After the March 28 friends, family, and industry screening for Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” at Universal’s CityWalk AMC in IMAX, reactions were wild. Some said it was his most ambitious film since “Apocalypse Now;” another described it to Puck as “batshit crazy.” Made for $120 million and bankrolled entirely by Coppola through the sale of one of his vineyards, it incorporates new VFX techniques — ones, the filmmakers hope, will be seen on the biggest screens possible.
For that to happen, it will need a major theatrical deal and the filmmakers are now in talks with distributors and major studios. However, those entities have been particularly risk averse these days — and while Coppola is a legend, he hasn’t made a commercial success in three decades.
The film’s stars include Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, and Giancarlo Esposito; maybe, say, Paramount or Universal want to be back in the Coppola business.
For that to happen, it will need a major theatrical deal and the filmmakers are now in talks with distributors and major studios. However, those entities have been particularly risk averse these days — and while Coppola is a legend, he hasn’t made a commercial success in three decades.
The film’s stars include Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, and Giancarlo Esposito; maybe, say, Paramount or Universal want to be back in the Coppola business.
- 4/2/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Ben Lanzarone, the composer, arranger, musical director and pianist who wrote music for such shows as Dynasty, Happy Days, Mr. Belvedere and The Tracey Ullman Show, has died. He was 85.
Lanzarone died Friday in his Los Angeles home of lung cancer, his family announced.
The Brooklyn native toured with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Art Garfunkel, Mary Travers, Anthony Newley, Petula Clark, Lainie Kazan and Mason Williams and for Broadway served as the musical director on the original 1972-1980 production of Grease and arranger on 1972’s Via Galactica and 1975’s Truckload.
His long association with TV producers Aaron Spelling and Douglas S. Cramer resulted in scores for Dynasty, The Colbys, The Love Boat, Vega$, Matt Houston and Hotel.
And for production companies led by Thomas Miller, Edward Milkis and/or Bob Boyett, he came up with music for episodes of Happy Days (including the one in 1977 when Henry Winkler’s...
Lanzarone died Friday in his Los Angeles home of lung cancer, his family announced.
The Brooklyn native toured with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Art Garfunkel, Mary Travers, Anthony Newley, Petula Clark, Lainie Kazan and Mason Williams and for Broadway served as the musical director on the original 1972-1980 production of Grease and arranger on 1972’s Via Galactica and 1975’s Truckload.
His long association with TV producers Aaron Spelling and Douglas S. Cramer resulted in scores for Dynasty, The Colbys, The Love Boat, Vega$, Matt Houston and Hotel.
And for production companies led by Thomas Miller, Edward Milkis and/or Bob Boyett, he came up with music for episodes of Happy Days (including the one in 1977 when Henry Winkler’s...
- 2/19/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Composer Ben Lanzarone, whose work was featured in television shows such as “Happy Days,” “The Love Boat” and “Dynasty,” died of lung cancer in Los Angeles on Feb. 16. He was 85.
Lanzarone received ASCAP’s “Most Performed Composer Award” for his work composing television scores. He wrote for episodes of “The Tracy Ullman Show,” “The Jay Leno Comedy Hour” and” Mr. Belvedere.” In association with Aaron Spelling and Doug Cramer, he composed many scores for “Dynasty,” “The Love Boat,” “Vegas,” “Matt Houston,” “The Colbys” and “Hotel.” In addition, he wrote the music for numerous episodes of “Happy Days,” “Laverne and Shirley” and “Mork and Mindy.”
Also an arranger, musical director and pianist, Lanzarone became a force in popular music when he began associating with Bob Crewe and Charles Fox. Lanzarone’s album “In Classic Form” came as a result of their collaboration, showing off his talent as a classical and jazz pianist.
Lanzarone received ASCAP’s “Most Performed Composer Award” for his work composing television scores. He wrote for episodes of “The Tracy Ullman Show,” “The Jay Leno Comedy Hour” and” Mr. Belvedere.” In association with Aaron Spelling and Doug Cramer, he composed many scores for “Dynasty,” “The Love Boat,” “Vegas,” “Matt Houston,” “The Colbys” and “Hotel.” In addition, he wrote the music for numerous episodes of “Happy Days,” “Laverne and Shirley” and “Mork and Mindy.”
Also an arranger, musical director and pianist, Lanzarone became a force in popular music when he began associating with Bob Crewe and Charles Fox. Lanzarone’s album “In Classic Form” came as a result of their collaboration, showing off his talent as a classical and jazz pianist.
- 2/19/2024
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
Rita McKenzie, known for staging the longest-running one-woman show in theatrical history, died Feb. 17 in Los Angeles days before her 77th birthday. She succumbed to what her family described as a long-term illness.
A powerhouse stage voice and theatrical personality, McKenzie’s 1988 off-Broadway one-woman show, Ethel Merman’s Broadway, became the longest-running one- woman show in theatrical history.
McKenzie had a wide theatrical resume. She played Lita Encore in the Los Angeles premiere of Ruthless! The Musical and reprised the role in the recent New York revival of the show.
She also performed a wide range of stage roles throughout the U..S , including Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes!, appeared in the 50th Anniversary tour of Annie Get Your Gun, played Rose in Gypsy, and starred in a three-year U.S. tour of Neil Simon’s The Female Odd Couple, co-starring with Barbara Eden.
Additionally, she was the opening act...
A powerhouse stage voice and theatrical personality, McKenzie’s 1988 off-Broadway one-woman show, Ethel Merman’s Broadway, became the longest-running one- woman show in theatrical history.
McKenzie had a wide theatrical resume. She played Lita Encore in the Los Angeles premiere of Ruthless! The Musical and reprised the role in the recent New York revival of the show.
She also performed a wide range of stage roles throughout the U..S , including Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes!, appeared in the 50th Anniversary tour of Annie Get Your Gun, played Rose in Gypsy, and starred in a three-year U.S. tour of Neil Simon’s The Female Odd Couple, co-starring with Barbara Eden.
Additionally, she was the opening act...
- 2/18/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Rita McKenzie, the actress and singer best known for her boisterous performances in the one-woman show Ethel Merman’s Broadway, died Saturday in Los Angeles after a long illness, her husband, talent agent Scott Stander, announced. She was 76.
McKenzie first starred on stage as the powerful Merman — star of such iconic Broadway hits as Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun, Gypsy and Hello, Dolly! — in New York in 1988.
Belting out tunes like “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “I Got Rhythm” and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” McKenzie toured throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia in what many consider the longest-running one-woman show in theatrical history.
She also starred in parts that Merman made famous: Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes!, the gunslinger in a 50th anniversary tour of Annie Get Your Gun and Rose in Gypsy.
Watch her perform here.
A native of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, McKenzie starred...
McKenzie first starred on stage as the powerful Merman — star of such iconic Broadway hits as Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun, Gypsy and Hello, Dolly! — in New York in 1988.
Belting out tunes like “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “I Got Rhythm” and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” McKenzie toured throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia in what many consider the longest-running one-woman show in theatrical history.
She also starred in parts that Merman made famous: Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes!, the gunslinger in a 50th anniversary tour of Annie Get Your Gun and Rose in Gypsy.
Watch her perform here.
A native of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, McKenzie starred...
- 2/18/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Francis Ford Coppola adds a further six minutes, as One From The Heart Reprise is set to land on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in March.
While he puts together his pretty much self-funded $100m+ passion project Megaolopolis, Francis Ford Coppola is also continuing to tune some of his older movies. This time? It’s One From The Heart that he’s reworked, with a new edition of the film going by the name One From The Heart Reprise.
The movie dates back to 1982, and is a musical comedy drama that was heavily billed as from the director of The Godfather I & II and Apocalypse Now. The film being advertised was nothing like those though. It was headlined by Frederic Forrest, Teri Garr, Raul Julia, Nastassja Kinski, Lainie Kazan and Harry Dean Stanton, and it fell hard at the box office.
Costing $26m and with Coppola relying on independent funding to get it made,...
While he puts together his pretty much self-funded $100m+ passion project Megaolopolis, Francis Ford Coppola is also continuing to tune some of his older movies. This time? It’s One From The Heart that he’s reworked, with a new edition of the film going by the name One From The Heart Reprise.
