Marvel projects have been subjected to widespread criticism since the conclusion of the Infinity Saga with Avengers: Endgame. Several fans have considered the recent MCU films and series to be disappointing. Adding salt to the wound, Stranger Things and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire actor Finn Wolfhard has called out Marvel movies to be mid in his latest interview.
Finn Wolfhard in Stranger Things
Finn Wolfhard has risen to popularity with projects like Netflix’s Stranger Things and It film franchise. Recently he has been also spotted in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Frozen Empire. However, despite his popularity, the 21-year-old actor’s comments have raised some controversy. A certain section of fans have subjected Wolfhard to hate for his views on Marvel.
Did Finn Wolfhard expose the reality of Marvel?
Finn Wolfhard in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
When Finn Wolfhard recently did a lie detector test for a Vanity Fair video, he revealed some...
Finn Wolfhard in Stranger Things
Finn Wolfhard has risen to popularity with projects like Netflix’s Stranger Things and It film franchise. Recently he has been also spotted in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Frozen Empire. However, despite his popularity, the 21-year-old actor’s comments have raised some controversy. A certain section of fans have subjected Wolfhard to hate for his views on Marvel.
Did Finn Wolfhard expose the reality of Marvel?
Finn Wolfhard in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
When Finn Wolfhard recently did a lie detector test for a Vanity Fair video, he revealed some...
- 3/31/2024
- by Subham Mandal
- FandomWire
J.K. Simmons has rounded out the cast for Jason Reitman’s delve into behind-the-scenes happenings of the opening night of ‘SNL’ in ‘SNL 1975’.
Billy Bryk (Friendship), Joe Chrest (Stranger Things), Taylor Gray (Star Wars: Rebels) and Mcabe Gregg (Teenage Badass) have also joined the cast.
Simmons is set to take on the role of comedian Milton Berle, with Chrest as Weekend Update co-creator Herb Sargent. Gray and Gregg portray Al Franken and Tom Davis, the SNL writer-performers of duo Franken & Davis. Details as to Bryk’s role haven’t been disclosed.
Also in news – Benedict Cumberbatch stars in first look images for ‘Eric’
The latest group of actors join the already cast Gabriel Labelle who leads the ensemble as Lorne Michaels, with Cooper Hoffman, Rachel Sennott, Ella Hunt, Lamorne Morris, Dylan O’Brien, Nicholas Braun, Finn Wolfhard and Kaia Gerber.
The script for the project is penned by Reitman and Gil Kenan.
Billy Bryk (Friendship), Joe Chrest (Stranger Things), Taylor Gray (Star Wars: Rebels) and Mcabe Gregg (Teenage Badass) have also joined the cast.
Simmons is set to take on the role of comedian Milton Berle, with Chrest as Weekend Update co-creator Herb Sargent. Gray and Gregg portray Al Franken and Tom Davis, the SNL writer-performers of duo Franken & Davis. Details as to Bryk’s role haven’t been disclosed.
Also in news – Benedict Cumberbatch stars in first look images for ‘Eric’
The latest group of actors join the already cast Gabriel Labelle who leads the ensemble as Lorne Michaels, with Cooper Hoffman, Rachel Sennott, Ella Hunt, Lamorne Morris, Dylan O’Brien, Nicholas Braun, Finn Wolfhard and Kaia Gerber.
The script for the project is penned by Reitman and Gil Kenan.
- 3/26/2024
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Jason Reitman has just added Jk Simmons to SNL 1975, which charts the founding of the long-running US sketch show.
Saturday Night Live is an American TV institution, having proved responsible for bringing many talented performers into the public consciousness since it first aired in 1975. Director Jason Reitman plans to look at how it all began with SNL 1975, an ensemble drama that promises to take a behind the scenes look at how the debut show came together in real time.
The cast for this one was already impressive and in true SNL fashion, includes a lot of up and coming talent alongside some more established players. As it stands, The Fabelmans breakout star, ‘Gabriel Labelle leads the ensemble as Lorne Michaels, with Cooper Hoffman, Rachel Sennott, Ella Hunt, Lamorne Morris, Dylan O’Brien, Nicholas Braun, Finn Wolfhard and Kaia Gerber also to star’, according to Deadline.
According to the outlet,...
Saturday Night Live is an American TV institution, having proved responsible for bringing many talented performers into the public consciousness since it first aired in 1975. Director Jason Reitman plans to look at how it all began with SNL 1975, an ensemble drama that promises to take a behind the scenes look at how the debut show came together in real time.
The cast for this one was already impressive and in true SNL fashion, includes a lot of up and coming talent alongside some more established players. As it stands, The Fabelmans breakout star, ‘Gabriel Labelle leads the ensemble as Lorne Michaels, with Cooper Hoffman, Rachel Sennott, Ella Hunt, Lamorne Morris, Dylan O’Brien, Nicholas Braun, Finn Wolfhard and Kaia Gerber also to star’, according to Deadline.
According to the outlet,...
- 3/26/2024
- by Dan Cooper
- Film Stories
Exclusive: Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons (The Accountant 2) is among the final additions to the cast of Sony Pictures’ film SNL 1975 (working title), based on real-life behind-the-scenes accounts of the opening night of Saturday Night Live. Other new cast members for the Jason Reitman pic include Billy Bryk (Friendship), Joe Chrest (Stranger Things), Taylor Gray (Star Wars: Rebels) and Mcabe Gregg (Teenage Badass).
Simmons plays comedian Milton Berle, with Chrest as Weekend Update co-creator Herb Sargent. Gray and Gregg portray Al Franken and Tom Davis, the SNL writer-performers of duo Franken & Davis. Details as to Bryk’s role haven’t been disclosed.
As previously announced, The Fabelmans breakout Gabriel Labelle leads the ensemble as Lorne Michaels, with Cooper Hoffman, Rachel Sennott, Ella Hunt, Lamorne Morris, Dylan O’Brien, Nicholas Braun, Finn Wolfhard and Kaia Gerber also to star.
It was on October 11th, 1975 that a ferocious troupe of young...
Simmons plays comedian Milton Berle, with Chrest as Weekend Update co-creator Herb Sargent. Gray and Gregg portray Al Franken and Tom Davis, the SNL writer-performers of duo Franken & Davis. Details as to Bryk’s role haven’t been disclosed.
As previously announced, The Fabelmans breakout Gabriel Labelle leads the ensemble as Lorne Michaels, with Cooper Hoffman, Rachel Sennott, Ella Hunt, Lamorne Morris, Dylan O’Brien, Nicholas Braun, Finn Wolfhard and Kaia Gerber also to star.
It was on October 11th, 1975 that a ferocious troupe of young...
- 3/25/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Jack Dylan Grazer, Josh Segarra & Billy Bryk Among New Additions To Tim Robinson Comedy ‘Friendship’
Exclusive: Jack Dylan Grazer (It franchise), Josh Segarra (Scream VI) and Billy Bryk (When You Finish Saving the World) are among the final additions to the cast of the comedy Friendship, from Fifth Season and BoulderLight Pictures. Their roles are under wraps.
As previously reported, Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, and Kate Mara lead the cast. Other new additions include Jason Veasey, Jon Glaser, Eric Rahill, Conner O’Malley, Carmen Christopher, Craig Frank, Omar Torres, Jacob Ming-Trent, Daniel London, Whitmer Thomas, and Raphael Sbarge.
The first feature from writer-director Andrew DeYoung, Friendship follows Craig Waterman (Robinson), who enjoys his life. He likes New Balance shoes, Subway sandwiches, and Marvel movies. He lives in the suburbs with his wife, Tami, and son, Steven. He’s happy to work at Universal Digital, a company that helps brands make their products more habit-forming. Craig sees no reason to change anything or make new friends… until...
As previously reported, Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, and Kate Mara lead the cast. Other new additions include Jason Veasey, Jon Glaser, Eric Rahill, Conner O’Malley, Carmen Christopher, Craig Frank, Omar Torres, Jacob Ming-Trent, Daniel London, Whitmer Thomas, and Raphael Sbarge.
