Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 16th to 22nd, 2025 - UPDATE #10

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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NEWS:

MOVIES - From THR:  There is a new "film package" that will with Martin Scorsese as the director. It is a star-studded crime movie set in Hawaii.  The film would star Dwayne Johnson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Emily Blunt, and it would feature a script by journalist and author Nick Bilton.  The untitled movie is fact-based and would be in the mold of Scorsese’s "Goodfellas" and "The Departed."  It would center on a mob boss vying for control of the Hawaiian islands in the 1960s and 1970s

AMAZON - From Variety:  Amazon MGM Studios is set to take creative control of the "James Bond" franchise from its long-time guardians at EON Productions, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, although latter will maintain their ownership stake in the James Bond franchise.

From Variety:  Amazon co-founder and overlord, Jeff Bezos, asks his followers on the social media app, "X" (formerly "Twitter"), who should succeed Daniel Craig as "James Bond," in the wake of Amazon MGM Studios taking creative control of the "James Bond" franchise.

From Variety:  In the wake of Amazon MGM Studios taking creative control of the "James Bond" franchise, the most recent actor to play Bond, Daniel Craig, salutes the franchise's previous creative bosses, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Universal Pictures has released a first look at Matt Damon as, "Odysseus," the lead in Christopher Nolan's 2026 film, "The Odyssey" (July 17th, 2026).

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 2/14 to 2/16/2025 weekend box office is Disney/Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World with an estimated take of 88.5 million dollars.

AWARDS - From Variety:  The nominations for the 2025 / 78th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) have been announced.  "Conclave" won "Best Film" and "Outstanding British Film."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. has chosen writer Potsy Poncifoli to write its sequel to the 1985 film, "The Goonies."

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MOVIE AWARDS:

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2025 / 78th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) have been announced.  "Conclave" won "Best Film" and "Outstanding British Film."

From Deadline:  The winners at the 2025 / 36th Producers Guild of America Awards have been announced.  "Anora" wins the awards' top prize, "The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures."

From Deadline:  The winners at the 2025 / 77th Annual Directors Guild Awards have been announced. Sean Baker and his team won the top prize, "Theatrical Feature Film," for his film "Anora."

From THR:  The winners for the 2025 / 82nd Annual Golden Globes have been announced.  "Emilia Perez" won "Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy" and "Best Motion Picture - Non-English Language."  "The Brutalist" won "Best Motion Picture - Drama."  "Wicked" won in the new category, "Cinematic and Box Office Achievement."  "Flow" won "Best Motion Picture - Animated."

From AMPAS:  The nominations for the 2025 / 97th Academy Awards have been announced the winners will be announced Sunday, March 2, 2025.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2025 / 25th Vancouver Film Critics Circle (VFCC) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" won "Best Picture" and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 7th Annual Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA) Film Awards have been announced.  "Sing Sing" won "Best Picture" and "Best Actor" (Colman Domingo).

From AwardsWatch:  GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics has announced the winners of its Dorian Film Awards.  "The Substance" has won five awards including "Film of the Year," "Film Performance of the Year" (Demi Moore), and "Film Director of the Year" (Coralie Fargeat).

From THR:  The nominations for the 2025 / 36th Producers Guild of America Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sat. Feb. 8th.

From BBC:  The nominations for the 2025 / 78th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) have been announced.  "Conclave" leads with 12 nominations.  The winners will be Sunday, Feb. 16th, 2025.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2025 / 77th Annual Directors Guild Awards have been announced.  In the awards' marquee category, "Theatrical Feature Film," the nominees are Jacques Audiard ("Emilia Perez"), Sean Baker ("Anora"), Edward Berger ("Conclave"), Brady Corbet ("The Brutalist"), and James Mangold ("A Complete Unknown").  The winners will be announced February 8th.

From EW:  The Screen Actors Guild has cancelled the 2025 / 31st SAG Awards nominations announcement live-stream because of the current wildfires sweeing through the Los Angeles area.  The nominations will be announced Thursday morning, January 9th via press release and on SAG Awards website.  The SAG Award ceremony will be hired Feb. 23rd.

From AwardsWatch:  The nominations for the 2025 / 56th Annual NAACP Image Awards have been announced.  Netflix's "The Piano Lesson" leads with 14 nominations.  The winners will be announced February 21st and 22nd.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2025 / 22nd Annual International Cinephile Society (ICS) Awards have been announced.  "All We Imagine as Light" has won "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Payal Kapadia), and "Best Ensemble."

From Deadline:  The winners at the 2025 / 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards have been announced.  "Anora" wins "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2025 / 45th London Critics Circle Film Awards were announced. "The Brutalist" was named "Film of the Year."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" was named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The International Press Academy has announced the winners at the 2025 / 29th Satellite Awards in Motion Pictures and Television.  "The Brutalist" won "Motion Picture, Drama" and "Anora" won "Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Denver Film Critics Society (DFCS) Awards have been announced.  "Dune: Part Two" has been named "Best Film."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Pittsburgh Film Critics Association (PFCA) Awards have been announced. This is the association inaugural awards announcement.  "The Substance" was named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Chicago Independent Critics (CIC) Awards have been announced.  "The Substance" has won seven awards, including "Best Indepent Film," "Best Director" (Coralie Fargeat), and "Best Actress" (Demi Moore).  "Dune: Part Two" won "Best Studio Film."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) Awards have been announced.  "Emilia Perez" wins "Best Movie About Women."  Coralie Fargeat's "The Substance" wins "Best Movie By a Woman" (directing)

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the annual Portland Critics Association (PCA) Awards have been announced.  "The Brutalist" won in 10 of the 13 categories in which it was nominated, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Brady Corbet), and "Best Actor" (Adrien Brody). 

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 North Dakota Film Society (NDFS) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" won five awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Hawaii Film Critics Society (HFCS) Awards have been announced.  "The Brutalist" took four awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Actor" (Adrien Brody). 

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Utah Film Critics Association (UFCA) Awards have been announced.  "The Wild Robot" won two awards - "Best Picture" and "Best Animated Feature."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the Minnesota Film Critics Association (MNFCA) Awards have been announced.  "The Brutalist" has taken five awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Brady Corbet), and "Best Actor" (Adrien Brody). 

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Music City Film Critics Association (MCFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Dune: Part Two" has won four awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Denis Villeneuve).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Georgia Film Critics Association (GFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" won four awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the 2024 Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) EDA Awards have been announced.  "The Brutalist" has won "Best Film."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" won five awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Kansas City Film Critics Circle (KCFCC) Awards have been announced.  "The Substance" has won six awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Coralie Fargeat), and "Best Actress" (Demi Moore). 