The movie dates back to 1982, and is a musical comedy drama that was heavily billed as from the director of The Godfather I & II and Apocalypse Now. The film being advertised was nothing like those though. It was headlined by Frederic Forrest, Teri Garr, Raul Julia, Nastassja Kinski, Lainie Kazan and Harry Dean Stanton, and it fell hard at the box office.
Costing $26m and with Coppola relying on independent funding to get it made,...
- 1/22/2024
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
Francis Ford Coppola’s “One From the Heart: Reprise” is getting a restored re-release.
The 1982 film, which follows a couple in Las Vegas, landed a “Reprise” cut with more than 19 minutes of additional footage in September 2023, debuting at the Venice Film Festival. Overseen by Coppola, the 4K restoration of the “Reprise” cut comes courtesy of distributor Rialto Pictures, which will release the film in select theaters on January 19.
“I’ve always loved ‘One from the Heart,’ despite the disruption it caused in my dreams for American Zoetrope,” Coppola said. “However, there is magic in cinema and while preparing this film for 4K, it was apparent I could refine the story. This new version is an improvement in many ways and I am proud of what was achieved with ‘One from the Heart: Reprise.'”
“One From the Heart” centers on Hank (Frederic Forrest} and Frannie (Teri Garr) who break up on their fifth anniversary.
The 1982 film, which follows a couple in Las Vegas, landed a “Reprise” cut with more than 19 minutes of additional footage in September 2023, debuting at the Venice Film Festival. Overseen by Coppola, the 4K restoration of the “Reprise” cut comes courtesy of distributor Rialto Pictures, which will release the film in select theaters on January 19.
“I’ve always loved ‘One from the Heart,’ despite the disruption it caused in my dreams for American Zoetrope,” Coppola said. “However, there is magic in cinema and while preparing this film for 4K, it was apparent I could refine the story. This new version is an improvement in many ways and I am proud of what was achieved with ‘One from the Heart: Reprise.'”
“One From the Heart” centers on Hank (Frederic Forrest} and Frannie (Teri Garr) who break up on their fifth anniversary.
- 12/15/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
While Francis Coppola plans to set cinema alight in 2024 with his final epic Megalopolis, the Oscar-winner will begin the year with a revisit of one his most misunderstood efforts, One From The Heart. That’s the 1981 picture that Coppola threw himself into so hard, creatively and financially, that his American Zoetrope had to declare bankruptcy when it failed to draw audiences. It took Coppola years to build back his fortune with film hits and a win empire, to the current situation where he was able to self finance the $100 million+ Megalopolis.
Specialty distributor Rialto Pictures is bringing a brand-new 4K restoration of One From The Heart: Reprise to theaters on January 19. Coppola supervised the reprise cut, which will be released in New York and Los Angeles before rolling out to additional cities across the U.S. StudioCanal and Park Circus will be releasing the film in cinemas and home entertainment...
Specialty distributor Rialto Pictures is bringing a brand-new 4K restoration of One From The Heart: Reprise to theaters on January 19. Coppola supervised the reprise cut, which will be released in New York and Los Angeles before rolling out to additional cities across the U.S. StudioCanal and Park Circus will be releasing the film in cinemas and home entertainment...
- 12/15/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Film director Michelle Danner has finished Principal Photography on The Italians, a quirky dramedy about family, love and Italian cooking. With Federico Verardi as director of Photography, the film finished shooting in LA. The film stars Matthew Daddario, Rob Estes, David DeLuise, Perrey Reeves, Olivia Luccardi, with Lainie Kazan and Abigail Breslin.
Written by Lisa Visca, The Italians shows the Vitali Family, an Italian-American family, as they meet their son’s new fiance who is decidedly Not Italian.
Danner states: “This is a deeply touching story about loving family, forgiving family and irresistible Italian food.”
The Italians is Danner’s eighth directorial project following on the heels of her latest success, “Miranda’s Victim,” was released this fall and told the incredible true story about the creation of the Miranda Warning after the brutal assault on 18 year old Patricia Weir.
Danner is also an acting teacher and co-founder of the...
Written by Lisa Visca, The Italians shows the Vitali Family, an Italian-American family, as they meet their son’s new fiance who is decidedly Not Italian.
Danner states: “This is a deeply touching story about loving family, forgiving family and irresistible Italian food.”
The Italians is Danner’s eighth directorial project following on the heels of her latest success, “Miranda’s Victim,” was released this fall and told the incredible true story about the creation of the Miranda Warning after the brutal assault on 18 year old Patricia Weir.
Danner is also an acting teacher and co-founder of the...
- 11/17/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
By the time "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3" hit theaters this year, a whole lot had happened between the popular franchise's second installment and its third. On screen, Nick (Louis Mandylor) got separated, Maria (Lainie Kazan) developed dementia, and Ian (John Corbett) retired. Offscreen, Andrea Martin gained new stardom playing demon-hunting nun Sister Andrea in the Paramount+ series "Evil," while the cast also lost one co-star -- Michael Constantine, who passed away in 2021.
The new movie's plot hinges around the aftermath of patriarch Gus' (Constantine) death, as Toula (Nia Vardalos) explains in the film's trailer that it was Gus' last wish that the family visit his childhood village in Greece. Thus, instead of a wedding, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3" actually centers around a family reunion with all the cultural flair you'd expect from the Portokalos family. If you missed the movie in theaters, you won't have to...
The new movie's plot hinges around the aftermath of patriarch Gus' (Constantine) death, as Toula (Nia Vardalos) explains in the film's trailer that it was Gus' last wish that the family visit his childhood village in Greece. Thus, instead of a wedding, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3" actually centers around a family reunion with all the cultural flair you'd expect from the Portokalos family. If you missed the movie in theaters, you won't have to...
- 10/29/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Netflix Debuts Trailer for Part 1 of “The Crown” Final Season
Closer than ever to coronation, Netflix has released the trailer for Part 1 of the sixth and final season of its hit period drama “The Crown.”
The final season of the series will span 1997-2005 with the four-episode Part One depicting the relationship between Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki) and Dodi Fayed (Khalid Abdalla) and the 1997 car crash in Paris that killed them.
Watch the trailer for “The Crown” Season 6, Part 1 below:
The 21-time Emmy winner will also star Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Dominic West as Prince Charles, Claudia Harrison as Princess Anne, Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles, Bertie Carvel as Tony Blair, and Salim Daw as Mohamed Al Fayed, as well as Rufus Kampa as Prince William and Fflyn Edwards as Prince Harry in Part 1 and Ed McVey as William,...
Closer than ever to coronation, Netflix has released the trailer for Part 1 of the sixth and final season of its hit period drama “The Crown.”
The final season of the series will span 1997-2005 with the four-episode Part One depicting the relationship between Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki) and Dodi Fayed (Khalid Abdalla) and the 1997 car crash in Paris that killed them.
Watch the trailer for “The Crown” Season 6, Part 1 below:
The 21-time Emmy winner will also star Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Dominic West as Prince Charles, Claudia Harrison as Princess Anne, Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles, Bertie Carvel as Tony Blair, and Salim Daw as Mohamed Al Fayed, as well as Rufus Kampa as Prince William and Fflyn Edwards as Prince Harry in Part 1 and Ed McVey as William,...
- 10/27/2023
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Always trust the nuns.
Warner Bros. and New Line’s The Nun II kicked off the fall box office with a pleasing $32.6 million domestic opening from 3,726 theaters, more than enough to scare away The Equalizer 3 and win the weekend. Moviegoers between ages 18 and 34 made up a whopping 67 percent of ticket buyers, while the pic skewed slightly female (52 percent).
In 2018, The Nun opened to $53.8 million domestically on its way to earning $365.6 million at the worldwide box office — the top showing for any title in The Conjuring horror franchise, not adjusted for inflation. While the sequel’s domestic start came in behind the first film’s debut, no one is complaining. Overall domestic revenue for the weekend hit an estimated $88.9 million, up 118 percent over the same year last weekend.
Overseas, The Nun II launched to a rousing $52.7 million from 69 markets for an early foreign tally of $52.7 million, including scoring the biggest...
