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Exclusive: Jessica Chastain, Brendan Fraser and Bryan Cranston have joined Al Pacino in the mystery thriller Assassination. The film will be directed by Barry Levinson from a script by David Mamet, Levinson and Sam Bromell.

The film offers up a new take on the JFK conspiracy, centering around Kilgallen (Chastain), one of the most famous voices in media at the time. When she suspects that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone, she uses her fame and influence to find President John F. Kennedy’s real killer. Part murder mystery, part film noir, Kilgallen’s journey will put her up against the CIA, mafia bosses and the FBI, all who would love nothing more than to make her and this story disappear.

“Dorothy Kilgallen was the first female crime reporter in America. She was the only woman to ever cover the JFK case. The only reporter to speak with Jack Ruby.

Given that it's being developed by Sony, there's been some concern among fans that Amazon's Spider-Noir series starring Nicolas Cage might not see the title character actually suit up. 

Peter Parker has already been replaced by Ben Reilly as Spider-Man Noir, but newly revealed photos and footage from the show's set confirm we're getting a comic-accurate take on the wall-crawling private detective. 

The hero looks like he's stepped straight off the page with a design that's also pretty much identical to what we saw in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Based on how this scene is playing out, Ben will see a fair bit of action as he rides atop a car while shooting webs into the distance. He also has his trademark hat and goggles, though we should point out that it's a stuntman in the suit, not Cage.

Cage will be joined in the series by Lamorne Morris (as...

Michelle Pfeiffer is set to star in the upcoming Apple TV+ adaptation of the Rufi Thorpe novel “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” Variety has learned.

The eight-episode show was ordered to series at Apple back in February after a multi-platform bidding war. Pfeiffer will appear alongside previously announced cast members Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman.

Per the description of the novel’s plot, it focuses on Margo Millet (Fanning), the daughter of a Hooters waitress (Pfeiffer) and an ex-pro wrestler. Now an unemployed single mother in her early 20s, Margo is struggling to make ends meet, leading her to launch an OnlyFans account. When her father reenters her life, she starts incorporating his lessons from the pro wrestling world into her OnlyFans work, leading to unexpected success.

This is the latest high-profile TV role Pfeiffer has landed in recent months. It was previously reported in August that she is set to...

It's been confirmed today that Amazon's upcoming live-action Spider-Man TV series, Spider-Noir, has added eight recurring cast members.

Those are Lukas Haas, Cameron Britton, Cary Christopher, Michael Kostroff, Scott MacArthur, Joe Massingill, Whitney Rice, and Amanda Schull.

Unfortunately, specific character details are being kept under wraps so we don't currently know who any of them are playing. Nicolas Cage leads the cast, though it's thought he's playing Ben Reilly rather than Peter Parker.

Other lead stars include New Girl star Lamorne Morris (as Robbie Robertson), Brendan Gleeson, Abraham Popoola, Li Jun Li and Jack Huston.

Here's a look at each new Spider-Noir cast member; place your bets now about who from the comics they might be playing!

Lukas Haas, Cameron Britton, Cary Christopher, Michael Kostroff, Scott MacArthur, Joe Massingill, Whitney Rice and Amanda Schull have joined the recurring cast of ‘Spider-Noir,’ the upcoming MGM+ and Prime Video live-action series https://t.

The “Spider-Noir” series at Amazon has added eight recurring cast members, Variety has learned.

The series, which is the first live-action project to feature the character Spider-Man Noir, has cast: Lukas Haas, Cameron Britton, Cary Christopher, Michael Kostroff, Scott MacArthur, Joe Massingill, Whitney Rice, and Amanda Schull. Exact character details are being kept under wraps.

The new additions join series lead Nicolas Cage as well as fellow cast members Lamorne Morris, Brendan Gleeson, Abraham Popoola, Li Jun Li and Jack Huston. As previously reported, the show will debut domestically on MGM+’s linear channel and then globally on Amazon Prime Video.

Per the official logline, the show “tells the story of an aging and down on his luck private investigator (Cage) in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero.”

Haas is repped by Paradigm, Lbi Entertainment,...

Lukas Haas, Cameron Britton, Cary Christopher, Michael Kostroff, Scott MacArthur, Joe Massingill, Whitney Rice and Amanda Schull are set to appear as recurring guest stars in “Spider-Noir.”

The group joins previously announced series regulars Nicolas Cage, Lamorne Morris, Brendan Gleeson, Abraham Popoola, Li Jun Li and Jack Huston.

Based on the Marvel comic Spider-Man Noir, the live-action series tells the story of an aging and down-on-his-luck private investigator (Cage) in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero.

