Those differences made sense, as in each case a smaller, lower-budget movie (“Parasite,” “Moonlight,” and “Spotlight”) took home the Oscar over a movie of scale and scope. And as expected, this year’s Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of a Motion Picture went to Chloé Zhao’s magic-hour road trip “Nomadland,” as voted on by the guild’s 8,000 members. Searchlight’s frontrunner looms large in a field of small movies, as it keeps racking up wins on its way to multiple Oscars come April 25....

It’s the latest shift in the changing documentary and independent filmmaking world, in addition to being the next chapter in the collaboration between CNN Films and Points North Institute, which in 2015 established an annual Filmmaker Retreat with Tribeca Film Institute. TFI earlier this year indefinitely “paused” its operations. Another former TFI program, IF/Then Shorts, recently moved to Field of Vision as TFI wound down. “While there is no question this has been a challenging year for independent filmmakers, there’s also no question that there has never been a more pivotal moment to support independent storytellers and stories that represent where America is today,” said Ben Fowlie, executive and artistic director of the Points North Institute, in an official statement....

The scare quotes around the character’s name come from the fact that it’s hard in print to distinguish the alien of the title from the human body which he inhabits for a majority of the show. With the erstwhile Harry’s corpse literally sits chilling in the downstairs freezer of a remote cabin, the alien that assumes his form is left to take over the duties of town doctor for the tucked-away mountain community of Patience, Colorado....

“It’s a very realistic film. It looks more realistic than ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ or ‘Robin Hood’ if you’re talking about —,” the interviewer said, before Scott cut him off, saying, “Sir, fuck you. Fuck you. Thank you very much. Fuck you. Go fuck yourself, sir. Go on.” Scott has two movies out this year, with the “Rashomon”-like rape-revenge odyssey “The Last Duel” and his soapy fashion murder drama “House of Gucci....

“If there’s a way in which people can find themselves in this moment, and can feel inspired and connected on a deeper level, I’m all for it,” Ahmed told Deadline about his history-making Oscar nomination. “Whether they see me as the first British Pakistani, or the first guy from Wembley, you know, there’s so many ways to view it. But as long as it feels like an opportunity for more people than ever before to really connect and feel included in this moment, that’s a blessing....

“My dad went down to North Carolina and was following George Hamilton on a tour he was doing for ‘La Cage aux Folles.’ Then he started interviewing him and [his son] Ashley,” said Downey. “Anyway, there’s a super long answer to this. I’ll just stop myself short. There’s been an obtuse dialogue about maybe something like this for ages with me and Sr.” In the same Zoom, Smith joked that when the pair met to talk about a Downey Jr....

“Twilight” alum Robert Pattinson admitted that the “spacey, detached” attitude of immortal teen vampire Edward was not due to an intentional interpretation of the character but rather all thanks to Valium. “I had started to develop this absolute terror of auditions, which I’m sure a lot of actors have,” Pattinson said during a video for GQ. “I could be so enthusiastic about something and then the day of the audition, my confidence would just entirely collapse....

Deadline reported that Rudy Giuliani was unveiled as a contestant on “The Masked Singer.” The season seven reveal during the FOX primetime singing competition, which hasn’t yet aired, allegedly led to judges Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke leaving the stage in protest. Fellow judges Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger remained on set and “bantered” with Giuliani, per Deadline. Variety reported that FOX “refuses to acknowledge leaks, maintaining the series’ policy against confirming ‘spoilers....

John Stamos revealed that producer Murphy reached out to him about a TV show where a marriage mediator seduces a husband and wife to work on their relationship. “I remember going to lunch with him at the Ivy, and we order, and I said, ‘So what’s the show?’ And he’s like, ‘Well…’” Stamos said during SiriusXM’s “The Jess Cagle Show.” “It was like, ‘OK, you play a male hooker and you sleep with the husband, sleep with the wife, and you kind of work on their marriage....

As The New York Times reports: “‘Escape’ grew out of a challenge the duo set for themselves to try and make people laugh without using dialogue. In ‘Pineapple Express,’ Rogen explained, ‘the scenes people remember are the fights, the foot through the windshield and, like, with “Neighbors,” you think of the airbags’ — moments, that is, of outsize physical comedy. ‘We were like, Why are those just the supporting things?...

