NEGROMANCER 2.0: Jason Reitman

Showing posts with label Jason Reitman. Show all posts

Friday, March 22, 2024

Review: "GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE" is Lukewarm

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 16 of 2024 (No. 1960) by Leroy Douresseaux

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Running time: 115 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for supernatural action/violence, language and suggestive references

DIRECTOR: Gil Kenan

WRITERS: Gil Kenan and Jason Reitman (based on the film, Ghost Busters, written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and directed by Ivan Reitman)

PRODUCERS: Jason Reitman, Jason Blumenfeld, and Ivan Reitman

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Eric Steelberg

EDITORS: Nathan Orloff and Shane Reid

COMPOSER: Dario Marianelli

FANTASY/COMEDY/ACTION/MYSTERY

Starring: Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Logan Kim, Celeste O'Connor, Ernie Hudson, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Emily Alyn Lind, James Acaster, Dan Ackroyd, Annie Potts, William Atherton, and Bill Murray

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a 2024 supernatural comedy, action and mystery film from director Gil Kenan. It is the fifth entry in the Ghostbusters film franchise, and it is the third sequel to the original film, 1984's Ghost Busters (now known as “Ghostbusters”). In Frozen Empire, the old and new Ghostbusters must take on an evil force unleashed from an ancient artifact.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire opens in New York City in 1904 where a group of fireman enters a hotel suite and finds an entire party frozen solid in the middle of an extremely hot summer. In the present day, Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon) and her two children, son, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), and daughter, Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), have moved from Summerville, Oklahoma to New York City, with Phoebe's former summer school teacher, Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), in tow. The four live in the old Ghostbusters' NYC firehouse that had been maintained by original Ghostbuster, Dr. Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson).

Now, Phoebe, Trevor, Callie, and Gary are the active Ghostbusters, but a particular Ghostbusting case leads to significant damage in the city. That brings them to the attention of the mayor and leads to Phoebe being forced out of the Ghostbusters because she is underage at 15-years-old. But the world of the supernatural does not stop because of the human world's concerns.

Original Ghostbuster, Dr. Raymond “Ray” Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), has come into possession of a peculiar artifact, which he turns over to Winston Zeddemore's top-secret research lab. Meanwhile, Phoebe, sidelined as a Ghostbuster, is trying to find her place in the world of the Ghostbusters. Then, Garraka, an ancient god, is freed. He wants to gather all the ghosts ever captured by the Ghostbusters and turn them into his personal army as he brings about a new ice age. Despite her troubles, Phoebe will have to figure out how to stop the ancient evil that is Garraka before it's too late.

I was a huge fan of the original Ghostbusters films, Ghostbusters (1984) and its sequel, Ghostbusters II (1989). I enjoyed Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), and I thought that film's teen characters, siblings Phoebe and Trevor, and their friends, Podcast (Logan Kim) and Lucky Domingo (Celeste O'Connor), made a great foundation for the new Ghostbusters.

Thus, I was surprised to see Phoebe and Trevor playing Ghostbusters with the adults, their mother, Callie, and their quasi-stepfather, Gary. Honestly, I find Carrie Coon's Callie and Paul Rudd's Gary to be extraneous here. I have no interest in their characters beyond what they did in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. In fact, this film has too many characters. Bill Murray's Dr. Peter Venkman, Annie Potts' Janine Melnitz, and William Atherton's Mayor Walter Peck are also mostly irrelevant. Pretty much everything these characters do could have been passed off to other characters or deleted because it wasn't important enough to clutter up the narrative.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire spends much of its first half meandering around assorted relationship dysfunction, including one involving a ghost. Then, the film rushes to a forced satisfactory conclusion that wastes a truly scary monster in Garraka. I am glad that Ernie Hudson's Winston Zeddemore has a substantial part in this film, especially because Hudson spent the first two films fighting off Columbia Pictures' executives and Ghostbusters cast mates who were determined to sideline his character.

As a franchise, Ghostbusters needs to move on from its past or just die. The young characters: Phoebe and Trevor Spengler, Podcast, and Lucky Domingo are the franchise's present and true future. When this Ghostbusters film focuses on them, it feels alive and is fun. When it doesn't, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is frozen and freezer-burned.