Warner Bros. and New Line’s The Nun II kicked off the fall box office with a pleasing $32.6 million domestic opening from 3,726 theaters, more than enough to scare away The Equalizer 3 and win the weekend. Moviegoers between ages 18 and 34 made up a whopping 67 percent of ticket buyers, while the pic skewed slightly female (52 percent).
In 2018, The Nun opened to $53.8 million domestically on its way to earning $365.6 million at the worldwide box office — the top showing for any title in The Conjuring horror franchise, not adjusted for inflation. While the sequel’s domestic start came in behind the first film’s debut, no one is complaining. Overall domestic revenue for the weekend hit an estimated $88.9 million, up 118 percent over the same year last weekend.
Overseas, The Nun II launched to a rousing $52.7 million from 69 markets for an early foreign tally of $52.7 million, including scoring the biggest...
- 9/10/2023
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“The Nun II” spooked the box office with $13 million on opening day, including $3.1 million in previews.
The ninth and latest chapter in Warner Bros. “Conjuring” series is expected to open around to $31.3 million this weekend from 3,728 locations, a drop from the record-setting original movie but enough to surpass Denzel Washington and Sony’s “The Equalizer 3.” The 2018 “Nun” original scored the highest opening of a movie in the “Conjuring” universe with $53.8 million, and it’s the series’ highest-grossing worldwide with $365.5 million.
Taissa Farmiga and Bonnie Aarons return as Sister Irene and the titular Nun, respectively, with Jonas Bloquet, Storm Reid and Anna Popplewell joining the franchise. Filmmaker Michael Chaves returns to the series after previously directing “The Curse of La Llorona” and “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.”
“The Nun II” is aiming to land in the middle of the “Conjuring” universe, likely beating the opening weekends of...
The ninth and latest chapter in Warner Bros. “Conjuring” series is expected to open around to $31.3 million this weekend from 3,728 locations, a drop from the record-setting original movie but enough to surpass Denzel Washington and Sony’s “The Equalizer 3.” The 2018 “Nun” original scored the highest opening of a movie in the “Conjuring” universe with $53.8 million, and it’s the series’ highest-grossing worldwide with $365.5 million.
Taissa Farmiga and Bonnie Aarons return as Sister Irene and the titular Nun, respectively, with Jonas Bloquet, Storm Reid and Anna Popplewell joining the franchise. Filmmaker Michael Chaves returns to the series after previously directing “The Curse of La Llorona” and “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.”
“The Nun II” is aiming to land in the middle of the “Conjuring” universe, likely beating the opening weekends of...
- 9/9/2023
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Warner Bros.’ New Line movie division should have no trouble scaring off the competition and winning this weekend’s box office contest. The Nun II — which officially kicks off the fall season after a busy summer — is hoping to open to $30 million domestically or more after earning $3.1 million in Thursday previews.
In 2018, The Nun opened to $53.8 million domestically on its way to grossing a stellar $365.6 million at the worldwide box office, the top showing for any title in The Conjuring horror franchise, not adjusted for inflation (that included a preview gross of $5.4 million).
“You can’t keep a good demon down — not when they can still bring in the crowds,” writes Frank Scheck in his review of the sequel for The Hollywood Reporter.
Set in 1956, the sequel sees Taissa Farmiga — the real-life sister of Conjuring star Vera Farmiga — return as Sister Irene, who, despite her gentle demeanor, can handle any demonic challenge.
In 2018, The Nun opened to $53.8 million domestically on its way to grossing a stellar $365.6 million at the worldwide box office, the top showing for any title in The Conjuring horror franchise, not adjusted for inflation (that included a preview gross of $5.4 million).
“You can’t keep a good demon down — not when they can still bring in the crowds,” writes Frank Scheck in his review of the sequel for The Hollywood Reporter.
Set in 1956, the sequel sees Taissa Farmiga — the real-life sister of Conjuring star Vera Farmiga — return as Sister Irene, who, despite her gentle demeanor, can handle any demonic challenge.
- 9/8/2023
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on Wbgr-fm on September 7th, 2023, reviewing “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3,” the third film that highlights that wacky Greek family. In theaters on September 8th.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Nia Vardalos is back as Toula, the Greek bride from the classic first film and now the middle aged Mom of college daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris) and wife of Ian (John Corbett). The dying wish of Toula’s father is that she take his journal about his hometown Greek village and deliver it back to his childhood friends. When the gang take the trip to the village, with Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin) and Aunt Frieda (Maria Vacratsis), as well as brother Nick (Louis Mandylor), it’s not what they expect, since the village seems to only be populated by a wacky mayor named Victory (Melinda Kotse-lou) and a scary...
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Nia Vardalos is back as Toula, the Greek bride from the classic first film and now the middle aged Mom of college daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris) and wife of Ian (John Corbett). The dying wish of Toula’s father is that she take his journal about his hometown Greek village and deliver it back to his childhood friends. When the gang take the trip to the village, with Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin) and Aunt Frieda (Maria Vacratsis), as well as brother Nick (Louis Mandylor), it’s not what they expect, since the village seems to only be populated by a wacky mayor named Victory (Melinda Kotse-lou) and a scary...
- 9/8/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
(L to R) John Corbett as “Ian”, Maria Vacratsis as “Aunt Frieda”, Melina Kotselou as “Victory”, Nia Vardalos as “Toula”, Elena Kampouris as “Paris”, Andrea Martin as “Aunt Voula”, and Elias Kacavas as “Aristotle” in writer/director Nia Vardalos’ My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, a Focus Features release. Courtesy of Yannis Drakoulidis / Focus Features
Did we need a My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3? Somebody thought so. Sure, the first one was charming, a word-of-mouth surprise hit romantic comedy, with both laughs and love in a big, close Greek-American family, when a young woman, Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos), upends family expectations by marrying a non-Greek man, Ian Miller (John Corbett). There has already been one sequel, and despite the sequels’ titles, Toula is not getting married again, as she is still married to that first non-Greek guy from the original movie. What both sequels do is let us spend more time with the large,...
Did we need a My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3? Somebody thought so. Sure, the first one was charming, a word-of-mouth surprise hit romantic comedy, with both laughs and love in a big, close Greek-American family, when a young woman, Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos), upends family expectations by marrying a non-Greek man, Ian Miller (John Corbett). There has already been one sequel, and despite the sequels’ titles, Toula is not getting married again, as she is still married to that first non-Greek guy from the original movie. What both sequels do is let us spend more time with the large,...
- 9/8/2023
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Image: Focus Features
Way back in 2002, a relatively obscure little indie film achieved the seemingly impossible, capturing the imagination of audiences and racking up more than $350 million at the worldwide box office, becoming the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time. Written by and starring Nia Vardalos, My Big Fat Greek Wedding centered on the shy,...
Way back in 2002, a relatively obscure little indie film achieved the seemingly impossible, capturing the imagination of audiences and racking up more than $350 million at the worldwide box office, becoming the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time. Written by and starring Nia Vardalos, My Big Fat Greek Wedding centered on the shy,...
- 9/8/2023
- by Justin Lowe
- avclub.com
Ever been invited to a family reunion you had no desire to attend? You may be tired of seeing your relatives and listening to their familiar routines, which can be downright annoying at times. But then you force yourself to go and you find that you have a good time after all, at least for a little while.
That’s roughly the experience of seeing My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, the latest chapter in the saga of the eccentric Portokalas family previously seen in the wildly popular 2002 original and its much less successful 2016 sequel (the less said about the short-lived 2003 sitcom spin-off My Big Fat Greek Life, the better). If you enjoyed spending time with Nia Vardalos’ Toula and the rest of her extended clan, you’ll probably have a good time again, even if the characters and jokes are wearing thin with repetition.
And as a special treat,...
That’s roughly the experience of seeing My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, the latest chapter in the saga of the eccentric Portokalas family previously seen in the wildly popular 2002 original and its much less successful 2016 sequel (the less said about the short-lived 2003 sitcom spin-off My Big Fat Greek Life, the better). If you enjoyed spending time with Nia Vardalos’ Toula and the rest of her extended clan, you’ll probably have a good time again, even if the characters and jokes are wearing thin with repetition.
And as a special treat,...