The first feature from writer-director Andrew DeYoung, Friendship follows Craig Waterman (Robinson), who enjoys his life. He likes New Balance shoes, Subway sandwiches, and Marvel movies. He lives in the suburbs with his wife, Tami, and son, Steven. He’s happy to work at Universal Digital, a company that helps brands make their products more habit-forming. Craig sees no reason to change anything or make new friends… until...
- 3/20/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Netflix has locked down rights to an untitled adult thriller spec from Michael Werwie, with Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan set to produce for Aggregate Films, sources tell Deadline.
Plot details are under wraps. Falling under Aggregate’s first-look deal with Netflix across film and TV, the sale comes at a busy time for the company, which most recently set up comedy The Chaperone at the streamer, as a potential star vehicle for Bateman. Recently bringing in Amblin vet John Buderwitz to serve as VP of Film, the company also last summer teamed with Netflix in a bidding war over David Gauvey Herbert’s 2021 Esquire magazine article “Daddy Ball,” which is being developed as a limited series for Bateman to direct, star in, and co-ep alongside Costigan and Roxie Rodriguez.
The project comes to Netflix following Werwie’s scripting and exec producing and...
Plot details are under wraps. Falling under Aggregate’s first-look deal with Netflix across film and TV, the sale comes at a busy time for the company, which most recently set up comedy The Chaperone at the streamer, as a potential star vehicle for Bateman. Recently bringing in Amblin vet John Buderwitz to serve as VP of Film, the company also last summer teamed with Netflix in a bidding war over David Gauvey Herbert’s 2021 Esquire magazine article “Daddy Ball,” which is being developed as a limited series for Bateman to direct, star in, and co-ep alongside Costigan and Roxie Rodriguez.
The project comes to Netflix following Werwie’s scripting and exec producing and...
- 2/23/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
It would be fair to say that Finn Wolfhard knows a thing or two about what it takes to scare viewers. From his breakout role as Mike Wheeler in :a[Stranger Things]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/stranger-things-season-4-volume-2/' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'}, to starring appearances in Andy Muschietti’s :a[It]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/stephen-king-2017-review/' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'} duology and recent supernatural sci-fi reboot :a[Ghostbusters: Afterlife]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/ghostbusters-afterlife/' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'}, the 20-year-old actor has held his own against his fair share of monsters, murderers, and other such spooky sorts. But now, the Canadian star is set to move behind the camera with feature directorial debut Hell Of A Summer, which he’s co-written, co-directed, and co-stars in with fellow Ghostbusters: Afterlife actor Billy Bryk.
- 10/25/2023
- by Jordan King
- Empire - Movies
Exclusive: Netflix on Monday morning unveiled Verified Stand-Up, a new series featuring short sets from 10 comedians that’s set to premiere globally on November 28. Rising comedians that perform in the two-parter, filmed at Webster Hall in New York City, include Asif Ali, Dulcé Sloan, Gianmarco Soresi, Isiah Kelly, Leslie Liao, Nimesh Patel, Robby Hoffman, Rosebud Baker, Sabrina Wu, and Vanessa Gonzalez.
News of Netflix’s new stand-up series comes following its announcement of Improv: 60 And Still Standing, a comedy special celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Improv comedy clubs, which is set to premiere November 7th. Top comics dropping in for short sets as part of that project included Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Bert Kreischer, Craig Robinson, Deon Cole, Fortune Feimster, Jeff Dunham, Kevin Nealon, Mark Normand, Jo Koy, and Whitney Cummings.
Linda Mendoza directed Verified Stand-Up, with Anne Harris serving as executive producer.
Previously seen on Disney+’s WandaVision and The Mandalorian,...
News of Netflix’s new stand-up series comes following its announcement of Improv: 60 And Still Standing, a comedy special celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Improv comedy clubs, which is set to premiere November 7th. Top comics dropping in for short sets as part of that project included Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Bert Kreischer, Craig Robinson, Deon Cole, Fortune Feimster, Jeff Dunham, Kevin Nealon, Mark Normand, Jo Koy, and Whitney Cummings.
Linda Mendoza directed Verified Stand-Up, with Anne Harris serving as executive producer.
Previously seen on Disney+’s WandaVision and The Mandalorian,...
- 10/23/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
At 24 years-old, Jason Hochberg (Fred Hechinger) is officially too old to be into summer camp. But he passes up a law internship anyway to come to Camp Pineway and be a counselor one last time. Once Jason arrives, he’s not only the oldest counselor there; he’s immediately ostracized for his childlike eagerness toward camp activities. The rest of the counselors mainly have flirting and partying in mind.
Bobby (Billy Bryk) wants girls to like him, but he tries too hard and turns them off. Chris (Finn Wolfhard) already has a thing with Shannon (Krista Nazaire), but they’re hiding it from Bobby. Mike (D’Pharaoh Woon-a-Tai) and Demi (Pardis Saremi) are a stereotypically gorgeous couple. The rest of the teens fit easily into high-school comedy archetypes — Ezra (Matthew Finlan) is queer and loves theater, Ari (Daniel Gravelle) is the self-serious film buff, Miley (Julia Doyle) is the self-righteous vegan...
Bobby (Billy Bryk) wants girls to like him, but he tries too hard and turns them off. Chris (Finn Wolfhard) already has a thing with Shannon (Krista Nazaire), but they’re hiding it from Bobby. Mike (D’Pharaoh Woon-a-Tai) and Demi (Pardis Saremi) are a stereotypically gorgeous couple. The rest of the teens fit easily into high-school comedy archetypes — Ezra (Matthew Finlan) is queer and loves theater, Ari (Daniel Gravelle) is the self-serious film buff, Miley (Julia Doyle) is the self-righteous vegan...
- 9/18/2023
- by Jourdain Searles
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
’Mr. Dressup: The Magic Of Make Believe’ wins doc award, ’Dicks: The Musical’ wins Midnight Madness.
The satire American Fiction starring Jeffrey Wright has won the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) 2023 People’s Choice Award, boosting the crowd-pleaser’s Oscar credentials heading into awards season.
‘American Fiction’: Toronto Review
Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut for Amazon/MGM stars Wright as a frustrated Black author whose deliberately dumbed-down novel about cliched Black characters becomes a hit. There are multiple screenings at TIFF Bell Lightbox today (September 17) from 2:30pm-9:30pm Et.
American Fiction follows last year’s recipient...
The satire American Fiction starring Jeffrey Wright has won the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) 2023 People’s Choice Award, boosting the crowd-pleaser’s Oscar credentials heading into awards season.
‘American Fiction’: Toronto Review
Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut for Amazon/MGM stars Wright as a frustrated Black author whose deliberately dumbed-down novel about cliched Black characters becomes a hit. There are multiple screenings at TIFF Bell Lightbox today (September 17) from 2:30pm-9:30pm Et.
American Fiction follows last year’s recipient...
- 9/17/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
’Mr. Dressup: The Magic Of Make Believe’ wins doc award, ’Dicks: The Musical’ wins Midnight Madness.
The satire American Fiction starring Jeffrey Wright has won the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) 2023 People’s Choice Award, boosting the crowd-pleaser’s Oscar credentials heading into awards season.
‘American Fiction’: Toronto Review
Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut from Orion and MRC stars Wright as a frustrated Black author whose deliberately dumbed-down novel about cliched Black characters becomes a hit. There are multiple screenings at TIFF Bell Lightbox today (September 17) from 2:30pm-9:30pm Et.
MGM distributes American Fiction in the...
The satire American Fiction starring Jeffrey Wright has won the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) 2023 People’s Choice Award, boosting the crowd-pleaser’s Oscar credentials heading into awards season.
‘American Fiction’: Toronto Review
Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut from Orion and MRC stars Wright as a frustrated Black author whose deliberately dumbed-down novel about cliched Black characters becomes a hit. There are multiple screenings at TIFF Bell Lightbox today (September 17) from 2:30pm-9:30pm Et.
MGM distributes American Fiction in the...
- 9/17/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
’Mr. Dressup: The Magic Of Make Believe’ wins doc award, ’Dicks: The Musical’ wins Midnight Madness.
The satire American Fiction starring Jeffrey Wright has won the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) 2023 People’s Choice Award, boosting the crowd-pleaser’s Oscar credentials heading into awards season.
