Even with a busy holiday weekend and a short work week – we still have some entertainment announcements this week! It seems like things are still moving along and we have a lot of great things to look forward to. Check out the summer schedule of what’s coming to Hulu and be sure to grab your tickets to the upcoming Friends Experience!
Be sure to stay up to date with the latest movie releases!
Metro Detroit Local Events
- Kansas – 50th Anniversary Tour – June 17th
- Funny Girl (September 2023)
- Chelsea Handler (December 1st)
Metro Detroit Screenings
Movie and Series Review
Movie and Entertainment Updates:
DISNEY’S HAUNTED MANSION, AHSOKA AND WISH AT 2023 ESSENCE FEST
Disney, the major entertainment sponsor of this year’s Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans, put on a dazzling show for the thousands of attendees this past weekend with the director and stars along with footage from “Haunted Mansion,” opening in theaters July 28, Lucasfilm’s new Star Wars series “Ahsoka,” debuting on Disney+ on August 23, and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Wish,” opening in theaters November 22.
On Friday, “Haunted Mansion” cast members LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Rosario Dawson and director Justin Simien kicked off their Festival weekend by attending a haunting and frightfully fun Influencer Brunch at the Grand Oaks Mansion at River City Venues. There, they charmed the 100+ influencers in a Q&A moderated by ABC’s Race and Culture executive producer Nzinga Blake, mixed and mingled and enjoyed the themed food, specialty drinks and live entertainment. Guests received special gift bags with mini posters, water bottles, fanny packs and Fandango movie tickets on behalf of “Haunted Mansion.”
The film’s ensemble cast also includes Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Chase W. Dillon and Daniel Levy, with Jared Leto as The Hatbox Ghost. Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, “Haunted Mansion” is about a woman and her son who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters. The film’s producers are Dan Lin andJonathan Eirich, with Nick Reynolds and Tom Peitzman serving as executive producers.
Friday evening on the mainstage at the Superdome, Simien, Stanfield, Haddish and Dawson took to the stage to greet the thousands of thrilled attendees, discuss “Haunted Mansion” and introduce the film’s trailer, which caused major excitement when it was shown on the giant Caesars Superdome screens. The audience also appreciated a 30 second spot that highlighted new and upcoming movies and series from Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm. The evening featured concert performances by headliner Lauryn Hill, along with Doug E. Fresh, Big Daddy Kane, EPMD, KRS-One, Slick Rick, Ari Lennox, Tobe Nwigwe, Jagged Edge and Guest DJ Clark Kent.
Saturday morning, the “Haunted Mansion” talent assembled on the Essence Stage at the Convention Center for a lively conversation, moderated by Angélique Roché, about the absolute blast they all had making the film, and screened a 30 second spot to the crowd’s delight. They encouraged everyone to stick around for the “Disney Studios Showcase” at the Essence Film Festival later that afternoon, where one lucky attendee would receive four tickets to the world premiere of “Haunted Mansion.”
At the dazzling “Studios Showcase,” Simien, Stanfield, Haddish and Dawson, who’s also the star of Lucasfilm’s highly anticipated Disney+ Star Wars series “Ahsoka,” entertained the audience of 1500 with a Q&A, moderated by Angélique Roché. In addition, everyone was treated to a four-minute sneak peek at “Haunted Mansion.”
Attendees also got a sneak peek at the highly anticipated series “Ahsoka” during a Q&A with star Rosario Dawson where she shared her excitement around joining a galaxy far, far away as the fan favorite Jedi Knight and former padawan to Anakin Skywalker.
An exclusive clip from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Wish,” and a video greeting from one of the film’s stars, Academy Award® winner Ariana DeBose, received enthusiastic responses from the attendees. Everyone received a “Wish” lithograph print featuring Ariana DeBose’s character Asha, “Haunted Mansion” and “Ahsoka” mini posters and “Haunted Mansion” themed Fandango movie tickets, and one very appreciative and excited guest won the four “Haunted Mansion” world premiere tickets.
“Ahsoka,” starring Dawson in the title role, is set after the fall of the Empire and follows the former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. The series also stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll, Ivanna Sakhno as Shin Hati, Diana Lee Inosanto as Morgan Elsbeth, David Tennant as Huyang, Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn, and Eman Esfandi appearing as Ezra Bridger.