The series is executive produced by co-showrunners Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal and Harry Bradbeer, who is set to direct the first two episodes. Lord and Miller executive produce through Lord Miller along with Aditya Sood and Dan Shear, while Pascal EPs via Pascal Pictures.

“Spider-Noir,” which is produced by Sony Pictures Television,...

Jeff Daniels is always a reliably excellent performer whether its in comedy or drama, TV or film, and the veteran actor has turned in another masterclass performance in Netflix’s “A Man in Full.”

Adapted from Tom Wolfe‘s novel of the same name and created by “Big Little Lies” helmer David E. Kelley, “A Man in Full” follows Daniels as real estate mogul Charlie Croker, who tries to protect his empire and legacy from crumbling when he falls into sudden bankruptcy. Daniels dominated the screen here, chewing scenery, spitting it out with venom, and then re-chewing the scenery some more. Whatever you may think of the show, Daniels is never anything less than ferociously good, as noted by critics.

Nick Schager (The Daily Beast) wrote that the show “struts about with swaggering ferocity, led by Jeff Daniels’ full-bodied performance as a blustery, bloviating capitalist predator… ego is both a...

Michelle Pfeiffer is a three-time Oscar nominee who has starred in a variety of classics in her long career, excelling at everything from comedy to drama, romance and action. Take a look back at 15 of her greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Pfeiffer has had a 40+-year career on screen and has managed to overcome being known at first just for her looks. While her beauty was prominently on display in many of her first roles she quickly became more than just a pretty face and plunged herself into deeper and more complex roles. Pfeiffer’s first professional acting job was on a TV series version of the film “Animal House” called “Delta House.” Her character on the TV show was referred to simply as “The Bombshell.” This debut hardly signaled the arrival of an actress good enough to someday earn three Oscar nominations and seven Golden Globe nominations along with one win.

Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson has enjoyed success on the big and small screens throughout his five decades. Take a tour of our photo gallery ranking his 12 greatest feature films from worst to best.

Levinson began his career as a comedy writer on various variety shows in the 1970s ultimately landing a steady job writing for 72 episodes of “The Carol Burnett Show,” for which he won Emmys in 1974 and 1975, competing again in 1976. When that show ended he began writing screenplays and had a remarkably successful run co-writing two Mel Brooks movies — “Silent Movie” and “High Anxiety” — as well as two acclaimed dramas “Inside Moves” and “and Justice for All.” He would receive his first Oscar nomination for the screenplay of “And Justice for All.”

That success led Levinson to a feature film directing career. His semi-autobiographical film “Diner,” about a group of young men hanging out in his native Baltimore, became...

Exclusive: After starring opposite Jamie Foxx in Maggie Betts’ acclaimed legal drama The Burial, currently streaming on Prime Video, Amanda Warren has been tapped for the biggest new role in the second season of Netflix’s smash hit series The Night Agent, from creator Shawn Ryan and Sony Pictures Television.

The actress joins returning cast that includes Gabriel Basso and Luciane Buchanan.

Now ranking sixth on Netflix’s Most Popular TV chart, The Night Agent amassed 168.7M hours viewed in its first few days on the streamer in March, within a week being set up for Season 2, in one of the streamer’s fastest renewals to date.

Based on Matthew Quirk’s same-name Nyt bestseller of 2019, the show sees the FBI’s Peter Sutherland (Basso) manning a phone in the basement of the White House that never rings — until the night that it does, propelling him into a fast moving...

Heading into the 81st Golden Globe Awards, legendary performer Harrison Ford is eligible for two different small screen prizes – Best TV Drama Actor and Best TV Supporting Actor – thanks to his respective turns on the inaugural seasons of “1923” and “Shrinking.” These possible dual bids would come 22 years after he was named the 48th recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille career achievement award and make him a proper Golden Globe competitor for the first time since 1996. Given the fact that 33 other DeMille awardees will have preceded him in subsequently landing regular nominations, it only makes sense to analyze those instances to determine just how great his chances of victory at the 2024 ceremony really are.

Until “1923” premiered on Paramount Plus last December, the 81-year-old Ford had never appeared in a regular capacity on a TV program of any kind. Within six weeks, however, he was officially a multi-series star showcasing...

What is it with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom? Is it Wednesday? Is it Friday? The DC sequel will now open on Friday Dec. 22 this year instead of Dec. 20. Know that Warners knows what they’re doing here: They turned Aquaman back in 2018 into the highest grossing DC movie of all-time at $1.15 billion. That movie launched on Saturday and Wednesday with previews, and after an official opening on a Friday (Dec. 21) cleared over $105M at the domestic B.O. by Christmas Day –which fell on a Tuesday that year. What they do here with the immediate shift is they capture more gross closer to the Christmas Day Monday when moviegoing shifts into high gear. It’s a four-day holiday weekend. Aquaman ended its stateside run at $335M.

