Actualités

Exclusive: Screenwriter J S Mayank has been tapped by producers Kate Cohen, Alexander Vesely and Tony Robbins to join Oscar nominee and Bafta winner Lesley Paterson (All Quiet on the Western Front) in writing the feature adaptation of Viktor Frankl‘s classic treatise, Man’s Search for Meaning.

Paterson had been writing the script with her husband and writing partner Simon Marshall, as was reported in Deadline a year ago. At the time, Marshall had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Marshall died last June.

After taking some time to regroup and grieve, the filmmaking team undertook a search for someone to team up with Paterson.

“Finding a writing partner who could understand and support me on this journey while at the same time servicing this masterpiece felt like an impossible ask,” says Paterson. “J S has stepped into this role seamlessly and I’m so honored and relieved to have teamed up with him.

David Lynch is widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, known for classics like Twin Peaks and The Elephant Man. The latter, in particular, remains one of the most poignant biopics ever made, telling the tragic tale of Joseph Merrick, the deformed Victorian-era artist known as "The Elephant Man." Now, Jack Huston, well-known for his acting roles in Boardwalk Empire and American Hustle, is set to helm the upcoming remake of David Lynch's 1980s biopic, honoring the legacy of the late filmmaker who passed away in January 2025.

Backed by Phoenix Pictures, the film will be titled Joseph Merrick, and Kate Cohen, David Dobkin, and Mike Medavoy will produce it. While many adaptations have explored Merrick's life, David Lynch's 1980 film, starring John Hurt, remains the best version yet, earning eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.

The remake will shine a light on...

Jack Huston, known for his acting work in Boardwalk Empire and American Hustle, has come aboard to direct a biopic centered on Joseph Merrick, the deformed Victorian Age artist known as The Elephant Man.

Phoenix Pictures is backing the feature, titled Joseph Merrick, which will be produced by Kate Cohen, Mike Medavoy and David Dobkin. Huston will also produce.

Production is looking to start later this year.

Merrick was an object of fascination during his life, and his story resonated beyond his lifetime. He was a man who was incredibly deformed and was used as a circus freak while a teenager and became an object of curiosity by London society as well as scientific circles, but he was also an artist whose work broke beyond the limits of his sometimes confined life. David Lynch directed an Oscar-nominated biopic that starred John Hurt in 1980, titled The Elephant Man, and the man has appeared in countless books,...

Marvel Cinematic Universe hitmaker Jac Schaeffer will break ground for Disney+'s upcoming Holes adaptation. The WandaVision and Agatha All Along director will helm the pilot episode of the streaming giant's reimagined take on the beloved YA classic by Louis Sachar. Disney Branded Television ordered a pilot on the series last month, with Variety exclusively reporting the high-profile directing announcement on Feb. 20.

Schaeffer nestles into the director's chair on the heels of her critically lauded run on Agatha All Along. The sought-after filmmaker joins an already impressive fleet of creatives attached to Holes, including rising screenwriter Alina Mankin handling scripting duties and industry vet Liz Phang acting as showrunner.

Holes Disney+ Reboot To Feature Female Lead An All-Star Creative Team Will Reimagine Stanley Yelnats

The adaptation boldly gender-flips the protagonist from Sachar's 1998 novel, swapping out the palindrome protagonist Stanley Yelnats for a teenage girl. The original premise, which follows juvenile...

Disney+ is bringing Holes back to the screen with a fresh twist, and they’ve tapped WandaVision and Agatha All Along creator Jac Schaeffer to direct the pilot episode. This new adaptation of Louis Sachar’s beloved 1998 young adult novel will feature a gender-swapped lead, offering a new perspective on the classic tale.

The original Holes novel follows Stanley Yelnats, a boy who is wrongfully sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention center where boys are forced to dig holes under the scorching sun. Though the camp claims this builds character, Stanley soon realizes they’re actually searching for something buried beneath the dried-up lake. The story weaves themes of fate, friendship, and redemption, making it a favorite among readers for decades.

In this upcoming TV adaptation, the story will center on a teenage girl who, like Stanley, is sent to a harsh detention camp where the campers must...

Agatha All Along and WandaVision creator Jac Schaeffer is taking on another Disney+ project.

Schaeffer will direct the pilot episode of the streamer’s upcoming gender-swapped Holes television series, Deadline has confirmed.

The adaptation of Louis Sachar’s 1998 novel was announced in January, reimagining the story with a female lead.

Written by Alina Mankin with Liz Phang as showrunner, Holes the series centers on a teenage girl who is sent to a detention camp where the ruthless Warden forces the campers to dig holes for a mysterious purpose.

Phang and Mankin executive produce with Drew Goddard and Sarah Esberg of Goddard Textiles; the movie’s producer Mike Medavoy; Walden Media, which was behind the 2003 feature; as well as rights holder Shamrock. 20th Television, where Goddard is under a first-look deal, is the studio.

