“Challengers” netted a $6.2 million opening day from 3,477 North American theaters, a figure that includes $1.9 million from preview screenings. Amazon MGM Studios’ love-triangle drama is set to match industry projections for a $15 million debut. The tennis film also gets extra revenue from tickets for premium large-format auditoriums, including some Imax screens. The…
‘Challengers’ Screenwriter on the ‘Homoerotic’ Nature of Tennis and How Zendaya’s Child Stardom Informs the Film
When Justin Kuritzkes began writing what later became the hottest love triangle of the year, there was no star power involved. Though he was already an accomplished playwright and novelist (and the husband of Celine Song, the writer-director who provided last year’s buzziest love triangle with “Past Lives”), “Challengers” was Kuritzkes’ first screenplay and began…
AFI Life Achievement Award Honors Nicole Kidman’s Career: From ‘Expats’ to Those AMC Ads?
Nicole Kidman has been an international treasure going on four decades. Whether you’re tracking her many wigs (“The Undoing” is our favorite), admiring her textured and committed performances, or just standing up and saluting before every AMC Theatres showing, you’re probably honoring her in some way. While five best actress Oscar nominations and one win…
Iranian Rapper Toomaj Salehi Sentenced to Death Over Music Criticizing Government
Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi has been sentenced to death by an Iranian revolutionary court over songs that criticized the Iranian government, according to his lawyer and state media. “An order for the execution of Toomaj Salehi has been issued,” Salehi’s lawyer Amir Raesian tweeted Wednesday. Salehi, 33, has been arrested multiple times by Iranian forces…
How To Watch UFC Fight Night: Nicolau vs. Perez Livestream Online
A few weeks after UFC 300, the mixed martial arts promotion company returns with UFC Fight Night, which has Brazilian fighter Matheus Nicolau (19-4-1) going up against American Alex Perez (24-8-0) in the main event. UFC Fight Night: Nicolau vs. Perez takes place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. On Saturday, April 27, you…
Agog, Backed by Philanthropist Wendy Schmidt, Pushes XR as a Force for Good
Recently launched media institute Agog is the latest organization to recognize XR as a tool for empathy and an accelerator for social change. Co-founded by climate journalist Chip Giller and Wendy Schmidt, philanthropist, investor and Schmidt Family Foundation president, the new initiative will act as a hub, plugging producers into the non-profit sector, supporting XR…
India’s Epic Farmers’ Protest Documented in Nishtha Jain’s Hot Docs Selection ‘Farming the Revolution’: ‘The Movement Was Massive’
Eminent Indian documentarian Nishtha Jain’s latest effort is an account of the epic, year-long farmers’ protest that took place in India in 2020-21. “Farming the Revolution,” which world premieres at Hot Docs, follows the millions of Indian farmers who gathered during the height of COVID-19 lockdown at the borders of the country’s capital, Delhi, to…
NewImages XR Market Welcomes New Buyers, New Storytelling Forms
In less than a decade, the NewImages Festival’s XR market has become a key international rendezvous, emerging as both the immersive industry’s largest single-purpose event and a foundation of NewImages’ identity. Programing and positioning went hand in hand at this year’s festival, which showcased immersive works designed for museums and cultural spaces for the wider…
Animated VR Anthology ‘Blue Figures’ Brings Jazz Greats to Life
French 2D animation specialist Disnosc will bring Miles Davis, Chet Baker and Fats Waller to a headset near you. A family venture founded by Fabrice and Nathan Otaño – a father-son duo with respective experience in corporate analytics and high-end animation, with credits on films like “The Summit of the Gods” and “Ernest & Celestine:…
Mixed-Media Experience ‘Noire’ Tackles Civil Rights Struggle With Literary, Theatrical Pedigree
Given the NewImages Festival’s remit to welcome diverse artistic voices into the immersive space, programing “Noire” was an obvious choice. An augmented reality adaptation of a lesser-known case from the Civil Rights era, “Noire” brought much pedigree to this year’s Paris XR showcase. The project tracks the true story of Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl…