More stories

  • in

    'Nomadland' Tops Winners List of 2021 London Critics' Circle Film Awards

    Fox Searchlight Pictures

    The road movie directed by Chloe Zhao dominates the 41st annual London Critics’ Circle Film Awards by picking up a total of three top honors including Film of the Year.

    Feb 8, 2021
    AceShowbiz – Chloe Zhao’s road movie “Nomadland” has cemented its place as Oscars Best Film frontrunner after picking up three top honours at the 41st London Critics’ Circle Film Awards on Sunday (07Feb21).
    The movie claimed the Film of the Year while Zhao took home the Screenwriter of the Year prize and her leading lady, Frances McDormand, was named Actress of the Year.
    British drama “Saint Maud” also won three awards – British/Irish Film of the Year, British/Irish Actress of the Year for Morfydd Clark, and Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker for writer/director Rose Glass – and Steve McQueen was presented with Director of the Year for his five film series, “Small Axe”. Shaun Parkes won Supporting Actor of the Year for the first drama in the collection, “Mangrove”.

      See also…

    Riz Ahmed was named British/Irish Actor of the Year for his work in “Sound of Metal” and “Mogul Mowgli”, and the short he wrote, produced and starred in, “The Long Goodbye”, was named British/Irish Short Film of the Year.
    Meanwhile, the late Chadwick Boseman picked up Actor of the Year honours for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and Maria Bakalova scored the Supporting Actress of the Year gong for her role in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”.
    The full list of winners is:

    You can share this post!

    Next article
    Evan Rachel Wood Accuses Marilyn Manson’s Wife of Threatening to Release Damaging Underage Pics

