Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh has tackled every genre under the sun: the heist thriller with the “Ocean’s” franchise, sci-fi with “Solaris,” WWII films (“The Good German”), the action genre (“Haywire”),  thrillers of all sorts (“Contagion,” “Side Effects,” “Kimi”), comedies (“The Informant!”) and more. But aside from “Unsane,” which flirted with the psychological horror genre, Soderbergh has never really done traditional horror.

Continue reading ‘Presence’ Trailer: Steven Soderbergh’s Spooky Ghost Story Thriller Arrives in January at The Playlist.

In 2019, just as the year was about to close, we made our list of The Best TV Shows & Mini-Series Of The Decade [2010s] and Steven Soderbergh’s Cinemax period-piece medical drama, “The Knick,” which looked at the professional and personal lives of the staff at a New York hospital during the early part of the twentieth century, was in our top ten. For my personal money, it would have been top five or top three, but regardless, while still underseen in some circles, the show was phenomenal.

Continue reading André Holland Says ‘The Knick’ Still Hopes To Continue With Barry Jenkins; Tackle Mental Health, The Harlem Renaissance & More at The Playlist.

Steven Soderbergh is one of the most prolific filmmakers working today. He is constantly working on something new and releasing films left and right. But when you look at his filmography, one genre is notably absent—horror. But thanks to the new film “Presence,” it looks like we’re finally getting a horror film as only Soderbergh could make.

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

As seen in the trailer, “Presence” is a ghost story unlike any other.

Continue reading ‘Presence’ Teaser: Steven Soderbergh’s Unique Ghost Story Arrives In January at The Playlist.

When you look at Steven Soderbergh’s IMDB, it’s clear the filmmaker likes to keep himself busy. Whether he’s directing a new film or working on a TV show, Soderbergh seemingly doesn’t enjoy downtime. And right now, it appears one of his various projects is a book. 

According to an interview with THR, while at TIFF for the screening of his latest film, “Presence,” Steven Soderbergh revealed, in addition to his work on films and TV series, it appears the filmmaker is actually writing a book about the making of the classic “Jaws.” Well, it’s not really just about “Jaws,” as it’s more of a book about filmmaking that also happens to utilize the production of Steven Spielberg’s iconic film as a series of lessons. 

Continue reading Steven Soderbergh Is Writing A Filmmaking Book About The Making Of ‘Jaws’ at The Playlist.

If there’s one genre that Steven Soderbergh still needs to tackle in his thirty-plus-year career, it’s horror. But that’s all about to change with “Presence,” the unflagging filmmaker’s latest feature. Fresh off a new screening at TIFF, Soderbergh’s latest hits theaters early next year (and with any luck, his latest spy thriller “Black Bag,” starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, won’t be too far behind).

Continue reading ‘Presence’ Trailer: Steven Soderbergh’s Unsettling Ghost Story Hits Theaters Next January at The Playlist.

As the new poster for his forthcoming movie “Presence” suggests, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Soderbergh has done it all and then some. The eclectic and prolific filmmaker has pretty much attempted every genre: made popcorn entertainment like the “Ocean’s” and “Magic Mike” trilogies, acclaimed Oscar-winning dramas (“Traffic,” “Erin Brockovich”), comedies, (“The Informant”) compelling and comedic crime dramas (“Out Of Sight,” “Logan Lucky”), thrillers of all stripes (“Contagion,” “Unsane”), and low-budget arthouse indies like his career-making debut, “Sex, Lies And Videotape.” And for “Presence,” the filmmaker tackles the sub-genre of the eerie ghost movie, perhaps the closest he’s ever come to making a horror film outside of “Unsane.”

READ MORE: ‘Presence’ Review: Steven Soderbergh’s Unsettling Ghost Story Menace Is Memorable & Magical [Sundance]

And Soderbergh tends to get on creative riffs with writers he does repeat business with.

Continue reading ‘Presence’ Trailer: Steven Soderbergh’s New Ghost Thriller Arrives January 2025 Via Neon at The Playlist.