‘American Fiction’: Toronto Review
Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut from Orion and MRC stars Wright as a frustrated Black author whose deliberately dumbed-down novel about cliched Black characters becomes a hit. There are multiple screenings at TIFF Bell Lightbox today (September 17) from 2:30pm-9:30pm Et.
MGM distributes American Fiction in the...
The satire American Fiction starring Jeffrey Wright has won the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) 2023 People’s Choice Award, boosting the crowd-pleaser’s Oscar credentials heading into awards season.
‘American Fiction’: Toronto Review
Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut from Orion and MRC stars Wright as a frustrated Black author whose deliberately dumbed-down novel about cliched Black characters becomes a hit. There are multiple screenings at TIFF Bell Lightbox today (September 17) from 2:30pm-9:30pm Et.
MGM distributes American Fiction in the...
- 9/17/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“American Fiction,” Cord Jefferson’s blistering satire of race and media, captured the Toronto International Film Festival’s people’s choice award, bolstering its Oscars chances.
TIFF’s people’s choice award is considered to be among the best predictors of eventual awards success, though the 2023 festival hosted a weaker lineup than most years due to the writers and actors strikes that saw some prominent contenders skip a Canadian premiere. In the past, winners of the prize such as “Green Book,” “12 Years a Slave” and “Nomadland” went on to be named best picture at the Academy Awards. Other recipients, including “Belfast,” “La La Land,” “Jojo Rabbit,” and 2022’s winner, “The Fabelmans,” were all best picture nominees.
The people’s choice category was created in 1978. Seven recipients won best picture at the Oscars, with five of those victories coming in the past two decades.
Alexander Payne’s boarding school dramedy...
TIFF’s people’s choice award is considered to be among the best predictors of eventual awards success, though the 2023 festival hosted a weaker lineup than most years due to the writers and actors strikes that saw some prominent contenders skip a Canadian premiere. In the past, winners of the prize such as “Green Book,” “12 Years a Slave” and “Nomadland” went on to be named best picture at the Academy Awards. Other recipients, including “Belfast,” “La La Land,” “Jojo Rabbit,” and 2022’s winner, “The Fabelmans,” were all best picture nominees.
The people’s choice category was created in 1978. Seven recipients won best picture at the Oscars, with five of those victories coming in the past two decades.
Alexander Payne’s boarding school dramedy...
- 9/17/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction picked up the top People’s Choice honor Sunday at the Toronto Film Festival, which wrapped up a 48th edition with little Hollywood star wattage amid the uncertainty of dual Hollywood strikes.
Jefferson’s feature directorial debut, an adaptation for Orion of Percival Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure, had its world premiere in Toronto at the Princess Alexandra Theatre on Sept. 8. MRC is the film’s studio and financier.
The American drama about U.S. racial dynamics portrays a Black academic, played by Jeffrey Wright, who grows frustrated that the only “Black books” that seem to find a wide (and white) audience are those that tread on stereotypes.
“My gratitude towards everyone who watched American Fiction [and] discussed it afterwards among friends and colleagues is endless. The film is now in your hands, and I’m so grateful that it was embraced in this way,” Jefferson said in a statement Sunday morning.
Jefferson’s feature directorial debut, an adaptation for Orion of Percival Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure, had its world premiere in Toronto at the Princess Alexandra Theatre on Sept. 8. MRC is the film’s studio and financier.
The American drama about U.S. racial dynamics portrays a Black academic, played by Jeffrey Wright, who grows frustrated that the only “Black books” that seem to find a wide (and white) audience are those that tread on stereotypes.
“My gratitude towards everyone who watched American Fiction [and] discussed it afterwards among friends and colleagues is endless. The film is now in your hands, and I’m so grateful that it was embraced in this way,” Jefferson said in a statement Sunday morning.
- 9/17/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“American Fiction” has won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF organizers announced at an awards brunch on Sunday.
The Orion/MGM film by first-time director Cord Jefferson is a barbed satire that stars Jeffrey Wright as a writer who, to his dismay, achieves enormous success after as a joke writing a book filled with what he feels are the worst and most pandering cliches of Black representation. In its review, TheWrap called the film “an outlandishly assured directorial debut, a beautifully modulated film that takes a great actor, Jeffrey Wright, and gives him a spectacular showcase.”
While the film did not come into the festival as one of its highest profile selections, it was an immediate sensation after its Friday night premiere at the Princess of Wales Theatre, drawing some of TIFF’s most positive reviews. It currently stands at 86% positive on Rotten Tomatoes...
The Orion/MGM film by first-time director Cord Jefferson is a barbed satire that stars Jeffrey Wright as a writer who, to his dismay, achieves enormous success after as a joke writing a book filled with what he feels are the worst and most pandering cliches of Black representation. In its review, TheWrap called the film “an outlandishly assured directorial debut, a beautifully modulated film that takes a great actor, Jeffrey Wright, and gives him a spectacular showcase.”
While the film did not come into the festival as one of its highest profile selections, it was an immediate sensation after its Friday night premiere at the Princess of Wales Theatre, drawing some of TIFF’s most positive reviews. It currently stands at 86% positive on Rotten Tomatoes...
- 9/17/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The People’s Choice Award from the just-wrapped 2023 Toronto Film Festival has gone to Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction. First Runner-Up is Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers. Second Runner-Up is Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron. The Documentary Award goes to Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, and the Midnight Madness winner is Dicks: The Musical.
Orion and MRC’s American Fiction stars Jeffrey Wright and comes from writer-director Jefferson. It is a scathing satire on the publishing industry and its treatment of serious works by Black writers, one whose name is Thelonious “Monk” Ellison. He travels back to his hometown of Boston to attend a book festival, but the turnout is low in favor of another book seminar with author Sintara Golden’s (Issa Rae) bestseller We Lives in Da Ghetto. It is scheduled to be released in theaters in November.
Voted by audience members since 1978 and...
Orion and MRC’s American Fiction stars Jeffrey Wright and comes from writer-director Jefferson. It is a scathing satire on the publishing industry and its treatment of serious works by Black writers, one whose name is Thelonious “Monk” Ellison. He travels back to his hometown of Boston to attend a book festival, but the turnout is low in favor of another book seminar with author Sintara Golden’s (Issa Rae) bestseller We Lives in Da Ghetto. It is scheduled to be released in theaters in November.
Voted by audience members since 1978 and...
- 9/17/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Long a favoured location for slasher films, summer camp provides plenty of proverbial fodder for a serial killer's cannon: plenty of nubile, horny, often unaware bodies in an isolated place, waiting to be, well, slashed by whatever preferred method. It provides a familiar trope onto which a filmmaker can make that individual mark to have their film stand out. Sadly, that mark is missing from Hell of a Summer. Granted, this is the debut film from writers/director Billy Bryk (When You Finish Saving the World) and Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things). And they have plenty of inspiration at their fingertips in the horror and comedy tones they're aiming for, from Friday the 13th to Superbad. But while they are some funny moments and a few good,...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 9/13/2023
- Screen Anarchy
The 2023 Toronto International Film Festival is underway. While this is one of the festivals where a lot of awards season contenders start getting buzz as we head into the fall and winter months, it's also a place where hidden horror gems can sneak up on you as we head into Halloween. Like many film festivals, TIFF has its own genre programming block called Midnight Madness where horror, thrillers, and the wilder side of filmmaking can be experienced. This year, a handful of titles have been getting some decent buzz, ranging from "Stranger Things" star Finn Wolfhard making his directorial debut with the slasher comedy "Hell of a Summer" to "Dream Scenario" putting Nicolas Cage into everyone's dreams and plenty in between.
Let's take a closer look at some of the horror titles drumming up noise at TIFF 2023.
Read more: The 95 Best Horror Movies Ever
Hell Of A Summer
Director: Finn...
Let's take a closer look at some of the horror titles drumming up noise at TIFF 2023.
Read more: The 95 Best Horror Movies Ever
Hell Of A Summer
Director: Finn...
- 9/13/2023
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Plot: A group of summer camp counsellors are picked off one by one during an orientation weekend.
Review: Hell of a Summer marks the directorial debut of actors Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk. You can tell both guys, who also wrote and co-star, have a genuine affection for horror staples like Sleepaway Camp (which we just featured on 80s Horror Memories) and Friday the 13th and summer camp comedies like Wet Hot American Summer. It’s a mostly painless 88-minute romp that doesn’t do anything to reinvent the genre or even function as a particularly good horror movie or comedy. Still, it goes down easily enough to play well to Wolfhard’s (many) fans.
