Is it time for this “talkies” fad to come to an end? I certainly think so. Films should be seen, not heard! Dune director Denis Villeneuve recently spoke at a BFI London Film Festival event (via ScreenDaily) and expressed his desire to make his own silent movie one day.

“I love dialogue, but not [always] in cinema,” Villeneuve said. “I hope one day I will be able to make a film that will not use spoken language. I try as much as possible to use the power of images.” Following a clip of a climactic scene in Dune: Part Two, Villeneuve added, “Zendaya gave an incredible performance, where she has mostly no dialogue but just the reactions – and we understand the tragedy.“

This isn’t the first time Villeneuve has expressed his preference for imagery over dialogue in movies. “I don’t remember movies because of a good line, I remember movies because of a strong image. I’m not interested in dialogue at all,” the director said earlier this year. “Pure image and sound, that is the power of cinema, but it is something not obvious when you watch movies today. Movies have been corrupted by television.“

Silent movies largely became extinct after Hollywood embraced sound. However, there have been a number of silent films (or largely dialogue-free) produced in the decades since, most notably The Artist, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2012.

Villeneuve is currently working on the third installment of the Dune franchise, but he recently said that he doesn’t view Dune 3 as the completion of a trilogy. “First, it’s important that people understand that for me, it was really a diptych,” Villeneuve said. “It was really a pair of movies that will be the adaptation of the first book. That’s done and that’s finished. If I do a third one, which is in the writing process, it’s not like a trilogy. It’s strange to say that, but if I go back there, it’s to do something that feels different and has its own identity.“

Would you like to see a silent movie directed by Denis Villeneuve?

The post Denis Villeneuve hopes to make a silent movie one day appeared first on JoBlo.

The first Joker movie made over $1 billion worldwide and scored Joaquin Phoenix an Academy Award for Best Actor. Getting the ball rolling on a sequel was the obvious move, but unfortunately, Joker: Folie à Deux is bombing at the box office, and Variety reports it could lose the studio at least $150 million to $200 million.

While Joker was produced for just $60 million, the sequel pushed that budget up to $200 million, plus $100 million in marketing and distribution costs. In order to break even, the sequel reportedly has to get to $450 million worldwide (although sources at the studio say the number is $375 million). It’s unlikely that Joker: Folie à Deux will reach either of those goals. The film has grossed $165 million after nearly two weeks of release, while the original film earned $248.4 million after just three days. Not looking good.

However, Warner Bros. isn’t about to admit to anything at this point. “Any estimates suggested by anonymous ‘insiders’ or ‘rival executives’ are grossly wrong and continues a trend where rumor is reported as fact.” a Warner Bros. spokesperson said in a statement. “The film continues to play in theatrical release, included with this week’s opening in China, and will continue to earn revenue throughout its home viewing and ancillary run.“

Many fans of the first movie felt alienated by the sequel. “The first ‘Joker’ was a timely, fresh counterpoint to the dominant superhero narrative and tone, and it worked,” said David A. Gross of movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “The filmmakers deserve credit for making more unconventional creative choices in ‘Folie,’ adding the romantic angle with Lady Gaga. But this time nothing worked.“

Our own Chris Bumbray wasn’t a fan of the sequel, feeling that it only exists because the first movie made a boatload of money. “Perhaps Joker was too big of a hit not to get a sequel, but watching Joker: Folie à Deux, you get the distinct feeling that this was an exercise in style for Phillips rather than a sequel that HAD to be made,” Bumbray wrote. “As it is, though, this Joker sequel spins its wheels and winds up being an often dull courtroom movie livened up by occasional flights of fancy into musical numbers. Those sequences are the best in the film, as without them, this would feel like a wholly unnecessary epilogue to what was originally a pretty powerful film.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here, and be sure to let us know what you think of the film as well.

Joker: Folie à Deux will be released on 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray on December 17th.

The post Joker: Folie à Deux could lose the studio $200 million after bombing at the box office appeared first on JoBlo.

