LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – America’s foster care system is the unlikely setting for a love story in “Short Term 12,” an independent film that examines a young couple’s relationship amid the troubles, trauma and camaraderie of teenagers in foster care. Written and... More »
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif (Reuters) – It was a black-and-white home movie of an old man, diminutive and cancer-stricken, performing Chinese martial arts techniques in a Hong Kong apartment that spurred director Wong Kar Wai to make his latest film, the Kung Fu epic... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Veteran actor Dick Van Dyke, best known for his hit television comedy of the 1960s, survived a car fire unscathed on Monday when a passerby pulled him from the smoldering vehicle before it burst into flames on the side of a Los Angeles-... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – British boy band One Direction, one of the pop music industry’s biggest acts in the last two years, plan to show the world what they’re really like in a new 3D documentary that will premiere in London on Tuesday. The five singers told a news... More »
LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” a civil rights drama starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey, surpassed expectations and easily won the weekend box office battle, debuting with $25 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales throug... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – After a summer dominated by superheroes fighting evil and winning over audiences at the box office, “Kick-Ass 2” aims to show the violent underside of being a costumed vigilante. “The sequel is set up to deal with the consequences,” dir... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” is the latest in a list of movies celebrating the American outlaw mythology, but the indie film set in rural Texas in the 1970s focuses more on mood and feelings than blazing shoot-outs and daring prison escapes.... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Ashton Kutcher may be best known for his goofier comedy roles in “That ’70s Show” and “Two and a Half Men,” but the actor takes a rare dramatic turn in new film “Jobs” as visionary Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Kutcher, 35, who bears a s... More »
WARSAW (Reuters) – Veteran director Andrzej Wajda has earned an honorary Oscar for his catalogue of powerful movies, but he felt he had one more mission to complete before his long career ends: to tell his story of Poland’s anti-Communist icon Lech Walesa. Pre... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – China has agreed to resume payments owed to the U.S. film industry after the two sides resolved a tax dispute, the Motion Picture Association of America, a trade group for Hollywood studios, said on Tuesday. The MPAA said the China Film... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “Star Wars” filmmaker George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson became parents to a baby girl born via surrogate, his representatives said on Monday. Everest Hobson Lucas was born on August 9 and is the first biological child for Lucas, ... More »
LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Matt Damon’s futuristic thriller “Elysium,” the story of an elite space outpost locked in battle with poor invaders from a ruined Earth, won a crowded box-office race among four new films at U.S. and Canadian theaters over the ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – For a film once slated to go straight to DVD, Disney’s animated adventure “Planes” has some lofty ambitions: it not only wants to be a worthy spin-off of the “Cars” franchise, it also aspires to tell a global story. Out in U.S. theaters... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Actor Peter Sarsgaard has portrayed his share of intense, dark characters, from a homophobic murderer in “Boys Don’t Cry” and a death row inmate in the TV series “The Killing” to his latest role as a sleazy hustler in the new biopic “Lovel... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Director Neill Blomkamp and leading man Matt Damon mostly want summer filmgoers to be completely entertained by the action-packed, sci-fi thriller “Elysium.” But if the audience could also ponder the question of what to do about world p... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro, who last appeared together on screen nearly 20 years ago in “Marvin’s Room,” will star in the film adaptation of Ann Leary’s best-selling novel “The Good House,” its producers said on Tuesday.... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Hayao Miyazaki’s new film is already a box office hit but its themes about the dangers of nationalism and war have set up the Oscar-winning animator for unprecedented criticism. “The Wind Rises”, which debuted at the top of the Japanese box o... More »
LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) – “2 Guns,” starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg as rival federal agents, shot through its weekend competition at movie theaters, collecting $27.4 million to lead the North American box office, according to studio estimat... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Dreamworks Animation SKG Inc, the studio that built one of Hollywood’s largest film franchises on the back of a green ogre named Shrek, has suddenly become one of the entertainment industry’s busiest dealmakers. In the last year, Dreamw... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actress Lindsay Lohan on Wednesday completed her 90-day stint in a rehabilitation facility to comply with court-ordered treatment for a reckless driving charge, but still faces more than year of weekly therapy sessions, a Los Angeles ju... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Denzel Washington was looking for something light after his role as an alcoholic airline pilot in “Flight” and found it in “2 Guns,” an action buddy film that showcases the two-time Academy Award winner’s flair for comedy. The film, which ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Young adult fantasy book series “Artemis Fowl” about a 12-year-old millionaire criminal mastermind will be adapted into a feature film, Walt Disney Studios and the Weinstein Company said on Monday. The film will cover the first two book... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Angelina Jolie, who will next be seen on the big screen in the film “Maleficent,” is Hollywood’s highest paid actress with estimated earnings of $33 million in the last year, according to Forbes. She easily surpassed this year’s Best Actre... More »
LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) – “The Wolverine,” starring Hugh Jackman as Marvel Comics’ sharp- clawed superhero, slashed its way to $55 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales to claim the box office crown in a summer that hasn’t been kind to some other bi... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A judge in Southern California on Friday has postponed ruling on whether the parents of troubled actress Amanda Bynes should be granted legal control over the former teenage star’s affairs. Ventura County Superior Court Judge Glen Reise... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – So sharp is the reversal of fortune for Woody Allen’s female protagonist in his latest film, “Blue Jasmine,” that the Manhattan socialite’s possessions are reduced to a faint echo: a Chanel jacket, designer suitcases, a clutch of anti-d... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Two years out of the University of Southern California’s film school, Ryan Coogler is still paying down his debt. That may not be the case for long. Coogler’s first feature film, “Fruitvale Station,” goes into wide U.S. release this wee... More »
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman will direct her first feature film based on “A Tale of Love and Darkness,” a memoir by Israeli novelist Amos Oz, the author said on Wednesday. The Israeli-American actress, who won a best actress Osca... More »
TORONTO (Reuters) – The world premiere of “The Fifth Estate,” a ripped-from-the-headlines drama about Julian Assange and the creation of WikiLeaks, will open the 38th Toronto International Film Festival, which typically yields a number of Oscar contenders. Wid... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Troubled actress Amanda Bynes has been taken to a hospital for involuntary psychiatric care after the former teen star was involved in a disturbance in Southern California, authorities said on Tuesday. Don Aguilar, a spokesman for the V... More »
JUZCAR Spain (Reuters) – A Spanish hilltop village has found a way to chase away the country’s recession blues by keeping all its buildings blue, the way they were painted in 2011 for a promotion for a cartoon Smurf movie. “We calculate that around 210,000 tou... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Screen Actors Guild, which represents film, television and other performers in the United States, on Monday said Rita Moreno will receive its lifetime achievement award at its annual awards ceremony in January. Moreno, 81, has been ... More »
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) – Studios brought A-list surprises to San Diego’s Comic-Con on Saturday to promote upcoming superhero blockbusters. Comic-Con is the largest annual gathering of fans of the comic book, sci-fi and fantasy genres, drawing around 125,000 peopl... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Ryan Gosling’s latest film, “Only God Forgives,” has deeply divided critics and the Canadian actor concedes that the blood-spattered crime thriller set in Bangkok’s underworld of boxing clubs and brothels may not appeal to everyone. “The f... More »
ROME (Reuters) – It may have set Sophia Loren on the road to Hollywood stardom, but the Italian state broadcaster thinks the Miss Italia beauty contest is showing its age, and is dropping its coverage after 25 years. Predictably in a country where skimpily cla... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – British actor Idris Elba may be best known as an enterprising Baltimore drug lord on the HBO series “The Wire,” but he has a growing presence in sci-fi films and will play South African anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela in his first bi... More »
LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) – The small yellow minions of “Despicable Me 2” upstaged Johnny Depp at the weekend movie box office. The animated “Despicable” sequel hauled in an impressive $82.5 million in the United States and Canada from Friday through Sund... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Oscar-winning writers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash first explored a father’s journey with George Clooney in their 2011 hit “The Descendants,” and now they turn their focus on a teenager’s coming-of-age story with an all-star cast in their lat... More »