Meanwhile, the Barry Levinson, Robert De Niro playing twin mobsters movie Wise Guys is now titled Alto Knights and has moved from Feb.

Warner Bros. has given its upcoming theatrical slate a small shake-up. “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” the final installment in the current continuation of DC Comics adaptations before an imminent reboot, has been bumped from Dec. 20 to Dec. 22. The shift from the Wednesday to the Friday release date gives the superhero film a traditional three-day opening in theaters, as opposed to the originally slated five-day rollout.

The slight delay gives “Aquaman 2” a little bit of extra space away from the Timothée Chalamet chocolatier prequel “Wonka.” Warner Bros. is also releasing that spin on novelist Roald Dahl’s enduring character, debuting the film on Dec. 15.

It’s a busy holiday season for the studio, which is also bowing its adaptation of “The Color Purple” musical on Christmas Day. That’s three big titles coming one after the other, arriving more than three months after the last Warner Bros. release — “The Nun II,...

Upon its August 2023 premiere, the Amazon Prime Video original film “Red, White & Royal Blue” quickly gained a massive audience, a large portion of which reportedly created new subscriptions just so they could view it. Now, the two-hour adaptation of Casey McQuiston’s 2019 novel of the same name is set to embark on a 2024 TV awards run that, of course, won’t include the delayed 75th Emmys but could more than reasonably begin with the 81st Golden Globes. If it does make its way into the upcoming Best Limited Series/TV Movie lineup, it will be the first one-off film in seven years to earn Golden Globes recognition as a general program.

Directed and co-written by Tony winner Matthew López (“The Inheritance”), “Red, White & Royal Blue” stars Taylor Zakhar Perez (“The Kissing Booth” franchise) and Nicholas Galitzine (2021’s “Cinderella”) as two fictional world leaders’ offspring whose bitter rivalry unexpectedly evolves into a romance.

Robert De Niro has been a frequent presence at the Academy Awards, winning his first Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for playing young Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather, Part II” (1974). He hit the jackpot yet again for his role as boxer Jake Lamotta in Scorsese’s “Raging Bull” (1980), which brought him a victory in Best Actor. “Taxi Driver” (1976), “The Deer Hunter” (1978), “Awakenings” (1990) and “Cape Fear” (1991) earned him subsequent nominations in lead, and he reaped another bid in supporting for “Silver Linings Playbook” (2012) and one in Best Picture for “The Irishman” (2019).

Though he’s worked with some of Hollywood’s top directors, De Niro is best known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, starting with “Mean Streets” (1973) and leading to “Taxi Driver,” “New York, New York” (1977), “The King of Comedy” (1983), “Goodfellas” (1990), “Cape Fear,” “Casino” (1995) and “The Irishman.” Never ones to rest on their laurels, the duo are...

Exclusive: Robert De Niro is attached to star in a Billy Ray-penned crime drama series that is in the works at Paramount+.

The two-time Oscar winner will lead Bobby Meritorious, an original series that comes from Paramount Television Studios. Paramount made the commitment to develop the project after winning out a competitive situation.

It marks De Niro’s second TV project to emerge in a matter of weeks after conspiracy thriller Zero Day, from Eric Newman, landed a limited series order at Netflix.

The series is set amid the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which is a sovereign kingdom with seemingly unlimited power and scope. But now an informant in Sdny’s biggest case, Avery “The Sage” Accomando, played by De Niro, is poised to tear this storied institution apart. Only one man can stop him, a fabled ex-cop-turned prosecutor affectionately known as Bobby Meritorious.

Netflix has given a formal limited series order to Zero Day, a conspiracy thriller from Eric Newman, Noah Oppenheim and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author Michael S. Schmidt, with Robert De Niro attached to star and executive produce in his first series regular television role. Additionally, Leslie Linka Glatter will direct all episodes and executive produce. The project had been in development at Netflix since November 2022.

Created and executive produced by Newman under his Grand Electric Productions deal with Netflix, Oppenheim, and Schmidt, Zero Day asks the question on everyone’s mind — how do we find truth in a world in crisis, one seemingly being torn apart by forces outside our control? And in an era rife with conspiracy theory and subterfuge, how much of those forces are products of our own doing, perhaps even of our own imagining?...

It’s official: Robert De Niro is set to star in the Netflix political thriller Zero Day, marking his first foray into episodic television.

The limited series “asks the question on everyone’s mind — how do we find truth in a world in crisis, one seemingly being torn apart by forces outside our control? And in an era rife with conspiracy theory and subterfuge, how much of those forces are products of our own doing, perhaps even of our own imagining?”

More from TVLineSex/Life Star on New Love Interest: It's 'Beautiful to See Black Folk Fall in Love' in...