The trailer for Venom: The Last Dance revealed the arrival of Knull, the God of the Symbiotes, who is considered to be one of the more powerful villains in the Marvel universe. While The Last Dance is being billed as the epic conclusion of the Venom trilogy, director Kelly Marcel told IGN that the movie is “just the beginning” for Knull.

“We know full well how important Knull is to the fans, so just as we laid a foundation for Venom, we hope we are doing the same for Knull. The King in Black is way too powerful for ‘one and done,’” Marcel said. “This film introduces Knull, but it just touches the beginnings of his story. Marvel’s greatest film villains are developed over time. Here, Knull is the threat lurking behind the danger that tests the absolute limits of Eddie and Venom’s partnership — but it’s their relationship that remains the heart of this story… This is just the beginning for Knull.“

Knull may not feature as heavily in Venom: The Last Dance as fans would like, but it seems he will have a role to play in future stories. “The universe is wide and rich, and one movie could never do justice to Knull,” Marcel said. “Beyond this trilogy, there are more stories to explore – God is coming.“

Tom Hardy returns as Eddie Brock/Venom alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach, and Stephen Graham. Nothing has been officially announced as to who is playing Knull (although there are several options floating around out there), but we won’t have long to wait until we know for sure. The Last Dance finds Eddie and Venom on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.

Advance tickets for the sequel went on sale earlier this month, and it was revealed that the runtime would be 110 minutes. This makes it slightly shorter than the original movie (112 minutes) but longer than the sequel (97 minutes). Venom: The Last Dance will hit theaters on October 25th.

The post Venom: The Last Dance director teases Knull is not a “one and done” villain appeared first on JoBlo.

Jenni Farley, also known as JWoww, is best known for appearing as herself on the reality shows Jersey Shore, Jersey Shore Family Vacation, and Snooki & JWoww – but now she has gotten behind the camera to direct the found footage horror movie Devon, which will be released through the SCREAMBOX streaming service on November 12th. With that date just a month away, a trailer for Devon has dropped online and can be seen in the embed above.

Also written by Farley, Devon has the following synopsis: Following their daughter’s mysterious disappearance, Devon’s parents never stopped searching for the truth. After the asylum she disappeared from was condemned, their questions looked like they would remain forever unanswered. Years later, a cryptic website recruits five courageous individuals to explore the abandoned asylum and discover what happened to the girl. Unaware that they are embarking on a perilous, one-way journey, these individuals delve into the sinister depths with only their equipment, leading to a terrifying and deadly experience.

The film stars Tara Rule (Girl in the Palms), Steven Etienne (A Jazzman’s Blues), Hank Santos (Aberration), Rotisha Geter (Fatal Attraction), and newcomer Lauren Carlin.

Farley told our friends at Bloody Disgusting, “I am thrilled to be diving into the horror space alongside Cineverse and SCREAMBOX who have the industry and fandom knowledge to see that Devon lands in the hands of the right audience. As a longtime reality TV veteran, I’m excited to kick off this new chapter in the horror movie genre and hope that Devon is just the beginning.” This isn’t Farley’s first brush with the horror world, as she previously served as an executive producer on the 2014 slasher movie Jersey Shore Massacre.

What did you think of the Devon trailer? Are you interested in watching a found footage horror movie that was written and directed by Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

I’m far out of the loop on the whole Jersey Shore thing; I never saw a single episode of that show or any of its spinoffs. The only JWoww project I’ve actually seen was the 2012 The Three Stooges movie, where she showed up as herself.

The post Devon trailer: found footage horror movie directed by Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley appeared first on JoBlo.