We’ve said it a million times, but it’s true—Steven Soderbergh is perhaps the most prolific American filmmaker of our lifetime. Just look at the last almost-decade. Since 2017, he’s directed nine feature films. That’s more than one film per year, on average. And he’s not slowing down anytime soon. Even though his most recent film, “Presence,” hasn’t even been distributed yet, Soderbergh is already hard at work on his next film, “Black Bag,” which stars Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender.

Continue reading Steven Soderbergh Talks “Intimate” ‘Black Bag’ & Its “Nightmare” 12-Minute Dinner Scene at The Playlist.

Having debuted four projects in fewer than 12 months, always prodigious filmmaker Steven Soderbergh (“Logan Lucky”) is back at it and returning to the espionage genre with his new movie, “Black Bag.” The spy pic stars Cate Blanchett (“Tár”) and Michael Fassbender (“The Killer”) in the lead roles. The Hollywood Reporter has revealed three more names to the growing cast, with production ramping up this spring. 

Continue reading Steven Soderbergh’s Spy Pic ‘Black Bag’ Adds James Bond Alums Pierce Brosnan & Naomie Harris at The Playlist.

Based on the cast alone, Steven Soderbergh‘s upcoming spy flick “Black Bag” could be his buzziest feature in a long time. Deadline reports that two more join Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett on the thriller’s cast list: Regé-Jean Page and Marisa Abela. Abela’s casting is a coup for her, another major role after she stars in the Amy Winehouse biopic “Back To Black” this Spring, which will likely be a breakout role for the “Industry” actress.

Continue reading ‘Black Book’: Marisa Abela & Regé-Jean Page Join Steven Soderbergh’s Upcoming Spy Pic At Focus Features at The Playlist.

Now that Steven Soderbergh’s three-year overall deal with HBO is over, he’s free to work with any studio he chooses. And the filmmaker is doing just that, in his usual workaholic way, as Deadline reports that Focus Features outbid everyone for “Black Dog,” Soderbergh’s upcoming spy thriller with Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. It’s the second pickup of a Soderbergh feature this week, as NEON nabbed “Presence” for distribution after its buzzy premiere at Sundance this past week.

Continue reading ‘Black Bag’: Focus Features Wins Bidding War For Steven Soderbergh’s Spy Thriller With Cate Blanchett & Michael Fassbender at The Playlist.

Everyone loves a what if, us especially. We all like to dream about the greatest projects never made, right? Well, here’s one more to add to that pile. In a recent episode of TCM and MAX’s new Talking Pictures podcast with host Ben Mankiewicz, Steven Soderbergh reveals a very old project that didn’t come to pass that we’ve either long forgotten or never heard about (vague recollection).

Continue reading Steven Soderbergh Talks ‘The Last Ship’ Project With Harrison Ford That Didn’t Happen After ‘Sex, Lies & Videotape’ at The Playlist.

You’ll remember during the pandemic, Steven Soderbergh revealed he wrote three scripts in a three-month blaze at the beginning of lockdown. One of them was a sequel to “Sex, Lies, and Videotape.”

READ MORE: Steven Soderbergh Has Written A ‘Sex, Lies & Videotape’ Sequel; Says George Clooney & More Set For ‘Kill Switch’

Well, it’s not happening, and in a recent Variety article, Soderbergh said while he got actors like Andie MacDowell and Laura San Giacomo to agree to return, he feels like the idea has missed its moment and he’ll likely turn it into a novel instead (which would be his first).

Continue reading Steven Soderbergh Says The ‘Sex, Lies and Videotape’ Sequel Will Likely Be Turned Into A Novel Instead at The Playlist.

Since returning from his announced retirement from feature filmmaking, Steven Soderbergh has been on a tear of productivity unmatched since the heyday of Hollywood’s studio system. His quickie projects might feel like slight exercises in style or storytelling, but they have never felt disposable. Soderbergh’s fluency in film grammar and commitment to craftsmanship at any scale shine through no matter the material.