Netflix has ordered the limited series “Zero Day” starring Robert De Niro in his first regular television role, Variety has learned exclusively.

In addition, Lesli Linka Glatter has boarded the show and will direct and executive produce all six episodes. Variety previously reported that the series was in development at Netflix in November. It hails from writers and executive producers Eric Newman and Noah Oppenheim.

Per the official logline, “Zero Day” “asks the question on everyone’s mind — how do we find truth in a world in crisis, one seemingly being torn apart by forces outside our control? And in an era rife with conspiracy theory and subterfuge, how much of those forces are products of our own doing, perhaps even of our own imagining?”

Newman and Oppenheim created the series along with Pulitzer Prize winner Michael S. Schmidt, with Newman and Oppenheim serving as writers and executive producers. Newman...

Robert De Niro is known for many different roles. Most recently, he’s taken on big roles in The Irishman and The Wizard of Lies, but the famed actor is most famous for his earlier work in films like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and Cape Fear. While De Niro is memorable in all his roles, his portrayal of Max Cady in Cape Fear is so haunting that people are still talking about it decades later. De Niro went through a lot for the role; he even paid a dentist to help him prepare for the part.

Robert De Niro | Universal/Getty Images Robert De Niro paid a dentist to get him ready for ‘Cape Fear’

When Robert De Niro agreed to take on the role of Max Cady in Cape Fear, he wasn’t going to do it halfway. De Niro was more than happy to put down money to transform into his character.

Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street is a documentary series directed by Joe Berlinger about the rise and fall of Bernie Madoff, who masterminded one of the largest scale Ponzi schemes.

In four episodes the figure of Bernie Madoff is explored. The man who led the biggest ponzi scheme on Wall Street, who managed 64 billion dollars, a business that played with hedge fund money, regular investors’ money and more. It was a business built on greed.

About the Series

In the center of this series we have this figure who represented the worst of the disaster of 2008, and who actually brought to light the truth at the base of a system that destroyed the mortgage system, and showed how rotten it was.

Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street (2023)

So, in the midst of the carnage there he was, Bernie Madoff, in December of 2008, following his own confession to his children,...

NBC has placed a series order for “The Irrational,” the network announced on Tuesday.

According to the logline, the drama follows Alec Baker, a world-renowned professor of behavioral science, lends his expertise to an array of high-stakes cases involving governments, law enforcement and corporations with his unique and unexpected approach to understanding human behavior. The series is inspired by Dan Ariely’s novel “Predictably Irrational,” which was published in February 2008 by HarperCollins. Ariely will serve as a consultant.

Jesse L. Martin, Maahra Hill, Travina Springer, Molly Kunz and Arash DeMaxi will star.

NBC first ordered the pilot in February along with the drama “Blank Slate” from “The Brave” creator Dean Georgaris.

Known for her work as a writer and producer on popular shows like “La Brea” and “Timeless,” Arika Lisanne Mittman will serve as a writer and executive producer alongside Mark Goffman and Samuel Baum. David Frankel will direct and executive produce.

Robert De Niro is set to star in and executive produce “Mr. Natural,” a crime drama series in the works at Entertainment One, Variety has learned.

The project follows Louis “Mr. Natural” Baron (De Niro), who, fresh off a 30 year-stint in federal prison, hits Palm Springs driven by revenge, a dream to reunite with his stolen family and a dangerous scheme to grab a taste of the Salton Sea’s lithium billions, per the logline for the potential series. There will be blood in the sand and bones in the desert. Palm Springs will never be the same.

Created by Mitch Glazer (“On the Rocks”), the project is envisioned as a multi-season series, with Glazer and De Niro executive producing alongside “Yellowstone’s” Art and John Linson.

eOne does not yet have a platform attached to “Mr. Natural,” but is expected to be taking it out to market soon.

“Mr.

Five years ago, Robert De Niro made his first foray into TV acting with HBO‘s “The Wizard Of Lies,” about businessman fraudster Bernie Madoff. Now, Deadline reports (via Variety) that the two-time Oscar winner has a new TV role in the works over at Netflix, a project that De Niro will also executive produce.

Read More: ‘Inappropriate Behavior’: Bobby Cannavale To Star In Road Trip Comedy With Robert DeNiro, Rose Byrne, Vera Farmiga & More

“Zero Day” will see De Niro in a political thriller as a former US president.

Continue reading ‘Zero Day’: Robert De Niro To Play A Former US President In Upcoming Political Thriller Limited Series At Netflix at The Playlist.

Hollywood star Robert De Niro is set to star in the limited series ‘Zero Day’ currently in the works at Netflix.

The political thriller hails from Eric Newman and Noah Oppenheim, ‘Variety’ reports.