- 9/7/2023
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Give me a word, any word,” Michael Constantine’s Gus Portokalos implored to anyone who would listen in 2002’s My Big Fat Greek Wedding, “and I’ll show you how the root of that word is Greek.” The old man’s words recur early on in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, spoken not by the Portokalos patriarch (Constantine himself died in 2021), but by his grieving daughter, Toula (Nia Vardalos), reminding her own daughter, Paris (Elena Kampouris), of Gus’s grinning legacy and the gaping hole he’s left behind.
Toula is doing her father’s voice and smiling when she delivers that tribute, but there are tears in her eyes too. The laughs here, for both characters and audiences, tend to echo through the gauze of nostalgia, making the film an unexpectedly moving entry in the franchise, if not an uproariously funny one. It’s certainly the most successful sequel,...
Toula is doing her father’s voice and smiling when she delivers that tribute, but there are tears in her eyes too. The laughs here, for both characters and audiences, tend to echo through the gauze of nostalgia, making the film an unexpectedly moving entry in the franchise, if not an uproariously funny one. It’s certainly the most successful sequel,...
- 9/7/2023
- by Dan Rubins
- Slant Magazine
Back in 2002, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” introduced mainstream audiences to all the heartwarming moments, overbearing relatives, and downright craziness of coming from a large Greek-American family. Somehow, Nia Vardalos’ breakout rom-com spurred a two-decade-long trilogy; sadly, the third installment relies too heavily on its stunning Corfu scenery instead of an actual plot.
This is Vardalos’ first time in the director’s chair for the trilogy that she penned; “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” is also Vardalos’ sophomore directorial effort overall. It shows. Jokes fall flat while attempts at seriousness are downright hilarious in their off-tone delivery.
Vardalos is back as Toula Portakolos, the new head of the family after her father Gus passed away and her mother (Lainie Kazan) now suffers from dementia. Toula is determined to carry out her dad’s last wish of bringing his old journal to his childhood friends, whom he left in their...
This is Vardalos’ first time in the director’s chair for the trilogy that she penned; “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” is also Vardalos’ sophomore directorial effort overall. It shows. Jokes fall flat while attempts at seriousness are downright hilarious in their off-tone delivery.
Vardalos is back as Toula Portakolos, the new head of the family after her father Gus passed away and her mother (Lainie Kazan) now suffers from dementia. Toula is determined to carry out her dad’s last wish of bringing his old journal to his childhood friends, whom he left in their...
- 9/7/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Nia Vardalos stars as “Toula” and John Corbett stars as “Ian” in writer/director Nia Vardalos’ My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, a Focus Features release. Courtesy of Yannis Drakoulidis / Focus Features It was a big fat Greek reunion for John Corbett, as he reunited with Nia Vardalos, Lainie Kazan, Gia Carides, and several other actors who have appeared in the Big Fat Greek Wedding films. Working with the other returning cast members on My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, Corbett told said, it was easy to rekindle that old chemistry and pick up where they’d left off. (Click on the media bar below to hear John Corbett) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/John_Corbett_My_Big_Fat_Greek_Wedding_3_.mp3 My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 opens in theaters on Friday.
The post Going ‘Greek’ Again Was Simple For John Corbett appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
The post Going ‘Greek’ Again Was Simple For John Corbett appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 9/4/2023
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
If all you knew about Francis Ford Coppola’s epic-scale 1982 musical “One from the Heart” was that it’s reportedly “brain food” for the “Joker” sequel “Folie à Deux”, you might think it was more successful. Coppola’s first film after a decade-long run that included two “Godfathers,” “Apocalypse Now,” and “The Conversation” is a nostalgic musical about two ordinary people trying to rekindle their romance on the outskirts of Las Vegas.
A kitsch throwback in the vein of “New York, New York,” it was an even bigger disaster, and ultimately more ruinous for its director. Costing nearly twice its initial $15 million budget (admittedly not a terrible ratio for Coppola), it grossed only $8 million. Within 18 months, Coppola’s studio was bankrupt and, by 1992, he’d filed for a third time.
A new “refined” cut and 4K-scanned restoration, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, is a reminder of the technical...
A kitsch throwback in the vein of “New York, New York,” it was an even bigger disaster, and ultimately more ruinous for its director. Costing nearly twice its initial $15 million budget (admittedly not a terrible ratio for Coppola), it grossed only $8 million. Within 18 months, Coppola’s studio was bankrupt and, by 1992, he’d filed for a third time.
A new “refined” cut and 4K-scanned restoration, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, is a reminder of the technical...
- 9/1/2023
- by Adam Solomons
- Indiewire
‘The Amityville Murders’ – A Ghoulish and Exploitative Look at the DeFeo Murders [The Amityville IP]
Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”
There’s something frustrating about a film that begins with a lot of potential, and then thoroughly squanders it.
Writer/director Daniel Farrands’ The Amityville Murders is one such film. It’s one of the few “true” entries from the last dozen or so films, in that it actually tackles the Amityville story by focusing on the true crime murders of the DeFeo family. It’s well-shot, looks good, has mostly decent (albeit broad) performances.
These are all things that many of the IP cash-grab entries have been lacking.
Unfortunately it’s also incredibly sensational, relies too heavily on repetitive supernatural elements, and – most egregiously – features a distasteful ending that highlights Farrands’ unfortunate tendency to exploit real life tragedy for cash.
If the name sounds familiar,...
There’s something frustrating about a film that begins with a lot of potential, and then thoroughly squanders it.
Writer/director Daniel Farrands’ The Amityville Murders is one such film. It’s one of the few “true” entries from the last dozen or so films, in that it actually tackles the Amityville story by focusing on the true crime murders of the DeFeo family. It’s well-shot, looks good, has mostly decent (albeit broad) performances.
These are all things that many of the IP cash-grab entries have been lacking.
Unfortunately it’s also incredibly sensational, relies too heavily on repetitive supernatural elements, and – most egregiously – features a distasteful ending that highlights Farrands’ unfortunate tendency to exploit real life tragedy for cash.
If the name sounds familiar,...
- 8/29/2023
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
Clockwise from upper left: Napoleon (Columbia/AppleTV+), The Marvels (Disney), Wish (Disney),
A Haunting In Venice (20th Century Studios), The Exorcist: Believer (Universal)Graphic: Libby McGuire
For those who embraced the summer of 2023’s great pop culture phenomenon, Barbenheimer, not only would the cast and crew of each film like to thank you,...
A Haunting In Venice (20th Century Studios), The Exorcist: Believer (Universal)Graphic: Libby McGuire
For those who embraced the summer of 2023’s great pop culture phenomenon, Barbenheimer, not only would the cast and crew of each film like to thank you,...
- 8/29/2023
- by Cindy White, Jen Lennon, and Mark Keizer
- avclub.com
As has become standard in recent years, our annual fall and winter film preview comes with something of an asterisk: it’s (another!) unpredictable time for movies, right down to when we might even expect to see them. With both the WGA and SAG-afra strikes still winding on, everything from production to promotion has been disrupted for many new features, and the entire calendar remains in flux.
And yet, even with those very valid concerns in place, the next three months at the multiplex (and beyond) offer a bounty of exciting new films. We’re talking new films from Martin Scorsese, Pablo Larraín, Sofia Coppola, Todd Haynes, Emerald Fennell, David Fincher, Jonathan Glazer, Taika Waititi, Justine Triet, Wes Anderson, and Yorgos Lanthimos. Jeff Nichols is back, as is Godfrey Reggio and the juicy stars of “Chicken Run.” Festival faves like Christos Nikou, Kristoffer Borgli, and Chloe Domont make a play for further dominance.
And yet, even with those very valid concerns in place, the next three months at the multiplex (and beyond) offer a bounty of exciting new films. We’re talking new films from Martin Scorsese, Pablo Larraín, Sofia Coppola, Todd Haynes, Emerald Fennell, David Fincher, Jonathan Glazer, Taika Waititi, Justine Triet, Wes Anderson, and Yorgos Lanthimos. Jeff Nichols is back, as is Godfrey Reggio and the juicy stars of “Chicken Run.” Festival faves like Christos Nikou, Kristoffer Borgli, and Chloe Domont make a play for further dominance.
- 8/22/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The official poster for the upcoming film My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 has just been released. Check out it out below, as well as the film’s trailer (above).