[This film has one mid-credits scene.]

5 out of 10

C+

★★½ out of 4 stars

Friday, March 22, 2024

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Friday, December 31, 2021

Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan Sign Producing Deal with Sony Pictures

Sony Pictures Signs Overall Deal with Ghostbusters: Afterlife’s Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan

[Culver City, CA] -- Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) announced that Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan, Ghostbusters: Afterlife co-writing partners and Academy Award® nominees, have signed an overall producing deal with SPE. Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the sequel to the 1984 iconic film, is directed and co-written by Jason Reitman, and executive produced and co-written by Gil Kenan. Opening at #1 with $44 million, through its second week of release Ghostbusters: Afterlife has earned $87.8 million domestically and $115.8 million worldwide.

“Jason is the thing you dream about: a world-class, signature storyteller, visionary filmmaker, and dream producing partner,” said Sanford Panitch, President, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group. “Jason and Gil as co-writing partners have a remarkable understanding of commercial quality cinema, and we are thrilled about the upcoming pipeline from these guys.”

“We’re excited to have evolved our storytelling partnership into a full-fledged production company and couldn’t be more proud to have a home at Sony Pictures, the studio most committed to the theatrical movie going experience,” said Reitman and Kenan.

Jason Reitman is an Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker. He made his feature film debut with the 2006 Sundance hit Thank You for Smoking, for which he won best screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards. He notably earned Academy Award® nominations for directing Juno and Up in the Air, the latter of which earned Reitman a WGA Award and BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay. Reitman continued his collaboration with screenwriter Diablo Cody on the critically acclaimed Young Adult and Tully, both starring Charlize Theron. His most recent film is The Front Runner (a Sony Pictures release) with Hugh Jackman. As a producer, Reitman oversaw four seasons of the Golden Globe nominated Hulu comedy series “Casual.” He also produced the Academy Award®-winning film Whiplash, Jean-Marc Vallee's Demolition, and the cult hit Jennifer’s Body, by director Karyn Kusama. In 2010, Reitman co-created the Live Read series with Elvis Mitchell, which ran for five seasons at LACMA, where he also sat as an artist-in-residence. In 2020, during the height of the COVID pandemic, Reitman created and directed the “Home Movie Princess Bride,” raising a million dollars for World Central Kitchen.

An Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker, Gil Kenan studied at the film division of the University of California, Los Angeles, where he received a Master of Fine Arts degree in animation in 2002. Kenan has directed films such as Monster House (a Sony Pictures release), City of Ember, Poltergeist, and A Boy Called Christmas. For Monster House, Kenan was nominated for an Academy Award® and Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature. A Boy Called Christmas, which Kenan co-wrote and directed for Netflix and Studiocanal, stars Kristen Wiig, Maggie Smith, Michiel Huisman, Jim Broadbent, Stephen Merchant, Zoe Colletti and Toby Jones, and made its worldwide debut this November.

In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, when a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind. The film is written by Gil Kenan & Jason Reitman, based on the 1984 film “Ghostbusters,” an Ivan Reitman film, written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. Produced by Ivan Reitman, the film is executive produced by Dan Aykroyd, Gil Kenan, Jason Blumenfeld, Michael Beugg, Aaron L. Gilbert and Jason Cloth. The film stars Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace, Annie Potts, Ernie Hudson, and Paul Rudd. Ghostbusters: Afterlife is now playing exclusively in U.S. movie theaters.

Reitman is repped by WME and Alan Wertheimer. Kenan is repped by WME and Robert Offer.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment:

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. Sony Pictures Television operates dozens of wholly-owned or joint-venture production companies around the world. SPE’s Motion Picture Group production organizations include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, 3000 Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films, AFFIRM Films, Sony Pictures International Productions, and Sony Pictures Classics. For additional information, visit http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/divisions.html

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Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 21st to 30th, 2021 #15

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline: Star Channing Tatum and director Steven Soderbergh are returning for "Magic Mike's Last Dance," the third film in their "Magic Mike" series. When the film is ready, it will stream exclusively on HBO Max.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 11/26 to 11/28/2021 weekend box office is Disney's "Encanto" with an estimated take of 27 million dollars.