Exact plot details are being kept under wraps, but sources say the show would be a political thriller in which De Niro would play a former US President.

Newman and Oppenheim are the writers and executive producers on the series, with a story by Newman, Oppenheim, and Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Schmidt.

De Niro is one of the best known film stars of all time, having won the Academy Award for best actor and best supporting actor for ‘Raging Bull’ and ‘The Godfather Part II’ respectively.

He has been nominated for seven acting Academy Awards in total, while he also shared in the best picture nomination for ‘The Irishman’, which he produced and in which he also played the lead role.

It’s been a grip since Robert De Niro last hopped over into the world of TV; outside of the occasional cameo (usually as himself), De Niro’s only major expedition on the small screen came in 2017, with HBO’s The Wizard Of Lies, where he played professional Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff for his old pal Barry Levinson.

In what would be his first series regular television role, two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro is set to star in and executive produce Zero Day, a limited series from Eric Newman and Noah Oppenheim, which is in development at Netflix, sources tell Deadline.

Details are being kept under wraps, but we hear De Niro would play a former U.S. President in the political thriller.

Series is written and executive produced by Newman, who is under an overall deal at Netflix, and Oppenheim, with a story by Newman. Oppenheim, journalist and author Michael Schmidt and Jonathan Glickman of Panoramic Media will also executive produce along with De Niro.

Netflix does not confirm or comment on development projects.

Nominated for seven Academy Awards, De Niro won two — best actor for Raging Bull and best supporting actor for The Godfather Part II. He also has received several Emmy nominations, including a...

Robert De Niro is set to star in the first regular TV role of his career. According to Variety, Robert De Niro will star in Zero Day, a limited series in development for Netflix.

Not much is known about Zero Day at the moment, only that the series will be a political thriller which will find Robert De Niro playing a former U.S. President. Eric Newman and Noah Oppenheim (Jackie) are writing and executive producing the series, with a story by Newman, Oppenheim, and Michael Schmidt. Although this would be Robert De Niro’s first regular TV role, he has appeared as himself on Sesame Street, Saturday Night Live, Extras, and 30 Rock. He also played Bernie Madoff in HBO’s TV movie, Wizard of Lies.

Related Cool Action Films We’re Looking Forward To

Robert De Niro was recently seen starring alongside Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington,...

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Robert De Niro is eyeing the first TV lead role of his storied career.

The Oscar winner is attached to star in a Netflix limited series called Zero Day from Narcos showrunner Eric Newman and Noah Oppenheim, the president of NBC News. Details are being kept close to the vest, but the project is said to be a political thriller in which De Niro will play a former president.

Netflix declined to comment.

Newman and Oppenheim will pen a script from a story by Newman, Oppenheim and Michael Schmidt. Newman, who has an overall deal at Netflix, and Oppenheim will executive produce with De Niro and Jonathan Glickman of Panoramic Media.

Should Zero Day get a green light, it will mark the first ongoing series role in De Niro’s career. He scored an Emmy nomination in 2017 for playing Bernie Madoff in HBO...

Robert De Niro is attached to star in the limited series “Zero Day” currently in the works at Netflix that hails from Eric Newman and Noah Oppenheim, Variety has learned exclusively from sources.

Exact plot details are being kept under wraps, but sources say the show would be a political thriller in which De Niro would play a former U.S. President.

Newman and Oppenheim are the writers and executive producers on the series, with a story by Newman, Oppenheim, and Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Schmidt. Jonathan Glickman of Panoramic Media will also executive produce, with De Niro executive producing in addition to starring. Newman and his Grand Electric production company are currently under an overall deal at Netflix.

Netflix does not comment on projects in development. Reps for De Niro, Newman, and Oppenheim did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment. This story will be updated should they reply.

A full decade after the conclusion of Gerald Ford’s presidency, Gena Rowlands starred in a 1987 ABC biopic centered around his wife, simply titled “The Betty Ford Story.” The telefilm offered an honest look into the former first lady’s struggles with prescription drug and alcohol addiction, and Rowlands’s committed performance brought her a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe. Now, there is a chance of history being made if Michelle Pfeiffer ends up also clinching a Golden Globe for her own take on Betty Ford in “The First Lady.”

The Showtime limited series, which aired all 10 of its episodes this spring, follows the lives of three U.S. presidential spouses, with the other two being Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson) and Michelle Obama (Viola Davis). According to Gold Derby’s predictions, Pfeiffer has the best shot of the three at making it into the 2023 Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actress Golden Globe lineup.