    Related Posts More

  • in

    Beyond ‘Black Panther’: Afrofuturism Is Booming in Comics

    AdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyBeyond ‘Black Panther’: Afrofuturism Is Booming in ComicsA bumper crop of graphic novels and comic books melds African culture and science fiction, with influences as wide-ranging as space travel, Caribbean folklore and Janelle Monáe.“Hardears,” set on a mythical version of Barbados, is among the titles coming from Megascope this year.Credit…Abrams BooksFeb. 7, 2021, 5:00 a.m. ETWhen Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, it struck the author and illustrator John Jennings as so unprecedented, such a break from American history, that it was like an event from some far-flung future.“Before then, the only time you would see a president who was Black was in a science-fiction movie,” he said in a phone interview last month. Jennings compared it to the sorts of imaginative leaps one finds in the most forward-thinking works categorized as “Afrofuturist.”This year, fans of Afrofuturism will see a bumper crop of comics and graphic novels, including the first offerings of a new imprint devoted to Black speculative fiction and reissues of Afrofuturist titles from comic-book houses like DC and Dark Horse.Afrofuturism, whether in novels, films or music, imagines worlds and futures where the African diaspora and sci-fi intersect. The term was coined by the writer Mark Dery in 1993 and has since been applied to the novels of Octavia Butler (“Kindred”), the musical stylings of the jazz composer Sun Ra and more recently films such as “Get Out” and “Black Panther,” which presented a gorgeously rendered vision of the technologically advanced, vibranium-powered nation of Wakanda.“Afrofuturism isn’t new,” said Ytasha L. Womack, a cultural critic and the author of “Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture,” a primer and history of the movement and aesthetic. “But the plethora of comics and graphic novels that are available is certainly a new experience.”Graphic novels published in January included “After the Rain,” an adaptation of a short story by the Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor, and “Infinitum,” a tale of African kings and space battles by the New York-based artist Tim Fielder.For “Infinitum,” released by the HarperCollins imprint Amistad, the artist Tim Fielder created Aja Oba, an African king cursed with eternal life. Credit…Harper CollinsThis month marks the long-awaited return of the “Black Panther” comics written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, which the National Book Award-winning author began in 2016, as well as the latest installment of “Far Sector,” a series written by N.K. Jemisin and inspired by the actor and musician Janelle Monáe, about the first Black woman to become a member of the intergalactic Green Lantern Corps.Even older works are getting new looks. Black superheroes from the ’90s-era comic company Milestone — including Icon, a space alien who crash lands on Earth in 1839 and takes the form of an African-American man — are finding new readers on DC Universe Infinite, a subscription service that launched in January. Meanwhile, the Oregon-based publisher Dark Horse plans to release the comics of the Nigerian-born writer Roye Okupe, who previously self-published them, including his Afrofuturistic series “E.X.O.,” a superhero tale set in 2025 Nigeria.Comics are particularly well suited for Afrofuturism, Womack said. Many Afrofuturistic narratives are nonlinear, something that comics, with their ability to move and stack panels to play with notions of time, can convey. Comic artists can also employ visual elements such as images from the Black Arts Movement, or figures from Yoruba and Igbo mythology, in ways that aren’t available to prose writers.“Afrofuturism is constantly moving into the future and back into the past, even with the visual references they’re making,” Womack said.John Jennings is the founder and curator of Megascope, a publishing imprint “dedicated to showcasing speculative works by and about people of color.”Credit…Jamil Baldwin for The New York Times“After the Rain” marks the launch of Megascope, an imprint of the publisher Abrams “dedicated to showcasing speculative works by and about people of color.” Its advisory board includes the scholar and author Henry Louis Gates Jr.“Afrofuturism is the catchall,” Jennings, the imprint’s founder and curator, said. “It’s really Black speculative fiction. But that’s sort of a mouthful. I just don’t want people to think that Megascope is only Afrofuturist. We’re dropping horror books, crime fiction, historical fiction.”Okorafor, the author of the imprint’s leadoff title, “After the Rain,” considers her work “Africanfuturism,” a term she coined to describe a subcategory of science fiction similar to Afrofuturism, but more deeply rooted in African culture and history than in the African-American experience. “Nnedi is a very hot author right now,” Jennings said, “so I thought it would be a great kickoff.”In April, the imprint will publish “Hardears,” a fantasy-adventure story set on Jouvert Island, a version of Barbados populated by mythical creatures — giant “moongazers” and shape-shifting “soucouyants” — drawn from Caribbean folklore. “Black Star,” a cat-and-mouse tale of two astronauts stranded on a desolate planet, comes out in May.“After the Rain,” adapted from a short story by Nnedi Okorafor, was published in January.Credit…Abrams BooksA professor of media and cultural studies at the University of California at Riverside, Jennings has devoted much of his career to Afrofuturism, writing scholarly works about it and leading panels devoted to Afrofuturist comics. He has worked with the artist Stacey Robinson, as the duo “Black Kirby,” to reimagine the work of the Marvel artist Jack Kirby through an African-American lens: for example, “The Unkillable Buck,” based on “The Incredible Hulk.”To Jennings, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an Afrofuturist. “The mountaintop that Dr. King spoke about does not exist in this universe,” Jennings said. “It’s an imaginary construct of what the future could be.”For “Infinitum,” released by the HarperCollins imprint Amistad, Fielder created Aja Oba, a powerful African king cursed with eternal life. Oba travels from Africa to the United States and beyond, witnessing Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps, the rise of American slavery, the civil rights movement and (spoiler alert) the death of our solar system.Despite the fleet of spaceships on the cover, much of Fielder’s narrative is set in history. “Afrofuturists do not have the privilege, like general futurists, of just looking forward constantly,” Fielder said. “There’s so much of our work that was ignored, discarded or destroyed that, as an Afrofuturist, I’m forced to work on projects that are based in the past.”“Black Star,” a cat-and-mouse tale of two astronauts stranded on a desolate planet, comes out in May.Credit…Abrams BooksFielder’s immortal hero is also a response to the longstanding cinematic trope of Black men dying before the final credits roll. One of his strongest childhood memories was watching the Black hero’s untimely end in the 1968 horror movie “Night of the Living Dead.” “The white guys are all losing it, and it’s the one brother who keeps his wits about him,” he said. “And then he’s killed. I never forgot that.”“Infinitum” has a distinctly cinematic feel — Fielder’s influences include the “Star Wars” artist Ralph McQuarrie — and the shared references and influences between comic books and movies are likely to continue. After Coates restarts (and ends, after three issues) his run on “Black Panther,” Marvel Studios is expected to release “Black Panther II,” while over at Disney, producers are working with the comic-book company Kugali on “Iwaju,” an animated series set in a futuristic Lagos.Perhaps more than anything, Afrofuturist comics are a means of staking a racially inclusive claim on a multitude of futures. “And just because it’s about a Black subject doesn’t mean it’s just for Black people,” Jennings said. “I love Daredevil, but Marvel would never say: ‘Oh, you know what? This is just for white, poor Irish-American people.’ These stories are for everyone.”Follow New York Times Books on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, sign up for our newsletter or our literary calendar. And listen to us on the Book Review podcast.AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More

  • in

    Rupert Grint Never Watched Last Five 'Harry Potter' Movies

    Warner Bros. Pictures

    The Ronald Weasley depicter says he stopped watching the big screen adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s wizarding books after the third installment which came out in 2004.