(Reuters) – “The Lone Ranger,” Walt Disney Co’s big-budget Western starring Johnny Depp, wrangled just $19.5 million in ticket sales in its first two full days at U.S. and Canadian movie theaters, trailing far behind the $59.5 million racked up by animated seq... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Lovable villain Gru is back as a doting father in “Despicable Me 2,” but while he swaps his villainous world domination schemes for princess parties, his yellow, spiky-haired Minions rustle up trouble in the film. “Despicable Me 2,” out... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – When the western television series “The Lone Ranger” first rode into U.S. homes in the 1949, the masked man was the dashing, charming hero and the Native American Tonto his loyal sidekick. When the movie opens in U.S. theaters on Wednes... More »
(Reuters) – Animated prequel “Monsters University” took home its second U.S. and Canadian box office title with $46.2 million in ticket sales over the weekend, fending off a red-hot debut from Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy in female buddy comedy “The Hea... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Film director Roland Emmerich has made obliterating the White House a trademark in his apocalyptic blockbusters and true to form, he ravages it in spectacular fashion with a terrorist attack in “White House Down,” opening in theaters on ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actor Robert Downey Jr., who has gained huge box-office success with his portrayal of Iron Man, has signed on to star as the superhero in the next two installments of the “The Avengers,” Marvel Studios said on Thursday. Downey, 48, was ... More »
(Reuters) – A stunt double for Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie has sued News Corp over allegations its British newspapers hacked her phone, the first lawsuit in the United States against the company since the scandal broke two years ago. The lawsuit, file... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – One-eyed green monster Mike Wazowski and his giant blue, furry friend James P. “Sully” Sullivan go back in time as “scaring” students in “Monsters University,” as Walt Disney Co.’s Pixar Animation Studios pins its hopes for a blockbuste... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – British actor Jason Statham, known for playing the hard man in a list of Hollywood blockbusters, said he hoped his latest film “Hummingbird” would show a more emotional side to his acting even though the thriller is packed with violence. Sta... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Home Box Office said Sunday it extended its deal with Universal Pictures for the rights to the studio’s movies through 2022, allowing HBO to keep them away from video-streaming rival Netflix, which is aiming to compete with HBO, Showtim... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Bruce Springsteen and Mick Jagger appear in the new film “Twenty Feet from Stardom,” but only to shine the spotlight on the unsung backup singers who make them sound even better. Opening in New York and Los Angeles on Friday and expanding ... More »
(Reuters) – International hit “Iron Man 3” flew into U.S. and Canadian theaters, kicking off Hollywood’s summer blockbuster season with $15.6 million in ticket sales late Thursday and early Friday. The superhero sequel from Walt Disney Co’s Marvel studio is ex... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Walt Disney Co agreed to buy filmmaker George Lucas’s Lucasfilm Ltd and its “Star Wars” franchise for $4.05 billion in cash and stock, a blockbuster deal that includes the surprise promise of a new film in the series in 2015. The deal u... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Walt Disney Co’s $4 billion deal to buy George Lucas’s Lucasfilm Ltd, Disney’s third major entertainment acquisition in seven years, started taking shape in May 2011, when the “Star Wars” creator had to show Disney CEO Bob Iger how to u... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Walt Disney Co quarterly earnings rose 31 percent, exceeding Wall Street expectations, lifted by higher spending at theme parks and the blockbuster “The Avengers” superhero movie. The media and theme park company reported on Tuesday ear... More »
SUN VALLEY, Idaho (Reuters) – Barry Diller, the consummate Hollywood dealmaker who revamped the TV business in the 1980s, is back in the media spotlight after a federal judge threw out an injunction against Aereo, the online TV service he backs. Broadcasters i... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Edvard Munch’s masterpiece “The Scream,” one of the world’s most recognizable works of art, sold for $120 million at Sotheby’s on Wednesday, setting a new record as the most expensive piece of art ever sold at auction. Sotheby’s Impression... More »
(Reuters) – Imax Corp’s quarterly net profit missed estimates by a cent, even as the Canadian giant movie screen maker posted higher recurring revenue and continued to expand its global footprint. The company expects to install 17 to 21 new theatre systems in ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – DreamWorks Studios, the film company headed by director Steven Spielberg, will get around $200 million from its partner Reliance Entertainment to continue making films, according to a person with knowledge of the transaction. The financ... More »
