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    Steve Carell Suits Up as Santa in 'Christmas Gift Xfinity'

    Xfinity

    The ‘Battle of the Sexes’ actor channels his inner Santa as he is spreading the festive joy in his new holiday short movie ahead of the upcoming Christmas season.

    Nov 29, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Steve Carell is suiting up as Santa for a new festive short.
    Two minutes of the funnyman’s “Christmas Gift Xfinity” film debuted during NBC’s broadcast of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in America on Thursday (26Nov20) and now the full film is available online.
    [embedded content]
    Directed by “I, Tonya” ‘s Craig Gillespie, the film features Carell’s Santa urging his elves to come up with better gift ideas to keep kids happy at the end of an awful 2020 via a videoconference.

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    As a new version of “Supertramp’s Dreamer”, recorded by the band’s frontman Roger Hodgson, strikes up, the elves hit upon the idea to give the spirit of the holidays instead of traditional gifts.
    “The holidays are really about moments of togetherness with the people you love, and serve as a reminder for what’s most important, especially given the hardships of this past year,” Carell said. “I hope that this sweet little story will bring a bit of cheer.”
    Meanwhile, director Gillespie thinks his leading man made a great Father Christmas, adding, “He brought the heart, warmth and humour that is the magic of this spot.”
    Before starring in the holiday movie, Steve Carell was seen on the big screen in political comedy movie “Irresistible”. It follows a Democratic strategist who tries to help a local candidate win an election in a small right-wing town.
    The actor will next star in the second “Minions” movie. He will once again lend his voice to the favorite super-villain Gru. The “Minions: The Rise of Gru” was originally set to debut this summer but it got pushed back to 2021 due to pandemic.

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    Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus Rumored to Return for 'Spider-Man 3'

    Columbia Pictures

    Following speculation about an inter-dimensional, multiverse storyline, the ‘Da Vinci Code’ actor is said to reprise his villainous role from Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man 2’.

    Nov 28, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Tom Holland’s “Spider-Man 3” is likely to be jam-packed with familiar faces from the previous franchises. Amid the wild speculation about an inter-dimensional, multiverse storyline, a Sam Raimi Spider-Man villain is said to return for the sequel to “Spider-Man: Far From Home”, which is also directed by the helmer.
    According to the GWW, a source within Disney/Marvel has informed that Alfred Molina will reprise his role as the famed villain Doctor Octopus. He portrayed the character in 2004’s “Spider-Man 2”, which starred Tobey Maguire as the titular superhero.
    The source additionally told the site that Molina already visited the set “to work on some stunt choreography and has started filming his scenes in the past couple weeks.” The “Boogie Nights” star is reported to appear in “full Doc Ock mode,” but it’s unclear “whether this version of the tentacle laden doctor was the same from Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man 2’ or a new version.”
    Besides Doctor Octopus, Jamie Foxx’s Electro has been reported to return for the next installment in the Sony/Marvel Spider-Man film franchise. The actor himself seemed to confirm it as he posted on Instagram after the news broke in early October, “Tell Spidey let’s run it back!… super excited to [be] part of the new marvel Spider-Man new installment…”

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    “can’t wait for y’all to check the new one. And I won’t be blue in this one!! But a thousand percent bada**!!!” he went on teasing a new look for his character, before deleting the post. Foxx previously played the character in 2014’s “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”, which was directed by Marc Webb and had Andrew Garfield in the lead role.
    Recently, “Doctor Strange” director Scott Derrickson fueled the speculation about a multi-film Spider-Man crossover in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as he stated that “all Spider-Man iterations are defacto MCU.” He, however, later backtracked on his own remark, saying, “I was joking in an exchange with @ManMadeMoon. Everyone needs to calm down.”
    Meanwhile, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange is also rumored to appear in “Spider-Man 3”, allowing the multiverse storyline. It is said that the Sorcerer Supreme would fill in a mentor role that was previously occupied by Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man in “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury in “Far From Home”.
    The yet-to-be-titled “Spider-Man 3” is currently in production for a planned December 17, 2021 release.

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    Producer Denies Barring British Actors From Auditioning for Kristen Stewart's Princess Diana Movie

    WENN

    The movie boss behind the upcoming royal movie ‘Spencer’ sets the record straight on the rumors that British actors are not allowed to play Prince William in the film.