Schaeffer is represented by Curate, CAA, and attorney Erik Hyman.

Variety was first to report the news of Schaeffer’s directing role.

The new “Holes” TV series has filled in a key role: Jac Schaeffer, creator of the Marvel Studios series “WandaVision” and “Agatha All Along,” will direct the pilot episode for the Disney+ production, Variety has learned exclusively.

Disney Branded Television ordered the show to pilot in January (as first reported by Variety), with Alina Mankin serving as writer and executive producer and Liz Phang serving as showrunner and executive producer. The logline for this adaptation of Louis Sachar’s 1998 book shifts the story to focus on a teenage girl, who “is sent to a detention camp where the ruthless Warden forces the campers to dig holes for a mysterious purpose.”

As well as serving as showrunner and executive producer on “Agatha All Along,” Schaeffer directed Episodes 1, 2, and 7 of the show, the latter of which especially won wide acclaim last fall for its complex, time-hopping structure and performance showcase for costar Patti LuPone.

Disney+ is bringing Holes back to life with a new TV series adaptation, and the project has officially been ordered to pilot. The series will reimagine Louis Sachar’s beloved 1998 novel, but this time, it introduces a fresh twist by centering the story around a teenage girl.

Like the original, the new protagonist finds herself at a detention camp where the Warden forces campers to dig mysterious holes in the desert.

The original book followed Stanley Yelnats, a boy sent to Camp Green Lake for a crime he didn’t commit. Over time, Stanley uncovers his family’s deep connection to the camp and its secrets. Published in 1998, the novel became a massive success, winning the National Book Award and the Newbery Medal, and selling millions of copies worldwide.

Sachar also penned a sequel, Small Steps, and a companion book, Stanley Yelnats’ Survival Guide to Camp Green Lake.

The upcoming...

Disney+ has ordered to pilot a series based on the acclaimed book from Louis Sachar, “Holes,” an individual with knowledge of the project told IndieWire. The project will be a new take on the story, this time gender-swapping the characters to make it about a teen girl sent to the desert to toil away in the dirt.

The Disney+ series will be a project of 20th Century Television’s and will be executive produced by Drew Goddard via his Goddard Textiles banner, with Alina Mankin serving as writer and EP and Liz Phang serving as showrunner and EP.

No cast was announced.

Sachar’s “Holes” from 1998 was previously adapted into a 2003 Disney film starring Shia Labeouf, which made $71 million worldwide against a $20 million budget. The novel too sold millions of copies and won the Newbery Medal for children’s literature as well as the National Book Award. It tells the...

Louis Sachar’s 1998 novel Holes and its 2003 Disney movie adaptation are getting a TV series treatment with a twist. Disney+ had handed out a pilot order to a potential series that reimagines the story with a female lead, Deadline has confirmed.

Written by Alina Mankin with Liz Phang as showrunner, Holes the series centers on a teenage girl who is sent to a detention camp where the ruthless Warden forces the campers to dig holes for a mysterious purpose.

Phang and Mankin executive produce with Drew Goddard and Sarah Esberg of Goddard Textiles; the movie’s producer Mike Medavoy; Walden Media, which was behind the 2003 feature; as well as rights holder Shamrock. 20th Television, where Goddard is under a first-look deal, is the studio.

Directed by Andrew Davis from a script by Sachar, the film starred Shia Labeouf as Stanley, who gets sentenced to 18 months of hard labor at Camp Green Lake,...

More than two decades after Holes was released in movie theaters, the feature film by Walt Disney Pictures is set to be rebooted for the small screen.

Per Variety, it has been reported that the 2003 movie Holes is getting rebooted at Disney+. The streamer has reportedly put in a pilot order for a reboot series that's based on the original book of the same name by author Louis Sachar. This new reboot is not expected to be connected to the feature film adaptation, as the official logline for the pilot reads, "In this reimagining of the beloved 1998 book from Louis Sachar, a teenage girl is sent to a detention camp where the ruthless Warden forces the campers to dig holes for a mysterious purpose.”

Related Why Disney Recast Genie in Aladdin: The Return of Jafar (& Why Robin Williams Returned)

Robin Williams' Genie was a fan-favorite in Aladdin, and his exit...

Disney+ is digging up a familiar IP for its next original series.

The streamer is developing a gender-swapped TV series of the 1998 Louis Sachar novel Holes, for which a pilot has been ordered, our sister site Variety reports. Disney previously adapted the book into a 2003 big-screen feature starring Shia Labeouf.

More from TVLineSkeleton Crew Recap: Lightsaber Action, Clue to Supervisor's Identity (?) Tee Up Next Week's Season FinaleKathryn Hahn on Possible Agatha Season 2: 'Am I Personally Done With Playing This Witch? No.'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Trailer Lets Fwip! With Classic TV Theme Song - Watch

According to the official logline,...