READ MORE: Sundance 2024: The 23 Most Anticipated Movies To Watch

Until “Presence,” the director’s latest on-the-fly outing, these projects have also been so airtight as to feel a bit hermetically sealed.

Continue reading ‘Presence’ Review: Steven Soderbergh’s Unsettling Ghost Story Menace Is Memorable & Magical [Sundance] at The Playlist.

Well, the Steven Soderbergh/David Koepp relationship continues. After writing the surveillance thriller, “Kimi” and the upcoming ghost movie “Presence” which will premiere at Sundance soon, screenwriter David Koepp (“Jurassic Park,” “Carlito’s Way”) has penned yet another film for director Steven Soderbergh. This one, a spy thriller, is called “Black Bag” and has Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender attached to the star.

Continue reading ‘Black Bag’: Cate Blanchett & Michael Fassbender To Star In Steven Soderbergh Spy Thriller at The Playlist.

Over the past year or so, we’ve heard more and more rumblings in the world of “Ocean’s 11.” Obviously, there’s the prequel film that is currently in development with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling attached to star. Then, recently, George Clooney teased an idea he’s been developing for a sequel to the ‘Ocean’s’ franchise that would reunite the crew from the original films.

Continue reading Steven Soderbergh Isn’t Interested In Directing Another ‘Ocean’s’ Film at The Playlist.

It’s the time of the season. Every year, filmmaker Steven Soderbergh drops his annual “Seen, Read” list, a yearly compendium tracking everything the director watched or read in the year, be it a film, a TV show, a novel, a non-fiction book, etc. Some years, there are clues to his year. For example, last year, his list unveiled a new project, which at the time was called “The Pendulum Project,” and we all discovered it was eventually his new series, “Command Z,” written and co-conceived by author/writer Kurt Anderson.

Continue reading Steven Soderbergh’s Annual Read/Watched List For 2023 Includes Early Looks At ‘Pussy Island,’ ‘Monsieur Spade’ & Much More at The Playlist.

Surprise! Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh has another new secret project in the can, his second in half a year. His latest, never publicly announced, is a mystery thriller called “Presence,” which will make its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024. The project arrives about six months after “Command Z,” the secret dystopian satire starring Michael Cera that he released this summer on his website.

Continue reading First Look: Steven Soderbergh’s Secret New Sundance Film ‘Presence’ Starring Lucy Liu, Julia Fox & More at The Playlist.

We’ve said it a million times, but Steven Soderbergh is one of the best innovators working in filmmaking today. No, he doesn’t push technology forward with cutting edge CGI like James Cameron. But what he is doing is utilizing new, fun storytelling techniques, as well as creating stories for all different formats, in an attempt to understand what the future of the medium will look like. And right now, Soderbergh, like so many of his peers, is concerned about the future of cinemas and the film industry.

Continue reading Steven Soderbergh Says A-List Actors Can Save Indie Filmmaking & Teases New Andre Holland Film He Funded at The Playlist.

As you’ve probably heard and read, hopefully from us, the new indie sci-f film “Divinity” is one of the craziest films of the year, a cult classic in the making, and a gonzo, experimental, batsh*t crazy movie that’s innovative af. This is the type of filmmaker and filmmaking so strong it gets the attention of a filmmaker who comes on as an executive producer to champion it, and that’s exactly what Steven Soderbergh has done with “Divinity” (remember, Soderbergh essentially did the same thing with Christopher Nolan did, sans credit, for “Memento” and look how that turned out).

Continue reading ‘Divinity ‘Trailer: Eddie Alcazar’s Batsh*t Crazy Cult Sci-Fi Film Gets A Wild, R-Rated Trailer at The Playlist.

There’s so much to unpack in “Divinity,” the new gonzo, sci-fi-ish hallucinatory mindf*ck from filmmaker Eddie Alcazar, a director, writer, producer, and game developer who makes his feature-length debut with this bold, experimental new work. For one, Steven Soderbergh is an executive producer, and when the filmmaker co-signs as an exec on a young, new filmmaker, chances are the work is worth seeing. And as per usual, that’s absolutely the case with “Divinity,” a fresh and innovative new work unlike anything you’ve seen in recent years.