It’s commendable that the two guys, Wolfhard and Bryk, don’t make themselves the movie’s focus, with them just two young ensemble members. Instead, the leads are Fred Hechinger and Knock at the Cabin’s Abby Quinn,...
Review: Hell of a Summer marks the directorial debut of actors Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk. You can tell both guys, who also wrote and co-star, have a genuine affection for horror staples like Sleepaway Camp (which we just featured on 80s Horror Memories) and Friday the 13th and summer camp comedies like Wet Hot American Summer. It’s a mostly painless 88-minute romp that doesn’t do anything to reinvent the genre or even function as a particularly good horror movie or comedy. Still, it goes down easily enough to play well to Wolfhard’s (many) fans.
It’s commendable that the two guys, Wolfhard and Bryk, don’t make themselves the movie’s focus, with them just two young ensemble members. Instead, the leads are Fred Hechinger and Knock at the Cabin’s Abby Quinn,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Slasher riffs and parodies date back nearly as long as slashers themselves, dissecting the enduring tropes and familiar formulas. In Hell of a Summer, first-time directors/writers Finn Wolfhard (“Stranger Things”) and Billy Bryk (Ghostbusters: Afterlife) frame their slasher riff as a buddy comedy from the perspective of teens, aimed solely at teens. The directors’ acting backgrounds translate to an ensemble of entertaining and lively performances, though their debut is less effective in form and slasher thrills.
After a requisite opening kill, Hell of a Summer spends a lengthy first act assembling Camp Pineway’s summer camp counselors, running through the archetypical roles destined to kill or be killed. Leading the charge is tenured counselor Jason (Fear Street’s Fred Hechinger), an “ancient” 24-year-old by his younger co-worker’s repeated jabs. Jason’s an unflappably plucky guy who tries to rally the team in the absence of the camp’s missing owners,...
After a requisite opening kill, Hell of a Summer spends a lengthy first act assembling Camp Pineway’s summer camp counselors, running through the archetypical roles destined to kill or be killed. Leading the charge is tenured counselor Jason (Fear Street’s Fred Hechinger), an “ancient” 24-year-old by his younger co-worker’s repeated jabs. Jason’s an unflappably plucky guy who tries to rally the team in the absence of the camp’s missing owners,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Making a grand entrance into the world of directing, Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard present their feature debut, Hell of a Summer. With the vibes reminiscent of Friday the 13th and Sleep Away Camp, this film delivers nostalgia that captures the essence of the golden age of horror slasher cinema. Each character checks off the 1980s horror trope boxes, ensuring that every campy moment feels both authentic and delightfully over the top. Bryk and Wolfhard also star.
Starts with John and Cathy, owners of Pineway Summer Camp sitting around a campfire drinking beer and playing guitar. When one of them leaves to grab more alcohol, things end very badly for the two of them. Cut to Jason (Fred Hechinger) in the passenger seat while his mom drives him to work as a camp counselor at Pineway for $115 a week. The arrival of the other counselors presents a colorful array of...
Starts with John and Cathy, owners of Pineway Summer Camp sitting around a campfire drinking beer and playing guitar. When one of them leaves to grab more alcohol, things end very badly for the two of them. Cut to Jason (Fred Hechinger) in the passenger seat while his mom drives him to work as a camp counselor at Pineway for $115 a week. The arrival of the other counselors presents a colorful array of...
- 9/11/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Deadline launched its photo studio, hosting talent from Sept 8-11 at the Toronto Film Festival, as cast members of TIFF-premiering films stopped by including Harmony Korine for Aggro Dr1ft; Billy Bryk, Finn Wolfhard, Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn from Hell of a Summer; Viggo Mortensen, Vicky Krieps from The Dead Don’t Hurt; Kristoffer Borgli & Nicolas Cage for Dream Scenario; Neve Campbell, from Swan Song; Bowen Yang, Arron Jackson, Josh Sharp for Dicks The Musical; Camila Morrone, Patrica Arquette, Willem Dafoe for Gonzo Girl; Elliot Page for Backspot; Wim Wenders and Koji Yakusho from Perfect Days and many more.
Related: 2023 Toronto Film Festival Photos: Premieres, Red Carpet And Parties
Stay tuned for more photo galleries from the Deadline studio at TIFF 2023.
Related: 2023 Toronto Film Festival Photos: Premieres, Red Carpet And Parties
Stay tuned for more photo galleries from the Deadline studio at TIFF 2023.
- 9/8/2023
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
The star power at TIFF will still be shining bright this year.
On Thursday, the Toronto International Film Festival is kicking off for its 48th year, and with it will come plenty of celebrities.
But with the Hollywood writers and actors guilds still on strike, things will be a little more subdued.
A number of productions featuring guild members have been granted waivers by their unions in order to promote their films at the festival, while many international productions uninvolved in the strikes are also being presented.
Read More: Lil Nas X Documentary ‘Long Live Montero’ To Premiere At TIFF 2023
Which Stars Are Coming To TIFF?
Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard have been given the go-ahead to walk the red carpet and do press for their Michel Franco-directed film “Memory”.
Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson are both expected to attend the festival with their new movie, “Daddio”, written and directed by Christy Hall.
On Thursday, the Toronto International Film Festival is kicking off for its 48th year, and with it will come plenty of celebrities.
But with the Hollywood writers and actors guilds still on strike, things will be a little more subdued.
A number of productions featuring guild members have been granted waivers by their unions in order to promote their films at the festival, while many international productions uninvolved in the strikes are also being presented.
Read More: Lil Nas X Documentary ‘Long Live Montero’ To Premiere At TIFF 2023
Which Stars Are Coming To TIFF?
Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard have been given the go-ahead to walk the red carpet and do press for their Michel Franco-directed film “Memory”.
Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson are both expected to attend the festival with their new movie, “Daddio”, written and directed by Christy Hall.
- 9/7/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Navigating the U.S. actors and writers strikes is producing a host of winners and losers during a period of peak disruption for the film industry. Count as clear victors local Canadian filmmakers as their homegrown films and TV series grab the spotlight at the Toronto Film Festival.
“It’s a tough time in the industry. It’s unfortunate timing for the Toronto Film Festival. But with challenge, comes opportunity. We’re always looking for that extra bit of attention we can get,” says Mark Montefiore, CEO of New Metric Media, which will present director Sasha Leigh Henry’s Bria Mack Gets a Life series as part of TIFF’s Primetime sidebar.
“It’s a bittersweet opportunity presented to not only Canadian filmmakers, but any international filmmakers or film this year,” adds Toronto filmmaker M.H. Murray, whose debut feature, I Don’t Know Who You Are, will have its world premiere at TIFF.
“It’s a tough time in the industry. It’s unfortunate timing for the Toronto Film Festival. But with challenge, comes opportunity. We’re always looking for that extra bit of attention we can get,” says Mark Montefiore, CEO of New Metric Media, which will present director Sasha Leigh Henry’s Bria Mack Gets a Life series as part of TIFF’s Primetime sidebar.
“It’s a bittersweet opportunity presented to not only Canadian filmmakers, but any international filmmakers or film this year,” adds Toronto filmmaker M.H. Murray, whose debut feature, I Don’t Know Who You Are, will have its world premiere at TIFF.
- 9/7/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Here comes the fall festival circuit during the history-making double union strike. In these still uncharted waters, there remain quite a few unknowns. For instance, it’s unclear how interim agreements — either signed or not — will affect a project’s potential for pickup. Then, there is the question of whether AMPTP studios — supposedly sitting on stockpiles of cash — will be looking to buy given a lack of new content, or if they will abstain with an uncertain negotiating road ahead.
In the weeks leading up to the festival, there was chatter about how studios, including Netflix, had been messaging that they would not be buying projects that had signed interim agreements. (Netflix had no comment.) If a streamer did sign on to these agreements, they would indeed be signing on to SAG-AFTRA’s requirement that actors for streaming projects receive 2 percent of subscription revenue produced by those projects, as defined by metrics from Parrot Analytics.