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Greater Western New York Film Critics Association (GWNYFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Challengers" has won "Best Film" and "Best Director" (Luca Guadagnino).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 DiscussingFilm's Global Film Critics Awards have been announced.  "Nickel Boys" won "Best Picture."

From EW:  The nominations for the 2025 / 82nd Annual Golden Globes have been announced.  "Emilia Perez" leads with 10 nominations.  The winners will be announced January 5, 2025 on CBS and Paramount+.

From THR:  The winners at the 2025 National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) Awards have been announced. "Nickel Boys" has won the award for "Best Picture" of 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (OFCC) Awards have been announced.  "Conclave" won five awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Edward Berger), and "Best Actor" (Ralph Fiennes).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Conclave" has won three awards, including "Best Narrative Film."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Columbia Film Critics Association (COFCA) Awards have been announced. "The Substance" has won four awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Coralie Fargeat), and "Best Actress" (Demi Moore), 

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 29th Capri, Hollywood-International Film Festival Awards have been announced. "Emilia Perez" won six awards, including "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Critics Association of Central Florda (CACF) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" has been named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 UK Film Critics Association (UKFCA) Awards have been announced. "Dune: Part Two" won "Film of the Year" and "Best Director" (Denis Villeneuve).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) Awards have been announced. "Anora" has won four awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Online Association of Female Film Critics (OAFFC) Awards have been announced.  "The Substance" won six awards, including "Best Director" (Coralie Fargeat). and "Best Leading Performance" (Demi Moore).  "The Substance" shared the "Best Film" honor with "Anora."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PFCCA) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" won six awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Awards have announced.  "The Beast" has won "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Bertrand Bonello).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Nevada Film Critics Society (NFCS) Awards have been announced.  "The Brutalist" has taken six awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Brady Corbet), and "Best Actor" (Adrien Brody). 

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Dublin Film Critics Circle (DFCC) Awards have been announced.  "The Zone of Interest" was named "Best Film" and its director, Jonathan Glazer, won "Best Director."  Although the film was released in Dublin this year, it was eligible for the Academy Awards in 2023.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critic Association (DFWFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" has won three awards: "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the 2024 Southeastern Film Critics Associations (SFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" has been named "Best Film."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Iowa Film Critics Association (IFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" won three awards: "Best Film," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison).

From AwardsWatch: The winners at the 2024 New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) Awards have been announced.  "The Substance" has won "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Coralie Fargeat)

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Seattle Film Critics Society (SFCS) Awards have been announced.  "The Substance" has been named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Phoenix Film Critics Society (PFCS) Awards have been announced.  "The Brutalist" has been named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the 2024 Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA) Awards.  "The Substance" has won six awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Coralie Fargeat), and "Best Leading Performance" (Demi Moore), and "Best Supporting Performance" (Margaret Qualley).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Nickel Boys" has won "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (RaMell Ross)

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) Awards have been announced. "Dune: Part Two" has won three awards, including "Film" and "Best Director" (Denis Villeneuve).

From AwardsWatch:  The Producers Guild of America (PGA) has announced the nominations in the category of "Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures." The winners at the 2025 / 39th Annual Producers Guild Awards will be announced Saturday, February 8, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced. "Anora" has been named "Best Film."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Boston Online Film Critics Association (BOFCA) Awards have been announced. "The Brutalist" has taken five awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Brady Corbet), and "Best Actor" (Adrien Brody). 

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Las Vegas Film Critics Society (LVFCS) Awards have been announced.  "Dune: Part Two" has won six awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Denis Villeneuve).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Nickel Boys" has won "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (RaMell Ross). "Sing Sing" has won "Best Actor" (Colman Domingo) and "Best Supporting Actor" (Clarence Maclin).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Phoenix Critics Circle (PCC) Awards have been announced.  "The Brutalist" has been named "Best Picture."  The films four total wins including for "Best Director" (Brady Corbet) and "Best Actor" (Adrien Brody).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Chicago Film Critics (CFC) Awards have been announced.  "The Brutalist" has won "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the 2024 San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) Awards have been announced.  "Sing Sing" won "Best Picture," won of three awards it received.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the 2024 Michigan Movie Critics Guild (MMCG) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" was named "Best Picture," one of its four wins.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the 2024 Atlanta Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced.  "Anora" was named "Best Film," one of four awards it won.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Washington Area Film Critics Association Awards have been announced.  "Wicked" has won the award for "Best Feature."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the 49th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards have been announced.  "Anora" was named "Best Picture."  Marianne Jean-Baptiste (for "Hard Truths") became the first Black woman to win a lead performance honor in the groups history.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners for the 2024 / 27th British Independent Film Awards have been announced.  The Irish film, "Kneecap," wins "Best British Independent Film."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC) have been announced.  "Anora" wins "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison), and "Best Original Screenplay."

From AFI:  The American Film Institute has named its top ten films and television series.  Among the films honored are "Dune: Part Two," "Nickel Boys," and "Wicked."

From THR:  The winners at the 2024 / 37th European Film Awards have been announced.  "Emilia Perez" wins the award for "European Film."  It also won the directing (Jacques Audiard), writing (Audiard), and actress (Karla Sofia Gascon) honors.

From NBR:  The National Board of Review has named its 2024 film honorees.  "Wicked" wins "Best Film" and "Best Director" (for John M. Chu).

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2025 / 40th Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced.  Cannes 2024 Palme d'Or winner, "Anora," and "I Saw the TV Glow" each lead with six nominations apiece.  The winners will be announced Saturday, February 22, 2025.

From Deadline:  The winners of the 2024 / 90th New York Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced.  Director Brady Corbet's three-hour epic, "The Brutalist," has won "Best Film" and its star, Adrian Brody, has won "Best Actor."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2024 / 34th Gotham Awards have been announced.  Writer-director Aaron Schimberg's "A Different Man" has won the "Best Feature" award.

From Deadline:  The 2024 / 34th Gotham Awards kick off the 2024-25 movie awards season by announcing its nominations for achievement in film.  Director Sean Baker's "Anora," which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year, leads with four nominations.  The winners will be announced Monday, December 2, 2024.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 / 27th British Independent Film Awards have been announced.  The Irish film, "Kneecap," leads with 14 nominations. The winners will be announced Sunday, December 8, 2024.

BEST PICTURE WINNER COUNT:

From AwardsWatch:  This link will take you, dear readers, to "AwardWatch's" article, "Who Won What? - The 2024/2025 Film Award Precursor Guide."