A “Holes” TV series has been ordered to pilot at Disney+, Variety has learned exclusively.

The potential show would be based on the book of the same name by Louis Sachar, which was previously adapted into a 2003 feature film by Walt Disney Pictures.

Alina Mankin serves as writer and executive producer, while Liz Phang will serve as showrunner and executive producer. Drew Goddard will executive produce via Goddard Textiles along with Sarah Esberg. Walden Media, which produced the film, is also producing the pilot and has been attempting to get a series version of the book off the ground for some time, according to sources. Mike Medavoy will executive produce with rights holder Shamrock executive producing. Andrea Massaro of Goddard Textiles is a co-executive producer. 20th Television, where Goddard is based, is the studio.

Related: Drew Goddard on How ‘High Potential’ Brought Him Back to Broadcast, Adapting ‘Holes’ for TV...

“Oh, Canada” writer/director Paul Schrader has very little appreciation for the money men in Hollywood and Michael Ovitz is one of the most notorious of them all. Having founded Creative Artists Agency in 1975 and served as its chairman until 1995, when he went on to hold a brief stint as president of The Walt Disney Company. Ovitz was responsible for shaping the careers of Tom Cruise, Kevin Costner, Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, and many more. He also worked closely with Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, two past collaborators of Schrader who the filmmaker feels fell victim to Ovitz’s control. In a recent interview with Vulture, Schrader discussed the challenge of actors aging out of roles, but in relation to De Niro specifically, felt Ovitz was to blame for all the bad films he’s been a part of.

“You had to deal with the devil,” Schrader said. “The devil was named Mike Ovitz.

How did Arnold Schwarzenegger replace O.J. Simpson in The Terminator? ( Photo Credit – Flickr )

Imagine if O.J. Simpson, not Arnold Schwarzenegger, was the cyborg in The Terminator! A twist of fate turned the NFL star into a “what if?” in Hollywood history. Let’s dive into the drama that led to Arnie’s rise as the definitive Terminator—and how a twist of fate turned a casting curveball into one of cinema’s most legendary roles.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: From Reese to the Terminator

Initially, Schwarzenegger wasn’t even eyeing the Terminator role; he was up for Kyle Reese, the human resistance fighter. “I wanted to play Reese,” Schwarzenegger said, recounting how he and Cameron butted heads over the casting. Meanwhile, O.J. Simpson was reportedly in talks to step into the Terminator’s leather boots, already cast by the studio (though no contract was signed).

Cameron had other ideas. During his discussions with Schwarzenegger,...

The Terminator franchise is one of the greatest and most important sci-fi franchises of all time. Envisioned by legendary director James Cameron after a fever dream that involved a metallic entity with kitchen knives. It became a cult classic movie and later a whole franchise that is still active even today.

The first movie was released back in 1984 and has since gained a cult following. No true sci-fi fan will tell you that The Terminator is bad, or, to be more precise, that it is not, in fact, one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made. And from a cinematic aspect, we can agree.

And while the role of the Terminator, or the Cyberdyne Systems Model 101, or simply T-800, was immortalized by Arnold Schwarzenegger in one of his best roles, did you know that someone else was initially considered for the role before James Cameron turned down that idea? Keep...

(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)

James Cameron is the unquestioned king of the box office. "Avatar" is, by a considerable margin, the highest-grossing movie of all time and, before all's said and done, it could be the only movie in history to touch $3 billion worldwide. Cameron also owns two of the other spots in the top four globally with "Avatar: The Way of Water" and "Titanic." He's been doing it on the biggest scale for a long, long time. But it certainly didn't start out that way. Early on, the blockbuster maestro was simply looking for a way to meaningfully break into Hollywood.

"My contemporaries were all doing slasher-horror movies. John Carpenter was the guy I idolized the most," Cameron once admitted (per Den of Geek). "He...

Ketchup Entertainment founder Gareth West has partnered with Zero Gravity Management and Ozark producer Mark Williams on a new television division.

The venture will operate as a division of Ketchup Entertainment dedicated to producing and acquiring premium series, with Ketchup also serving as the US distributor.

The partnership will focus on shows across multiple genres, ranging from thrillers and historical dramas to sci-fi and crime. The first slate of original projects is in development, while the acquisitions team is looking at completed shows. The partners anticipate releasing the inaugural series by mid-2025.

“This partnership allows us to create and distribute entertaining,...

This article contains a discussion of sexual assault.

A new retrospective focused on Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece "Pulp Fiction" in Variety revealed the that notorious — and disgraced — producer Harvey Weinstein had a very clear idea regarding the film's casting, and he was ultimately overruled.