Chris Noth will be joining Kim Cattrall, who played Samantha Jones, as the no-shows in “And Just Like That.” Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristen Davis will all be returning to the reboot as Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte, respectively, and they’re joined by writer Michael Patrick King as well as scribes from “Shrill,” “Fresh Off the Boat,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “Tuca & Bertie.” Cattrall has long been vocal about never wanting to return to Darren Star’s beloved franchise, so HBO Max has to get creative about how it will explain the fan-favorite character’s absence and Big’s as well....

2021 has already been a great year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” looks to extend the winning streak. The latest entry in the MCU follows Shang-Chi, the “Master of Kung Fu,” and the first Asian superhero to headline a Marvel film, marking a major moment for Asian representation. The film, which hit theaters on September 3, is projected to rake in a record-breaking $83....

Following a Variety cover story with Wilde opening up about LaBeouf’s recasting and Harry Styles taking over the role, LaBeouf wrote an email to the “Booksmart” director addressing her “narrative” of events. LaBeouf shared the letter, along with text message exchanges and a personal video sent from Wilde to LaBeouf during production in 2020, with IndieWire. LaBeouf claims he quit the movie due to inadequate rehearsal time. “What inspired this email today is your latest Variety story,” LaBeouf wrote to Wilde in part....

In truth, a theatrical behemoth like Legendary is not the “800-pound gorilla in the room” it was back when Thomas Tull founded the company in 2000, said Stephen Galloway, the former film journalist who now serves as dean of Chapman University’s Dodge Film School. With the movie business and theatrical windows forever changed, he argues, this distribution deal is “more of an antiquated model” that will leave Legendary with a lot to prove....

That still stung nearly 30 years late when Lee returned to Cannes in 2018 with “BlacKkKlansman,” which won the Cannes Grand Prix as well as his first Oscar, for Best Adapted Screenplay. “Cannes can be brutal if you don’t get the right reception: ‘Shit, why did I come?’ It’s good to get the flip side,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for three decades. Making a good film is a miracle....

Any fashion lover knows that there are many players that help make the fashion world go around, and binge watching documentaries is a quick and easy way to study up on fashion history. Plus, it’s entertaining! Bleeker Street/YouTube Screenshot “McQueen” The life of British fashion designer and couturier Alexander McQueen is explored in the 2018 documentary written and co-directed by Ian Bonhôte, and Peter Ettedgui. As told by family, friends, fashion colleagues, and even McQueen himself, the film follows his start in fashion, building an empire, and his tragic suicide....

The companies behind “The Crown” also shared a statement mourning the royal’s passing. “Netflix, Left Bank Pictures, Sony Pictures Television and the production team on The Crown are deeply saddened to hear of the death of The Duke of Edinburgh,” the statement read. “Our thoughts are with the royal family at this sad time.” No details of the funeral have been revealed yet, though Sky News has reported that it’s said Prince Philip will receive a royal ceremonial funeral instead of a state funeral, as were his wishes....

The show’s Season 2, now available on Hulu, has an even more claustrophobic feel than its first. That’s not nothing considering the series starts with Catherine plopped in a strange new aristocratic ecosystem where she’s brought to be little more than a breeder of heirs. But following a successful coup against Peter initiated in the waning moments of the first season’s finale, Catherine has taken her place at the top of the Russian food chain....

“The Haunting of Bly Manor” features an ensemble cast that includes Victoria Pedretti, Henry Thomas, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Kate Siegel, T’Nia Miller, Rahul Kohli, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Amelie Smith, and Amelia Eve. Many of the actors starred in “Hill House,” only this time they will be playing new characters. Henry James’s original ghost story takes place at the Bly Manor mansion and centers around two orphans under the care of a young governess....

Laika pitches the film as a “gritty neo-noir folktale centered on a young man in rural Missouri fighting to keep his family together in the wake of a tragedy. The film will paint an unflinching portrait of sacrifice, self-reliance and revenge.” “’The Night Gardener’ is a beautiful and timeless story that quickens the pulse as often as it breaks the heart,” Knight said. “Bill is a masterful storyteller. He’s crafted a lyrical world layered with complex characters, provocative ideas, and keenly felt emotion....