In the weeks leading up to the festival, there was chatter about how studios, including Netflix, had been messaging that they would not be buying projects that had signed interim agreements. (Netflix had no comment.) If a streamer did sign on to these agreements, they would indeed be signing on to SAG-AFTRA’s requirement that actors for streaming projects receive 2 percent of subscription revenue produced by those projects, as defined by metrics from Parrot Analytics.
- 9/7/2023
- by Mia Galuppo and Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: AMC Networks‘ genre streamer Shudder and indie distributor IFC Films have firmed up release plans for the Argentinian horror When Evil Lurks, ahead of its world premiere in the Midnight Madness section of the 2023 Toronto Film Festival. The latest feature from Demián Rugna, on the heels of his Fantastic Fest prize winner Terrified, will hit theaters via IFC Films on October 6th and debut on Shudder on Oct. 27th.
Charades will handle international sales at TIFF, and AMC Studios is currently looking to further expand the world of the film with a project for the small screen.
The Shudder Original written and directed by Rugna, which marked his second in collaboration with the streamer, follows a pair of brothers who find a mutilated corpse near their property and convene with the locals to suss it out. They soon learn that the odd happenings in their village are the cause...
Charades will handle international sales at TIFF, and AMC Studios is currently looking to further expand the world of the film with a project for the small screen.
The Shudder Original written and directed by Rugna, which marked his second in collaboration with the streamer, follows a pair of brothers who find a mutilated corpse near their property and convene with the locals to suss it out. They soon learn that the odd happenings in their village are the cause...
- 8/23/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Next Goal Wins (Taika Waititi, 2023).The lineup is being unveiled for the 2023 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, starting with 60 selections from the Gala and Special Presentations programs. The festival takes place from September 7–17, 2023.Gala PRESENTATIONSConcrete Utopia (Um Tae-Hwa)Dumb Money (Craig Gillespie)Fair Play (Chloe Domont)Flora and Son (John Carney)Hate to Love: Nickelback (Leigh Brooks)Lee (Ellen Kuras)Next Goal Wins (Taika Waititi)Nyad (Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin)Punjab ’95 (Honey Trehan)Solo (Sophie Dupuis)The End We Start From (Mahalia Belo)The Movie Emperor (Ning Hao)The New Boy (Warwick Thornton) The Royal Hotel (Kitty Green)The Holdovers.Special Presentationsa Difficult Year (Éric Toledano, Olivier Nakache)A Normal Family (Hur Jin-ho)American Fiction (Cord Jefferson)Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet)Close to You (Dominic Savage)Days of Happiness (Chloé Robichaud)The Rescue (Daniela Goggi)Ezra (Tony Goldwyn)Fingernails (Christos Nikou)Four Daughters (Kaouther Ben Hania...
- 8/14/2023
- MUBI
Toronto — The Toronto International Film Festival® is thrilled to announce the 2023 selections for the Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes. The infamous Midnight Madness lineup features 10 titles, 7 of which are World Premieres. The Discovery lineup, which primarily boasts World and International Premieres, includes 26 titles. Notably, 13 female filmmakers representing 50% of the total programme are featured in this year’s Discovery programme.
Midnight Madness and Discovery provide a cornucopia of original and unexpected work. Midnight Madness is a fan favourite, iconoclastic programme highlighting the weird and the wicked, while the Discovery programme offers a window to contemporary international cinema and introduces the public to first and second feature films from gifted new filmmakers.
“We’re excited to be showcasing new voices, audacious vision, and genre-bending cinema,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “TIFF’s Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes for 2023 will once again prove to be the ultimate destination for tastemakers and experience seekers.
Midnight Madness and Discovery provide a cornucopia of original and unexpected work. Midnight Madness is a fan favourite, iconoclastic programme highlighting the weird and the wicked, while the Discovery programme offers a window to contemporary international cinema and introduces the public to first and second feature films from gifted new filmmakers.
“We’re excited to be showcasing new voices, audacious vision, and genre-bending cinema,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “TIFF’s Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes for 2023 will once again prove to be the ultimate destination for tastemakers and experience seekers.
- 8/3/2023
- by Movies Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
A bit of Cannes (Weston Razooli‘s Riddle of Fire and Jason Yu‘s Sleep), one significant title heading over to Venice in Harmony Korine‘s Aggro DR1FT plus the world premieres to the long-awaited A24 Larry Charles‘ film in the newly titled Dicks: The Musical and a title we though was heading to next year’s Sundance in Hell of a Summer – the debut by actor Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk are among the ten titles selected for the Midnight Madness programme. Here is the 10-film line-up:
Aggro DR1FT Harmony Korine | USA (North American Premiere)
Boy Kills World Moritz Mohr | Germany/South Africa/USA
Dicks: The Musical Larry Charles | USA – Opening Film
Hell of a Summer Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk | USA/Canada
Kill Nikhil Nagesh Bhat | India
Naga Meshal Aljaser | Saudi Arabia – World Premiere
Riddle of Fire Weston Razooli | USA (North American Premiere) – Closing Film
Sleep Jason Yu | South...
Aggro DR1FT Harmony Korine | USA (North American Premiere)
Boy Kills World Moritz Mohr | Germany/South Africa/USA
Dicks: The Musical Larry Charles | USA – Opening Film
Hell of a Summer Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk | USA/Canada
Kill Nikhil Nagesh Bhat | India
Naga Meshal Aljaser | Saudi Arabia – World Premiere
Riddle of Fire Weston Razooli | USA (North American Premiere) – Closing Film
Sleep Jason Yu | South...
- 8/3/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
This year’s edition of the Toronto International Film Festival is set to take place from September 7th through the 17th, and yesterday they invited film fans to guess which ten movies they’ll be screening in their Midnight Madness lineup this year. The hints were the titles of ten movies that could be compared to the films in the lineup in some way. They were Trey Parker’s Orgazmo, Geoff Murphy’s Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, Jimmy Wang Yu’s Fantasy Mission Force, Charles Martin Smith’s Trick or Treat, Stan Brakhage’s Dog Star Man, Martin Scorsese’s After Hours, Lucio Fulci’s City of the Living Dead, Paul Schrader’s Blue Collar, Ingmar Bergman’s Hour of the Wolf, and Theodore J. Flicker’s Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang. Now TIFF has announced the full lineup for both their Midnight Madness and Discovery programmes, and...
- 8/3/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The Toronto International Film Festival lineup keeps rolling in, with Midnight Madness, Discovery, and Platform programs being unveiled this week. Leading the pack is the North American premiere of Harmony Korine’s infrared action feature Aggro DR1FT, while new films from Tarsem, Larry Charles, Patricia Arquette, Molly Manning Walker, and more were also added.
“Sides will be split — both figuratively and literally (on screen) — as Midnight Madness returns to the Royal Alexandra Theatre with another stimulating concoction of unpredictable shock and ‘y’arr!’ cinema,” said Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International Programmer, Midnight Madness. “Featuring two timely satiric provocations from Saudi Arabia (Naga) and Serbia (Working Class Goes to Hell) — nations that are making their section debut — this year’s madness infectiously ignites with 11 o’clock numbers that go all the way to midnight courtesy of Larry Charles’ bonkers and bawdy Dicks: The Musical. A menagerie of tastes will be sated, so bottoms up!
“Sides will be split — both figuratively and literally (on screen) — as Midnight Madness returns to the Royal Alexandra Theatre with another stimulating concoction of unpredictable shock and ‘y’arr!’ cinema,” said Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International Programmer, Midnight Madness. “Featuring two timely satiric provocations from Saudi Arabia (Naga) and Serbia (Working Class Goes to Hell) — nations that are making their section debut — this year’s madness infectiously ignites with 11 o’clock numbers that go all the way to midnight courtesy of Larry Charles’ bonkers and bawdy Dicks: The Musical. A menagerie of tastes will be sated, so bottoms up!
- 8/3/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
The Toronto International Film Festival announced today the 2023 selections for the highly regarded Midnight Madness program.
The infamous Midnight Madness lineup features 10 titles, 7 of which are World Premieres, and highlight the weird and the wicked of film.
