Movies

Variety reports: AMC Theatres, the world’s largest exhibitor, has unveiled plans to re-open after coronavirus forced it to close its more than 600 venues in the U.S. for nearly four months. The company is expected to resume operations in 450 of those locations on July 15 and expects to be almost fully operational by the time that Disney’s “Mulan” debuts …

Entertainment Weekly reports: Pixar’s movie lineup still leaves much to be desired in terms of LGBTQ inclusion, but a short film released on Friday shows there is the capacity to bring these stories to life through tearjerking animation. Out, the latest Pixar short released through Disney+’s SparkShorts series, arrived this week with the story of Greg as he moves in …

The Associated Press reports: The stars of the 2011 virus thriller “Contagion” — a prescient film these days — have reunited for a series of public service announcements to warn about COVID-19. Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet and Jennifer Ehle have teamed up with scientists from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health to offer four individual homemade videos …

The New York Post reports: These zombie-film actors have some advice for real-world residents: Keep calm and stay at home. Actors Simon Pegg, 50, and Nick Frost, 47, released a public service announcement on YouTube Thursday in the form of a remade scene from their 2004 Edgar Wright-directed apocalypse parody, “Shaun of the Dead.” In “The Plan,” which has already …

Page Six reports: Comedy icon Mel Brooks and his son, “World War Z” author Max Brooks, produced a video Monday encouraging viewers to take steps to avoid spreading the coronavirus. In the video, the younger Brooks notes that he is 47, whereas his father, who appears behind a glass door, is 93. “If I get the coronavirus, I’ll probably be …

The Daily Beast reports: Harvey Weinstein reportedly suffered a “mild heart attack” after he was sentenced Wednesday to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual assault, according to Fox News. Citing an NYU Langone and Bellevue Hospital source, the news outlet said Weinstein was rushed to the New York hospital Wednesday for an “emergency angioplasty” and stayed overnight. Hours …

Deadline reports: We have just received word that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were tested positive for the coronavirus. Both were down in Australia for the pre-production of Baz Luhrmann’s untitled Elvis Presley film from Warner Bros. In the film, two-time Oscar winner Hanks plays Presley’s longtime manager Colonel Tom Parker. In a separate statement from Warners, they became that …

The Daily Beast reports: Two years after dozens of women bravely stepped forward to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct, the disgraced movie mogul has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual assault. Weinstein, 67, was convicted last month of sexually assaulting former Project Runway production assistant Miriam Haleyi and raping former actress Jessica Mann. He …

The BBC reports: Pixar’s latest animation Onward has been banned by several Middle Eastern countries because of a reference to lesbian parents, according to reports. The family film will not be shown in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Hollywood media have reported. Police officer Specter, voiced by Lena Waithe, has been heralded as Disney-Pixar’s first openly gay character. Her …

From the Hollywood Reporter: The release of upcoming James Bond film No Time to Die has been pushed back from April to November, becoming the first Hollywood tentpole to shift its global rollout because of the coronavirus outbreak. The 25th installment in the storied spy franchise will commence its run on Nov. 12 in the U.K., followed by the U.S. …

The Guardian reports: Harvey Weinstein, the fallen titan of Hollywood whose sexual abuse of aspiring young female actors sparked the #MeToo movement, has finally been brought to justice after a New York jury found him guilty. The movie mogul’s epic fall from grace is now complete, toppled from the pinnacle of independent cinema where he helmed films such as Pulp …

Reuters reports: A major Bollywood gay film has been banned in the conservative United Arab Emirates (UAE), home to a sizeable South Asian community, the director said on Friday as his new movie hit theatres in India. Touted as India’s first gay male romantic comedy, “Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan” (“Be Extra Careful About Marriage”) stars popular actor Ayushmann Khurrana as …

NPR reports: At Sunday’s Oscars, on a night when almost everything went as planned and as usual, the one true surprise came in the biggest moment of all. For the first time ever, a film in a foreign language won best picture when Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, a comedy-drama-thriller about class and secrets, took the big prize. Bong also won the …

Variety reports: Kirk Douglas, the son of a ragman who channeled a deep, personal anger through a chiseled jaw and steely blue eyes to forge one of the most indelible and indefatigable careers in Hollywood history, died Wednesday. He was 103. “It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the …

The Hollywood Reporter reports: Almost a year after Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox closed, the studio is making some name changes. The Fox moniker has been dropped from the studio’s 20th Century and Searchlight labels, which will now be branded as, simply, Searchlight Pictures and 20th Century Studios. The original 20th Century Fox was formed in a merger in …

The Washington Post reports: The nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards were announced this morning, hosted by actress Issa Rae, and many questions were answered: “Marriage Story,” with acclaimed performances by the likes of Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Laura Dern, is a front-runner for the acting races. The Oscar voters loves “Joker” as much as Golden Globes voters did. …

USA Today reports: The Oscars will be host-less, once again. ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke confirmed Wednesday at the TCA Press Tour that the Feb. 9 Academy Awards will go on without an official host. “Let me confirm it now, together with the Academy, that there will be no traditional host this year,” Burke said, emphasizing that she thought 2019’s …

From the Hollywood Reporter: Once again, Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais did not shy away from hot-button topics in his monologue, even as he told the stars attending on Sunday not to elongate their acceptance speeches by referring to contentious current events. At the top of the annual ceremony at the Beverly Hilton, Gervais ended his monologue by telling the …

From the Hollywood Reporter: The mysterious sexual assault lawsuit brought by an anonymous massage therapist against Kevin Spacey is ending, according to papers filed in federal court Monday. “John Doe” died, and after the accuser’s attorneys informed Spacey, the actor’s attorneys filed a notice of death in court. This began a 90-day clock for the accuser’s estate to be substituted …

Deadline reports: Fox & Friends took umbrage with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for editing President Donald Trump out of their airings of Home Alone 2: Lost In New York. On Thursday, Fox & Friends talked to conservative pundit Mark Steyn about how the CBC took Trump’s scene out of their airings and explained that they did so to make time …