"All We Imagine as Light": 1 win (International Cinephile Society)

"Anora": 18 wins (Atlanta Film Critics Circle; Austin Film Critics Association; Boston Society of Film Critics; CACF; Critics Choice Awards; DFWFCA; DGA; Georgia Film Critics Association; IFCA; LAFCA; Michigan Movie Critics Guild; North Dakota Film Society; OAFFC; NTFCA; Philadelphia Film Critics Circle; Satellite Awards; SFBAFCC; SFCA)

"The Beast": 1 win (Florida Film Critics Circle)

"The Brutalist": 13 wins (AWFJ; BOFCA; Chicago Film Critics; Golden Globes-Drama; HFCS; London Critics Circle; MNFCA; Nevada Film Critics Society; NYFCC; Phoenix Critics Circle; Phoenix Film Critics Circle; Portland Critics Association; Satellite Awards)

"Challengers": 1 win (GWNYFCA)

"Conclave":  2 wins (North Carolina Film Critics Association; Oklahoma Film Critics Circle)

"A Different Man": 1 win (Gotham Awards)

"Dune: Part Two" - 6 wins (Chicago Independent Critics; LVFCS; Music City Film Critics Associations; St.LFCA; UKFCA)

"Emilia Perez":  4 wins (Capri, Denver Film Critics Society; Hollywood-International Film Festival Awards; European Film Awards; Golden Globes-Comedy or Musical; WFCC)

"Kneecap": 1 win (British Independent Film Awards)

"Nickel Boys": 4 wins (AAFCA; DiscussingFilm; National Society of Film Critics; TFCA)

"Sing Sing": 2 wins (LEJA Film Awards; San Diego Film Critics Society)

"The Substance": 10 wins (Chicago Independent Critics; COFCA; Dorian Awards; Indiana Film Journalists Association; KCFCC; NYFCO; OAFFC; Pittsburgh Film Critics Association; Seattle Film Critics Society; WFCC)

"Wicked": 2 wins (National Board of Review; WAFCA)

"The Wild Robot":  1 win (Utah Film Critics Association)

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Review: Disney's "MOANA 2" Sails Towards New Horizons

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 55 of 2024 (No. 1999) by Leroy Douresseaux

Moana 2 (2024)

Running time:  100 minutes (1 hour, 40)

MPA – PG for action/peril

DIRECTORS:  David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller

WRITERS:  Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller;  Jared Bush & Dana Ledoux Miller and Bek Smith

PRODUCERS:  Christina Chen and Yvette Merino

EDITORS:  Michael Louis Hill and Jeremy Milton

ORIGINAL SONGS:  Opetaia Foa'il, Mark Mancina, Abigail Barlow, and Emily Bear

COMPOSER:  Mark Mancina

ANIMATION/FANTASY/MUSICAL and FAMILY/DRAMA

Starring:  (voices) Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Hualalai Chung, Rose Matafeo, David Fane, Amhimai Fraser, Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Rachel House, Gerald Ramsey, and Alan Tudyk

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

Moana 2 is not as inspired as the original film, but this sequel charts its own path towards adventure

The title character, Moana, is still a hero who takes her friends and the audience on the greatest of adventures, and that is more than enough reason for fans of the original film to come back for more in Moana 2

Moana 2 is a 2024 American computer-animated, fantasy-adventure, and musical film directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller.  It is produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios – the 63rd full-length animated feature film produced by that studio, and it is a Walt Disney Pictures release.  The film is a direct sequel to the 2016 animated feature, Moana.  Moana 2 finds Moana and Maui on a journey to find a lost island that could reunite the people of the ocean.

Moana 2 opens three years after the adventures Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) had with the demigod, Maui (Dwayne Johnson), and the island goddess of Te Fiti (as seen in Moana).  Moana is now officially her people's “wayfinder.”  She has spent the time since then exploring the islands near her home island of Motunui in the hope that she will find other people connected to the ocean.

During a celebration, Moana has a vision of her wayfinding ancestor, Tautai Vasa (Gerald Ramsey).  He reveals why none of those peoples are connected anymore.  A long time ago, the malicious storm god, Nalo, wanted power over the mortals.  To gain that power, Nalo sunk a legendary island called “Motufetu,” the island which connected all islands and the people of the sea, down to the depths of the ocean.  Tautai also warns Moana that the people of Motunui will go extinct in the future if Moana cannot find a way to raise Motufetu.

Moana assembles a wayfinding crew of people from Motunui:  the clever craftswoman, Loto (Rose Matafeo); the tribal historian and Maui fanboy, Moni (Haulalai Chung); and a grumpy elderly farmer, Keke (David Fane), alongside her pet pig, Pua, and pet rooster, Heihei.  They set off in a boat designed and built by Loto, to follow the path of a meteor that Tautai says will blaze a trail across the ocean towards Motufetu.  But first, Moana and her crew must find Maui, who just so happens is being held prisoner by the forces aligned against Moana's quest.

I wrote this in my recent review of the first film, Moana:  I always struggle with writing reviews of modern Disney computer-animated feature films.  The animation is always superb.  The character design is consistently imaginative and inventive, and the character animation – regardless of whether the characters are human, animals, creatures of fantasy, or machines – is flawless.  The production design, art direction, set decoration, and graphic design are so good that just about every Disney animated movie gets its own art book – deservedly so.

Well, I don't have to struggle with my review of Moana 2 because it looks just as good as the first film.  While the tattoos on Maui's body are still good, they don't get as much screen time as they did in the original film, so they can't steal the show.  Instead, Moana has a little sister, Simea (Khaleesi Lambert Tsuda), who does that in several scenes set on Motunui.

Moana 2 is very entertaining, but it is not quite as good as the original film.  Because we know many of the characters, especially Moana and Maui, there is not the same joy of discovery.  The call to adventure is not as complicated in Moana 2 as it was the first time.  It is pretty straightforward here: find Motufetu.  And the big showdown in Moana 2 is not quite the showdown the first film offered.  Moana 2 simply lacks the inspiration of Moana.

That said, Moana 2 offers stunning imagery that overrides the moments when the story drags or goes adrift, and the film moves towards new horizons for the franchise.  Moana, once again superbly given voice by actress Auli'i Cravalho, and Maui, once again made cool by Dwayne Johnson's voice performance, are still great characters.  And they go on the best adventures.

Moana 2 is the kind of big, colorful, soaring animated adventure that we expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios.  It is not perfect, but it is the kind of film that keeps me loving the world's longest-running animation studio.  Fans of Moana and of Disney Animation will not want to miss Moana 2.

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Saturday, December 7, 2024

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 1st to 7th, 2024 - UPDATE #14

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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NEWS:

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From THR:  Sony Pictures has released a mysterious teaser for "28 Years Later," the follow-up to the zombie apocalypse films, "28 Days Later" (2002) and "28 Weeks Later" (2007). The film is due June 20, 2025.

MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Amy Adams is keeping the secrets of her new film, Marielle Heller's "Nightbitch," to herself.