Two of the most popular horror films from the silent era are F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu from 1922 and director Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, which was first released in 1920. So while Nosferatu gets a revival of sorts through Robert Eggers’ remake, which is set to reach theatres in December, and the Symphony of Horror “remix,” it seems fitting that The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is also getting some loving attention this year, as Kino Lorber is set to give the film a 4K UHD and Blu-ray release on October 22nd! This “authoritative edition” of the film features a meticulous 4K restoration by the F.W. Murnau Stiftung, along with a new orchestral score composed by Emmy winner Jeff Beal (House of Cards). Beal’s score had its premiere performance at Carnegie Hall on June 3rd… but if you want to try out the movie with different music, the 4K and Blu-ray discs will also feature an orchestral score that was composed in 2014, and the Blu-ray has a third score option, one by Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky.

The Blu-ray also features the 52 minute documentary Caligari: How Horror Came to the Cinema and a restoration demonstration. An audio commentary by composer Jeff Beal will be found on both the 4K UHD and Blu-ray discs, as will an audio description for the vision-impaired.

Here’s some more information: In 1920, one brilliant movie jolted the postwar masses and catapulted the German Expressionist film movement into history. That movie was The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a plunge into the mind of insanity that severs all ties with the rational world. Director Robert Wiene and a team of visionary designers crafted a nightmare realm in which light, shadow and substance are abstracted, a world in which a demented doctor and a carnival sleepwalker perpetrate a series of ghastly murders in a small community.

Copies of the 4K UHD and Blu-ray release are available for pre-order through the Kino Lorber website.

Are you a fan of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and will you be buying the 4K UHD and Blu-ray release? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: silent horror film comes to 4K with three separate score options appeared first on JoBlo.

It’s not wabbit season or duck season. It’s celebrity season! That’s right! The hunt for Oscar hosts is on, and according to sources close to the annual celebration of stars and screen, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman could be a part of the magic. According to Deadline, they’re hearing whispers that Reynolds and Jackman could be part of an ensemble cast of rotating hosts for a portion of the show. The Academy wants to defy expectations this year and bring clever pairs to the presentation, departing from its semi-traditional solo host format.

Other names in the mix include Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, and Dwayne Johnson. If the Academy follows a rotating host plan, Reynolds and Jackman could host a more significant portion of the show, but it’s all hearsay now. For the moment, there has yet to be any public knowledge of a concrete plan.

Having Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman host a portion of the Oscars makes sense, considering the dynamic duo’s well-established friendship and whip-smart chemistry. They’re also the stars of Deadpool & Wolverine, this year’s second-biggest box office earner behind Pixar’s Inside Out 2 ($1.69 billion) with $1.33 billion. Both films fly under the Disney banner, priming the mouse for some bald statues if things swing their way.

While an Oscars ceremony hosted partly by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman sounds like a blast, neither actor may be up to the task. Disney will likely go hard in the paint for Oscar campaigns concerning Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine, with rumors saying Ryan Renolds could get the Best Actor nom. In contrast, Hugh Jackman could win a Best Supporting Actor award. It’s possible that Reynolds and Jackman won’t be interested in hosting the show, or their schedules won’t allow time to rehearse.

The rotating host format is a great way to feature different presenters throughout the star-studded evening. One person who doesn’t plan to return is Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted the show in 2017, 2018, 2023, and earlier this year.

Who should host the Oscars this year? Do you like the rotating host format? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman could make a maximum effort as part of an ensemble of rotating Oscar hosts appeared first on JoBlo.

Last week, Audible launched the ten-part true crime podcast My Mom’s Murder, in which host Lauren Malloy “tells the story of how she believed her mother died of a heart condition but it turned out she was murdered.” Deadline reports that Malloy’s story is also being turned into a TV series that has Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick Ass) on board to star.

Produced by AYR Media, the podcast version of My Mom’s Murder tells how Malloy uncovered the shocking truth about her mother Lori’s death in 1993. When Malloy was just an infant, her mother passed away and had grown up believing her passing was natural. When she discovers that her mother’s death was actually an unsolved murder, she sets out on a journey to discover the truth. The podcast follows Malloy as she confronts family members, interviews old friends, and unearths hidden evidence about her mother’s life and death. Her investigation leads her to confront shady characters from her mother’s past and navigate conflicting stories and disturbing truths and culminates in potential breakthroughs in the decades long cold case. For the TV series, we’ll get to watch Moretz lead us through the story.

The TV series adaptation is set up at MGM Television. Moretz will be executive producing the show with AYR Media’s Aliza Rosen, Steve Stark, and Stacey Levin for Toluca Pictures, and Jackie Levine for Audible. Malloy will serve as a producer on the series, just as she does on the podcast. The podcast is also executive produced by Moretz, as well as Aliza Rosen for AYR Media, Lara Regan Kleinschmidt for Audible, Stacey Levin for Toluca Pictures, and MGM Television. A five minute audio trailer for the podcast can be heard at THIS LINK.

Moretz most recently starred in the Prime Video series The Peripheral, the sci-fi thriller Mother/Android, and the Tom & Jerry movie. She also provided the voice of Wednesday Addams in the 2019 and 2021 animated Addams Family features. She has multiple projects in the works, including a UFC movie called Strawweight that will co-star Lupita Nyong’o.

Does My Mom’s Murder sound interesting to you? Share your thoughts on this Chloe Grace Moretz TV series project by leaving a comment below.

The post My Mom’s Murder: Chloe Grace Moretz to star in TV series based on true crime podcast appeared first on JoBlo.

Hello again. Who’s ready for a Hollywood pairing that could bring the house down? Let me hear you say Sweet Caroline because Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson will star in Craig Brewer‘s Song Sung Blue, an upcoming film inspired by Neil Diamond’s timeless music. Brewer’s musical drama hails from Focus Features, with Brewer as the project’s director and writer.

Based on the 2008 documentary of the same name by director Greg Kohs, Song Sung Blue revolves around the true story of two down-on-their-luck musicians (Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson) who form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band, proving it’s never too late to find love and follow your dreams. Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, and Jim Belushi round out the star-studded cast alongside Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, and Hudson Hilbert Hensley. John Davis and John Fox are producing the film for Davis Entertainment alongside Craig Brewer.

Hugh Jackman returns to the musical arena after bringing the box office to its knees with Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine. The film, featuring Jackman as the Canadian shirt-exploding hero Wolverine, banked $1.3B worldwide, with digital sales of the R-rated buddy comedy racking up more dollars for the dynamic duo. Jackman is well-acquainted with musical theater after starring in films like The Greatest Showman, Les Misérables, Happy Feet, and Oklahoma! His latest feature, Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie, recently wrapped production. The comedic mystery focuses on a shepherd who reads murder mysteries to his flock, pretending the sheep can understand. When he is found dead, the sheep realize at once that it was a murder and think they know everything about how to go about solving it.

Kate Hudson’s latest feature is Shell, a Max Minghella-directed horror thriller about a down-on-her-luck actress Samantha Lake. She is invited into the ultra-glamorous world of Zoe Shannon, CEO of wellness company SHELL. When SHELL patients begin to go missing, Samantha realizes Zoe may be protecting a monstrous secret. Elisabeth Moss plays Samantha Lake, while Hudson plays Zoe Shannon. Elizabeth Berkley, Kaia Gerber, and Mary Lynn Rajskub star as primary cast members.

Neil Diamond is an American singer-songwriter whose records have sold over 130 million worldwide. His most significant hits include “Sweet Caroline,” “Cracklin’ Rose,” “September Morn,” “Holly Holy,” “Song Sung Blue,” and more.

Are you a Neil Diamond fan? What about your parents? Will Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson make sweet music together for Craig Brewer’s Song Sung Blue? We’ll find out when materials for the film roll out.

The post Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson to form a Neil Diamond tribute band and find love in Craig Brewer’s Song Sung Blue appeared first on JoBlo.