A gangster film starring Robert De Niro sounds like a big win for the movies. But do you know what a bigger win is? A gangster film starring not one but two Robert De Niros. The veteran actor is set to play two major roles in Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson's next project from Warner Bros. Discovery, a feature film titled "Wise Guys." The movie fictionalizes two real-life Italian-American crime bosses from the 20th century. De Niro has more than enough understanding of the genre; he has portrayed multiple gangsters throughout his career, from "Mean Streets" to "Goodfellas" and "The Irishman." If there's any actor who can play two leading gangster roles in the same movie, it's De Niro, without a doubt.

It's safe to say that "Wise Guys" is shaping up to be a highly-anticipated project — so we've compiled everything there is to know about it.

What Is Wise Guys About?...

Exclusive: Kathrine Narducci will be working again, not just with Robert De Niro, but also filmmaker Barry Levinson, in the latter’s mob pic Wise Guys at Warner Bros.

Wise Guys is a period piece that follows the story of Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, a pair of Italian Americans running two separate crime families during the mid-20th century. Genovese tried and failed to assassinate Costello in 1957, though the latter wound up taking his leave from the mob after being injured during the attempt on his life. De Niro is reportedly playing both roles. Narducci will play Anna Genovese who is the wife of De Niro’s Vito character. Deadline first told you that Debra Messing is in talks to play Bobbie, the wife of De Niro’s Costello character.

Wise Guys reps the second time that Narducci has worked with Levinson as she played a prominent role in...

In 2017, Kevin Bacon was one of an estimated 40,000 people defrauded by Bernie Madoff in what was the largest Ponzi scheme in history. Now, he is reflecting on the crime with a positive vibe.

On the October 10th episode of the SmartLess podcast–hosted by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Tracey Hayes–Kevin Bacon opened up about being swindled in Bernie Madoff’s infamous Ponzi scheme, which was estimated to be worth around 65 million, a feat not recognized by Guinness. What is, however, is the “most connected actor living”–and it’s not even Kevin Bacon, it’s Harvey Keitel!

Considering Kevin Bacon and his wife Kyra Sedgwick lost millions of dollars in the scheme, the Footloose actor has a remarkably hopeful outlook on the situation. “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger…We just rolled up our sleeves.”

The positivity rings through some rather inspirational thoughts. “There’s obvious life lessons there,...

It's a whole new era for Warner Bros. Discovery, and after being dogged by controversy after controversy for the last several weeks, the studio's focus can finally go back to, you know, the business of funding, making and releasing movies. The first original production under the newly-merged studio, however, can't help but bring back memories of Warner Bros.' golden years with the upcoming project "Wise Guys." In a fascinating wrinkle, two familiar faces with ties to "Goodfellas" will be significantly involved.

As much as audiences have gravitated towards superhero movies these days and Westerns before them, perhaps no genre quite manages to compare to the prestige and sense of storytelling as the classic gangster epic. Legendary movie star Robert De Niro cut his teeth on these movies, rapidly rising through the ranks to become one of the world's most famous actors after performances in classics like "Mean Streets," "The Godfather Part II,...

Barry Levinson and Robert De Niro are getting the band back together for Wise Guys, a period drama that will have you sleeping with the fishes, see? The mob-related project finds Levinson and De Niro joining forces after teaming for the HBO TV movie The Wizard of Lies and the films What Just Happened, Wag the Dog, and Sleepers. Word has it that De Niro will tackle two roles for Wise Guys. Will you be able to handle it?

According to reports, Wise Guys revolves around Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, two Italian-American crime bosses that ruled the streets during the mid-20th century. In 1957, Genovese tried to assassinate Costello but botched the attempt. Costello got injured in the altercation, but the experience prompted him to retire. The thing about the mob is that you can never truly leave that line of life behind. That lifestyle has a way of...

Robert De Niro will be sharing the screen with Hollywood legend Robert De Niro in the upcoming gangster drama “Wise Guys.”

The movie, set at Warner Bros. and intended to play in theaters, will be directed by Barry Levinson, the veteran filmmaker who is best known for “Rain Man” and “Wag the Dog.” It reunites De Niro and Levinson, who previously teamed on “Wag the Dog,” “Sleeper,” the HBO series “The Wizard of Lies” and “What Just Happened.”

“Wise Guys” follows Italian American crime bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, who ran their respective families during the 20th century. In 1957, Genovese tried (and failed) to assassinate Costello, who was ultimately injured and attempted to retire from the mafia. De Niro is expected to portray the two main characters.

Nicholas Pileggi, the co-writer of Martin Scorsese’s crime epic “Goodfellas,” which starred De Niro, is penning the screenplay for “Wise Guys.

Robert De Niro will star in the Warner Bros. mob drama Wise Guys from director Barry Levinson, Deadline can confirm. The project reunites the duo following their collaborations on the Emmy-nominated HBO TV movie The Wizard of Lies, which had De Niro playing Bernie Madoff, and Magnolia Pictures’ 2008 dramedy, What Just Happened, as well as the director’s earlier films Wag the Dog and Sleepers.