HARRY POTTER - From THR:  "The Hollywood Reporter" is reporting that actor Paapa Essiedu ("I May Destroy You") is being considered to play the role of "Professor Severus Snape" in HBO's "Harry Potter" television series.  The role was played by the late Alan Rickman across eight "Harry Potter" theatrical films.

AWARDS - From NBR:  The National Board of Review has named its 2024 film honorees.  "Wicked" wins "Best Film" and "Best Director" (for John M. Chu).

MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Writer Phillipa Boyens says that "The Lord of the Rings" brain trust (Boyens, Fran Walsh, and Peter Jackson) really wants actor Viggo Mortensen to return in his LOTR role of "Aragon" for the upcoming LOTR film, "The Hunt for Gollum."

MOVIE AWARDS - From Deadline:  The winners of the 2024 / 90th New York Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced.  Director Brady Corbet's three-hour epic, "The Brutalist," has won "Best Film" and its star, Adrian Brody, has won "Best Actor."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2024 / 34th Gotham Awards have been announced.  Writer-director Aaron Schimberg's "A Different Man" has won the "Best Feature" award.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 11/29 to 12/1/2024 weekend box office is Walt Disney Pictures' "Moana 2" with an estimated take of 135.5 million dollars.

From Variety:  "Moana 2" made an estimated 221 million dollars at the domestic box office over the five-day "Thanksgiving holiday weekend" period. The previous record was held by Disney's "Frozen II" with a five-day take of 125 million dollars in 2019.

From Deadline:  Dwayne Johnson has pulled off a rare feat with two films ("Red One" and "Moana 2") opening #1 at the weekend box office in the same calendar month (November 2024).

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  John David Washington talks about Netflix's "The Piano Lesson" and working with Christopher Nolan.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  20th Century (Fox) has won a bidding war for a project from director Edward Berger ("Conclave") and actor Austin Butler ("Elvis").  Entitled "The Barrier," it is a sci-fi, time-travel story.

OBITS:

From Variety:  American screenwriter and director, Marshall Brickman, has died at the age of 85, Friday, November 29, 2024.  Brickman was probably best known for his collaborations with Woody Allen.  Brickman and Allen shared the "Best Original Screenplay" Oscar for Allen's 1977 film, "Annie Hall."  Brickman shared writing credits with Allen on three other films, "Sleeper" (1973), "Manhattan" (1979), and "Manhattan Murder Mystery" (1993).  Brickman also directed three films, including the comedies, "Simon" (1980) and "Lovesick" (1983).

From Deadline:  British-born American assistant director and producer, Adam Somner, has died at the age of 57, Wednesday, November 27, 2024.  Somner was the go-to assistant director for Steven Spielberg (12 films), Paul Thomas Anderson (6), and Ridley Scott (6).  Somner received a "Best Picture" Oscar nomination, shared with Sara Murphy and Paul Thomas Anderson, for Anderson's 2021 film, "Licorice Pizza."

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MOVIE AWARDS:

From NBR:  The National Board of Review has named its 2024 film honorees.  "Wicked" wins "Best Film" and "Best Director" (for John M. Chu).

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2025 / 40th Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced.  Cannes 2024 Palme d'Or winner, "Anora," and "I Saw the TV Glow" each lead with six nominations apiece.  The winners will be announced Saturday, February 22, 2025.

From Deadline:  The winners of the 2024 / 90th New York Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced.  Director Brady Corbet's three-hour epic, "The Brutalist," has won "Best Film" and its star, Adrian Brody, has won "Best Actor."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2024 / 34th Gotham Awards have been announced.  Writer-director Aaron Schimberg's "A Different Man" has won the "Best Feature" award.

From Deadline:  The 2024 / 34th Gotham Awards kick off the 2024-25 movie awards season by announcing its nominations for achievement in film.  Director Sean Baker's "Anora," which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year, leads with four nominations.  The winners will be announced Monday, December 2, 2024.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 British Independent Film Awards have been announced.  The Irish film, "Kneecap," leads with 14 nominations. The winners will be announced Sunday, December 8, 2024.

BEST PICTURE WINNER COUNT:

"The Brutalist": 1 (NYFCC)

"A Different Man": 1 (Gotham Awards)

"Wicked": 1 (National Board of Review)

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Review: "MOANA" Sails on a Sea of Delights

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 53 of 2024 (No. 1997) by Leroy Douresseaux

Moana (2016)

Running time:  107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)

MPAA – PG for peril, some scary images and brief thematic elements

DIRECTORS:  Ron Clements and John Musker with Don Hall and Chris Williams (co-directors)

WRITERS:  Jared Bush; from a story by Ron Clements, John Musker, Don Hall, Chris Williams, Pamela Ribon, and Aaron Kandell and Jordan Kandell

PRODUCER:  Osnat Shurer

CINEMATOGRAPHERS:  Alessandro Jacomini, Daniel Rice, and Nathan Warner

EDITOR:  Jeff Draheim

ORIGINAL SONGS:  Opetaia Foa'il, Mark Mancina, and Lin-Manuel Miranda

COMPOSER:  Mark Mancina

Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY/DRAMA

Starring:  (voices) Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger, Alan Tudyk, and Troy Polamalu

Moana is a 2016 American computer-animated, fantasy-adventure, and musical film directed by Ron Clements and John Musker.  It was produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios – the 56th full-length animated feature film produced by that studio, and it was released by Walt Disney Pictures.  Moana follows a girl who heeds the Ocean's call that she find a lost demigod and force him to help her end the terrible curse that he incurred in the distant past.

Moana introduces Moana (Auli'i Cravalho), a girl who lives in ancient Polynesian on the island of Motunui.  She is also the daughter of Motunui's Chief Tui (Temuera Morrison).  The inhabitants of the island worship Te Fiti, the mother island.  Long ago, Te Fiti brought life to the ocean using a stone called “the heart of Te Fiti” as the source of her power.  Then, along came Maui (Dwayne Johnson).  He was a demigod of the wind and sea, a warrior, a trickster, and a shape-shifter who used a huge magical fish hook to wield his shape-shifting powers.  Maui stole the heart and caused Te Fiti to disintegrate, but he immediately attacked by the volcanic demon “ Te Kā.”  Maui lost both the heart and his magic fish hook to the depths of the sea.

A thousand years later, blight strikes Motunui and begins to kill the vegetation and shrink the number of fish available for the islanders to catch.  The Ocean gives Moana the heart of Te Fiti and chooses her to find Maui and force him to restore what he took from Te Fiti.  Only then, will Motunui and other islands be saved from the destroying blight, which is apparently a curse from Te Kā.  In order to do that, Moana must do something she always wanted to do, but was also afraid to do.  She must cross the barrier reef that surrounds Motunui and sale far into an ocean full of danger.  That danger includes the kind of waves that can destroy the small boat upon which Moana sets sail.