Journalist Todd Gilchrist spoke to a ton of people involved with the Oscar-winning film and learned, through executive producer Danny DeVito, executive producer Michael Shamberg, and producer Lawrence Bender, that Weinstein really wanted Daniel Day-Lewis to play Vincent Vega, the role that ultimately went to John Travolta. DeVito had an overall development deal at TriStar Pictures and got final cut on his projects there. As he recalled, he spoke to Weinstein, who insisted that Day-Lewis — who had just won his Academy Award for "My Left Foot — play Vincent.

"I said, 'The director wants John Travolta,'" DeVito told Gilchrist. "I told this kid I've got final cut,...

Celebrating its 30th anniversary on Oct. 14, “Pulp Fiction” has left a massive footprint on moviemaking.

Originally conceived as an anthology by writer-director Quentin Tarantino and his longtime friend, collaborator and Video Archives coworker Roger Avary, the film evolved into a funny, violent, endlessly inventive, non-linear odyssey. In addition to reviving the career of John Travolta, minting a star in Samuel L. Jackson and spawning a still-thriving cottage industry of knockoffs and imitation films, “Pulp” earned the 1994 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or, seven Academy Award nominations and one win (for Tarantino and Avary’s screenplay), while its commercial success ($213 million off of an $8.5 million budget) forever changed the economics of independent cinema.

To commemorate the legacy and impact of “Pulp Fiction,” Variety spoke with more than 20 members of the film’s cast and crew to solicit their experiences and recollections. Armed with more than 100 pages of interviews, we’ve elected...

Shawn and Serena Levy have found their place with A Sense of Home.

The couple will be honored at the nonprofit’s fourth annual gala, set to take place at the L.A. home of Ted Sarandos and Nicole Avant on Oct. 24. The Levys are longtime champions of the organization, which works to prevent homelessness by creating first homes and a community for youth aging out of the foster care system. Their support is said to have been vital in furthering A Sense of Home’s work.

In a joint statement, the Levys said it’s an honor to be acknowledged for their support “but it is even more of an honor” to contribute to A Sense of Home’s mission and the lives changed by its work, led by founder and CEO Georgie Smith.

“Our involvement with A Sense of Home for close to a decade now has been...

Disney blockbuster Alien: Romulus crawls into 676 cinemas at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office, as the first title in the franchise since 2017’s Alien: Covenant.

Directed by Fede Alvarez, Alien: Romulus is set between the events of 1979’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens, and sees a group of young space colonists scavenging a derelict space station and coming face-to-face with a xenomorph alien.

Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues wrote the script, based on characters by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett. Civil War and Priscilla star Cailee Spaeny leads the cast, alongside Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced and Screen Stars of Tomorrow David Jonsson and Spike Fearn.

Tom Hanks has been one of the most celebrated actors in the industry, with his performances in numerous acclaimed films like Forrest Gump and Cast Away. However, his career took a turn for good in the 1990s, when he earned acclaim for his movies like A League of Their Own and Sleepless in Seattle.

Sleepless in Seattle (1993) | Credit: IMDb

The latter was a huge blockbuster and is still considered to be one of the most successful romantic comedy films of all time, marking the beginning of Hanks’ modern era of filmmaking. However, that might not have happened, as the filmmakers initially considered Dennis Quaid to star alongside his ex-wife.

Tom Hanks Almost Lost His Sleepless in Seattle Role to Dennis Quaid

Director Nora Ephron initially set her sights on casting Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in the 1993 romantic comedy. However, the script and storyline underwent changes with various directors and actors involved during that period.

Exclusive: Ketchup Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Ozi, Voice of the Forest, an animated feature produced by Appian Way Productions, Mike Medavoy and Gci Film, which features a voice cast led by Amandla Stenberg.

World premiering at last year’s Annecy Animation Film Festival, the film is slated for a wide theatrical rollout later this year.

The film, directed by Tim Harper, follows Ozi (Stenberg), an orphan orangutan who uses her influencer skills to save her forest and home from deforestation.

Intended to raise awareness around the issues our planet’s rainforests face due to growing levels of deforestation, and how this affects ecosystems and climate change, the film also features the voices of Dean Charles Chapman, Djimon Hounsou, Donald Sutherland, Laura Dern, RuPaul Charles, and Urzila Carlson. Intended as the first film in a climate-themed franchise, to be followed by Ocean — a film now in development — it...

Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio’s collaboration has always turned out to be a spectacular deal as both personalities bring out their best charm on the projects. While the former makes sure to come up with a unique narrative for audiences to get hooked on, the latter showcases his skills, which is one reason why he’s reigning in fans’ hearts.

Martin Scorsese | Credit: Wikipedia Commons/Harald Krichel

The duo reunited for the 2010 psychological thriller project, Shutter Island which garnered widespread acclaim from critics and viewers. Although it faced a major Oscar snub, one would be surprised to know how the legendary filmmaker ended up helming that project.