From writer and director Nia Vardalos, the worldwide phenomenon My Big Fat Greek Wedding is coming back to theaters with a brand-new adventure. Join the Portokalos family as they travel to a family reunion in Greece for a heartwarming and hilarious trip full of love, twists and turns. Opa!
About The Film
Starring: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Elena Kampouris, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, Louis Mandylor, with Lainie Kazan, and Andrea Martin Director: Nia Vardalos Writer: Nia Vardalos Producer: Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3is only in theaters on Friday, September 8, 2023!
For More Information, Please Visit:
Official Site / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / #MyBigFatGreekWedding3
The post “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” Poster Released first appeared on CinemaNerdz.
From writer and director Nia Vardalos, the worldwide phenomenon My Big Fat Greek Wedding is coming back to theaters with a brand-new adventure. Join the Portokalos family as they travel to a family reunion in Greece for a heartwarming and hilarious trip full of love, twists and turns. Opa!
About The Film
Starring: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Elena Kampouris, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, Louis Mandylor, with Lainie Kazan, and Andrea Martin Director: Nia Vardalos Writer: Nia Vardalos Producer: Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3is only in theaters on Friday, September 8, 2023!
For More Information, Please Visit:
Official Site / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / #MyBigFatGreekWedding3
The post “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” Poster Released first appeared on CinemaNerdz.
- 7/14/2023
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
It’s a big fat Greek reunion with third entry in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise. The official My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 trailer reveals Fotoula ‘Toula’ Portokalos (writer/director/actor Nia Vardalos) is keeping a promise to her late father to take the family back home and locate his old friends.
Among those reprising their roles are John Corbett as Ian Miller, Elena Kampouris as Paris Miller, Gia Carides as Nikki, Joey Fatone as Angelo, Louis Mandylor as Nick Portokalos, Lainie Kazan as Maria Portokalos, and Andrea Martin as Thiea Voula. Sadly, Michael Constantine, who played family patriarch Gus Portokalos in the first two films, passed away in August 2021.
Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman return as producers. Paul Brooks, Scott Niemeyer, and Steven Shareshian serve as executive producers.
The first My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a sleeper hit back in 2002 and still holds...
Among those reprising their roles are John Corbett as Ian Miller, Elena Kampouris as Paris Miller, Gia Carides as Nikki, Joey Fatone as Angelo, Louis Mandylor as Nick Portokalos, Lainie Kazan as Maria Portokalos, and Andrea Martin as Thiea Voula. Sadly, Michael Constantine, who played family patriarch Gus Portokalos in the first two films, passed away in August 2021.
Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman return as producers. Paul Brooks, Scott Niemeyer, and Steven Shareshian serve as executive producers.
The first My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a sleeper hit back in 2002 and still holds...
- 5/11/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
"You got us back to Greece. You're the head of the family now." Focus Features has unveiled an official trailer for the comedy sequel My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, this time written and directed by actress Nia Vardalos - in addition to starring in it again. The original My Big Fat Greek Wedding is considered an all-timer comedy classic, released in 2002. The sequel dropped in 2016, again written by Vardalos, and wasn't as big of a hit. This next one will follow the Portokalos family on a trip to Greece for a family reunion. Back to Greece again! It's actually produced by Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson for Playtone - they must be big fans of this series. The whole cast is back for more fun and food and Greek charm: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Elena Kampouris, Lainie Kazan, Andrea Martin, Louis Mandylor, Gia Carides, Gerry Mendicino, Joey Fatone,...
- 5/11/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
"My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was the true definition of a sleeper hit: a quirky romantic comedy that came out of nowhere to crack the top 10 at the 2002 box office and readily outgross the likes of "Minority Report," "Chicago," and "The Bourne Identity." (Just gonna let that sink in for a moment.) Now, 21 years later, Nia Vardalos' rom-com is giving rise to a trilogy with "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3" -- a sequel that, contrary to its title, may not actually involve a wedding at all.
What shenanigans, you might ask, is Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos (Vardalos) and her zany clan of relatives up to this time? Taking a trip to Greece for a family reunion, naturally! Unfortunately, the Portokalos' would-be carefree vacation is tinged with a lining of sadness due to the recent passing of patriarch Costas/"Gus." It's a touching nod to actor Michael Constantine's real-life death...
What shenanigans, you might ask, is Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos (Vardalos) and her zany clan of relatives up to this time? Taking a trip to Greece for a family reunion, naturally! Unfortunately, the Portokalos' would-be carefree vacation is tinged with a lining of sadness due to the recent passing of patriarch Costas/"Gus." It's a touching nod to actor Michael Constantine's real-life death...
- 5/11/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Universal Pictures has debuted the trailer for the comedy ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.’
From writer and director Nia Vardalos, the worldwide phenomenon My Big Fat Greek Wedding is coming back to theatres with a brand-new adventure. Join the Portokalos family as they travel to a family reunion in Greece for a heartwarming and hilarious trip full of love, twists and turns. Opa!
(L to R) Elena Kampouris as “Paris”, Elias Kacavas as “Aristotle”, Andrea Martin as “Aunt Voula”, Nia Vardalos as “Toula”, Louis Mandylor as “Nick”, and John Corbett as “Ian” in director Nia Vardalos’ My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, a Focus Features release. Courtesy of Yannis Drakoulidis / Focus Features
Written and directed by Nia Vardalos – who also stars – the cast includes John Corbett, Elena Kampouris, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, Louis Mandylor, with Lainie Kazan, and Andrea Martin.
Also in trailers – It’s dinosaur vs Megalodon in trailer...
From writer and director Nia Vardalos, the worldwide phenomenon My Big Fat Greek Wedding is coming back to theatres with a brand-new adventure. Join the Portokalos family as they travel to a family reunion in Greece for a heartwarming and hilarious trip full of love, twists and turns. Opa!
(L to R) Elena Kampouris as “Paris”, Elias Kacavas as “Aristotle”, Andrea Martin as “Aunt Voula”, Nia Vardalos as “Toula”, Louis Mandylor as “Nick”, and John Corbett as “Ian” in director Nia Vardalos’ My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, a Focus Features release. Courtesy of Yannis Drakoulidis / Focus Features
Written and directed by Nia Vardalos – who also stars – the cast includes John Corbett, Elena Kampouris, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, Louis Mandylor, with Lainie Kazan, and Andrea Martin.
Also in trailers – It’s dinosaur vs Megalodon in trailer...
- 5/11/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
How do you top not one but two Big Fat Greek Weddings? By having a Big Fat Greek Wedding that’s actually in Greece. Focus Features released the first trailer for “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” this Thursday, seeing the Portokalos family head off to the motherland.
First released in 2002, the original “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” tells the story of Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos), a Greek woman in Chicago who falls in love and gets engaged to WASPy Ian Miller, but struggles to deal with her large Greek family during the wedding planning process. 2016 brought the film’s first sequel, which focused on Toula and Ian’s life as parents and a second wedding between Toula’s parents Maria (Lainie Kazan) and Gus (the late Michael Constantine).
The third film picks up with Toula and her family after the passing of Gus, whose last wish was for his...
First released in 2002, the original “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” tells the story of Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos), a Greek woman in Chicago who falls in love and gets engaged to WASPy Ian Miller, but struggles to deal with her large Greek family during the wedding planning process. 2016 brought the film’s first sequel, which focused on Toula and Ian’s life as parents and a second wedding between Toula’s parents Maria (Lainie Kazan) and Gus (the late Michael Constantine).
The third film picks up with Toula and her family after the passing of Gus, whose last wish was for his...
- 5/11/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Focus Features has released the first official trailer for “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3,” offering a look at the latest Portokalos party.
Star Nia Vardalos returns as the screenwriter for the third film and, for the first time, serves as the latest entry’s director. Vardalos will lead the film alongside her former and returning co-stars John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Maria Vacratsis, Andrea Martin, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone and Lainie Kazan. A couple of new faces have joined the cast, including Elias Kacavas and Melina Kotselou. After Michael Constantine, who played Toula’s father Gus, died in 2021, the third film will pay tribute to the late actor.
The original “Big Fat Greek Wedding” premiered in 2002 and became the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time, earning a total of $368 million worldwide over the course of nearly one calendar year of play at the box office. The veritable phenomenon...