I always struggle with writing reviews of modern Disney computer-animated feature films.  The animation is always superb.  The character design consistently is imaginative and inventive, and the character animation – regardless of whether the characters are human, animals, creatures of fantasy, or machines – is flawless.  The production design, art direction, set decoration, and graphic design are so good that just about every Disney movie gets its own art book – deservedly so.  That said, the tattoos on Maui's body steal the show; it's like they are their own film reel of hype men and Greek choruses.

Moana offers Disney's time-tested formula, telling the story of a girl who goes on a journey of discovery about what she expects of herself after living a life of doing what others expect of her.  It has popped up recently in such films as Frozen (2013) and Zootopia (2016).  Of late, Disney has offered girls who are not white or European as the stars of such stories, as seen here in Moana and also in Encanto (2021), a film released several years after Moana.  The visual elements of this film might say non-white girl, but the voice actors bring a universal appeal to their voice performances that emphasizes the Moana's broad themes of bravery and redemption and also of the struggle between tradition (represented by Moana's father, Tui) and progress (represented by Moana herself).

By the way, Moana's original songs, written by Opetaia Foa'il, Mark Mancina, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the film score by Mancina are some of the best Disney music produced this century.  It is hard to pick a favorite song from this film, but I like Mancina and Miranda's “Shiny” as much as like Miranda's “How Far I'll Go,” which is essentially the film's theme.

I avoided Moana when it was first released to theaters in 2016, and I finally decided to see it because Moana 2 is due this month (November 2024).  I would have loved to have seen it on the big screen.  Although I think the film drags a little in its last act, I really enjoyed its story and its bouncy songs and soaring score.  Moana is one of Disney's great recent adventure films – live-action or animation – and I think fans of animated feature films – Disney or otherwise – are denying themselves an exceptional work if they don't see it.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Tuesday, November 26, 2027

NOTES:

2017 Academy Awards, USA:  2 nominations: “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year” (Ron Clements, John Musker, and Osnat Shurer) and “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures-Original Song” (Lin-Manuel Miranda for the song, “How Far I'll Go”)

2017 BAFTA Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature Film” (Ron Clements and John Musker)

2017 Golden Globe Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Original Song-Motion Picture” (Lin-Manuel Miranda for the song, “How Far I'll Go”) and “Best Motion Picture - Animated”

2017 NAACP Image Awards: 1 nomination: “Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance-Television or Film” (Dwayne Johnson)

2017 Black Reel Awards:  1 nomination: “Outstanding Voice Performance” (Dwayne Johnson)

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from Nov. 17th to 23rd, 2024 - UPDATE #10

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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NEWS:

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Idris Elba is set to star as "Man-At-Arms" in Amazon/MGM's "Masters of the Universe."  Nicholas Galitzine is set to play "He-Man" in a film directed by Travis Knight.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  Robert Pattinson has been cast in Christopher Nolan's next film which begins shooting in several countries across Europe. Pattinson was previously in Nolan's wonderful film, "Tenet."

CELEBRITY - From THR:  "The Hollywood Reporter" names their 10 hottest young stars in Hollywood."

CABLE - From Deadline:  Comcast is spinning off all its linear cable networks (except "Bravo") into a separate company apart from NBCUniversal. The castoffs... err... I mean spinoffs include MSNBC, CNCB, E!, Syfy, and USA, to name a few.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Season 5 of the CBS hit, "The Equalizer," will introduce two guest characters with the potential to spun off into their own series.

MOVIES - From Esquire:  Although "The Equalizer 3" (which I still haven't seen) suggests that the series is done, Denzel Washington confirms that "The Equalizer 4" and "The Equalizer 5" are in development.

STREAMING - From Variety:  Oscar-winner Javier Bardem will star as the villain, "Max Cady," in the Apple TV+ series, "Cape Fear."  Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, who directed the 1991 film version of "Cape Fear," are among the series executive producers.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 11/15 to 11/17/2024 weekend box office is Amazon/MGM Studios' "Red One" with an estimated take of 34 million dollars.

From Variety:  Director Edward Berger's awards-season favorite, "Conclave," is making money at the domestic box office.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  During the press tour for "Gladiator II," Denzel Washington explains why he made some clunkers (bad films) after earning an Oscar nomination for his role in "Malcolm X" (1992).

From WorldofReel:  Denzel Washington says that he has spoken to director Paul Thomas Anderson ("Licorice Pizza") about working together.

-----------------

MOVIE AWARDS:

From Deadline:  The 2024 / 34th Gotham Awards kick off the 2024-25 movie awards season by announcing its nominations for achievement in film.  Director Sean Baker's "Anora," which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year, leads with four nominations.  The winners will be announced Monday, December 2, 2024.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 British Independent Film Awards have been announced.  The Irish film, "Kneecap," leads with 14 nominations. The winners will be announced Sunday, December 8, 2024.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 1st to 11th, 2024 - UPDATE #23

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From TelegraphUK:  Famed director George Miller talks about his upcoming film, "Furiosa," and how the film's star, Anya Taylor-Joy," only has 30 lines of dialogue.  Tom Hardy only had 63 lines in "Mad Max: Fury Road."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Actor Hiroyuki Sanada, star and producer of FX‘s limited series, "Shōgun," has closed a deal to return as "Lord Yoshii Toranaga," sources tell Deadline. Securing Sanada has been considered crucial to any plan to extend Shogun beyond its original installment.  In light of the 10-episode series' big commercial and critical success, FX is working on developing a second season.

STREAMING - From Variety:  Peacock has ordered a new version of NBC's former long-running sitcom, "The Office" (2005-13).  Greg Daniels, who developed the original series, an American version of the former BBC series, "The Office" (2001-03), is developing the new series with Michael Koman.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Olivia Wilde has signed on to join "I Want Your Sex," a film directed by Gregg Araki (The Doom Generation).

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said Fox's upcoming sports streaming venture with Disney/ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery is forging ahead with over 150 engineers now on board dedicated “to building a unique and innovative product” for sports fans outside the traditional cable bundle.  Murdoch said that there have been beta tests and the service, which still doesn't have a name, is set to launch this fall (2024).

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Tyler Perry and Devon Franklin (“Flamin’ Hot,” “Miracles From Heaven”) are teaming up to produce faith-based films under a multi-year and multi-picture first-look deal at Netflix.  The films will be produced by the duo in conjunction with Tyler Perry Studios in the latest expansion of Perry’s creative partnership at Netflix.  Perry inked as a first-look film deal in October 2023 and has broadened his deal to include scripted and unscripted TV projects.  Franklin is a producer and author known for such faith-based films as "Miracles from Heaven" and "Heaven Is for Real."