Martin Scorsese Was Instantly Hooked With Leonardo DiCaprio’s Shutter Island Script

The 2010 era was surely Leonardo DiCaprio‘s as he garnered global acclaim for his portrayal of Dom Cobb in Christopher Nolan‘s Inception movie. It went on to nab four...

Mel Brooks’s Young Frankenstein, co-written with Gene Wilder (seen here with Marty Feldman and Teri Garr) inspired Tony McNamara’s screenplay adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s novel for Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things (Oscar wins for Emma Stone and costume designer Holly Waddington).

By using well-chosen excerpts from the audiobook of Gene Wilder’s autobiography, Kiss Me Like A Stranger, Ron Frank lets Wilder himself guide us through the documentary, by positioning him in dialogue with many friends and colleagues assembled here, most prominently Mel Brooks, who directed Wilder in a number of groundbreaking movies. We find out how the two met, because Anne Bancroft, starring at the time on stage in Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage (with Wilder as the Chaplain), was dating Brooks, who was looking for an actor to play Leo Bloom in what was to become The Producers. The two men clicked, as they both recall,...

"The Terminator" is a perfect movie. /Film's own Jacob Hall has argued director James Cameron has never surpassed it. Cameron knows how to get his money's worth from Titanic-sized budgets and the filmmaking world is a better place when he gets to reach the peak of his ambitions. Still, "The Terminator" — a lean sci-fi slasher that's both exciting and foreboding — shows that Cameron could still spin gold with more modest tools.

Even if "The Terminator" isn't much of an actor's picture, it's well-cast, particularly Michael Biehn as haggard time traveler Kyle Reese and, of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular cyborg assassin. This film was a key step in Schwarzenegger's climb to being the biggest movie star in the world. Even so, it's something of a Hollywood legend how these two weren't the initial picks for these roles.

In particular, it's spread through the grapevine that O.J. Simpson was considered to star as the Terminator.

Exclusive: Producer Kate Cohen (Jane Got a Gun) has tapped Oscar nominee Lesley Paterson (All Quiet on the Western Front) and Simon Marshall to script a feature adaptation of Viktor Frankl’s classic treatise, Man’s Search for Meaning. For Paterson’s husband and writing partner, Marshall, the project has taken on particular resonance of late, having just been diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer.

Translated into 50 languages, with over 16 million copies sold, Frankl’s riveting account of his time in the Nazi concentration camps, and his exploration of the human will to find meaning in spite of unspeakable adversity, has offered solace and guidance to generations of readers since it was first published in 1946. At the heart of his work is the conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but rather the pursuit of meaning.

Producer Kate Cohen

Set to produce under her Straight Up...

The episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? covering The Silence of the Lambs was Written by Mike Holtz, Narrated by Adam Walton, Edited by Victoria Verduzco, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

A serial killer who has excellent taste in music but happens to skin women alive. Another serial killer who eats his victims and sometimes wears their faces. A prison inmate who throws his bodily fluids in the face of passers-by and freaking Bugs. Welcome to the 1992 Academy Awards Ceremony. Wait, what? That’s right kids! Do you enjoy listening to Primus and want to see Hannibal Lecter make potato chips out of each one of your eyelids? Once upon a time, horror put on its best face; Literally, and was the belle of the fanciest ball of them all. And every little girl deserves to go to the ball.

Exclusive: “This is a beautiful piece of art that I had no idea was going to resonate so deeply with me,” Regina King declared at last night’s overflowing tastemaker screening of Ava DuVernay’s Origin. “It’s a film about connectivity,” the Oscar winner added to the heavy hitter crowd. “I believe this is a film that will be studied in Anthropology classes for years and years to come.”

“Stunning, thank you,” King even more bluntly said of Origin to When They See Us vets DuVernay and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and wide applause from influential onlookers.

In a rare public appearance, the acclaimed actor and director took center stage with DuVernay and Ellis-Taylor Thursday to praise and delve into the film based on Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson’s 2020 bestseller Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents. The screening at West Hollywood’s London hotel was just the latest in a...

Quentin Tarantino Once Fought Hard To Get This MCU Actor Over Johnny Depp For His Film Pulp Fiction ( Photo Credit – Wikimedia; IMDb; Facebook )

Johnny Depp might be one of the biggest Hollywood stars, but sometimes, for some filmmakers, that is not enough to feature in a film. Celebrated director Quentin Tarantino is a prime example of such a director who chose this MCU star over Depp for his cult classic Pulp Fiction. The 1994 film had an ensemble cast of Bruse Willis, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Samuel L Jackson, John Travolta, and more.