Wise Guys is a period piece tells the story of Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, a pair of Italian Americans running two separate crime families during the mid-20th century. Genovese tried and failed to assassinate Costello in 1957, though the latter wound up taking his leave from the mob after being injured during the attempt on his life. We hear that De Niro will be taking on both key roles in the film eyed for release in theaters.

Oscar-nominated Goodfellas scribe Nicholas Pileggi penned the...

Warners’ first original feature of the Warner Bros. Discovery era is here … and it’s a period mobster drama fronted by two Hollywood veterans.

Returning to the genre that made him a household name, Robert De Niro will star in Wise Guys, a feature intended for theatrical distribution that will be directed by Barry Levinson, the filmmaker known for 1980s classic Rain Man and movies such as Wag the Dog.

Nicholas Pileggi, who coincidentally authored Wiseguy, the 1985 book that was the basis for the 1990 De Niro-Martin Scorsese crime classic, Goodfellas, wrote the script. Irwin Winkler, best known for producing the Rocky movies as well as being a producer on Goodfellas, is a producer.

The project is centered on Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, two Italian-American crime bosses that ran their respective families in the middle of the 20th century. In 1957, Genovese...

The Best Movie/Limited Actress race at the 2022 Emmys is so competitive that six of Hollywood’s top leading ladies are fighting just to be nominated. Our current odds have Amanda Seyfried (“The Dropout”), Margaret Qualley (“Maid”), Jessica Chastain (“Scenes from a Marriage”), Lily James (“Pam and Tommy”), Julia Garner (“Inventing Anna”) and Julia Roberts (“Gaslit”) taking the six slots available. But which former Oscar nominees (or winners) could play spoiler when nominations are revealed on July 12? There are six within striking distance.

Viola Davis is in seventh position for her portrayal of Michelle Obama in Showtime’s “The First Lady.” There are 10 experts currently predicting Davis will be nominated, along with three editors, four of our Top 24 users and six All-Stars. She won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “Fences” (2016) and was nominated on three other occasions for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (2020) “The Help” (2011) and “Doubt” (2008). The Academy...

Billy Crystal is set to star in the limited series “Before” at Apple, Variety has learned.

Crystal will star in the show as Eli, a child psychiatrist who recently lost his wife when he encounters a troubled young boy. Crystal will also executive produce in addition to starring.

The series comes from writer Sarah Thorp, who is also an executive producer. Barry Levinson will direct and executive produce, with Eric Roth also executive producing. Paramount Television is producing the series for Apple.

The show marks a return to television for Crystal, who broke out in his role as Jodie Dallas in the hit 1970’s comedy “Soap.” More recently, he starred in the short-lived FX series “The Comedians” opposite Josh Gad and reprised the voice role of Mike in the Disney+ animated series “Monsters at Work.” Crystal is primarily known for his successful film career, starring in hit features like “City Slickers,...

Exclusive: AMC Networks has acquired North American rights to Monsieur Spade, a one-hour drama starring Clive Owen from The Queen’s Gambit co-creator Scott Frank and City On A Hill showrunner Tom Fontana. Black Bear Television also has joined as the series’ studio and will deficit finance.

FilmNation Entertainment (I Know This Much Is True) will handle international distribution outside of North America. French production company Haut et Court TV will co-produce and handle local production services.

The series will be shot in France this summer. Pre-production is underway.

Co-written by Fontana & Frank, and to be directed by Frank, Monsieur Spade centers around writer Dashiell Hammett’s great detective Sam Spade (Owen), the protagonist of Hammett’s 1930 classic The Maltese Falcon. Monsieur Spade finds Spade (Owen) in the South of France in 1963 at the end of the Algerian War, years after the events depicted in The Maltese Falcon.

A trio of powerhouse actors inhabit the lives of three powerhouse political women on Showtime’s “The First Lady.” Emmy winner Gillian Anderson plays Eleanor Roosevelt; Oscar, Emmy and Tony winner Viola Davis plays Michelle Obama; and Golden Globe winner Michelle Pfeiffer plays Betty Ford. Pfeiffer is the only one of the three main stars to not have an Emmy, though she did earn a nomination for 2017’s “The Wizard of Lies.” However, that could change once Emmy voters get a look at Pfeiffer giving a career-best performance.

Pfeiffer arguably has the most difficult job in the series as Ford might be considered the least well-known of the three first ladies. After all, Michelle Obama’s tenure in the White House only ended in the past decade and she continues to maintain a high public profile. Meanwhile, Eleanor Roosevelt, the nation’s longest serving first lady, is still revered as...