Star Nia Vardalos returns as the screenwriter for the third film and, for the first time, serves as the latest entry’s director. Vardalos will lead the film alongside her former and returning co-stars John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Maria Vacratsis, Andrea Martin, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone and Lainie Kazan. A couple of new faces have joined the cast, including Elias Kacavas and Melina Kotselou. After Michael Constantine, who played Toula’s father Gus, died in 2021, the third film will pay tribute to the late actor.
The original “Big Fat Greek Wedding” premiered in 2002 and became the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time, earning a total of $368 million worldwide over the course of nearly one calendar year of play at the box office. The veritable phenomenon...
- 5/11/2023
- by Charna Flam
- Variety Film + TV
Universal’s Focus Features offered theater owners a first look at Alexander Payne’s New England prep school comedy The Holdovers, Ethan Coen’s Drive-Away Dolls and the last installment of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, giving some love, naturally, to Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, set to bow in Cannes.
“Wes Anderson cannot make a movie that is not magic,” said Focus distribution chief Lisa Bunnell at CinemaCon, calling the helmer’s fare “the Marvel of specialty movies.”
Related: CinemaCon 2023 – Deadline’s Full Coverage
In the new Payne film, which reteams the director with his Sideways star Paul Giamatti, the actor plays Paul Hunham, a curmudgeon private school instructor. He’s left in charge of the students who are left behind over the 1970 Christmas holiday. The pic was shot at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. Trailer has a true 70s abusdrudist comedy vibe ala Harold and Maude, including the...
“Wes Anderson cannot make a movie that is not magic,” said Focus distribution chief Lisa Bunnell at CinemaCon, calling the helmer’s fare “the Marvel of specialty movies.”
Related: CinemaCon 2023 – Deadline’s Full Coverage
In the new Payne film, which reteams the director with his Sideways star Paul Giamatti, the actor plays Paul Hunham, a curmudgeon private school instructor. He’s left in charge of the students who are left behind over the 1970 Christmas holiday. The pic was shot at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. Trailer has a true 70s abusdrudist comedy vibe ala Harold and Maude, including the...
- 4/27/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith, Anthony D'Alessandro and Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Opa, it's CinemaCon! That means we're finally getting an inside look at the highly anticipated threequel "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3" — and yes, it totally is highly anticipated. /Film's own Ben Pearson is attending the annual film convention in Las Vegas and has the first word on some of the most sought-after exclusive trailers and footage presentations, which includes our third visit to the world of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." CinemaCon debuted some new clips from the film, which is set to arrive later this year.
The original rom-com was a completely unexpected hit when it arrived in 2002 and remains the second highest grossing film that never hit the No. 1 box office spot during its theatrical run. Prior to this third installment, the 2016 sequel "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" saw writer and star Nia Vardalos and costar John Corbett's characters navigating their marriage and family life.
The original rom-com was a completely unexpected hit when it arrived in 2002 and remains the second highest grossing film that never hit the No. 1 box office spot during its theatrical run. Prior to this third installment, the 2016 sequel "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" saw writer and star Nia Vardalos and costar John Corbett's characters navigating their marriage and family life.
- 4/27/2023
- by Lex Briscuso
- Slash Film
Jim Wilhelm, a theatrical agent who represented actors including Olivia de Havilland, Daniel Dae Kim, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Lea Salonga and Cybill Shepherd, has died. He was 68.
Wilhelm died Monday in New York after a brief battle with cancer, a publicist announced.
Wilhelm was one of the original founding partners of Douglas, Gorman, Rothacker & Wilhelm, one of New York’s most preeminent theatrical agencies since its inception in 1988. In 2010, he became the first theatrical agent to be made a voter for the Tony Awards.
Over the years, Wilhelm also counted as clients Lynn Cohen, Sandy Duncan, Lainie Kazan, Alice Ripley, Kathleen Chalfant, Elaine Paige, Sierra Boggess, Douglas Sills, Keala Settle, Paige O’Hara and Jodi Benson.
He served as the vice president of the board of directors of the National Association of Talent Representatives and was an active participant in, and a founding board member of, Broadway Cares, which assists those with HIV and AIDS.
Wilhelm died Monday in New York after a brief battle with cancer, a publicist announced.
Wilhelm was one of the original founding partners of Douglas, Gorman, Rothacker & Wilhelm, one of New York’s most preeminent theatrical agencies since its inception in 1988. In 2010, he became the first theatrical agent to be made a voter for the Tony Awards.
Over the years, Wilhelm also counted as clients Lynn Cohen, Sandy Duncan, Lainie Kazan, Alice Ripley, Kathleen Chalfant, Elaine Paige, Sierra Boggess, Douglas Sills, Keala Settle, Paige O’Hara and Jodi Benson.
He served as the vice president of the board of directors of the National Association of Talent Representatives and was an active participant in, and a founding board member of, Broadway Cares, which assists those with HIV and AIDS.
- 4/24/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Save the date!
On Friday, Focus Features announced the release date for the long-awaited “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3”, revealing the comedy will hit theatres Sept. 8, 2023.
Read More: Nia Vardalos Reveals ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3’ Is Now Filming In Greece
The third film in the series is written and directed by star Nia Vardalos, and features returning cast members John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Maria Vacratsis, Andrea Martin, Elias Kacavas, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone and Lainie Kazan.
New stars include Elias Kacavas and Melina Kotselou.
Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson and Gary Goetzman, who produced the previous entries in the franchise, also return as producers for the new sequel.
“The sweet friendship which bloomed from the producers’ first taking a chance on me then grew into a beautiful relationship as they entrusted me to direct this installment of our franchise,” Vardalos said in a statement. “We filmed...
On Friday, Focus Features announced the release date for the long-awaited “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3”, revealing the comedy will hit theatres Sept. 8, 2023.
Read More: Nia Vardalos Reveals ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3’ Is Now Filming In Greece
The third film in the series is written and directed by star Nia Vardalos, and features returning cast members John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Maria Vacratsis, Andrea Martin, Elias Kacavas, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone and Lainie Kazan.
New stars include Elias Kacavas and Melina Kotselou.
Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson and Gary Goetzman, who produced the previous entries in the franchise, also return as producers for the new sequel.
“The sweet friendship which bloomed from the producers’ first taking a chance on me then grew into a beautiful relationship as they entrusted me to direct this installment of our franchise,” Vardalos said in a statement. “We filmed...
- 2/17/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Everybody’s big fat Greek family is heading back to theaters this fall. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” will premiere in theaters September 8, Focus Features announced Friday.
First released in 2002, the original “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” tells the story of Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos), a Greek woman in Chicago who falls in love and gets engaged to WASPy Ian Miller, but struggles to deal with her large Greek family during the wedding planning process. 2016 brought the film’s first sequel, which focused on Toula and Ian’s life as parents.
The original rom-com, written by Vardalos and directed by Joel Zwick, became a major sleeper hit, making 368.7 million worldwide on a minuscule 5 million budget, despite never reaching No. 1 at the box office during its theatrical run. It remains the highest-grossing rom-com domestically, making 241.4 million in North America. The film was also positively received by critics, netting Vardalos an...
First released in 2002, the original “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” tells the story of Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos), a Greek woman in Chicago who falls in love and gets engaged to WASPy Ian Miller, but struggles to deal with her large Greek family during the wedding planning process. 2016 brought the film’s first sequel, which focused on Toula and Ian’s life as parents.
The original rom-com, written by Vardalos and directed by Joel Zwick, became a major sleeper hit, making 368.7 million worldwide on a minuscule 5 million budget, despite never reaching No. 1 at the box office during its theatrical run. It remains the highest-grossing rom-com domestically, making 241.4 million in North America. The film was also positively received by critics, netting Vardalos an...
- 2/17/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
It’ll be a fall family reunion for the “My Big Fat Greek Weeding” clan, with Focus Features dating the third film in the franchise for a worldwide theatrical release on Sept. 8, 2023.
Nia Vardalos wrote and directed the new film, starring alongside returning cast members John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Maria Vacratsis, Andrea Martin, Elias Kacavas, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone and Lainie Kazan. Elias Kacavas and Melina Kotselou join the family this time around.
Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson and Gary Goetzman — who’ve produced all three movies — also return, with Paul Brooks, Scott Niemeyer and Steven Shareshian serving as executive producers.