The film boasts Tarantino’s cinematic brilliance and a gripping plotline, telling the stories revolving around two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits. On the other hand, Depp was already a massive movie star with some blockbusters in his filmography. The Pirates of the Caribbean star was already a...

His predictive sci-fi action film "Minority Report" was still several years away, but in 1997, Steven Spielberg could already see the future.

At that time, Spielberg was an executive producer of "The Mask of Zorro," and during production, he sensed something in the air. In an interview earlier this year, "Zorro" star Antonio Banderas recounted what the famed filmmaker told him:

"Steven Spielberg said to me once when we were shooting, 'This is probably going to be one of the last Westerns shot in the way the Westerns were shot in the old days, with real scenes and real horses, where everything is real, real sword fighting, no CGI.' Everything was practical. And he said, 'But things are going to change. They're going to change and they're gonna change fast. And so you should be proud of this movie.' And I am, probably even more now than at the...

Update: In celebration of Sam Raimi’s The Quick and the Dead being added to The Criterion Channel as part of this month’s Women of the West series, Sharon Stone is clarifying her involvement in some of the casting. The popular story is that Stone paid the salaries of her then-unknown co-stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, but on Instagram she’s saying that’s only partially true with her giving credit to producer Mike Medavoy for at least part of the casting.

“Yes, I paid @leonardodicaprio’s salary out of mine. No I didn’t pay @russellcrowe’s, but I did ask for the film to be delayed two weeks so we could get him here from Australia, and our producer @mikemedavoyup agreed to the delay. And to cover those expenses.”

Whatever the case, Stone certainly helped both actors get a foothold, with DiCaprio following The Quick and the Dead...

Exclusive: Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook) and Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) will lead the cast of the upcoming feature film The Wonder Yard from writer Beth Curry. Lauren Miller Rogen (Like Father) is set to direct.

Elevate Entertainment will produce alongside Lylas Pictures. Concourse Media has attached to finance and handle worldwide sales, repping domestic sales alongside CAA.

The Wonder Yard follows Dinah (Weaver), who becomes a widow after 50 years of marriage. Following her husband’s death, Dinah throws her energy into building an eclectic wonderland in her front yard. Her adult children wonder if their mom has lost it, but through her wonder yard, Dinah discovers it’s never too late to chase a dream as she finds her voice, herself, and love at the seasoned age of 73.

Shalhoub will portray Yusuf, a Middle-Eastern man who finds a second lease on life when he becomes invested in Dinah’s journey.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was honored with the inaugural Award of Courage at Holocaust Museum LA’s annual gala on Monday for his longtime fight against antisemitism and bigotry.

The event, held at the Beverly Hills Hotel, was particularly timely due to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, and counted 27 Holocaust survivors as guests of the evening. Holocaust Museum LA, celebrating its 15th annual gala, is the oldest Holocaust museum in the U.S., and board chair Guy Lipa started off the event by noting, “our community it devastated by the atrocities committed by Hamas. We are angry and scared when we see violent antisemitism in our backyard and around the globe, but I am heartened seeing our community come together tonight.”

Schwarzenegger was presented his award by producer Mike Medavoy, who the star credited as launching his acting career after becoming a successful bodybuilder. Looking back on his life, Schwarzenegger said he had...

At a time when antisemitism is rising throughout the United States, Hollywood icon and former professional bodybuilder and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger – an Austrian native whose father Gustav Schwarzenegger was a Nazi soldier in Austria during World War II – is being honored by Holocaust Museum LA with its inaugural Award of Courage during the group’s 15th annual gala Monday night (November 6) at the Beverly Hills Hotel. He will be presented the award by Oscar-nominated producer Mike Medavoy and will be joined by a dozen octogenarian, nonagenarian and centenarian Holocaust survivors.

Schwarzenegger, an Emmy winner who has been a vocal opponent of antisemitism and hate speech for many years, was greatly moved last year by a visit to the Nazi death camp in Auschwitz, Poland and posted a lengthy video last March on his YouTube page, In the video, he spoke directly to those who are “at the crossroads” of...

Ozi: Voice of the Forest, the star-studded animated feature produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, has been picked up by Signature Entertainment for the U.K. and Ireland.

The film, produced by Gci Film and Appian Way, features the vocal talents of Laura Dern (Marriage Story), Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games), Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond), RuPaul (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Dean Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones) and Rachel Shenton (All Creatures Great and Small).

Directed by Tim Harper (Roary the Racing Car) from a screenplay by Ricky Roxburgh (Tangled) and with animation by French studio Mikros, the feature follows a young orangutan who’s separated from her parents. Growing up in an animal sanctuary, she uses her influencer skills to save her parents and home from deforestation. The movie will carry the Climate Change Stripes created by Professor Ed Hawkins and Reading University, designed to visualize climate change and spark conversation.