From Variety: The Thanksgiving holiday weekend (11/24 to 11/28/2020=1) box office begins with a Disney's "Encanto" victory as the animated film grossed 7.5 million dollars Wed., Nov. 24th.

From Deadline: Director Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part One" finally crosses the 100 million dollar mark at the domestic box office.

ANIMATION - From Deadline: Hayao Miyzazki, the legendary Japanese director of animated films, is coming out of retirement again to direct an animated feature film adaptation of the "How Do You Live," a 1937 novel by Genzaburo Yoshino.

DISNEY - From Deadline: Peter Jackson talks about his four-year obsession that resulted on his "Beatles" documentary, "The Beatles: Get Back," which airs on Disney+ from Nov. 25th to Nov. 27th.

COVID-19 - From Deadline: A new COVID-19 variant, "B.1.1.529," has been found in Africa. Potentially more transmissible, it has been called "a big jump in evolution."

SCANDAL - From Variety: An arbitrator has ordered Kevin Spacey and his companies to pay nearly $31 million to MRC, the production company behind Netflix's “House of Cards,” after finding that Spacey breached his contract by violating the company’s sexual harassment policy.

MOVIES - From Deadline: One of the producers behind the movie Western, "Rust," is co-financing "Sam & Kate," a new film starring Oscar winners Dustin Hoffman and Sissy Spasek. Actor Alec Baldwin accidentally killed cinematography Halyna Hutchinson on the set of "Rust" after pointing a gun in her direction.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 11/19 to 11/21/2021 weekend box office is "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" with an estimated take of 44 million dollars.

From Negromancer: My review of "Ghostbusters: Afterlife."

From Deadline: The most recent James Bond movie, "No Time to Die," moves past the most recent "Fast & Furious" movie, "F9," to take the lead in worldwide box office.

OBITS:

From ESPN: American professional golfer, Lee Elder, has died at the age of 87, Sunday, November 28, 2021. In 1975, he became the first Black golfer to play The Masters Tournament. He won four tournaments on the PGA Tour, including the 1974 Monsanto Open, which is what got him invited to the 1974 Masters.

From Variety: American composer and lyricist and Broadway legend, Stephen Sondheim, has died at the age of 91, Friday, November 26, 2021. He is praised for having reinvented the American musical and for incorporating complex and dissonant themes and structures from 20th century classical music into his works. Sondheim is known for being the composer and lyricist for such musicals as "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (1979) and "Sunday in the Park with George" (1984). He wrote the lyrics for "West Side Story" (1957) and "Gypsy" (1959). Sondheim's accolades include nine Tony Awards, an Oscar, eight Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, a Laurence Olivier Award, and a 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom.

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"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

From Deadline: This link will take you to Deadline's Halyna Hutchins page, which articles related to everything about her shooting death on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From THR: A search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday for a prop shop sheds light on how alleged live ammunition ended up on the set of the Western film, "Rust," where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in October.

From Deadline: A month after cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot and killed on the New Mexico set the movie Western, "Rust," by a prop gun “discharged” by Alec Baldwin, those closest to the cinematographer held a private ceremony and interred her ashes at an unknown location.

From Deadline: Actor Daniel Baldwin defends his brother, Alec Baldwin, in the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film, "Rust." "Someone loaded that gun improperly," Daniel says.

From Deadline: The newest lawsuit involving the tragic shooting on the set of the Western film, "Rust," has been filed by the film's script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, against Alec Baldwin, the producers, the production company, armorer Hanna Gutierrez Reed, and others.

From Deadline: Serge Svetnoy, the gaffer on "Rust," has filed a lawsuit against several parties related to the film, including the production, the financiers, star Alec Baldwin, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, and first Assistant Director David Halls.

From THR: In the wake of the tragic accidental shooting on the set of his film, "Rust," Alec Baldwin on Monday took to social media to urge Hollywood to employ a police officer on every film and TV set that uses guns.

From THR: The budget for "Rust" - Alec Baldwin was set to earn $150,000 as lead actor and $100,000 as producer, while $7,913 was earmarked for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and $17,500 was set aside for the rental of weapons and $5,000 for rounds.