“Sides will be split — both figuratively and literally (on screen) — as Midnight Madness returns to the Royal Alexandra Theatre with another stimulating concoction of unpredictable shock and ‘y’arr!’ cinema,” said Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International Programmer, Midnight Madness. “Featuring two timely satiric provocations from Saudi Arabia (Naga) and Serbia (Working Class Goes to Hell) — nations that are making their section debut — this year’s madness infectiously ignites with 11 o’clock numbers that go all the way to midnight courtesy of Larry Charles’ bonkers and bawdy Dicks: The Musical. A menagerie of tastes will be sated, so bottoms up!
“There are so many fantastic genre films playing the festival circuit that it is always...
The infamous Midnight Madness lineup features 10 titles, 7 of which are World Premieres, and highlight the weird and the wicked of film.
“Sides will be split — both figuratively and literally (on screen) — as Midnight Madness returns to the Royal Alexandra Theatre with another stimulating concoction of unpredictable shock and ‘y’arr!’ cinema,” said Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International Programmer, Midnight Madness. “Featuring two timely satiric provocations from Saudi Arabia (Naga) and Serbia (Working Class Goes to Hell) — nations that are making their section debut — this year’s madness infectiously ignites with 11 o’clock numbers that go all the way to midnight courtesy of Larry Charles’ bonkers and bawdy Dicks: The Musical. A menagerie of tastes will be sated, so bottoms up!
“There are so many fantastic genre films playing the festival circuit that it is always...
- 8/3/2023
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
The Toronto Film Festival pulled the curtain off its lineup for this year’s Discovery and Midnight Madness sections with notable titles respectively teeing off both programs’ opening nights: Patricia Arquette’s Gonzo Girl and Borat director Larry Charles’ Dicks: The Musical from A24.
The Midnight Madness section counts 10 features, seven of which are world premieres. The Discovery lineup, which primarily boasts world and international premieres, includes 26 titles. Notably, 13 female filmmakers representing 50% of the total program are featured in this year’s Discovery; that lineup is known for being a window to contemporary world cinema with first and second movies from frosh filmmakers. With Midnight Madness films, it’s anything goes.
“We’re excited to be showcasing new voices, audacious vision, and genre-bending cinema,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “TIFF’s Discovery and Midnight Madness programs for 2023 will once again prove to be the ultimate destination for tastemakers and experience seekers.
The Midnight Madness section counts 10 features, seven of which are world premieres. The Discovery lineup, which primarily boasts world and international premieres, includes 26 titles. Notably, 13 female filmmakers representing 50% of the total program are featured in this year’s Discovery; that lineup is known for being a window to contemporary world cinema with first and second movies from frosh filmmakers. With Midnight Madness films, it’s anything goes.
“We’re excited to be showcasing new voices, audacious vision, and genre-bending cinema,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “TIFF’s Discovery and Midnight Madness programs for 2023 will once again prove to be the ultimate destination for tastemakers and experience seekers.
- 8/3/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro and Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Patricia Arquette’s Gonzo Girl and Larry Charles’ Dicks: The Musical open the sections.
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled the titles in its Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes, with the line-ups including Harmony Korine’s Aggro Dr1ft, Patricia Arquette’s Gonzo Girl and Molly Manning Walker’s How To Have Sex.
The Discovery line-up, designed to open a window on contemporary international cinema with first and second features from new filmmakers, comprises 26 titles from 25 countries, most of them world or international premieres.
As well as Arquette’s directing debut Gonzo Girl, with the actor also starring alongside Willem Dafoe,...
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled the titles in its Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes, with the line-ups including Harmony Korine’s Aggro Dr1ft, Patricia Arquette’s Gonzo Girl and Molly Manning Walker’s How To Have Sex.
The Discovery line-up, designed to open a window on contemporary international cinema with first and second features from new filmmakers, comprises 26 titles from 25 countries, most of them world or international premieres.
As well as Arquette’s directing debut Gonzo Girl, with the actor also starring alongside Willem Dafoe,...
- 8/3/2023
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
The Toronto International Film Festival announced the 2023 selections for the Discovery and Midnight Madness program this morning. The Midnight Madness lineup features 10 titles, seven of which are World Premieres. The Discovery lineup, which primarily boasts World and International Premieres, includes 26 titles. Notably, 13 female filmmakers representing 50% of the total are featured in this year’s Discovery program.
Midnight Madness and Discovery provide a cornucopia of original and unexpected work. Midnight Madness is a fan favorite, iconoclastic program highlighting the weird and the wicked, while the Discovery program offers a window to contemporary international cinema and introduces the public to first and second feature films from gifted new filmmakers.
“We’re excited to be showcasing new voices, audacious vision, and genre-bending cinema,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “TIFF’s Discovery and Midnight Madness program for 2023 will once again prove to be the ultimate destination for tastemakers and experience seekers.”
Midnight...
Midnight Madness and Discovery provide a cornucopia of original and unexpected work. Midnight Madness is a fan favorite, iconoclastic program highlighting the weird and the wicked, while the Discovery program offers a window to contemporary international cinema and introduces the public to first and second feature films from gifted new filmmakers.
“We’re excited to be showcasing new voices, audacious vision, and genre-bending cinema,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “TIFF’s Discovery and Midnight Madness program for 2023 will once again prove to be the ultimate destination for tastemakers and experience seekers.”
Midnight...
- 8/3/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
New films from Patricia Arquette, Larry Charles, Harmony Korine and Finn Wolfhard will screen in the Midnight Madness and Discovery sections of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF organizers announced on Thursday.
Korine’s “Aggro DR1FT” and Charles’ “Dicks: The Musical” will screen in the Midnight Madness section, along with eight other films that also include Jason Yu’s “Sleep” and Wolfhard and Billy Bryk’s “Hell of a Summer.”
“Dicks: The Musical,” which TIFF Midnight Madness programmer Peter Kuplowsky called “bonkers and bawdy” in the press release announcing the lineups, will open the Midnight Madness section, while Weston Razooli’s “Riddle of Fire” will be the closing-night attraction.
The Discovery section will showcase 26 films from up-and-coming directors around the world. It will open with Arquette’s “Gonzo Girl,” which stars Willem Dafoe and Camilla Morrone (“Daisy Jones & the Six”) and is one of many TIFF titles from actors who have turned to directing.
Korine’s “Aggro DR1FT” and Charles’ “Dicks: The Musical” will screen in the Midnight Madness section, along with eight other films that also include Jason Yu’s “Sleep” and Wolfhard and Billy Bryk’s “Hell of a Summer.”
“Dicks: The Musical,” which TIFF Midnight Madness programmer Peter Kuplowsky called “bonkers and bawdy” in the press release announcing the lineups, will open the Midnight Madness section, while Weston Razooli’s “Riddle of Fire” will be the closing-night attraction.
The Discovery section will showcase 26 films from up-and-coming directors around the world. It will open with Arquette’s “Gonzo Girl,” which stars Willem Dafoe and Camilla Morrone (“Daisy Jones & the Six”) and is one of many TIFF titles from actors who have turned to directing.
- 8/3/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The Toronto International Film Festival has today announced the lineup for two of its more unpredictable and interesting sections: Discovery and Midnight Madness. Billed as “the infamous,” this year’s Midnight Madness lineup features 10 titles, seven of which are world premieres. The Discovery lineup, which primarily includes world and international premieres, includes 26 titles.
Per TIFF, both “Midnight Madness and Discovery provide a cornucopia of original and unexpected work. Midnight Madness is a fan favorite, iconoclastic program highlighting the weird and the wicked, while the Discovery program offers a window to contemporary international cinema and introduces the public to first and second feature films from gifted new filmmakers.” The festival’s announcement also notes that 13 female filmmakers, representing 50 percent of the total program, are featured in this year’s Discovery lineup.
Those films include new offerings from Harmony Korine and Larry Charles, plus — as Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International Programmer, Midnight Madness,...
Per TIFF, both “Midnight Madness and Discovery provide a cornucopia of original and unexpected work. Midnight Madness is a fan favorite, iconoclastic program highlighting the weird and the wicked, while the Discovery program offers a window to contemporary international cinema and introduces the public to first and second feature films from gifted new filmmakers.” The festival’s announcement also notes that 13 female filmmakers, representing 50 percent of the total program, are featured in this year’s Discovery lineup.
Those films include new offerings from Harmony Korine and Larry Charles, plus — as Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International Programmer, Midnight Madness,...