    Nov 28, 2020
    AceShowbiz – The producers of Kristen Stewart’s new Princess Diana biopic have confirmed they are auditioning English actors for the role of Prince William following reports of a Brexit ban on Brits.
    Casting director Amy Hubbard has posted a call out for 11-year-old male actors to audition for a role in the new movie, “Spencer”, on Twitter, but her followers spotted a stipulation that applicants must have a “European (not British-European) passport.”
    The note explained the stipulation was down to “new Brexit rules” in place when Britain finally severs its ties with the European Union on 1 January (20), three-and-a-half years after voting to leave in a referendum.
    Hubbard goes on to explain that rules surrounding the funding of the film, which will be shot in Germany, mean some actors have to share common citizenship with the financial backers – meaning only kids with EU passports need apply.

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    But “Spencer” producer Paul Webster insists there has been a mix-up and he is meeting with British actors for the part, adding Brexit will not impact casting.
    “We’re meeting British boys all the time for this role,” Webster told Deadline. “If they happen to have an Irish passport all well and good. But it’s not a hindrance to have a British passport. We’re not saying we need a foreigner to play Prince William.”
    “Many of our cast will be British. Some of our cast will be European to meet certain funding requirements. But this is an official co-production with Europe so we don’t anticipate any issue with our British cast working in Germany. There is no connection to Brexit.”
    Pablo Larrain will direct Steven Knight’s script, which is set over a weekend in the early 1990s, when Princess Diana, played by Stewart, decided her marriage to Prince Charles was over.

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    Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde Back to Work Following Covid-19 Scare on Movie Set

    WENN

    The cast and crew members of the upcoming movie ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ have returned to the set to resume the filming after the production was halted following positive Covid-19 test.

    Nov 28, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Harry Styles and Florence Pugh have returned to the set of “Don’t Worry Darling” after the production was shut down due to a positive coronavirus case.
    Director Olivia Wilde previously insisted “everybody is OK” after work on the movie was halted due to an “abundance of caution” following reports an unnamed member of the crew had tested positive for Covid-19.
    The cast and crew were subsequently instructed to isolate for two weeks but, on Wednesday (25Nov20), Styles, Pugh and Olivia were seen arriving back on set in Los Angeles, California.
    According to reports, the person who tested positive was not a member of the principal cast but was someone who was “in close enough proximity to them that the shut down was deemed necessary to find out if anyone else on the production has been exposed.”

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    There has only been one confirmed positive test among those working on the set.
    The psychological thriller, also starring Gemma Chan and KiKi Lane, is set in a utopian community of 1950s California and tells the story of a housewife who discovers a disturbing truth about her seemingly perfect life.
    Olivia Wilde made a successful directorial debut last year with a critically-acclaimed coming-of-age comedy “Booksmart”. It received multiple accolades including a Best Actress nomination in Comedy or Musical for Beanie Feldstein at the 77th Golden Globe Awards.
    The actress also directed short movie “Wake Up” starring Margaret Qualley. She is additionally attached to sit behind the lens for an upcoming biopic about gymnast Kerri Strug and a female-centric superhero movie as part of the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters franchise.

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    Some Movies Actually Understand Poverty in America

    #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }What to WatchBest Movies on NetflixBest of Disney PlusClassic Holiday MoviesHoliday TVBest Netflix DocumentariesAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storySome Movies Actually Understand Poverty in AmericaThe complex realities of subsistence escape “Hillbilly Elegy.” But as far back as Charlie Chaplin’s “City Lights,” filmmakers have been turning a discerning eye on destitution.Glenn Close as Mamaw, a grandmother subsisting on Meals on Wheels, in “Hillbilly Elegy.”Credit…Lacey Terrell/NetflixBy More

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    ‘Black Beauty’ Review: A Melodrama in Need of Rougher Edges

    Written in 1877, Anna Sewell’s classic children’s novel “Black Beauty” warned against the abuse of horses. The pristine adaptation streaming on Disney+ is a melodrama in need of rougher edges. Directed by Ashley Avis (a former competitive equestrian), the movie is set in the present-day United States and features two female protagonists: the fiery mustang Black Beauty (voiced by Kate Winslet) and the recently orphaned Jo (Mackenzie Foy), now living with her uncle John (Iain Glen), training horses at Birtwick Stables.[embedded content]Angry at the world, Jo softens after meeting Beauty, a kindred spirit without a family, too. On the ranch’s sun-kissed pastures, the girl and horse heal each other, until a fire destroys the stables at Birtwick. Struggling financially, John leases Beauty as a show horse to a wealthy equestrian family, the Winthrops, for their spoiled tween daughter Georgina (Fern Deacon). Jo despises Georgina’s abusiveness toward Beauty — the brat kicks holes into the horse — yet Jo still falls for Georgina’s dreamy older brother, George (Calam Lynch). Ultimately, Birtwick sells Beauty out from under Jo. Beauty, now forced to work for new owners, endures hardships: She performs grueling rescues of lost hikers and later pulls carriages through Central Park.Though Winslet is the marquee name on the cast list, “Black Beauty” materializes not as the horse’s story, but Jo’s. Unfortunately, even that character’s grief is underwritten as she pines for a daydream teen romance and a reunion with her steadfast horse, rather than ever revisiting her parents’ death. Avis loses the novel’s sincerity by watering down Sewell’s animal welfare plea. In this update, the humans are not as villainous. Beauty is not as prominent. And the novel’s mustang spirit diminishes into a ho-hum horse movie.Black BeautyNot rated. Running time: 1 hour and 49 minutes. Watch on Disney+. More