At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, director Sean Baker won the Palme d’Or when his romantic drama Anora was chosen as the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition. The movie has been generating Oscar buzz ever since, with Variety reporting that lead actress Mikey Madison (Scream, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) could be one of the “few sure-fire bets” in the Best Actress category, while Baker could end up being nominated as producer, director, writer, and editor. That all remains to be seen, but soon enough we’ll find out how a wider audience responds to the film, as Neon (the distributor behind Best Picture winner Parasite) will be giving Anora a theatrical release this Friday, October 18th. With just a few days to go until that date arrives, a new trailer for the film has been unveiled, and you can check that out in the embed above.

The story Baker crafted for this film has the following synopsis: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner Anora is an audacious, thrilling, and comedic variation on a modern day Cinderella story. Mikey Madison captivates as Ani, a young sex worker from Brooklyn whose life takes an unexpected turn when she meets and impulsively marries Vanya, the impetuous son of a Russian billionaire. However, when Vanya’s parents catch wind of the union, they send their henchmen to annul the marriage, setting off a wild chase through the streets of New York.

Madison is joined in the cast by Mark Eidelstein (The Land of Sasha), Yura Borisov (Compartment No. 6), Vache Tovmasyan (Lost & Found in Armenia), Aleksei Serebryakov (McMafia), Darya Ekamasova (The Americans), Karren Karagulian (Prince of Broadway), Lindsey Normington (All Rise), Ivy Wolk (The Bubble), and newcomer Luna Sofía Miranda.

Baker produced the film with Alex Coco and Samantha Quan. Baker previously directed Four Letter Words, Take Out, Prince of Broadway, Starlet, Tangerine, The Florida Project, and Red Rocket.

Are you interested in Anora? Take a look at the trailer, then share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below. And if you happened to catch the movie at one of its festival screenings, let us know what you thought of it!

The post Anora trailer: romantic drama is generating Oscar buzz, reaches theatres this week appeared first on JoBlo.

There’s the Black List, an annual survey of Hollywood’s most-liked unproduced screenplays that has been going on for nearly twenty years. For the last fifteen years, we’ve had the Blood List, a survey of unproduced thriller and horror scripts voted upon by industry professionals. In 2022, a website called the Stunt List was launched, “created as an artistic home to encourage writers to showcase their unique and original voices.” And last year, the Stunt List shared their first Dead List, a collection of “market-ready original horror screenplays.” The Dead List is back this year with 50 market-ready horror scripts, and you can check it out HERE… and to spice things up, this year’s Dead List also features three “guest scripts.” The first of these guest scripts is The Overlook Hotel, a feature-length prequel to Stephen King’s The Shining that was written by former The Walking Dead showrunner Glen Mazzara. Next up is Halloween: Asylum, an unproduced Halloween sequel that was crafted by Matt Venne (Stephen King’s Bag of Bones) and Saw X writers Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger. The third guest script is Candy, an original action thriller screenplay by Todd Farmer, writer of Jason X, My Bloody Valentine 3D, and Drive Angry.

The Overlook Hotel has the following logline: Set in the early 1900s, this prequel to The Shining follows Bob T. Watson as he travels with his family to the Rocky Mountains to build the grandest hotel the world has ever seen, only to be greeted with one harrowing tragedy after another. This script for The Overlook Hotel was written by Glen Mazzara based on “Before the Play” by Stephen King, and was previously set to be directed by Mark Romanek. You can read the script at THIS LINK.

Here’s the Halloween: Asylum logline: After Michael Myers escapes death during a botched execution, one of his survivors must confront her darkest fears and fight for her life when the Shape hunts her down in the locked-down prison. And HERE is where you can read the script.

The Candy description: Vibe Check: Imagine John Wick with a stripper — a blood-soaked revenge flick in the vein of Taken, but with a female lead. Logline: While attempting to save her friend from kidnappers, an exotic dancer stumbles onto a sex trafficking ring and starts to eliminate them one-by-one using hammers, screwdrivers, ninja stars, and some trusty duct tape. The script can be found HERE.

Will you be reading The Overlook Hotel, Halloween: Asylum, and/or Candy? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post The Dead List shares scripts for unmade Shining prequel, unmade Halloween sequel, and more! appeared first on JoBlo.