From TheRoot:  Some are a little nervous about the films that will result from Tyler Perry and Devon Franklin's faith-based film deal with Netflix - most because of Perry.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Co-creator/EP/co-star Gina Yashere and EP Matt Ross talk about what went into crafting their sentimental "Bob ❤️ Abishola" finale, the show’s legacy, and whether they regret using a heart emoji in the title.

From Deadline:  Bette Midler says that she regrets being involved with her 2000-2001 CBS sitcom, "Bette." She also says that she should have sued actress Lindsay Lohan for leaving the series after the pilot episode.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Vin Diesel is returning to the role of "Richard B. Riddick," as he begins production on the fourth film in the franchise, "Riddick: Furya," on Aug. 26th, 2024.  Riddick first appear in the film "Pitch Black."

From Variety:  Lionsgate is relaunching "The Strangers" horror movie film series with a trilogy that will be released over the next nine to twelve months.  It all starts with "The Strangers: Chapter 1" on May 17th.

SCANDAL - From TheWrap:  Dwayne Johnson's "Red One" is supposed to be a big Christmas crowd pleaser for Amazon MGM Studios, but the film has reportedly become a big budget misadventure. Johnson has also been accused of unprofessional behavior such as showing up to work as much as 8 hours late and refusing to work more than four or five hours a day.

MUSIC - From Vulture:  A timeline and an explanation of the Kendrick Lamar/Drake rap battle/feud.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 5/3 to 5/5/2024 weekend box office is Universal Pictures' "The Fall Guy" with an estimated take of 28.5 million dollars.

TELEVISION - From Deadline: CBS was the first broadcaster to announce its Fall 2024 schedule, so they added to that and announced its entire 2024-25 broadcast season schedule.

BUSINESS - From Deadline:   A Paramount Global board has determined that it will begin negotiations with Sony Pictures and Apollo, a private equity giant, about buying controlling interest in Paramount Global.  However, nepo baby David Ellison and his company, Skydance, are still in the mix to obtain that controlling interest.

From Deadline:  Nepo baby David Ellison's Skydance has been trying to buy out the controlling in Paramount Global with the assistance of his father Larry Ellison's Oracle and with the private equity entity, RedBird Capital. However, his month-long exclusive window to negotiate the deal. That may allow Sony Pictures and private equity giant, Apollo, to join the bidding.

SPORTS - From YahooSports:  The Los Angeles Lakers are always in the news, as they are today (Fri., May 3rd) for negative reasons.  However, would you like to know "Why did the Minneapolis Lakers basketball team move to Los Angeles?"  Joel Ripple of the "Star Tribune" of Minneapolis will tell you.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The articles provides a list of premiere dates for this year's (2024) new and returning series on broadcast, cable, and streaming, beginning with the May 2nd premieres.

MOVIES - From Slate:  The site talks to director Nancy Savoca about her 1991 coming-of-age film and period drama, "Dogfight," starring the late River Phoenix and actress Lily Taylor. "Dogfight" recently joined the "Criterion Collection."

NETFLIX/ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Netflix has released a trailer for "Jurassic World: Chaos Theory."  It is the sequel to "Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous," which streamed for five seasons on Netflix from 2020 to 2022.  "Chaos Theory" is set to debut May 24th, 2024.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Netflix has given a "a premium, script-to-series commitment" to "Scooby-Doo! The Live-Action Series."  The reimagining of one of Warner Bros' top IP will come from Greg Berlanti's Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television.

GAZA:

5/7/2024 - From NewYorkTimes:  The actions of police officers and counterprotesters at campus demonstrations came under further scrutiny on Tuesday, with the University of California system saying it would investigate the law enforcement response to a violent attack on pro-Palestinian protesters at its Los Angeles campus, while the White House condemned the taunting of a Black student captured in a video at the University of Mississippi.

5/4/2024 - From TheGuardian:  On the police crackdown on campus Gaza ceasefire protests: "the police are sending a message" says Dartmouth labor historian.

5/3/24 - From NBCNews:  In an interview with Kristin Welker on NBC's "Meet the Press," Cindy McCain, the executive director of the World Food Programme, said she believes there is a "full-blown famine" in northern Gaza.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from Dec. 10th to 16th, 2023 - Update #18

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The finale episode of the CBS/NBC's "Magnum P.I." reboot starring Jay Hernandez will air Jan. 3rd, 2024 with the final two episodes (19 and 20 of Season 5) airing as a two-hour event from 9 to 11 EST.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. has won an auction for "Calamity Hustle," an action-comedy from writer-directors Adam & Aaron Nee. The film is currently set to star Ryan Reynolds and Channing Tatum.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  The site has the screenplay for "Asteroid City" by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola available for reading.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Dwayne Johnson will play Mark Kerr, the legendary MMA fighter from the no-holds barred era of UFC, in A24‘s "The Smashing Machine." The film will be directed by Benny Safdie of Uncut Gems fame.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Amazon MGM Studios has won the "film pitch packet" for "Best of Enemies," a spy thriller set to star Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale.

MOVIES - From Deadine:  Actress Naomi Scott, who first gained fame as "Princess Jasmine" in Disney's live-action Aladdin (2019), will star in Paramount sequel to its 2022 horror hit, Smile.  The sequel is set to hit theaters Oct. 18th, 2024.

STREAMING - From Variety:  From 1993 to 2004 Tony Award-winning actor David Hyde Pierce played "Dr. Niles Crane" on the former NBC sitcom, "Frasier."  He received 11 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the role and won four of them. The series was recently rebooted for Paramount+ with series star, Kelsey Grammer, returning, but Pierce says that he did not return because he never really wanted to go back.

POLITICS - From Deadline:  "Biden Victory Fund" campaign co-chair, Jeffrey Katzenberg (co-founder of DreamWorks), says that the fund raised a record 15 million dollars during President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden's weekend visit to Los Angeles.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 12/8 to 12/10/2023 weekend box office is GKIDS' "The Boy and the Heron" with an estimated take of 12.8 million dollars.

From Deadline:  "The Boy and the Heron" is now the first original anime production to finish at the top of the domestic (North American) box office.

AMAZON - From THR:  David Alan Grier says playing a black Santa Claus in the Prime Originals holiday movie, Candy Cane Lane, reminded him of Marvel's Black Panther.

From Deadline:  Prime Video has released the first trailer for its upcoming series, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," based on the the 2005 Jolie-Pitt film, Mr. and Mrs. Smith.  Premiere date is Feb. 2nd, 2024.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Journalist, historian, and documentary filmmaker, Cari Beauchamp, has died at the age of 74, Thursday, December 14, 2023.  Her 1998 biography, "Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and The Powerful Women of Early Hollywood," became a documentary she wrote and co-produced.  It premiered on Turner Classic Movies (TCM).  Beauchamp frequently appeared on TCM programming and at the annual TCM Classic Film Festival.