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    Jack O'Connell Impressed 'Jungleland' Director With 'Unbelievable' Boxing Skills

    WENN/Brian To/Apega

    The ‘Unbroken’ star is playing a bare-knuckle fighter in the new drama film, and director Max Winkler reveals that he executed his fights flawlessly and had no need of his stunt double.

    Nov 27, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Actor Jack O’Connell has the fighting skills to become a professional boxer, according to his “Jungleland” director Max Winkler.
    The “Unbroken” star pulled no punches in the new drama, in which he plays a bare-knuckle fighter who travels across America with his manager brother, portrayed by Charlie Hunnam, for one last bout.
    O’Connell was primed for the role, having grown up boxing, but Winkler, who also trained in the ring during his youth, was really impressed by how good he was – and as a result, the Brit’s stunt double didn’t have to do much work.
    “Jack O’Connell could be a professional boxer. He’s an unbelievable fighter and did all his own stunts,” Winkler tells WENN.

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    “There was just one punch thrown by someone else. He’s such a good fighter and moves his body in such a beautiful way… He’s a stunning fighter and a stunning actor…”
    “We didn’t have to spend any time teaching him how to fight,” the filmmaker continues. “We were trying to catch up to him if anything.”
    O’Connell and Winkler worked closely with the stunt co-ordinator, boxing coach, and other fight advisors on the set of “Jungleland” to ensure every move was fully rehearsed, and Jack nailed every shot.
    “When you’re doing a boxing movie with gloves you have the luxury of missing (a punch) and it’s OK because getting hit in the face with a glove feels different than when you’re doing a bare-knuckle boxing movie – you don’t have that luxury because if you miss, you can knock someone out or break your hand,” Winkler explains. “Jack is such a good fighter that he never missed.”
    “Jungleland”, which Winkler co-wrote with David Branson Smith and Theodore Bressman, is out now in select theatres and on video-on-demand services.

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    Vanessa Kirby Says Film Industry for Women Changed Overnight Due to MeToo Movement

    WENN

    The ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ claims the #MeToo movement following Harvey Weinstein scandal has sparked global movement for gender equality in Hollywood.

    Nov 27, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Vanessa Kirby has lauded the #MeToo movement for changing the landscape of the movie industry for women worldwide.
    Following the sexual harassment claims made against disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein, countless more tales of harassment and discrimination in the industry were brought to light, sparking the global movement for gender equality in Hollywood.
    In addition, #MeToo also served to alter the kinds of roles women were being offered, with “The Crown” star Vanessa telling Esquire magazine the movement “changed things overnight.”

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    “(Before,) I think people just accepted that men are the heroes, they get the journeys, they’re the protagonists, and women are the supporting roles: the wife, the girlfriend,” she shared. “(But now there’s) an active desire for people in power to create (fully realised, three-dimensional) parts for women. And a realisation that female-led movies can make money.”
    “I’m really excited by that,” continued Vanessa. “There are so many stories about women that haven’t been told. And it’s not about putting a woman in a male role and her playing the equivalent of the masculine alpha. Which I also can’t identify with. I don’t feel like I recognise that person, this invincible woman. I want to see women who are humans. I want to see those really raw, big journeys that (female characters) used to have. I really feel that’s my mission, to play a part in bringing that back.”
    Elsewhere in the interview, Vanessa reflected on how she has dealt with the Covid-19 lockdown and admitted it gave her time to pause – which her hectic career hasn’t ever allowed her.
    “I slept loads, which I haven’t done properly for years. We developed a routine. That’s something I’ve never had in my life, that kind of structure,” she said. “It’s soothing, isn’t it? I think it’s what human beings actually need.”

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