From Deadline: Attorneys for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set of the film, "Rust," said that they’re looking into whether a live bullet was placed in a box of dummy rounds with the intent of “sabotaging the set.”

From THR: Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the film, "Rust," released a statement through her lawyers. She says she had “no idea where the live rounds came from” that were recovered by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's during the investigation of the accidental on-set shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.

From Jacobin: An opinion piece says that cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' death on the set of the film, "Rust," was not a freak accident, but was about Alec Baldwin and his fellow producers' cost-cutting decisions. Baldwin accidentally fired the gun that killed Hutchins.

From Deadline: Two of executive producers on "Rust," Allen Cheney and Emily Salveson, disavow responsibility for the film's troubled production.

From THR: Iconic "Ghostbusters" actor Ernie Hudson is reeling from the news of the death of Halyna Hutchins, like the rest of Hollywood. Hudson also appeared in the film, "The Crow," the film in which its star, Brandon Lee, was killed because of an on-set accidental shooting. He also agrees with the call to ban real guns from movie sets.

From THR: The Sheriff of Sante Fe County says that his office has recovered three guns and 500 rounds of ammunition from the set of the movie "Rust" where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed.

From Deadline: Regarding criminal charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust," District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweis, "all options are on the table - no one has been ruled out."

From THR: Does Hollywood Need Guns? Will new regulations lead to an overreactions to a tragedy.

From Deadline: "Rust" producers have opened an internal investigation into the fatal shooting on the set of the Western film. They have hired outside lawyers to conduct interviews with the film's production crew.

From Deadline: "Rust's" AD (assistant director), Dave Halls, has come under scrutiny in the wake of the on-set shooting death of the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline: The affidavit of Sante Fe Sheriff's Department Detective Joel Cano has been made public. It can be read at "Deadline." The affidavit was for a search warrant from the property were the Western, "Rust," was being filmed.

From THR: The production company behind "Rust" has shut the film down until the police investigation into the fatal, on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins is through. The Sante Fe County Sheriff's Office has also revealed a timeline of the shooting.

From Deadline: The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department confirmed Thursday night that Alec Baldwin “discharged” a prop gun on the New Mexico set of the movie, "Rust." As a result, one crew member, director of photography Halyna Hutchins, was killed and director Joel Souza was injured and remains in a local hospital - his condition unknown.

From THR: "Rust" director, Joel Souza, who was wounded in the accidental on-set shooting, says that he is "gutted" by the death of his cinematographer on the film, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline: The fatal shooting on the set of "Rust" may have been "recorded" according to detective for Santa Fe Sheriff's Department.

From Deadline: The production company behind the film, "Rust," will launch an internal safety review after the fatal accident that killed Halyna Hutchins; possible prior gun incidents; and a camera crew walkout.

From CNN: Crew member yelled "cold gun" as he handed Alec Baldwin prop weapon, court document shows.

From Variety: Actor Alec Baldwin releases statement on the death of Halyna Hutchins: "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness."

From Variety: The prop gun that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza on during an on-set accident on Thursday contained a “live single round,” according to an email sent by IATSE Local 44 to its membership.

Friday, November 19, 2021

Review: Young Stars Bring "GHOSTBUSTERS: Afterlife" to Life

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 66 of 2021 (No. 1804) by Leroy Douresseaux

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
Running time: 124 minutes (2 hours, 4 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for supernatural action and some suggestive references
DIRECTOR: Jason Reitman
WRITERS: Gil Kenan and Jason Reitman (based on the film, Ghost Busters, written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis)
PRODUCER: Ivan Reitman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Eric Steelberg
EDITORS: Dana E. Glauberman and Nathan Orloff
COMPOSER: Rob Simonsen

FANTASY/MYSTERY/ACTION/COMEDY

Starring: Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Logan Kim, Celeste O'Connor, and Bokeem Woodbine with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and Annie Potts

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a 2021 supernatural comedy, action and mystery film from director Jason Reitman. It is the fourth entry in the Ghostbusters film franchise and is a kind of sequel to the original film, 1984's Ghost Busters (now known as “Ghostbusters”), which was directed by Jason's father, Ivan Reitman. In Afterlife, a single mother and her two children arrive in small town Oklahoma, and the children discover their grandfather's amazing and secret legacy.