This week we’ve got a ton of brand-new content, from a prestige Apple TV+ thriller featuring a time traveling serial killer to the real-life tales of Watergate, Navalny, the Holocaust, and the making of “The Godfather.” Plus, we say goodbye to the longest-running Netflix original comedy series. As you can tell, this is a lot!

On with the television!

“Shining Girls”

Friday, April 29, Apple TV+

Apple TV+

“Shining Girls,” based on the novel by South African author Lauren Beukes, has an ingenious premise. Jamie Bell plays a time-traveling serial killer who targets special young women (the “shining girls” of the title). In the 1980s, he leaves one girl standing, who then decides to hunt him down. Of course, that girl is Elisabeth Moss, who through roles on “Mad Men,” “Top of the Lake” and “Handmaid’s Tale”, has become one of the most exciting and emotionally acute performers working today.

Betty Ford will be Michelle Pfeiffer's last first lady. Pfeiffer stars as the title character—wife of 38th President Gerald Ford—in Showtime's new series The First Lady, and in a recent interview, the 63-year-old revealed that she will never portray a real person again. Why? Because "it's very weighty and it's with you all the time." She has previously played real people—including Ruth Madoff in The Wizard of Lies and LouAnne Johnson in Dangerous Minds—but this series marked a turning point for her. "I said I would never do it again," Pfeiffer told Entertainment Weekly. "Every choice you make, and you just want to honor the person that...

The Best Limited Series/TV Movie Actress race is already shaping up to be one of the most competitive ones at the Emmys. That is due in part to Showtime’s “The First Lady,” which premieres on Sunday, April 17 at 9/8c and could inaugurate not one, not two, but three nominees: Gillian Anderson, Viola Davis and Michelle Pfeiffer.

An anthology series reframing American leadership through the lens of three first ladies, the first installment, directed by Emmy winner Susanne Bier (“The Night Manager”), stars Davis as Michelle Obama, Pfeiffer as Betty Ford and Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt, and delves into the women’s personal and political lives, exploring everything from their journeys to Washington, their family life and their world-changing political contributions, making their impact visible.

Of the three leading ladies, Davis is currently ranked the highest in our early combined Emmy odds, sitting in second place, just behind Margaret Qualley...

What does it take to escape painful memories? Harry Haft’s own struggle to overcome his personal trauma is the basis for “The Survivor.” The true story of coming to grips with unspeakable evil and its lingering influences marks a theatrical return for Barry Levinson. The director’s most recent projects saw him helm selected mini-series episodes along with HBO movies like “Paterno” and “Wizard of Lies.

Continue reading ‘The Survivor’ Trailer: Ben Foster Fights For His Life In Barry Levinson’s Auschwitz Drama Hitting HBO On April 27 at The Playlist.

David E. Kelley’s upcoming Peacock crime drama “The Missing” has tapped Barry Levinson to direct multiple episodes, including the first. He will also executive produce the series.

“The Missing” is based on Dror A. Mishani’s 2011 novel “The Missing File” and follows Avraham Avraham (Jeff Wilbusch), an NYPD detective whose belief in mankind is his superpower when it comes to uncovering the truth. He is guided by a deep sense of spirituality and religious principles but is left to question his own humanity when a seemingly routine investigation turns upside down. The cast also includes Juliana Canfield as the eager and newly minted NYPD detective Janine Harris, Karen Robinson as the tough and loyal captain Helen Davies and Michael Mosley as the sardonic veteran detective Earl Malzone.

Levinson is best known for directing films including “Rain Man,” “Good Morning, Vietnam” and “Wag the Dog.” Most recently, he directed the...

It’s not easy being in the White House… even if you’re not the President.

Showtime has released a trailer for The First Lady — premiering Sunday, April 17 at 9/8c — which tells the story of three of the most famous Presidential wives in American history. Viola Davis (How to Get Away With Murder) stars as Barack Obama’s wife Michelle Obama, with Gillian Anderson (The Crown) playing Fdr’s wife Eleanor Roosevelt and Michelle Pfeiffer (The Wizard of Lies) playing Betty Ford, wife of Gerald Ford.

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HBO announced today that Academy Award winner Barry Levinson’s latest film, The Survivor, starring Ben Foster, will premiere on the premium cabler on April 27 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt, in honor of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)—subsequently becoming available for streaming on HBO Max.

The HBO Original is based on Alan Haft’s book, Harry Haft: Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano. It tells the incredible true story of Haft (Foster), who after being sent to Auschwitz, survived not only the unspeakable horrors of the camp, but the gladiatorial boxing spectacle he was forced to perform with his fellow prisoners for the amusement of his captors. Unbeknownst to those who try to destroy him, Haft’s will to survive is driven by his quest to reunite with the woman he loves.

Levinson previously directed the HBO films Paterno, The Wizard of Lies and You Don’t Know Jack,...