The legend of Dracula is explored from a new angle with The Last Voyage of the Demeter, based on “The Captain’s Log,” the seventh chapter in Bram Stoker’s influential novel.

The film’s home video release includes an audio commentary with director André Øvredal and producer Bradley J. Fischer, among other special features.

Here are eight things I learned from the Last Voyage of the Demeter commentary:

1. The Last Voyage of the Demeter spent 21 years in development.

Phoenix Pictures acquired the rights to the film, originally titled Demeter, over two decades before the movie made its way to the screen.

“It’s been a solid 21 years since my producing partners, Mike Medavoy, Arnie Messer, and I, optioned the screenplay that we adapted into this film,” Fischer explains at the beginning of the commentary.

“And I’ve been part of it for something like three years, I think,” adds Øvredal.

Movie-goers rejected Dracula not just once but twice this uear. Universal released two well-reviewed Dracula projects – the horror comedy Renfield and the more serious The Last Voyage of the Demeter – and both of them tanked at the box office. Renfield couldn’t even crack the $27 million mark at the global box office, and Demeter barely made it over the $20 million mark. Trying to recoup some of their losses, Universal gave The Last Voyage of the Demeter a VOD release just two and a half weeks after it reached theatres. Now it has been announced that the film will be receiving a digital, Blu-ray, and DVD release on October 17th – and it’s coming to home video with deleted scenes and an alternate opening.

Escaping development hell twenty years after the script was first written (Bragi F. Schut and Zak Olkewicz receive writing credits on the finished film), The Last Voyage of the Demeter...

2023 is a year when movie-goers rejected Dracula not just once but twice. Universal released two well-reviewed Dracula projects this year – the horror comedy Renfield and the more serious The Last Voyage of the Demeter – and both of them tanked at the box office. Renfield couldn’t even crack the $27 million mark at the global box office, and Demeter, which reached theatres on August 11th, has only made $15 million so far. Hoping to have better luck in the home video market, Universal has already given The Last Voyage of the Demeter a digital release, and you can check it out at This Link.

Escaping development hell twenty years after the script was first written (Bragi F. Schut and Zak Olkewicz receive writing credits on the finished film), The Last Voyage of the Demeter is based on a single chapter, the Captain’s Log, from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula. The film...

Two of the Masters of Horror have weighed in on the latest film on the legend of Dracula.

Stephen King and Guillermo del Toro have given their very positive reviews over on Twitter.

I enjoyed Last Voyage of the Demeter so much: gorgeous, lavish and savage!!

— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) August 10, 2023

I was doubtful about The Last Voyage Of The Demeter, but it's a throat-ripping good time. It reminded me of the best of the Hammer movies from the 60s and 70s.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) August 10, 2023

Based on a single chilling chapter from Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula, the film opens in theaters August 11.

Watch the new ‘A Look Inside’ Featurette.

Get tickets now: demetermovie.com/tickets

Based on a single chilling chapter from Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula, The Last Voyage of the Demeter tells the terrifying story of the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to...

Dracula's hot. The bloodsucker always has been, it seems, dating back cinematically for more than a century. But with this year's Empire V and Renfield, along with upcoming films like Robert Eggers' Nosferatu and a possible Dracula remake from Chloé Zhao, it seems like vampires are trending. One of the most distinct Dracula movies to come along in a while, however, is the gothic new film The Last Voyage of the Demeter.

The film is inspired by the Captain's Log portion of Bram Stoker's Dracula novel, which is a brilliant idea; the section essentially works as a self-contained story, very different from the overdone adaptations of the book as a whole. It turns the vampiric count into clandestine cargo on a schooner headed to England, where he'll own property and have a wider array of prey. The ship's captain and crew then become the major players here, as they...

Universal Pictures’ The Last Voyage of the Demeter, which is based on a single chapter, the Captain’s Log, from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula, is set to reach theatres this Friday, August 11th, and Universal has recently been promoting the film by releasing multiple clips – like the one you can see in the embed above. Now they’ve unveiled a featurette that puts the spotlight on this film’s version of the legendary Dracula, played by popular creature performer Javier Botet, whose credits include Mama and the recent It adaptations. To get a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of this Dracula, check out the featurette at the bottom of this article.

Escaping development hell twenty years after the script was first written, The Last Voyage of the Demeter tells the story of the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to carry private cargo – fifty unmarked wooden crates – from Carpathia to London.

Director André Øvredal has revealed that his latest Dracula film The Last Voyage of Demeter, borrows heavily from Alien.

In a promotional event with Universal Pictures, Øvredal, best known for Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, shared how Ridley Scott's 1979 cult sci-fi horror thriller Alien influenced his latest movie, The Last Voyage of the Demeter. Øvredal described the film as having an "Alien-style" storyline, set in 1897 on the ocean, with Dracula taking the place of the alien monster. The confined setting, reminiscent of Ridley Scott's Alien, combined with the mystery surrounding the crew's encounters with the supernatural, adds depth and tension as the crew faces supernatural encounters.