    Feb 7, 2021
    AceShowbiz – “Harry Potter” star Rupert Grint “stopped watching” the films after the third instalment.
    Rupert starred as wannabe wizard Ronald Weasley in the movie adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s world-famous books, but admitted during an interview with Variety that he’s never seen the last five films in the franchise.
    “I’ve probably seen the first three at the premieres, but after that I stopped watching them,” he said. “But now that I have a daughter, I will probably have to watch them with her.”
    Grint welcomed baby daughter Wednesday with girlfriend Georgia Groome in May (20).
    He appeared opposite Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson in the films, the third of which was “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”. There were eight films all together, with the final one – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part II” – released in 2011.

      See also…

    While Rupert Grint is currently focusing on his new role as a first-time dad, the actor is open to the idea of returning as Ron Weasley. “I don’t know. I mean, never say never. I would never say, ‘Absolutely no,’ ” he said.
    “It was a huge part of my life and I’m very fond of that character and their stories. So yeah, I mean, I’d be up for it at the right time. I don’t know what capacity that would be, but yeah, we’ll see.”
    While the big-screen adaptation of “Harry Potter” ended in 2011, the franchise is still flourishing. It has spawned a “Fantastic Beasts” spinoff which centers on magizoologist Newt Scamander and enters the third installment.
    There was also a stage production “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” which served as a prequel to the books. It kicked off in the West End in 2016 before branching out to Broadway in 2018. It won multiple accolades including Best Play at Laurence Olivier Awards and Tony Awards.
    A TV project was also rumored to be in the works, but the report was quickly shut down by Warner Brothers.

    You can share this post!

    Next article
    Ryan Reynolds Feels ‘So Good’ After Throwing Axe at Hugh Jackman’s Photo on Snapchat Series More

  • in

    Zendaya Thanks 'Malcolm and Marie' Crew for Their Hard Work Ahead of Movie Release

    Instagram

    The ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ star is ‘eternally grateful’ to the crew members involved in making her new feature film which is also produced by the actress.

    Feb 7, 2021
    AceShowbiz – Zendaya will be “eternally grateful” for the crew involved in making her new movie “Malcolm & Marie”.
    The actress took to Twitter to share her gratitude for those involved in creating the film during the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, ahead of the movie’s release.
    “Full of excitement and nervousness as this lil movie we made in lockdown with people I love is coming out in the next hour,” she began. “Nervousness for a few reasons. Normally I’m pretty self-critical and that leads me to be far too fearful to make things myself or trust myself enough to even try.”
    “This is really my first time believing that maybe I could. This is my first time being a leading lady, but also my first time being this creatively involved in something, producing something, co-financing something, owning something and sharing it all with my crew.”

      See also…

    Zendaya, who stars opposite John David Washington in the film, continued, “We made this as a family, shot it in 14 days with a 22 person crew I am eternally grateful for. For their talent, their time, their hard work, and their willingness to believe in this film. If there’s anything to learn from this year, and I hope from our little movie it’s gratitude for every moment and every person we get to love.”
    She concluded, “All that being said, on behalf of our little crew of 22, we hope you laugh (please laugh lol) and cry and hopefully enjoy this little thing we made with a whole lot of love. Love Maree (I spell mine with two E’s).”
    Zendaya’s tweet came after she opened up about the huge differences between filming the Netflix movie and her upcoming role in the third Spider-Man movie.
    Speaking about the differences between the two sets, she told Yahoo! Entertainment, “It is very different. On this film, everybody’s doing seven different jobs. (Spider-Man) is a very different kind of experience in the sense that there’s a lot going on, but they still manage to keep it safe. I’m grateful to be back at work.”

    You can share this post!

    Next article
    Foo Fighters: Pandemic Allows Fans to Be Familiar With Our New Songs Before We Return to Stage

    Related Posts More

  • in

    Gerard Butler Believes COVID-19 Pandemic Will Put 'Greenland' in a Different Light

    Instagram

    In the Ric Roman Waugh-directed disaster movie, the ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ star plays John Garrity whose family is fighting for their survival as Earth faces destruction from an approaching comet.