Thirty-two years after the events of Ghostbusters II (1989), Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon) and her two children, son Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and daughter Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), arrive in Summerville, Oklahoma. Currently homeless, they will try to make a new home in the rundown farmhouse owned by Callie's late father, Egon Spengler. While rooting through some of Egon's belongings, Phoebe discovers a P.K.G. Meter (a ghost-tracking device). While digging around, Trevor finds a beat-up old car that sports the “Ghostbusters” logo.

Phoebe, who does not believe in the supernatural, makes a friend, a boy named “Podcast” (Logan Kim), who believes in the strange and unusual and discusses it in his podcast. Trevor makes a friend in a local, a teen girl named Lucky Domingo (Celeste O'Connor). Eventually, the children discover that Phoebe's summer school teacher, Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), is quite familiar with their grandfather, Egon's legacy as a scientist, an inventor, and a member of “Ghostbusters,” the ghost-catching organization that was famous for its activities in 1980s New York City. Now, the four youngsters and Callie and Gary must face the same great evil that once confronted the original Ghostbusters.

I was a huge fan of the original Ghostbusters films. When I first saw Ghost Busters in a movie theater in 1984, I laughed so much that the other people in the theater were giving me the side eye. I enjoyed the sequel, Ghostbusters II (1989), although many people I knew at the time did not like it all that much. Still, I was happy, but over the years, Ghostbusters became a fond memory that I sometimes relived via my cable TV package. In the years that followed Ghostbusters II, there was always talk of a third Ghostbusters film, but I was only mildly interested.

For some people, however, the Ghostbuster films and the related merchandise became a lifestyle choice, something to which they dedicated themselves as if it were hobby, a second career, and maybe even a quasi-religion. Those were the people who claimed to have been traumatized by the 2016 franchise reboot, Ghostbusters, which featured an all-female cast as the Ghostbusters (and which may have since been re-titled “Ghostbusters: Answer the Call”). I was only mildly interested in that film, and have seen most of it via cable TV.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is supposed to remedy the trauma of Ghostbusters 2016. Afterlife director Jason Reitman once said that his film was giving Ghostbusters “back to the fans.” I never felt like something had been taken from me. After all, as I've said, I can see the original films at least a few times a week on television. That said, I do like Afterlife.

Reitman offers an exciting film that is as much a mystery film as it is a comedy, and the secrets of the town of Summerville and its surroundings are quite intriguing and provide a nice setting for the story. I do wish that the film had given us more on the town and its inhabitants. However, there is much focus on the darkness at the edge of town – the big bad supernatural being. Reitman and his co-writer, Gil Kenan, work overtime to make sure everyone understands that the villain is connected to the events of the original film. I didn't find that connection necessary, but I understand why Reitman and Sony Pictures felt that it was very important to make a hard connection between the events of 1984 and the events of 2021.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife's shining light isn't the desperation to connect to a 37-year-old movie. Afterlife's true treasures are its young stars: Mckenna Grace as Phoebe, Finn Wolfhard as Trevor, Celeste O'Connor as Lucky, and Logan Kim as Podcast. As Phoebe, Grace is totally capable of carrying this film's emotional center and of stabilizing its subplots and narrative threads until they come together. When Jason Reitman focuses on his young cast, turning them into young supernatural investigators and Ghostbusters, Afterlife explodes with life and has all the magic of an old-fashioned summer blockbuster movie in spite of its November release date.

Yes, it was good to see the original cast members. No, Paul Rudd is not the star of Afterlife, as the film's trailers and commercials suggest, but he is important to the development of the story. Yes, Carrie Coon is good as the kid's mother, Callie. However, it is time for this franchise to move on from nostalgia and fanservice if it is going to have a future. These four young actors and four new characters are why Ghostbusters: Afterlife can be a true resurrection story.

7 out of 10
B+

Friday, November 19, 2021

The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Saturday, November 13, 2021

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 7th to 13th, 2021 - Update #22

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

DISNEY - From Deadline: Disney+ has provided a first look at Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy in "Hocus Pocus 2," the sequel to their 1993 Halloween cult classic. "Hocus Pocus 2" is due Fall 2022.