From Variety:   Film and television actor, Andre Braugher, has died at the age of 61, Monday, December 11, 2023.  Braugher was best known for his TV work.  He was "Detective Frank Pembleton" on NBC's former cop drama, "Homicide: Life on the Streets" and "Captain Raymond Hoult" on the former Fox/NBC sitcom, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine."  Braugher was nominated for 11 Primetime Emmy Awards and won twice, once for his work on "Homicide."

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AWARDS:

From THR:   The winners at the 2023 / 49th annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards have been announced.  The Holocaust historical drama, "The Zone of Interest," wins four awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Jonathan Glazer), and "Best Actress" (Sandra Huller).

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 / 29th annual Critics Choice Awards have been announced. "Barbie" leads with 18 nominations.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 / 81st annual Golden Globe Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Jan. 7th, 2024 on CBS and Paramount Plus.

From AwardsWatch:  The Las Vegas Film Critics have announced their 2023 LVFC Awards nominations.  "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" are the leading vote getters.  The winners will be announced Wed., Dec. 13th.

From THR:  The winners at the 2023 European Film Awards have been announced.  "Anatomy of a Fall" won five awards including for "Best Film," "Best Director" (Justine Triet), and "Best Actress" (Sandra Huller).

From AwardsWatch:  The 2023 National Board of Review film honors have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" won "Best Film," "Best Director" (Martin Scorsese), and "Best Actress" (Lily Gladstone).

From AwardsWatch:  The American Film Institute (AFI) names its top ten films: American Fiction, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, May December, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.  It also names its top ten television series: Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Beef, Jury Duty, The Last of Us, The Morning Show, Only Murders in the Building, Poker Face, Reservation Dogs, and Succession.

From AwardsWatch:  "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" lead the nominations for "Astra Film & Creative Arts Awards," which are put on by the "Hollywood Creative Alliance" (formerly known as the Hollywood Critics Association).  The winners will be announced Jan. 6th, 2024 in Los Angeles.

From Deadline:  At the 2023 / 26th British Independent Film Awards, director Andrew Haigh's "All of Us Strangers" won seven awards, including "Best British Independent Film."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2023 / 89th New York Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" (directed by Martin Scorsese) was named "Best Film of 2023."  Christopher Nolan won "Best Director" for his film, "Oppenheimer."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2023 / 33rd Annual Gotham Awards were announced Mon., Nov. 27th.  Writer-director Celine Song's South Korean romantic drama, "Past Lives" won the "Best Feature" award.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 23rd to 31st, 2023 - Update #27

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

ACADEMY AWARD - From Deadline:  The story of Orson Welles' "Best Screenplay" Oscar(s) of "Citizen Kane" and the attempts to auction them.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/28 to 7/30/2023 weekend box office is Warner Bros.'s "Barbie" with an estimated take of 93 million dollars.

STAR TREK - From ScreenRant:  On directing the "Star Trek: Discovery" finale, "Star Trek" legend, Jonathan Frakes, said, "We didn't know it was the end."

From Variety:  Jonathan Frakes, a "Star Trek" legend, talks about directing the season/series finale of "Star Trek: Discovery" and about the "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds-Star Trek: Lower Decks" crossover.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  NBC's long-running daytime soap opera, "Days of Our Lives," which now streams on NBCUniversal's "Peacock" platform, is on an unplanned hiatus due to a scandal.  Thirty to forty people, most women, have accused longtime co-executive producer/director Albert Alarr of inappropriate comments and conduct. The series will remain on hiatus at least until August 7th.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  A federal judge dismissed Donald Trump's $475 million defamation suit against CNN.  The Dumpster had argued that CNN's use of the term, "the Big Lie," to describe his lies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him were defamatory.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actor Seann William Scott has revealed that he made $8000 for his role in the surprise hit teen sex comedy, "American Pie" (1999).

ANIMATION - From TheFilmStage:   Japanese director of animated films, Hayao Miyazaki, has seen the release of his latest (and last film), "How Do You Live?"  It is scheduled to be released later this year under the title, "The Boy and Heron." "The Film Stage" has a two clips of the film's theme song, "Spinning Globe," written and performed by Japanese musician, Kenshi Yonezu.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Kevin Spacey has been acquitted of all nine sex crime charges he was facing at Southwar Crown Court in London.  The charges were the results of accusation from four men who alleged abuse occurring in a period beginning in 2001 and ending in 2013.

CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  Carlos Macci is the 72-year-old man who sold the late actor, Michael K. Williams, a fatal dose of fentanyl. A Manhattan judge sentenced Macci to 2.5 years in prison and three years of supervised release, with the first year spent as an inpatient at drug treatment facility.  Williams ("The Wire," "Boardwalk Empire") was found dead in his Brooklyn home in 2021.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. Discovery has announced the first "localized" version of iconic MGM cartoon, "Tom and Jerry."  The famous cat and mouse duo take their cartoon rivalry and adventures to Singapore in a series produced locally in Asia and will premiere on Cartoon Network in Asia Pacific and HBO Go in Southeast Asia.

FILM FESTIVALS - From Deadline:  The 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has announces the first 60 films that will screen at the festival.  The total number is expected to exceed 200. The festival will run from Thurs., Sept. 7th to Sun., Sept. 17th, 2023.

From Deadline:  The 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival has announced its full lineup of films being screened, including those being shown "in competition" and those "Out of Competition."  The festival runs from August 30th, to September 9th, 2023.  Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle is jury president.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/21 to 7/23/2023 weekend box office is Warner Bros.'s "Barbie" with an estimated take of 155 million dollars.

From Deadline:  "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" (collectively known as "Barbenheimer") had a combined domestic opening weekend box office of 235.5 million dollars and a combined global debut of 511 million dollars.  They set numerous records, including that this is the first time one film had a debut of 100M+ and another 50M+ in the same weekend.

From Variety:  "Barbie" director Greta Gerwig makes history as "Barbie" has the biggest opening weekend ever ($155 million) for a female director.

From Deadline:  Greta Gerwig resisted orders to remove a scene in the new movie, "Barbie," that features Margot Robbie, who plays Barbie, sitting on a bench next to an older woman.