- 8/3/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Finn Wolfhard, Larry Charles, Harmony Korine Films Set for Midnight Madness at Toronto Film Festival
The Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness sidebar will open with Borat director Larry Charles’ latest movie Dicks: The Musical getting a world premiere.
Charles’ latest film, from A24 and in theaters from Sept. 29, stars Megan Mullally, Megan Thee Stallion, Bowen Yang as God and Nathan Lane, as the comedy duo of Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp (who also wrote the film’s script) play self-obsessed businessmen who discover they’re long-lost identical twins and come together to plot the reunion of their eccentric and divorced parents.
“This year’s madness infectiously ignites with 11 o’clock numbers that go all the way to midnight courtesy of Larry Charles’ bonkers and bawdy Dicks: The Musical. A menagerie of tastes will be sated, so bottoms up!” Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International programmer of Midnight Madness, said in a statement on Thursday.
The latest additions to the Toronto Film Festival also include the lineup...
Charles’ latest film, from A24 and in theaters from Sept. 29, stars Megan Mullally, Megan Thee Stallion, Bowen Yang as God and Nathan Lane, as the comedy duo of Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp (who also wrote the film’s script) play self-obsessed businessmen who discover they’re long-lost identical twins and come together to plot the reunion of their eccentric and divorced parents.
“This year’s madness infectiously ignites with 11 o’clock numbers that go all the way to midnight courtesy of Larry Charles’ bonkers and bawdy Dicks: The Musical. A menagerie of tastes will be sated, so bottoms up!” Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International programmer of Midnight Madness, said in a statement on Thursday.
The latest additions to the Toronto Film Festival also include the lineup...
- 8/3/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Finn Wolfhard struggled to find financing for his directorial debut “Hell of a Summer,” which he co-directed and co-wrote with Billy Bryk.
The “Stranger Things” breakout star told Entertainment Weekly that at age 20, he was met with skepticism from financiers over his ability to helm a feature.
“That’s what everyone said when we tried to get money for this movie,” Wolfhard said. “They’re like, ‘You’re a little young to be directing a movie.’ I’m like, ‘Yep.'”
He added, “Oh my God, they gave money to two kids to make a crazy [movie].’ Not to downplay it, I’m incredibly proud of it, but it was a crazy thing.”
The child star continued, “We’d like to let the film speak for itself. I don’t think age defines filmmaking in any way. I think everyone has stories to tell, and if you have the chance to do it,...
The “Stranger Things” breakout star told Entertainment Weekly that at age 20, he was met with skepticism from financiers over his ability to helm a feature.
“That’s what everyone said when we tried to get money for this movie,” Wolfhard said. “They’re like, ‘You’re a little young to be directing a movie.’ I’m like, ‘Yep.'”
He added, “Oh my God, they gave money to two kids to make a crazy [movie].’ Not to downplay it, I’m incredibly proud of it, but it was a crazy thing.”
The child star continued, “We’d like to let the film speak for itself. I don’t think age defines filmmaking in any way. I think everyone has stories to tell, and if you have the chance to do it,...
- 6/6/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Bridgerton actress Phoebe Dynevor will star in the Kansas-set thriller Witchita Libra as a woman trying to solve a dark historic crime that tore apart her family and rural hometown.
The thriller is the second feature of writer and director Henry Dunham, and follows The Standoff at Sparrow Creek which premiered in Toronto in 2018.
The film is produced by Jay Van Hoy.
Currently in pre-production, Witchita Libra begins shooting this year. Mister Smith Entertainment will launch international sales at the EFM and UTA is handling North American rights.
The drama is set in the aftermath of a triple murder in the protagonist’s hometown in rural Kansas, which caused her to flee to Chicago and start a new life.
A decade on, she is drawn back home after her brother’s death to decode a cryptic letter he left behind, suggesting the wrong...
The thriller is the second feature of writer and director Henry Dunham, and follows The Standoff at Sparrow Creek which premiered in Toronto in 2018.
The film is produced by Jay Van Hoy.
Currently in pre-production, Witchita Libra begins shooting this year. Mister Smith Entertainment will launch international sales at the EFM and UTA is handling North American rights.
The drama is set in the aftermath of a triple murder in the protagonist’s hometown in rural Kansas, which caused her to flee to Chicago and start a new life.
A decade on, she is drawn back home after her brother’s death to decode a cryptic letter he left behind, suggesting the wrong...
- 2/9/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Stranger Things and Ghostbusters: Afterlife actor Finn Wolfhard has made his feature directorial debut with a horror comedy called Hell of a Summer, which he directed alongside Billy Bryk, who also appeared in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Altitude Film Sales will be introducing the film to potential distributors at this month’s European Film Market in Berlin, and in anticipation of the market a first look image from Hell of a Summer has arrived online. You can check it out at the bottom of this article.
Plot details and information on the characters in the film are still being kept under wraps. We do know that Wolfhard and Bryk both star in their directorial effort and are joined in the cast by Fred Hechinger (the Fear Street trilogy), D’Pharaoh Woon-a-Tai (Reservation Dogs), Abby Quinn (Mad About You), and Pardis Saremi (Career Opportunities in Murder and Mayhem).
Months before Hell of a Summer was officially announced,...
Plot details and information on the characters in the film are still being kept under wraps. We do know that Wolfhard and Bryk both star in their directorial effort and are joined in the cast by Fred Hechinger (the Fear Street trilogy), D’Pharaoh Woon-a-Tai (Reservation Dogs), Abby Quinn (Mad About You), and Pardis Saremi (Career Opportunities in Murder and Mayhem).
Months before Hell of a Summer was officially announced,...
- 2/8/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Stars: Julianne Moore, Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk, Alisha Boe, Jack Justice | Written and Directed by Jesse Eisenberg
Evelyn (Julianne Moore) has devoted herself to helping people in hard times, but she struggles to connect with her son Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard), an aspiring internet star oblivious to the problems of the world. As Evelyn attempts to become a parent figure to an unassuming teenager she meets at her shelter, and Ziggy fumbles through his pursuit of a brilliant and politically conscious young woman at his high school, this emotional comedy reveals a funny and sharply perceptive portrait of a mother and son who may seem at odds but who are more alike than either would care to admit.
If there’s one massive takeaway from When You Finish Saving the World, it’s that Jesse Eisenberg certainly has a promising career as a writer and director one day if he ever wants to continue pursuing it.
Evelyn (Julianne Moore) has devoted herself to helping people in hard times, but she struggles to connect with her son Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard), an aspiring internet star oblivious to the problems of the world. As Evelyn attempts to become a parent figure to an unassuming teenager she meets at her shelter, and Ziggy fumbles through his pursuit of a brilliant and politically conscious young woman at his high school, this emotional comedy reveals a funny and sharply perceptive portrait of a mother and son who may seem at odds but who are more alike than either would care to admit.
If there’s one massive takeaway from When You Finish Saving the World, it’s that Jesse Eisenberg certainly has a promising career as a writer and director one day if he ever wants to continue pursuing it.
- 2/8/2023
- by Caillou Pettis
- Nerdly
“Stranger Things” and Ghostbusters: Afterlife star Finn Wolfhard had recently teased that he was developing a “horror-comedy slasher movie,” and we later learned that the film is titled Hell of a Summer. This week, Variety has shared a first-look image from the film (above).
Finn Wolfhard wrote and directed the upcoming movie alongside Billy Bryk (Ghostbusters: Afterlife), with both actors also starring in the film. The cast also includes Fred Hechinger (Fear Street 1994), as well as D’Pharaoh Woon-a-Tai (“Reservation Dogs”), Abby Quinn (“Mad About You”), and Pardis Saremi (“Career Opportunities in Murder and Mayhem”).
Altitude Film Sales will handle international sales, Variety notes, and they’re set to introduce the project at this month’s European Film Market in Berlin. Filming has wrapped.
Aggregate Films’ Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan, Parts & Labor’s Jay Van Hoy, Wolfhard, Bryk and Hechinger produced the film. 30West fully financed and is executive producing Hell of a Summer,...
Finn Wolfhard wrote and directed the upcoming movie alongside Billy Bryk (Ghostbusters: Afterlife), with both actors also starring in the film. The cast also includes Fred Hechinger (Fear Street 1994), as well as D’Pharaoh Woon-a-Tai (“Reservation Dogs”), Abby Quinn (“Mad About You”), and Pardis Saremi (“Career Opportunities in Murder and Mayhem”).
