ENTERTAINMENT

Studio Ghibli has officially shared a series of film stills from The Boy and the Heron.As Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, the studio opted for a zero marketing approach, with no teasers, trailers, or ads being released ahead of the animated feature’s theatrical debut. The same goes for the film’s plot, cast, and main staff list to help maintain the mysterious allure of the film.Now, for the first time fans all over the world are offered a glimpse into the premise of The Boy and the Heron, as Studio Ghibli has shared a selection of film stills on its website. From the visuals alone, the film appears to evoke a similar mood to many of Miyazaki’s iconic classics. Fantastical creatures permeate the shots, with elements that are reminiscent of Princess Mononoke, Arrietty, and Howl’s Moving Castle....

Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, The Boy and the Heron is confirmed to make its U.S. debut at the upcoming New York Film Festival (NYFF).Despite having zero promotional materials prior to hitting the big screens, the film made its theater debut in Japan last month with stellar box office results. According to the Hollywood Reporter, The Boy and the Heron grossed ¥1.83 billion JPY (approximately $13.2 million USD)during its opening weekend, which sets a new record for the studio it quickly surpassed Howl’s Moving Castle’s ¥1.48 billion JPY debut back from 2004.While the official NYFF schedule has yet to be announced, The Boy and the Heron is confirmed to show alongisde Harmony Korine’s AGGRO DR1FT, Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, and Garth Davis’ Foe, to name a few.The 61st NYFF will take place from ...

Apple TV shared last year that it was working on a new show with Legendary Entertainment that would add to the Monsterverse. The streamer has now granted fans a glimpse at the forthcoming 10-episode run of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.Set after 2014’s Godzilla, where San Francisco is reeling in the aftermath of the monster’s attacks, the show will look into the Monarch group, a mysterious international organization that monitors Godzilla’s activity around the world. Two siblings will follow in their father’s footsteps and embark on a journey of investigating their family’s connection to the Monarch group.“Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army officer Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell), taking place in the 1950s and half a cen...

Daniel Kaluuya's dystopian thriller The Kitchen is the British actor's anticipated directorial debut. The film, also directed by Kibwe Tavares, will see its world premiere in October, at the 67th annual BFI London Film Festival.Via an official announcement from BFI, The Kitchen will screen at the festival's closing night gala, making its global debut on October 15 at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, before a release across UK cinemas as well as landing on Netflix.Kaluuya, also co-writer of the film, tapped Top Boy star Kane Robinson (aka Kano) as well as Jedaiah Bannerman, Hope Ikpoku Jr, Teija Kabs, Demmy Ladipo, Cristale and BackRoad Gee. The film's official synopsis reads as follows:"In a dystopian London, the gap between rich and poor has been stretched to its limits. All fo...

As Netflix winds down its long-running DVD-by-mail service, the company is preparing to ship out its last few discs before shutting it for good.Netflix launched its DVD mailer program 25 years ago, at the time, operating out of co-founder Reed Hastings’ California home. Hastings said he was inspired to start the company after being fined for returning a movie late to Blockbuster.Loyal fans of the DVD service will have the opportunity to be treated to a “finale surprise” from Netflix, the company wrote in an email to customers. Those who opt into a limited promotion will be eligible to randomly receive up to 10 DVDs from their queue by mail.“You won’t know if any extra envelopes are headed your way until they arrive in your mailbox!,” Netflix continued.Available while supplies last, DVDs wi...

Originally shot over the course of the band's three-night run at Hollywood's Pantages Theater in December of 1983, the Talking Heads 1984 documentary Stop Making Sense is widely considered to be the greatest concert film of all. To commemorate the band's upcoming 40th anniversary, the iconic film will see a celebratory 4K re-release, led by none other production company than A24.Directed by Jonathan Demm, Stop Making Sense features some of the band's biggest hits and stars the band's key members: David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison, as well as Bernie Worrell, Alex Weir, Steve Scales, Lynn Mabry and Edna Holt. View this post on Instagram A post shared by A24 (@a24)Stop Making Sense's release rollout coincides with the band's 40-year milestone, with the film...

Paramount Global will no longer be selling its stake in BET Media Group. The media company announced on Wednesday that it would be ending the bidding process for the stake, having determined that “a sale wouldn’t result in any meaningful deleveraging of its balance sheet,” The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.Paramount had bought a majority stake in BET – which encompasses the namesake cable channel, streamer BET+, VH1 and BET Studios – for $2.3 billion USD in 2000.In more recent years, BET’s viewership has gradually fallen. Paramount, meanwhile, has been grappling with financial losses accrued by its own streaming service, Paramount+.The company had been planning to retain a minority stake in order to reap the benefits of potential future prosperity. Bi...

In the decade-plus since Scott Pilgrim vs. the World hit theaters, the rom-com has become a cult favorite among fans, despite initially falling short of expectations at the box office.Netflix is angling to tap into the flick’s cult status with its forthcoming animated spin-off series, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. Based on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s original Scott Pilgrim comic, which was released as eight novels between 2004 and 2010, the show will see the film’s cast reprise their roles, this time as voice actors.Michael Cera will return as the titular character, while Mary Elizabeth Winstead will reprise her role as Ramona Flowers, Brie Larson as Envy Adams, Kieran Culkin as Wallace Wells and Aubrey Plaza as Julie Powers.The original movie follows Pilgrim, a bass player in an unsuccessful indie ba...

Netflix has unveiled the first official trailer for Leonard Bernstein biopic, Maestro. Bradley Cooper not only stars as the esteemed conductor, but also the film's director, making the project his second directorial venture since A Star Is Born in 2018.A biographical romance, the film will primarily focus on Bernstein's relationship with longterm lover, Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein, played by Carey Mulligan. Other cast members include Maya Hawke and Sam Nivola, playing the couple's daughter and son, respectively, as well as Matt Bomer, Sarah Silverman, Gideon Glick, Gabe Fazio, Eric Parkinson, William Hill, Nick Blaemire, Oscar Pavlo, Tim Rogan and Mallory Portnoy.Netflix describes the film as a "towering, fearless love story", which is exemplified in the trailer. At just under two m...