Big-screen romantic drama, like romantic comedy, needs a conflict. When two great-looking stars play characters who lock eyes and flirt and get closer and fall in love, the pull of that chemistry is so strong that if there isn’t something to keep them apart, you don’t have a movie — or, at least, that’s the…
When Paolo Sorrentino needed a new conclave of cardinals for HBO’s “The New Pope,” his specialized casting agent Alessandra Troisi sent a team combing through Rome’s community centers for senior citizens who, she says, are the “biggest reservoirs” from which high-ranking prelates get picked. 13 more words
via Italian Casting Agents Hit the Streets for Fresh Talent for Shows Like ‘The New Pope’ — Variety
Zoe Kravitz is in the process of curating a pretty dope playlist. After a few catchy early numbers and some recent jams like “Big Little Lies,” the actor, singer, model and now producer is pumping up the volume on her career with new Hulu series “High Fidelity” and, of course, Matt Reeves’ “The Batman,” in…
via Zoe Kravitz on ‘High Fidelity,’ Playing Catwoman to Robert Pattinson’s ‘Batman’ — Variety
“Downhill” feels a lot like it should be a comedy. It looks like one, for starters. It stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the most lauded comedic actress on American television, and Will Ferrell, the “Saturday Night Live” goofball whose caricatures of men and masculinity have carved out an inimitable place in American humor. 7 more words
via Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell Talk Balancing Drama & Comedy in ‘Downhill’ — Variety
Disney-Pixar’s fantasy film “Onward” is heading for a respectable $45 million opening on the March 6-8 weekend, early tracking showed Thursday. “Onward” is directed by Dan Scanlon from a script he wrote with Keith Bunin and Jason Headley. 19 more words
via Disney-Pixar’s ‘Onward’ Tracking for $45 Million Opening Weekend — Variety
Back in 2016, Matthew A. Cherry put out a call on Twitter looking for 3D artists to help with a project. On Sunday, Cherry was standing on the stage of the Dolby Theatre celebrating his Oscar win for best animated short for “Hair Love.” His triumph comes as Variety continues to celebrate African-American artisans who…
Diego Luna didn’t exactly jump at the chance to play Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo in Netflix’s “Narcos: Mexico.” Gallardo is one of the most infamous leaders of the 1980s Guadalajara drug cartel. 27 more words
via Listen: Diego Luna on Why It Took ‘Months’ to Sign Onto ‘Narcos: Mexico’ — Variety
The final moments of this year’s NBA All-Star Game will likely have drama and multiple drives to the basket. One thing they won’t feature: advertising. The fourth quarter of the NBA All-Star Game on TNT will include a commercial-free four quarter as part of a new format aimed at honoring the late Kobe Bryant. The…
via TNT’s NBA All-Star Game Will Feature Ad-Free Fourth Quarter in Kobe Bryant Tribute — Variety
Ahead of the series’ sixth season premiere later this year, Amazon Studios has announced that ‘Bosch’ will end with its seventh season on Amazon Prime Video. 35 more words
via ‘Bosch’ Renewed for Seventh and Final Season by Amazon Studios — Variety
Two years after the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history, leaving 17 dead and 17 others wounded, the painful memories Parkland survivors take with them illustrate those affected by the tragedy are still experiencing residual trauma. 21 more words
Festival Reviews 