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From CBR:  Actor-writer-director, Kenneth Branagh, returns as Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot for a third time in "A Haunting in Venice."  The film, which is due in theaters Sept. 15th, has its first official trailer.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  James Cameron, the director of the "Avatar" films said he warned us about AI (artificial intelligence) back in 1984 with his film, "The Terminator." "I warned you guys in 1984, and you didn’t listen," Cameron told Canada's CTV News.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Actor, comedian, writer, and children's entertainer, Paul Reubens, has died at the age of 70, Sunday, July 30, 2023.  Reubens is best known for his character, "Pee-wee Herman."  As Herman, Reubens starred in two films, director Tim Burton's breakthrough film, "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" (1985), and the 1988 sequel, "Big Top Pee-wee."  Reubens also starred as Pee-wee in the former CBS children's comedy television series, "Pee-wee's Playhouse" (1986-90).  The series won 15 of the almost 60 Daytime Emmy Award nominations it received over its run, including two wins for Reuben himself.  He was also nominated for 3 Primetime Emmy Awards.  As an actor, Reubens also appeared in such films as "Batman Returns" (1992), "Mystery Men" (1999), and "Blow" (2001).

From Variety:  Musician and singer-songwriter, Randy Meisner, has died at the age of 77, Wednesday, July 26, 2023.  Meisner was best known as one of the four co-founding members of the seminal rock band, "The Eagles."  Meisner was primarily the band's bassist and back-up high-harmony vocalist, but he sang lead on the band's 1975 hit single, "Take it to the Limit," which he also co-wrote with bandmates, Don Henley and Glenn Frey.  Meisner quit the Eagles in 1977. With them, he won three Grammy Awards and received five more Grammy nominations.

From THR:  Film and television writer, Bo Goldman, has died at the age of 90, Tuesday, July 25, 2023.  He won a "Best Adapted Screenplay" Oscar for the film, "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" (1975) and a "Best Original Screenplay" Oscar for the film, "Melvin and Howard" (1980). He also received a "Best Adapted Screenplay" Oscar nomination for the film, "Scent of a Woman" (1992).

From Deadline:  Irish singer, musician, and recording artist, Sinead O'Connor, has died at the age of 56, found Wednesday, July 26, 2023, cause of death currently unknown.  She was a seven-time Grammy Award nominee, winning once.  She recorded 10 studio albums with the first two, "The Lion and the Cobra" (1987) and "I Do Now Want What I Haven't Got" (1990)," being the most successful.  The latter contained her "Billboard Hot 100" number one hit, "Nothing Compares 2 U," a remake of a song written by Prince.

From Deadline:  Walt Disney animator, Randy Fullmer, has died at the age of 73, Monday, July 10, 2023.  Fullmer's specialty as Disney was visual effects animation, which he performed on such films as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988), "The Little Mermaid" (1989), and "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), to name a few. Fullmer also produced "The Emperor's New Groove" (2000) and "Chicken Little" (2005).

WRITERS/ACTORS STRIKE:

From Deadline:  If you are interested, here is a list of the film and TV productions SAG-AFTRA has granted waivers to continue filming.

From Variety:  International superstar, Dwayne Johnson, makes a seven-figure contribution to the "SAG-AFTRA Foundation Relief Fund." Foundation president, actor Courtney B. Vance, says the amount will remain confidential.

From Variety:  Why haven't A-list stars joined the SAG-AFTRA picket line?, asks "Variety."

From Deadline:  Author George R.R. Martin, whose works were the basis for HBO's "Game of Thrones," says the strikes will be long and bitter.

From THR:  Production works at Warner Bros. Animation (66) and at Cartoon Network (22) have gone public with their attempt to unionize via The Animation Guild.

From Variety:  Halted film productions due to the writers and actors strikes are costing each Hollywood studio at least 600,000 dollars per week.

From Variety:  Said at a strike meeting: “Without a transformative change in SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with the AMPTP, the acting profession will no longer be an option for future generations of performers, and actors already working in the industry will need to pursue other careers in order to survive.”

From Deadline:  If you are a "social media influencer" who is NOT  a member of SAG-AFTRA, you can be barred from future membership for promoting a film or television series during the actors' strike.

From Variety:  The SAG/AFTRA strike begins in New York and Los Angeles.  Hollywood actors began striking today, Fri., July 14th.

From Deadline:  The site has the video of the powerful strike speech given by SAG-AFTRA president, Fran Drescher, the actress best known for CBS' former sitcom, "The Nanny."

From Deadline:  Concerning the Hollywood writers strike (via the WGA), the Hollywood Studios (as represented by the AMPTP) is to let the writers go broke before resuming talks deep into the Fall.

From Deadline: SAG-AFTRA is already preparing strike picket signs in case the actors' strike begins next week.

From Deadline:  WGA is picketing the New York City filming location of the 12th series of FX's "American Horror Story" (entitled "Delicate") after series co-creator Ryan Murphy threaten litigation against an east coast strike captain.

From THR:  TV super-producer, Ryan Murphy, in a letter from his attorney to the leadership of the Writers Guild of America, threatened litigation against Warren Leight, an East Coast strike captain and Strike Rules Compliance Committee member who has subsequently forfeited those positions.

From Deadline:  The Hollywood studios via the AMPTP has given Canadian actors a new contract, including a 5 percent raise.

From Deadline:  Writers Strike puts the spotlight back on the challenge from writers for animation productions to be covered by the WGA.

From THR:  Studios won't give writers better pay, and now, are laying off janitors.

From Deadline:  The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has reached a tentative new three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). So what does the Writers Guild (WGA), currently on strike and negotiating with the AMPTP, think of that deal.

From Deadline:  Netflix shareholders declined to support the 2023 pay packages of top executives during a non-binding vote at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday.  The vote won't prevent these execs from getting their loot (an total of $166 million), but this is a rare public rebuke.  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has urged shareholders to vote "No" because the pay was "inappropriate" at this time.

From Deadline:  Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav gave the commencement address at Boston University. There he was met with jeers and also chants of "pay your writers" from picketers and from some in the audience.

From Deadline:   President Joe Biden speaks on the Writers Guild of America strike.

From Deadline:  Retaliation! The studios have starting informing writer-producers who have "overall" and "first-look" deals that such deals are being suspended.

From Deadline:  Retaliation!  Prolific HBO creator, David Simon, who is best known for "The Wire," is one of the many writers who have had their overall deals suspended the studios due to the WGA strike.  Simon has been with HBO for 25 years.

From Deadline:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike.

From Deadline:  Disney, HBO/HBO Max, and CBS have sent letters to showrunners (the TV equivalent of film directors) instructing them to return to work, inspite of the writer's strike.

From Deadline:  The WGA's chief negotiator, Ellen Stutzman, talks about the state of the writers' strike, including the lack of engagement on the part of the strike's other party, AMPTP.

From Deadline:  What went wrong between the WGA and AMPTP? What could they not agree on that led to a strike?

From Deadline:  The site explains the WGA strike: the issues, the stakes, movies and TV shows affected, and how long it might last.

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