“The sweet friendship which bloomed from the producers’ first taking a chance on me then grew into a beautiful relationship as they entrusted me to direct this installment of our franchise,” Vardalos stated. “We filmed our family reunion entirely in Greece which was thrilling for us all. Plus,...
Nia Vardalos wrote and directed the new film, starring alongside returning cast members John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Maria Vacratsis, Andrea Martin, Elias Kacavas, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone and Lainie Kazan. Elias Kacavas and Melina Kotselou join the family this time around.
Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson and Gary Goetzman — who’ve produced all three movies — also return, with Paul Brooks, Scott Niemeyer and Steven Shareshian serving as executive producers.
“The sweet friendship which bloomed from the producers’ first taking a chance on me then grew into a beautiful relationship as they entrusted me to direct this installment of our franchise,” Vardalos stated. “We filmed our family reunion entirely in Greece which was thrilling for us all. Plus,...
- 2/17/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
On the JoBlo Movies YouTube channel, we will be posting one full movie every day of the week, giving viewers the chance to watch them entirely free of charge. The Free Movie of the Day we have for you today is the crime comedy Garlic & Gunpowder, originally released in 2017. That sounds like it could be the title of a story that involves vampires, but really, this one is not a horror movie. You can watch the movie over on the YouTube channel linked above, or you can just watch it in the embed at the top of this article.
B. Harrison Smith directed Garlic & Gunpowder from a screenplay he crafted with Steven Chase and Zachary Sasim. Here’s the story: A comet is on track to destroy the planet – or not, depending on who you talk to. The world’s top 1 aren’t taking any chances and are planning on...
B. Harrison Smith directed Garlic & Gunpowder from a screenplay he crafted with Steven Chase and Zachary Sasim. Here’s the story: A comet is on track to destroy the planet – or not, depending on who you talk to. The world’s top 1 aren’t taking any chances and are planning on...
- 12/7/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Opa! Nia Vardalos revealed the start of production on My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 in Athens yesterday in an Instagram video shot in her hotel near The Plaka. Vardalos will be pulling double duty as the film’s lead Toula Portokalos and its director.
Sources tell Deadline that Greece will be the setting for Toula and Ian’s (John Corbett) daughter Paris’ wedding.
Vardalos originally announced My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 was in development last April but was facing challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The third installment will be dedicated to Michael Constantine who died in August of 2021.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding tells the story of Toula, a single woman working at her family’s restaurant who is constantly pushed by her very Greek parents to find a Greek man to marry and start a family with. Much to their chagrin, she meets an American teacher who she...
Sources tell Deadline that Greece will be the setting for Toula and Ian’s (John Corbett) daughter Paris’ wedding.
Vardalos originally announced My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 was in development last April but was facing challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The third installment will be dedicated to Michael Constantine who died in August of 2021.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding tells the story of Toula, a single woman working at her family’s restaurant who is constantly pushed by her very Greek parents to find a Greek man to marry and start a family with. Much to their chagrin, she meets an American teacher who she...
- 6/22/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Barbra Streisand was all of 21 when she opened on Broadway in 1964 in the role that made her one of the greatest stars: Fanny Brice in the musical “Funny Girl.” And on her 80th birthday April 24, Jonah Hill’s baby sister Beanie Feldstein stars in Streisand’s signature role in the first rialto revival of the bio-musical.
In commemoration of Brice, Streisand and Feldstein here are some fun facts, tidbits and trivia about the musical.
Who was Fanny Brice?
Brice, who was born in 1891, was just 18 when she made her Broadway debut in “Ziegfeld Follies of 1910.” She headlined a series of shows for the next quarter-century with the last being “Ziegfeld Follies of 1936.” She made her film debut in 1928’s “My Man,” appeared as herself in 1936’s “The Great Ziegfeld” and made her last screen appearance in 1945’s “Ziegfeld Follies.” She was best known for playing a mischievous little girl named Baby Snooks.
In commemoration of Brice, Streisand and Feldstein here are some fun facts, tidbits and trivia about the musical.
Who was Fanny Brice?
Brice, who was born in 1891, was just 18 when she made her Broadway debut in “Ziegfeld Follies of 1910.” She headlined a series of shows for the next quarter-century with the last being “Ziegfeld Follies of 1936.” She made her film debut in 1928’s “My Man,” appeared as herself in 1936’s “The Great Ziegfeld” and made her last screen appearance in 1945’s “Ziegfeld Follies.” She was best known for playing a mischievous little girl named Baby Snooks.
- 4/23/2022
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
At home in Studio City, California, filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky carefully unfolds a blue and white Ukrainian flag. The once bright hues are darkened with soot, the fabric frayed at the edges.
The banner sustained those battle scars in 2014 as it flew over Maidan Square in Kyiv, in the midst of a revolution to oust a pro-Russian leader and to reestablish Ukraine as a true democratic republic. Afineevsky was on hand as the drama unfolded, documenting it for his Oscar-nominated film Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom. As Ukraine attempts to stave off a Russian attack on the country, he says the invaders will learn how attached Ukrainians have become to liberty in the past eight years.
“These people will not be slaves. They will not go back into the former Soviet Union,” Afineevsky insists. “They have a taste of freedom. They became a part of the European society, and...
The banner sustained those battle scars in 2014 as it flew over Maidan Square in Kyiv, in the midst of a revolution to oust a pro-Russian leader and to reestablish Ukraine as a true democratic republic. Afineevsky was on hand as the drama unfolded, documenting it for his Oscar-nominated film Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom. As Ukraine attempts to stave off a Russian attack on the country, he says the invaders will learn how attached Ukrainians have become to liberty in the past eight years.
“These people will not be slaves. They will not go back into the former Soviet Union,” Afineevsky insists. “They have a taste of freedom. They became a part of the European society, and...
- 2/28/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
In a feature — and accompanying short film — for Vanity Fair‘s annual “Hollywood Issue,” a number of Jerry Lewis’ leading ladies, female co-stars and many other aspiring, talented women allege that the so-called King of Comedy sexually harassed and, in at least one case, sexually assaulted them.
The story and film are based in part on interviews conducted by Emmy-winning Allen v. Farrow filmmakers Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick who, in 2017, began investigating Hollywood’s long history of abuse. They found that some of the most severe accusations involved Lewis.
Among those interviewed for the piece are Hope Holiday, who appeared in The Ladies Man with Lewis the year after she broke out in Billy Wilder’s The Apartment; Jill St. John, who starred opposite the comedian in Who’s Minding the Store?; Anna Maria Alberghetti, who worked with him on Cinderfella; Karen Sharpe, who played the star’s love interest in The Disorderly Orderly,...
The story and film are based in part on interviews conducted by Emmy-winning Allen v. Farrow filmmakers Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick who, in 2017, began investigating Hollywood’s long history of abuse. They found that some of the most severe accusations involved Lewis.
Among those interviewed for the piece are Hope Holiday, who appeared in The Ladies Man with Lewis the year after she broke out in Billy Wilder’s The Apartment; Jill St. John, who starred opposite the comedian in Who’s Minding the Store?; Anna Maria Alberghetti, who worked with him on Cinderfella; Karen Sharpe, who played the star’s love interest in The Disorderly Orderly,...
- 2/23/2022
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Nia Vardalos reunited with her My Big Fat Greek Wedding costars Louis Mandylor, Lainie Kazan, and Gia Carides to tribute their costar Michael Constantine who died on Aug. 31 at the age of 94.
“Friends in real life are why our films are so much fun to make,” she wrote. “Cousin Nikki @gia.carides & brother Nick @louismandylorofficial & mom, @lainie_kazan gathered to honor the memory of Michael Constantine, may he rest in peace.”
She added of Constantine, “He had told me he wouldn’t be able to join us for the third film and his wish was that we go on. I wrote the screenplay to reflect Michael’s decision and will always treasure his last messages to me, hoping we were filming soon.”
The Instagram post also shared little details about the third installment from the franchise that Deadline hears will involve Toula (Vardalos) and Ian’s (John Corbett) daughter Paris’ (Elena Kampouris) wedding.
