All articles tagged with #film
Blumhouse chief Jason Blum and James Wan say a new era for horror is driven by online creators, with Obsession and Backrooms performing strongly at the box office; the Blumhouse-Atomic Monster merger is shaping a collaborative two‑label, one‑P&L approach, and the duo aim to become “the Disney of horror” in five years by leveraging creator-led projects and close audience interaction during test screenings.
Warner Bros. Motion Picture Co-Chair Michael De Luca praises YouTube-driven filmmakers Kane Parsons (Backrooms) and Curry Barker (Obsession) for their audience-calibrated approach, saying their ongoing dialogue with fans and pre-release testing helped Backrooms open to about $85–88M and Obsession surpass $106M. He emphasizes the role of digital marketing and creator involvement (including the Barbenheimer-era marketing), notes there’s no crystal ball for ticket sales, and stresses the importance of strong filmmaker relationships and a diversified slate at Warner.
Kelly Curtis, 69, American actress and sister of Jamie Lee Curtis, died on Saturday, with Jamie Lee Curtis announcing the news on Facebook. Curtis appeared with her younger sister in the 1983 comedy Trading Places, acted in The Sentinel and various TV shows, and later directed documentaries Marby Jets Are Go and Curling in Stanley. Born in Santa Monica in 1956, she made her screen debut in The Vikings (1958) alongside her parents Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.
Backrooms, adapted from the viral YouTube series, is on track to deliver an $85–$90 million domestic opening weekend after grossing $38 million on Friday from 3,442 theaters, shattering A24’s prior opening-weekend record (Civil War’s $25.5M). The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve and Mark Duplass, with producers James Wan, Shawn Levy and Osgood Perkins via Chernin Entertainment.
Paramount Pictures won the film rights to The Midnight Library, a Matt Haig adaptation directed by Garth Davis and starring Florence Pugh as Nora Seed, in a deal reported around $36 million for North American and select foreign rights; Focus Features and Sony were among bidders, while StudioCanal retains rights in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Benelux, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa with territories to be finalized. Production is slated to begin after autumn next year with a reported budget near $70 million, underscoring a major European production and an awards‑leaning strategy for Paramount.
Early reactions to Disclosure Day hail Spielberg’s return to sci‑fi as critics call it his best film in 20 years; the blockbuster stars Josh O'Connor and Emily Blunt as a whistleblower and his magnetic partner who uncover a government cover‑up of extraterrestrial life, with UK release on June 10. Critics praised its blend of chase thriller, romance and mystery and lauded Spielberg’s direction and Blunt’s performance, drawing comparisons to E.T. and Close Encounters.
Critics are divided on A24’s Backrooms, Kane Parsons’ surreal horror: praised for its atmosphere and Lynchian mood, its found-footage sensibility, and strong performances, but many reviews argue the film offers few clear answers and can feel opaque or overlong.
Early social-media responses to Spielberg’s Disclosure Day are predominantly glowing, praising its funny, mysterious tone and calling it Spielberg’s best film in two decades, with standout work from Emily Blunt and a celebrated John Williams score. Critics describe it as a dense, high-energy mix of chase, romance, and sci‑fi mystery—anime Raiders‑level ambition—and note the new trailer dropping ahead of its June 12 theatrical opening.
Early reactions to Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day call it his best film in 20 years, praising its dense sci‑fi blend of chase, mystery and romance, and hailing Emily Blunt’s performance as one of the year’s standout.
Tribeca Film Festival will world-premiere Dreams of Violets, a 75‑minute docudrama created entirely with AI by Ash and Pooya Koosha. Made on a reported $2,000 budget with AI replacing actors, sets and cameras, the film dramatizes Iranian civilian resistance and the January 2026 massacre; organizers describe it as the first fully AI-generated feature admitted to a major festival’s official lineup. The premiere is June 10 in New York, with co-founder Jane Rosenthal highlighting AI-driven storytelling as a new frontier for independent film.
Mark Duplass publicly refutes online rumors that Kane Parsons didn’t direct Backrooms, insisting Parsons was intensely prepared and in full creative control with a strong crew. Parsons was 19–20 during filming and benefited from mentors and notable producers around the project.
Emmy-winning Veep creator Armando Iannucci will co-write Paddington 4 with Simon Blackwell, with Dougal Wilson in talks to return as director; the marmalade-filled franchise has earned over $800 million worldwide across its first three films.
Backrooms follows a failed architect who falls into a labyrinth of endless rooms; the concept is unnerving and visually striking, but the storytelling is underdeveloped and the characters feel flat, making the horror feel more atmospheric than frightening overall.
Armando Iannucci will pen the screenplay for Paddington 4, with Simon Blackwell co-writing and Dougal Wilson in talks to direct; a 2027–2028 release is expected as the Paddington franchise continues, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of A Bear Called Paddington and a recent Paddington musical in London.
THR’s review of Pressure deems Anthony Maras’s WWII drama a taut, cerebral thriller about the weather forecast that could decide D-Day. Focusing on meteorologist Dr. James Stagg (Andrew Scott) and his clashes with Irving Krick and Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) over whether to delay the invasion, the film—based on David Haig’s stage play and using archival footage—builds sustained tension across the 72 hours leading up to the operation, with Scott delivering a standout, nuanced performance. Release date: May 29, 2026.