    Feb 6, 2021
    AceShowbiz – Gerard Butler is confident the coronavirus pandemic will give viewers a “deeper understanding” of his new movie “Greenland”.
    The 51-year-old actor plays John Garrity in the disaster flick which tells the story of a family fighting for survival as Earth faces destruction from an approaching comet and thinks that audiences will see the movie in a different light amid the global health crisis.
    Gerard said, “I feel now that people watch the movie with a way deeper understanding of what really happens when something is really out of our control. How does it affect them individually and how does it affect society?”
    “This isn’t just all about special effects that, at the end of the day, are kind of fun but meaningless. It actually goes pretty deep into the psyche of a family and a population at large for good, bad and indifferent and how something like this would play out.”

      See also…

    The “Olympus Has Fallen” star admits that movie felt “more far-fetched” during production but added that it would be “timely” regardless as the world faces other problems.
    In an interview with Australian newspaper the Herald Sun, he said, “If you took away the pandemic, we still have a world full of fires and hurricanes and tsunamis – it was still something that felt very timely and symbolic of where we are and what we stand to lose and what ultimately do we mean to each other as people.”
    Gerard revealed he was keen to play John because of the character’s ordinariness. He explained, “It was almost like this script manifested itself because that’s what it felt like.”
    “To play a very relatable human being – someone who is not perfect. He’s flawed – he’s kind of trying his best but he’s made a lot of mistakes but when a situation like this arises, with such extreme danger, then you really see what he is made of.”

    You can share this post!

    Next article
    Dashboard Confessional Reunite With Injured Frontman for Special Valentine’s Day Concert More

  • in

    Jane Seymour Recalls Getting Mugged After Arriving in America to Shoot Bond Movie

    Instagram

    When speaking to Susannah Constantine on the ‘My Wardrobe Malfunction’ podcast, the ‘Live and Let Die’ actress also shares the story when she almost got arrested by immigration officials.

    Feb 6, 2021
    AceShowbiz – Jane Seymour was mugged on the street and almost got arrested when she was shooting James Bond film “Live and Let Die” in America.
    The actress played Bond girl Solitaire in the 1973 movie, alongside the late Sir Roger Moore, and she reveals there was plenty of drama away from the cameras during the shoot.
    She recalls being approached by thugs days after she arrived to shoot scenes for the action blockbuster.
    “I went to New Orleans to do the James Bond film when I was 20 or 21, and I was mugged actually,” she tells Susannah Constantine on the “My Wardrobe Malfunction” podcast. “I was mugged at four o’clock in the afternoon on Bourbon Street.”

      See also…

    Jane, who moved to California in 1976, also had a run-in with immigration when she flew from Atlanta to Jamaica to film on location after telling officials she thought it was “stupid” that she didn’t have the right visa.
    Fortunately for Jane, when she explained that she was on her way to film a Bond movie and unpacked some of her costumes, customs bosses let her off with a warning.
    “When I tried to go to Jamaica they stopped me in Atlanta and told me I didn’t have the right visa for America, for transit, but I did have a visa that would allow me to go out and work, so I stupidly said, ‘That’s stupid’, and almost got arrested.”
    “They pulled me to a special room and interrogated me and I remember, in tears, saying, ‘But if you like James Bond you better let me get on an airplane, I’m in the James Bond film and if you don’t let me get on the airplane there won’t be a movie’, and they said, ‘OK well just this once, but don’t do it again’.”

    You can share this post!

    Next article
    Olly Alexander ‘Blown Away’ by Spike in HIV Testing in the Wake of ‘It’s A Sin’ Success

    Related Posts More

  • in

    'Spider-Man 3': Tom Holland Claims in the Blind on Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's Involvement

    Columbia Pictures

    Despite his known reputation for dropping spoilers, the ‘Cherry’ star manages to keep tight-lipped when asked about rumors of previous Spider-Man depicters returning in his upcoming movie.

