César Awards than previous ceremonies. Why is that? Well, the truth is that after the nominations were announced and Roman Polanski’s “An Officer and a Spy” earned 12 nominations (the most of any film), people weren’t so concerned about the actual awards but by the French organization’s honoring of Polanski himself, especially in light of his decades-old sexual assault conviction and his recent actions as a result of his expulsion from the Academy.

Continue reading Roman Polanski Won’t Attend The César Awards In Anticipation Of A “Public Lynching” at The Playlist.

Recently, the César Awards announced its 2020 nominations. And there has been a bit of controversy since the announcement, after it was shown that Roman Polanski’s film “An Officer and a Spy” earned 12 nominations (the most of any film), including Best Director and Best Film. Considering the César Awards are the French equivalent to the Oscars, there was outrage from people upset that the organization was giving a convicted sexual abuser such recognition.

Continue reading Adèle Haenel Says The César Noms For Roman Polanski’s Latest Film Is Like “Spitting In The Face Of All Victims” at The Playlist.

All things considered, 2019 has been a rocky year for filmmaker Roman Polanski. The lingering effects of his decades-old sexual assault conviction have been felt thanks to the emergence of the #MeToo movement, but Polanski also released a new film that received some strong acclaim. And in a new interview with Paris Match (via Deadline), the filmmaker talked about his year, as well as commenting, once again, on his past and what he thinks about Harvey Weinstein, another Hollywood figure that has been linked to sexual assault allegations.

Continue reading Roman Polanski Was “Very Surprised” By Harvey Weinstein’s #MeToo Controversy & Says Producer Interfered With ‘The Pianist’ Oscar Campaign at The Playlist.

Roman Polanski’s latest film, “An Officer and a Spy,” tells the real-life story of the infamous Dreyfus affair that rocked France in the 1890s. When espionage was discovered within the ranks of the French military, the higher-ups fingered the wrong man – who happened to be the only Jewish soldier in the bunch. Alfred Dreyfuss (played by Louis Garrel) was accused, arrested, and sentenced to life in a hellish penal colony thousands of miles from France, but in the years to come, a committed, righteous Colonel by the name of Picquart (Jean Dujardin) uncovers documents that categorically prove the spy is someone else entirely.

Continue reading ‘An Officer And A Spy’: Polanski’s Controversial Film Is A Well-Crafted, But Middling, Historical Drama [Venice Review] at The Playlist.

Yesterday, comments made by filmmaker, and current Venice Film Festival jury president, Lucrecia Martel caught fire, after she seemingly criticized director Roman Polanski. The reason Martel’s words became headline news is that she said she couldn’t separate the “man from the art” and wouldn’t “congratulate” the controversial director when his film premieres at this year’s Italian festival. As you might imagine, the president of the jury that is set to judge Polanski’s film calling into question the filmmaker’s personal life and criminal history might lead some to believe that she might have a bit of bias.

Continue reading Producer On Polanski’s New Film Threatened To Pull It From Venice If Jury President Didn’t Apologize For Recent Comments at The Playlist.

In a post-#MeToo world, accused folks have a few different paths they can take when confronted with allegations of sexual misconduct. You can apologize and try to make it right. You can disappear and hope that everything blows over. Or, you can fight it. And in the case of Roman Polanski, he’s firmly set up in the latter camp. And in a new interview ahead of the Venice premiere of his latest film “An Officer and a Spy,” the controversial filmmaker doesn’t back down regarding his current situation.

Continue reading Roman Polanski Talks “Neofeminist McCarthyism” & Blames “Absurd Stories By Women” For His Perceived “Persecution” at The Playlist.

UPDATE: Martel released an official statement to clarify her comments. You can read the entire statement at the bottom of the original article.

Ever since the official lineup was announced weeks ago, the big discussion surrounding this year’s Venice Film Festival is more to do with just a few of the films selected for the official competition. Namely, the new project from filmmaker Roman Polanski, and the only two films (out of more than 20) to be directed by females.

Continue reading Venice Jury President Lucrecia Martel Has Complicated Feelings About Polanski’s Inclusion: “I Don’t Separate The Man From The Art” [UPDATED] at The Playlist.

Another year, another gender parity discussion about the Venice Film Festival. After yesterday’s lineup reveal showed that there was an increase from one female director in competition to TWO female directors in competition, people were a bit confused. Didn’t festival director Alberto Barbera sign a pledge to have more representation at his festival? Well, according to the Venice boss, he did just that, but people are focused on the wrong numbers.

Continue reading Venice Boss Explains The Lack Of Female Filmmakers & Why He Chose Roman Polanski’s Latest For The Competition at The Playlist.

Quentin Tarantino isn’t a filmmaker that shies away from referencing real-life events in his films. Perhaps, most famously, the director altered the official history of World War II (or at least, gave his own interpretation of Adolf Hitler’s fate) in “Inglourious Basterds.” And in his latest film, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Tarantino did it again, this time looking at the Manson Family murders.

Continue reading Quentin Tarantino Didn’t Ask Roman Polanski For Permission About ‘Once Upon A Time’ But Did Allow Him A Chance To See The Script at The Playlist.

Filmmaker Roman Polanski has a long, controversial history, dating back to his decades-old conviction of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and his decision to flee the country instead of serving his sentence. But his past was recently brought back into the light thanks to the #MeToo movement, which has reminded the world of Polanski’s transgressions. And due to this increased visibility, Polanski has seen his credibility in Hollywood evaporate, with the final nail in the coffin being his expulsion from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Continue reading The Academy Claims Roman Polanski Was Given A “Fair And Reasonable” Chance To Challenge His Expulsion at The Playlist.

Quentin Tarantino, a name associated with on-screen bloodshed as much as anything else, has always been a filmmaker that attracts a close eye, and often with a raised eyebrow. Sometimes it leads to discourse about the auteur’s alleged methods on set; for others, the pushback is much more aggressive. Disputes have even involved Hollywood legends, and figures he’s collaborated with for his films.

Now, with Tarantino’s newest movie, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” having premiered at Cannes just weeks ahead of opening stateside, the wife of another Hollywoodite, just as enigmatic and controversial, is calling out the Oscar-winning director for his creative choices.

Continue reading Emmanuelle Seigner, Roman Polanski’s Wife, Slams Quentin Tarantino Over ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’ at The Playlist.

Continue reading ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’: Brad Pitt Wants To Work With Leonardo DiCaprio Again [Cannes] at The Playlist.

In her decades-long career, actress Anjelica Huston has been nominated for 3 Oscars (winning 1), 7 Golden Globes (1 win, as well), and tons of Emmys, BAFTAs, and other awards. Basically, the actress is Hollywood royalty at this point. And with that status, as well as age (she’s 67 years young), comes a bit of a “zero fucks” attitude. This carefree nature comes across clearly in a new interview with Vulture.

Over the course of the extensive interview, Huston covers her past love affairs, her entire career, her friendships that have come and gone, as well as the current state of Hollywood, particularly with #MeToo.

Continue reading Anjelica Huston Gives Zero F*cks In Brutally Honest Defense Of Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, & Jeffrey Tambor at The Playlist.

Sigourney Weaver is an actress known for her legendary roles as strong women, particularly as Ripley in the ‘Alien’ franchise. For decades, Weaver has been a powerful icon for young women to look up to. So, it’s no surprise when THR asked the actress about #MeToo (and a little bit about ‘Alien 5’) in a new interview.

As you might expect, Weaver is a very vocal supporter of the #MeToo movement.

Continue reading Sigourney Weaver Defends Working With Roman Polanski & Would Do It Again: “He’s Changed His Life” at The Playlist.