BREAKING/CELEBRITY - From Variety: The conservatorship over Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Britney Spears, has been terminated after 13 years, a California court has determined.

TELEVISION - From THR: "And Just Like That," the sequel to the beloved series, "Sex in the City," has a premiere date (Dec. 9th on HBO Max) and a trailer.

MOVIES - From Deadline: MGM is developing a "Road House" reboot with actor Jake Gyllenhaal and director Doug Liman circling the project.

CELEBRITY - From THR: In a big feature interview, sexy actor Henry Cavill talks about "The Witcher," "Mission: Impossible," Superman, and James Bond...

COVID-19 - From THR: Hollywood projects get stricter about COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

TECH - From Variety: Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson is selling the VFX division of his company, Weta Digital, to Unity Software, a 3D game development platform. Eventually, the deal will make Weta's VFX tools and tech will be available to creators all over the world.

MOVIES - From Variety: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will portray Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, in Universal’s big-screen adaptation of the Tony-winning musical, "Wicked." The film will be directed by Jon M. Chu.

MOVIES - From THR: Leonardo DiCaprio is in final talks to play infamous cult leader, Jim Jones, in a film for MGM that he will also produce.

OSCARS - From THR: 30 hopeful films enter the race for "Best Picture" at the 2022 / 94th Academy Awards.

From THR: The Academy Awards promises 10 nominees in the "Best Picture" category at the 94th Oscars.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 11/5 to 11/7/2021 weekend box office is Disney/Marvel Studios' "Eternals" with an estimated take of 71 million dollars.

From Negromancer: My review of "Eternals."

MOVIES - From Insider: Director Jason Reitman talks about working on "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," a franchise he's avoided his whole life, and the connection to his father who directed the original films.

MOVIES - From THR: Regina Hall is teaming with Robert De Niro to make a sequel to De Niro's 1988 film, "Midnight Run." In the original, De Niro played a bounty hunter tracking a mob accountant played by the late, great Charles Grodin.

MOVIES - From Deadline: Vin Diesel has asked Dwayne Johnson to return to the "Fast & Furious" franchise for the series' final two films. Diesel and Johnson have been at odds since the making of "The Fate of the Furious."

TELEVISION - From THR: Tyler Perry, who does all the writing for his television series, said that his plan is to bring in other writers and directors for his TV shows sometime in the next three to four years.

TELEVISION - From ShadowandAct: Filmmaker Deon Taylor and rapper "Master P" are developing an scripted television series based on Master P's life.

MOVIES - From THR: Acclaimed director and Oscar-winning screenwriter, Jane Campion, talks about her new film, "The Power of the Dog" (with Benedict Cumberbatch) and why she won't do a "Marvel movie."

OBITS:

From THR: American producer, manager, and boxing promoter, Jeff Wald, has died at the age of 77, Friday, November 12, 2021. Wald had many celebrity clients, including his ex-wife, the late singer-songwriter, Helen Reddy. Wald was married to Reddy and managed her at the height of her career in the 1970s. He also managed legendary comedian George Carlin and box office superstar, actor Sylvester Stallone.

From Deadline: The former child performer and veteran actor, Dean Stockwell, has died at the age of 85, Sunday, November 7, 2021. Stockwell began his film career as a child actor in 1945, appearing a several films, including "Anchors Aweigh" with Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly. Stockwell may be best known for the role of "Admiral Al Calavicci" in the former NBC sci-fi drama, "Quantum Leap" (1989-93), for which he received four Primetime Emmy nominations in the category of "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series." Stockwell also earned a "Best Supporting Actor" nomination for his role in Jonathan Demme's 1988 film, the crime comedy, "Married to the Mob."

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"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

From Deadline: This link will take you to Deadline's Halyna Hutchins page, which articles related to everything about her shooting death on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From Deadline: Serge Svetnoy, the gaffer on "Rust," has filed a lawsuit against several parties related to the film, including the production, the financiers, star Alec Baldwin, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, and first Assistant Director David Halls.