“Friends in real life are why our films are so much fun to make,” she wrote. “Cousin Nikki @gia.carides & brother Nick @louismandylorofficial & mom, @lainie_kazan gathered to honor the memory of Michael Constantine, may he rest in peace.”
She added of Constantine, “He had told me he wouldn’t be able to join us for the third film and his wish was that we go on. I wrote the screenplay to reflect Michael’s decision and will always treasure his last messages to me, hoping we were filming soon.”
The Instagram post also shared little details about the third installment from the franchise that Deadline hears will involve Toula (Vardalos) and Ian’s (John Corbett) daughter Paris’ (Elena Kampouris) wedding.
- 10/2/2021
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Michael Constantine, who played Gus, the father of Nia Vardalos’ Toula Portokalos in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” by far the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time, died on Aug. 31. He was 94.
Constantine’s agent confirmed the news of his death to Variety. He died of natural causes.
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” scored a domestic gross of $241 million in 2002; No. 2 on the list is “What Women Want” with $183 million. The film drew a SAG Awards nomination for outstanding performance by the cast of a theatrical motion picture.
As Roger Ebert recounted, Constantine’s Gus “specializes in finding the Greek root for any word (even ‘kimono’), and delivers a toast in which he explains that ‘Miller’ goes back to the Greek word for apple, and ‘Portokalos’ is based on the Greek word for oranges, and so, he concludes triumphantly, ‘In the end, we’re all fruits.’ ”
Variety said: “Constantine fares...
Constantine’s agent confirmed the news of his death to Variety. He died of natural causes.
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” scored a domestic gross of $241 million in 2002; No. 2 on the list is “What Women Want” with $183 million. The film drew a SAG Awards nomination for outstanding performance by the cast of a theatrical motion picture.
As Roger Ebert recounted, Constantine’s Gus “specializes in finding the Greek root for any word (even ‘kimono’), and delivers a toast in which he explains that ‘Miller’ goes back to the Greek word for apple, and ‘Portokalos’ is based on the Greek word for oranges, and so, he concludes triumphantly, ‘In the end, we’re all fruits.’ ”
Variety said: “Constantine fares...
- 9/9/2021
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Michael Constantine, the Emmy-winning actor from the 1970s sitcom Room 222 who later portrayed the Windex-spritzing father of Nia Vardalos’ character in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, has died. He was 94.
Constantine died Aug. 31 in his home in his native Reading, Pennsylvania, his family announced. He had been ill for some time, they said.
The son of Greek immigrants, Constantine is warmly remembered for his turn as Gus Portokalos, the husband of Lainie Kazan’s Maria Portokalos, in the unlikely box-office smash My Big Fat Greek Wedding and its 2016 sequel. The first installment, made for $5 million and released in 2002,...
Constantine died Aug. 31 in his home in his native Reading, Pennsylvania, his family announced. He had been ill for some time, they said.
The son of Greek immigrants, Constantine is warmly remembered for his turn as Gus Portokalos, the husband of Lainie Kazan’s Maria Portokalos, in the unlikely box-office smash My Big Fat Greek Wedding and its 2016 sequel. The first installment, made for $5 million and released in 2002,...
Michael Constantine, the Emmy-winning actor from the 1970s sitcom Room 222 who later portrayed the Windex-spritzing father of Nia Vardalos’ character in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, has died. He was 94.
Constantine died Aug. 31 in his home in his native Reading, Pennsylvania, his family announced. He had been ill for some time, they said.
The son of Greek immigrants, Constantine is warmly remembered for his turn as Gus Portokalos, the husband of Lainie Kazan’s Maria Portokalos, in the unlikely box office smash My Big Fat Greek Wedding and its 2016 sequel. The first installment, made for $5 million and released in ...
Constantine died Aug. 31 in his home in his native Reading, Pennsylvania, his family announced. He had been ill for some time, they said.
The son of Greek immigrants, Constantine is warmly remembered for his turn as Gus Portokalos, the husband of Lainie Kazan’s Maria Portokalos, in the unlikely box office smash My Big Fat Greek Wedding and its 2016 sequel. The first installment, made for $5 million and released in ...
Tango Shalom, where a female tango dancer (Dancing with the Stars champion Karina Smirnoff) invites an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi (Jos Laniado) to enter a televised dance competition, was an arthouse standout this weekend with a per screen average of over $4,000 at four theaters in New York and LA. The solid performance in a generally dour specialty market shows the power of older demos when they want to come out, nudged in this case by a targeted postcard mailing blitz, according to Atlas Distribution President Harmon Kaslow.
Tango Shalom is distributed worldwide by Vision Films with Atlas managing U.S. theatrical.
Kaslow thinks the comedy, directed by Gabriel Bologna with a sweet message and a star (Lainie Kazan) and producer (Joel Zwick) from the 2002 breakout hit My Big, Fat Greek Wedding, also benefitted from an exclusive theatrical run. Distributors have been noting the one-two boon of a decent window (60 days in...
Tango Shalom is distributed worldwide by Vision Films with Atlas managing U.S. theatrical.
Kaslow thinks the comedy, directed by Gabriel Bologna with a sweet message and a star (Lainie Kazan) and producer (Joel Zwick) from the 2002 breakout hit My Big, Fat Greek Wedding, also benefitted from an exclusive theatrical run. Distributors have been noting the one-two boon of a decent window (60 days in...
- 9/5/2021
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
A glum arthouse market may be entering a gateway weekend into happier days after months of distributors — with rare exceptions — pulling out their hair at dismal per-screens averages. That’s because festival buzz is mounting for film after film – from Card Counter, Dune and Spencer, to King Richard and Cyrano.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Dear Evan Hansen open in theaters on Sept, 17 and Sept. 24 after Toronto premieres. Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch from Cannes rolls out Oct. 22. Warner Bros’ Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark has an Oct. 1 release date. Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast has a Nov. 12 theatrical date after a world premiere in Toronto (and a glimpse at Telluride.)
It’s like the Marvel Cinematic Universe of arthouses, films set to give a bump to a specialty...
The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Dear Evan Hansen open in theaters on Sept, 17 and Sept. 24 after Toronto premieres. Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch from Cannes rolls out Oct. 22. Warner Bros’ Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark has an Oct. 1 release date. Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast has a Nov. 12 theatrical date after a world premiere in Toronto (and a glimpse at Telluride.)
It’s like the Marvel Cinematic Universe of arthouses, films set to give a bump to a specialty...
- 9/3/2021
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
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“Nostalgia, Swashbuckling, And Laughter”
By Raymond Benson
Mel Brooks served as executive producer on this thoroughly delightful picture released in 1982 and directed by actor/director Richard Benjamin. It feels like a Brooks movie (but perhaps not as zany). In fact, My Favorite Year, which was written by Norman Steinberg and Dennis Palumbo, from Palumbo’s story, is loosely inspired by Brooks’ days as a writer on Sid Caesar’s early television comedy/variety programs, Your Show of Shows and Caesar’s Hour, in the 1950s.
The year is 1954, New York City, and Benjy Stone (Mark Linn-Baker) is a young comedy writer on “Comedy Cavalcade,” which stars the demanding and difficult-to-work-for King Kaiser (Joseph Bologna). The studio is lucky to snare a guest appearance on the show by the once hugely popular but now fading swashbuckling movie star, Alan Swann (Peter O’Toole). Swann is a notorious alcoholic,...
“Nostalgia, Swashbuckling, And Laughter”
By Raymond Benson
Mel Brooks served as executive producer on this thoroughly delightful picture released in 1982 and directed by actor/director Richard Benjamin. It feels like a Brooks movie (but perhaps not as zany). In fact, My Favorite Year, which was written by Norman Steinberg and Dennis Palumbo, from Palumbo’s story, is loosely inspired by Brooks’ days as a writer on Sid Caesar’s early television comedy/variety programs, Your Show of Shows and Caesar’s Hour, in the 1950s.
The year is 1954, New York City, and Benjy Stone (Mark Linn-Baker) is a young comedy writer on “Comedy Cavalcade,” which stars the demanding and difficult-to-work-for King Kaiser (Joseph Bologna). The studio is lucky to snare a guest appearance on the show by the once hugely popular but now fading swashbuckling movie star, Alan Swann (Peter O’Toole). Swann is a notorious alcoholic,...
- 5/25/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
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