Related: 10 Old Monster Movies That Still Hold Up

The filmmaker also praised director Steven Spielberg for his ability to maintain humanity even in the midst of horror, which served as a significant inspiration for The Last Voyage of the Demeter. He...

Universal Pictures’ The Last Voyage of the Demeter, which is based on a single chapter, the Captain’s Log, from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula, is set to reach theatres this Friday, August 11th… and if you don’t want to wait for more days to see the film’s version of Dracula in action, all you have to do is watch the new clip embedded above! The clip shows Dracula, played by Javier Botet (Mama), attacking the crew of the titular ship.

Escaping development hell twenty years after the script was first written, The Last Voyage of the Demeter tells the story of the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to carry private cargo – fifty unmarked wooden crates – from Carpathia to London. Strange events befall the doomed crew as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage, stalked each night by a merciless presence onboard the ship. When the Demeter...

Where to Watch Powered by The Last Voyage of the Demeter is an original take on Dracula, set on a merchant ship in 1897, creating a visual space in a world of world creation. The movie's visual style combines realistic lighting with contrasts between light and dark, creating a black-and-white movie effect. The director aimed to create an original version of Dracula, portraying him as a creature of nature, starting as an old fragile man and transitioning into a demonic presence.

Delve into an underexplored chapter of Dracula with The Last Voyage of the Demeter. Adapted from "The Captain's Log" chapter of Bram Stoker's novel, the movie revolves around the ill-fated crew of the eponymous merchant ship as they find themselves tormented by the iconic vampire.

Corey Hawkins leads the star-studded cast of The Last Voyage of the Demeter alongside Aisling Franciosi, David Dastmalchian, Javier Botet, Liam Cunningham, and Woody Norman.

Where to Watch Powered by Holes has remained beloved over the years due to its imaginative and intelligent family-friendly entertainment that combines various genres and perfectly captures the essence of its source material. Nostalgia plays a significant role in the lasting love for Holes, as the film's style, aesthetics, and soundtrack reflect the early 2000s, invoking a strong sense of nostalgia for fans who grew up during that time period. The film's strong cast, including Shia Labeouf and Khleo Thomas, also contributes to its enduring appeal, and the reunion event showcased the continued bond among the actors.

Twenty years later, Holes stars Shia Labeouf and Khleo Thomas reunite at a cast reunion. Released in 2003, the movie mainly follows the heartfelt relationship between Stanley (played by Labeouf), who is falsely accused of stealing a pair of sneakers and sent to a juvenile detention camp, and his fellow inmate Zero (played by...

Universal Pictures’ The Last Voyage of the Demeter, which is based on a single chapter, the Captain’s Log, from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula, is set to reach theatres on August 11th. We’re now just ten days away from that date, and to help build the hype Universal has released a featurette that gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the film. You can check it out in the embed above.

Escaping development hell twenty years after the script was first written, The Last Voyage of the Demeter tells the story of the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to carry private cargo – fifty unmarked wooden crates – from Carpathia to London. Strange events befall the doomed crew as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage, stalked each night by a merciless presence onboard the ship. When the Demeter finally arrives off the shores of England, it is a charred,...

Enter the contest below for the chance to win a pair of passes to attend an advance screening of The Last Voyage of the Demeter on Wednesday, August 9th at 7:00pm at the Mjr Troy Grand Digital Cinema 16!

Based on a single chilling chapter from Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula, The Last Voyage of the Demeter tells the terrifying story of the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to carry private cargo—fifty unmarked wooden crates—from Carpathia to London.

Strange events befall the doomed crew as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage, stalked each night by a merciless presence onboard the ship. When the Demeter finally arrives off the shores of England, it is a charred, derelict wreck. There is no trace of the crew.

The film stars Corey Hawkins as Clemens, a doctor who joins the Demeter crew, Aisling Franciosi as an unwitting stowaway, Liam Cunningham...

Universal Pictures Presents The Most Terrifying Film Of The Summer, The Last Voyage Of The Demeter – only in theaters on Friday August 11th.

Based on a single chilling chapter from Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula, The Last Voyage Of The Demeter tells the terrifying story of the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to carry private cargo—fifty unmarked wooden crates—from Carpathia to London.

Strange events befall the doomed crew as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage, stalked each night by a merciless presence onboard the ship. When the Demeter finally arrives off the shores of England, it is a charred, derelict wreck. There is no trace of the crew.

The film stars Corey Hawkins as Clemens, a doctor who joins the Demeter crew, Aisling Franciosi as an unwitting stowaway, Liam Cunningham as the ship’s captain and David Dastmalchian as the Demeter’s first mate.

Rated R.