    Feb 6, 2021
    AceShowbiz – Tom Holland has been faced with the most-asked question surrounding the upcoming Spider-Man movie. The “Avengers: Endgame” actor addressed the long-running speculation about Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Kirsten Dunst’s possible involvement in the “Spider-Man: Far From Home” sequel in an interview for Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast.
    Having been known for his reputation to drop spoilers of his films, the Brit managed to keep his lips shut this time. “Beats me, I don’t know. If they are, they haven’t told me yet…,” he joked. “That would be something that Marvel would do. I watch the film and be like ‘So that’s who that tennis ball was!’ ”
    He added, “I’ve never met Kirsten Dunst. I met Andrew once, I met him at the BAFTAs. He was lovely. He was a really nice bloke and we had a nice chat.” He went on sharing, “It was quite soon after ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ had come out. He was really positive and nice. I’ve bumped into Tobey a few times at different parties in L.A. He was really nice. They seem to be lovely, really nice people. I hope they enjoy our movies. I hope they enjoy our Spider-Man’s.”

      See also…

    Holland has been filming the untitled third Spider-Man film, with Zendaya Coleman, Jacob Batalon and Marisa Tomei returning. Jon Watts is also back at the helm.
    The movie will reportedly feature alternate universe storyline, which will allow the return of Maguire’s and Garfield’s Spider-Men. Benedict Cumberbatch, Jamie Foxx and Alfred Molina are additionally said to star in it.
    Zendaya was previously asked about the rumored crossover when appearing on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in December. “Everything is very secretive,” the 24-year-old told host Jimmy Kimmel. “I can neither confirm nor deny.”
    When asked if she celebrated Thanksgiving “with Spider-Men,” she responded, “Yeah – I can’t say that,” before admitting that the host almost got her, “You almost… that was good. That was good.” Jimmy explained his curiosity, “Because I was wondering what you guys had. Because I know Tobey Maguire is a vegan,” to which the MJ depicter claimed, “I have no idea… I really don’t.”

    You can share this post!

    Next article
    Kodak Black Shows Slimmed-Down Figure in First Post-Prison Photo

    Related Posts More

  • in

    Jennifer Lawrence in Recovery Following Accident on Set of 'Don't Look Up'

    Netflix

    The Oscar-winning actress is reportedly cut near her eye when a ‘controlled glass explosion’ goes awry during the filming of the Netflix sci-fi movie with her co-star Timothee Chalamet.

    Feb 6, 2021
    AceShowbiz – Jennifer Lawrence is nursing an injury after she was involved in an accident on the set of her new movie “Don’t Look Up”. The actress was filming the Netflix sci-fi film on early Friday morning, February 5 in Boston with her co-star Timothee Chalamet when a planned explosion went awry.
    According to the Boston Globe, the Oscar-winning actress was shooting the final scene at around 1:30 A.M. local time. The scene features special effects which were executed by way of using a “controlled glass explosion,” but it went haywire.
    Prior to the explosion, Lawrence and Chalamet were seen filming a scene in which they spray-painted a window of the local Enterprise Building. An Enterprise photographer, who witnessed the accident, details the scene, which sees the two stars being caught in the act, resulting in police being called and quickly arriving in SUVs decorated as New York Police Department cruisers.
    TMZ, which obtained photo of Lawrence with Chalamet possibly taken before the set accident, reports that the Mystique of the “X-Men” film series was inside a restaurant during the explosion, but a trash can crashed through a window, sending fragments flying. A shard of glass cut her eyelid and it would not stop bleeding.

      See also…

    Lawrence allegedly fell to the ground on Main Street and was tended to by Chalamet and several other members of the crew. She reportedly was holding her face when medics arrived.
    The extent of her injury is unclear, but a source says “it wasn’t that bad.” Her rep has not released a statement and a spokesperson for Netflix has not responded to a request for comment on the set accident, but it’s reported that filming was shut down for the day following the incident. The production was initially expected to last until about 3 A.M. Friday and also continue Friday night and early Saturday morning. It’s currently unknown when filming will resume.
    “Don’t Look Up” is directed by Adam McKay, with Leonardo DiCaprio starring in another lead role opposite Lawrence. The political satire disaster film centers on two low-level astronomers (Lawrence and DiCaprio) who discover that a meteor will hit Earth in six months. They will embark on an unsuccessful media tour in an attempt to warn the world of the impending danger that may destroy mankind.
    The film’s star-studded cast also includes Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Cate Blanchett, Himesh Patel, Kid Cudi, Matthew Perry, Ariana Grande and Chris Evans.

    You can share this post!

    Next article
    Gwen Stefani Has Perfect Response to Criticism Over Her TikTok ‘Fail’

    Related Posts More