Continue reading ‘Divinity’ Review: Eddie Alcazar’s Hallucinatory Sci-Fi Head-Trip Is A Rapturous Ecstasy & Experimental Game Changer at The Playlist.

Eddie Alcazar’s latest movie, “Divinity,” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and had many varied, sometimes puzzled, but dazzled, reactions. Alcazar is no stranger to giving viewers unique moviegoing experiences, and it seems like “Divinity” will be his most ambitious piece of work yet. Alcazar is a director, writer, producer, and game developer. Unbothered by genre constraints, his multi-technique approach to visual storytelling explores undiscovered cinematic territories. He coined “Meta-Scope” to describe a visionary technique that blends live-action and stop-motion.

Continue reading ‘Divinity’ Trailer: Steven Soderbergh Exec-Produces Director Eddie Alcazar’s Ambitious New “Meta-Scope” Cinematic Experience at The Playlist.

TeamDeakins, the podcast run by acclaimed cinematographer Roger Deakins and James Deakins, his collaborator, a script supervisor, and his wife, is consistently entertaining and listenable. On a recent episode, the Deakins duo had actor Benicio del Toro on the podcast to discuss their work together on “Sicario”—Roger was the DP, del Toro co-starred— and much of the Latin American actor’s impressive career.

READ MORE: Review: Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Sicario’ Starring Emily Blunt Is A Slow Building, Solid Procedural

Ironically, Roger Deakins admitted that he was scared to talk to Del Toro on the set of “Sicario” and that, in fact, they had barely spoken to each other before, despite having worked together on that film.

Continue reading Benicio Del Toro Says He Wants To Direct, Talks The Soderberg Influence & Missing His Fave Cut-Out Scene In ‘Sicario’ at The Playlist.

At this point in their respective careers, Steven Soderbergh and Christopher Nolan are household names for cinephiles. But once upon a time, in the early ’00s, Soderbergh needed to help Nolan get his foot in the door when it came to his entry into studio filmmaking. Variety (via Rolling Stone) reports that Soderbergh called up Warner Bros. on behalf of Nolan to convince an exec who didn’t like Nolan’s “Memento” to consider the director for “Insomnia.” All it took was three simple worlds: “take the meeting.”

READ MORE: Christopher Nolan Doesn’t Refute The Idea Of A ‘Star Wars’ Project In The Future

“What happened was, I got a call from Chris’ agent, Dan Aloni, who I had known because he screened”‘Memento” for me after it couldn’t find a distributor after being on the festival circuit for a year,” Soderbergh started off.

Continue reading Steven Soderbergh Called A Warner Bros. Exec Who Didn’t Like ‘Memento’ To Consider Christopher Nolan For ‘Insomnia’ at The Playlist.

If you don’t know the history between Steven Soderbergh and Christopher Nolan, then you should do a bit of Googling. The short version is this: being one of the early champions of “Memento,” before it was picked up by a distributor, Soderbergh was the go-to person for Nolan’s people to call to ask for a favor. One of those favors included getting a meeting for Nolan at Warner Bros.

Continue reading Steven Soderbergh Calls ‘Oppenheimer’ A “Real Accomplishment” & Is Excited By The ‘Barbenheimer’ Craze at The Playlist.

With “Command Z” and “Full Circle” out now, Steven Soderbergh continues build the legend that he’s the busiest filmmaker in show business. Why so busy? Part of the reason is because Soderbergh shoots his own films. In fact, he hasn’t worked with a cinematographer since 1994 when he made “Fallen Angels,” a neo-noir anthology short film series with other directors for Showtime in the 90s.

Continue reading Steven Soderbergh On Working With Emmanuel Lubezki In The ‘90s & Why He Doesn’t Use Great Cinematographers Anymore at The Playlist.