Altitude Film Sales will handle international sales, Variety notes, and they’re set to introduce the project at this month’s European Film Market in Berlin. Filming has wrapped.
Aggregate Films’ Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan, Parts & Labor’s Jay Van Hoy, Wolfhard, Bryk and Hechinger produced the film. 30West fully financed and is executive producing Hell of a Summer,...
- 2/6/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Altitude Film Sales will handle international sales of the original horror-comedy “Hell of a Summer,” which is written, directed by and stars Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk. In addition, the filmmakers released a suitably eerie first look at “Hell of a Summer,” which shows Wolfhard and Bryk staring down at something creepy from the barrels of their flashlights.
The film marks the directorial debuts of the two collaborators. Wolfhard is best known for his work on “Stranger Things” and “It,” while Bryk has appeared in “When You Finish Saving the World” and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (both of which starred Wolfhard).
Fred Hechinger (“The White Lotus”), D’Pharaoh Woon-a-Tai (“Reservation Dogs”), Abby Quinn (“Mad About You”), and Pardis Saremi (“Career Opportunities in Murder and Mayhem”) round out the cast of the movie, which is currently in post-production. Altitude Film Sales will introduce “Hell of a Summer” at this month’s European Film Market in Berlin.
The film marks the directorial debuts of the two collaborators. Wolfhard is best known for his work on “Stranger Things” and “It,” while Bryk has appeared in “When You Finish Saving the World” and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (both of which starred Wolfhard).
Fred Hechinger (“The White Lotus”), D’Pharaoh Woon-a-Tai (“Reservation Dogs”), Abby Quinn (“Mad About You”), and Pardis Saremi (“Career Opportunities in Murder and Mayhem”) round out the cast of the movie, which is currently in post-production. Altitude Film Sales will introduce “Hell of a Summer” at this month’s European Film Market in Berlin.
- 2/6/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on Wbgr-fm on January 19th, 2023, reviewing “When You Finish Saving the World,” the directorial debut from actor Jesse Eisenberg. In select theaters beginning January 20th.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
This is a relationship film of mother to son/social worker to surrogate son, all through Evelyn, in another stellar performance by Julianne Moore. Her actual son is Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard) a somewhat lost soul who spends his hours live streaming his original music to a growing international fan base. Her surrogate son is Kyle (Billy Brick), a 17-year-old who has checked into the domestic abuse halfway house with his mother, where Evelyn is director. As Evelyn drifts from Ziggy, she latches too close onto Kyle, and the result becomes a messy relationship for each boy. Meanwhile, of course, all the other relationships in their lives swirl around them.
”When You Finish Saving the World...
Rating: 4.5/5.0
This is a relationship film of mother to son/social worker to surrogate son, all through Evelyn, in another stellar performance by Julianne Moore. Her actual son is Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard) a somewhat lost soul who spends his hours live streaming his original music to a growing international fan base. Her surrogate son is Kyle (Billy Brick), a 17-year-old who has checked into the domestic abuse halfway house with his mother, where Evelyn is director. As Evelyn drifts from Ziggy, she latches too close onto Kyle, and the result becomes a messy relationship for each boy. Meanwhile, of course, all the other relationships in their lives swirl around them.
”When You Finish Saving the World...
- 1/20/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
So, I’m thinking that there may be a bit of a hidden strategy concerning a couple of this week’s big movie releases. Nothing nefarious mind you, perhaps more of a coincidence. Basically, we’ve got two tales of conflict between a parent and a son. Yes, the other film is the somber, emotional drama The Son. This other work, on the “flip side” also has lots of verbal clashes, but it’s peppered with lots of humor, often at the expense of the divisive duo. Plus it takes a few well-deserved shots, more like “burns’ at our social media-obsessed society. This is a touch ironic since it’s written and directed by the actor who was Oscar-nominated for his performance in an epic docudrama set on the fringes of the worldwide web. Now we’ve given a heads-up to the script’s snarky tone by the title. Can...
- 1/20/2023
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
This review originally January 20, 2022, in conjunction with the film’s world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
Jesse Eisenberg is no stranger to embodying a certain kind of awkwardness and unsociability in front of a camera, and he sticks to what he knows with his feature directorial debut, “When You Finish Saving the World.” The indie drama from A24, which premiered on the opening night of the virtual 2022 Sundance Film Festival on Thursday, is a veritable symphony in awkward conversations; if you’re not cringing half the time, you’re not paying attention.
And like several of the other actors who’ve used Sundance in recent years as a launching pad for their first features as directors — among them Paul Dano (“Wildlife”), Viggo Mortensen (“Falling”), Robin Wright (“Land”), Rebecca Hall (“Passing”), Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”) and Bo Burnham (“Eighth Grade”) — Eisenberg emerges as a restrained filmmaker who has a...
Jesse Eisenberg is no stranger to embodying a certain kind of awkwardness and unsociability in front of a camera, and he sticks to what he knows with his feature directorial debut, “When You Finish Saving the World.” The indie drama from A24, which premiered on the opening night of the virtual 2022 Sundance Film Festival on Thursday, is a veritable symphony in awkward conversations; if you’re not cringing half the time, you’re not paying attention.
And like several of the other actors who’ve used Sundance in recent years as a launching pad for their first features as directors — among them Paul Dano (“Wildlife”), Viggo Mortensen (“Falling”), Robin Wright (“Land”), Rebecca Hall (“Passing”), Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”) and Bo Burnham (“Eighth Grade”) — Eisenberg emerges as a restrained filmmaker who has a...
- 1/19/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
If you didn’t know that Jesse Eisenberg wrote and directed When You Finish Saving the World, its characters’ mile-a-minute musings might quickly clue you in. Eisenberg’s directorial debut, based on an Audible drama also penned by him, channels the actor’s constantly churning energy and neuroticism, but it’s failed by a pat script that never quite understands its characters.
Julianne Moore stars as Evelyn, the director of a shelter for domestic violence victims. Evelyn is serious, proudly liberal and deeply intellectual, so focused on the many needs of the world that smiling seems to be a luxury for her. The film focuses on the growing distance with her son Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard), who has no higher aspiration than to write and perform songs for a YouTube audience of 20,000 followers; the only thing he seems to enjoy more is to tell people that he has 20,000 followers. When Ziggy...
Julianne Moore stars as Evelyn, the director of a shelter for domestic violence victims. Evelyn is serious, proudly liberal and deeply intellectual, so focused on the many needs of the world that smiling seems to be a luxury for her. The film focuses on the growing distance with her son Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard), who has no higher aspiration than to write and perform songs for a YouTube audience of 20,000 followers; the only thing he seems to enjoy more is to tell people that he has 20,000 followers. When Ziggy...
- 1/18/2023
- by Chris Williams
- CinemaNerdz
Introducing Ziggy Katz: the viral sensation who performs indie rock and folk music on livestreams from his bedroom in the Midwest, which is actually just the film set where Finn Wolfhard portrays him. Wolfhard, or rather Ziggy, star of the upcoming A24 film When You Finish Saving the World, has shared the first real song from the fake singer, “Pieces of Gold.”
The original song is more atmospheric than the releases of Ziggy’s supposed major influences — Elvis, John Lennon, and Bob Dylan, according to the faux artist’s Spotify bio.
The original song is more atmospheric than the releases of Ziggy’s supposed major influences — Elvis, John Lennon, and Bob Dylan, according to the faux artist’s Spotify bio.
- 1/10/2023
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
When You Finish Saving The World Trailer — Jesse Eisenberg‘s When You Finish Saving The World (2022) movie trailer has been released by A24. The When You Finish Saving The World trailer stars Julianne Moore, Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk, Alisha Boe, Jack Justice, Jay O. Sanders, Eleonore Hendricks, and [...]
Continue reading: When You Finish Saving The World (2022) Movie Trailer: Julianne Moore & Finn Wolfhard star in A24’s Drama Film...
Continue reading: When You Finish Saving The World (2022) Movie Trailer: Julianne Moore & Finn Wolfhard star in A24’s Drama Film...
- 11/29/2022
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
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