“Ahsoka” is written by Dave Filoni, who is also an executive producer alongside Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, and Carrie Beck. Karen Gilchrist is co-executive producer. The series’ directors include Filoni, Steph Green, Peter Ramsey, Jennifer Getzinger, Geeta Vasant Patel and Rick Famuyiwa.
In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Wish,” Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force—a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together, Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe—the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico—to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen. Featuring the voices of Academy Award®-winning actor Ariana DeBose as Asha, Chris Pine as Magnifico, and Alan Tudyk as Asha’s favorite goat, Valentino, the film is helmed by Oscar®-winning director Chris Buck (“Frozen,” “Frozen 2”) and Fawn Veerasunthorn (“Raya and the Last Dragon”), produced by Peter Del Vecho (“Frozen,” “Frozen 2”) and co-produced by Juan Pablo Reyes (“Encanto”). Jennifer Lee (“Frozen,” “Frozen 2”) executive produces—Lee and Allison Moore (“Night Sky,” “Manhunt”) are writers on the project. With original songs by Grammy®-nominated singer/songwriter Julia Michaels and Grammy winning producer/songwriter/musician Benjamin Rice, plus score by composer Dave Metzger, “Wish” opens only in theaters on Nov. 22, 2023.
MUTT gets its UK premiere at Sundance London this Week
The UK premiere coincides with an exhibition at Guts Gallery where Lio is currently showcasing their work as a part of their Pride month exhibition Saints and Sinners that celebrates LGBTQIA+ people in an age where we increasingly see the physical closure of safe spaces., Lío is currently showcasing their artwork angels of a drowning world, which was shot by Wynne Neilly (who also shot Elliot Page‘s front cover for TIME magazine). For angels of a drowning world, Lío invited photographer Wynne Neilly to join them in Bombay Beach, California: a partially abandoned desert town on the shores of a man-made, toxic lake called the Salton Sea. The two entered the lake, Wynne with protective gear and Lío without, and together they created a series of images that explore the relationship between the fight for body autonomy and the fight against climate collapse under capitalism. The series’ classical art motifs hearken to the history of trans and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people that has been left out of the western-colonial archive: a history that has always existed, despite conservative attempts to categorise TGNC people as part of a contemporary, immoral fad.
Lio is of Puerto Rican and Greek descent with a practice exploring the concept of “transness” as a philosophy, an orientation towards embodied creativity that extends beyond an individual’s gender expression. As a filmmaker, Lío produced CHAPERONE, a queer short film which premiered at Sundance 2022. They wrote, directed, produced, and starred in DISFORIA, a short film which premiered at Outfest Film Festival in 2018.
As a visual artist, Lío’s work has been featured in publications such as DAZED, Hypebae, Artnet, The Art Newspaper, GayTimes, LA Weekly, and others. Their mixed-media project PHANTOM FEEL, in collaboration with Holly Silius and Kobe Wagstaff, was selected to be on a billboard in New York City as part of Pussy Riot’s public art exhibition, Patriarchy.
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment Brings Four Highly Anticipated Original Animated Movies To San Diego Comic-Con 2023
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to San Diego Comic-Con 2023 with four panels showcasing the highly anticipated original animated films, Adult Swim’s The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart and Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar, DC’s Justice League: Warworld, and Babylon 5: The Road Home during the July 19-23 weekend.
The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart will have its World Premiere on Thursday, June 20 at 8:30pm in Room 6BCF. Be among the first fans to experience this all-new original animated R-rated movie with the world premiere screening! Afterwards, join filmmakers Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer along with key cast for a panel discussion and audience Q&A.
Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar panel will take place on Friday, July 21 at 1:00pm in the Indigo Ballroom. Join series co-creator Brendon Small and guests as they talk all things Metalocalypse, preview some clips from the upcoming R-rated film, and discuss the forthcoming album Dethalbum IV.
Justice League: Warworld will have its World Premiere on Friday, July 21 at 9:00pm in Ballroom 20. Be among the first fans to see Warner Bros. Animation’s all-new, feature-length R-rated film “Justice League: Warworld” at this World Premiere screening! In addition to the screening filmmakers and cast will be on hand for a panel discussion and audience Q&A.
Babylon 5: The Road Home will have its World Premiere on Saturday, July 22 at 6:30pm in Room 6BCF. Babylon 5 celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year and following the world premiere screening of Babylon 5: The Road Home series creator J. Michael Straczynski, along with returning original series actors Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, Tracy Scoggins and Patricia Tallman, will host a panel discussion and audience Q&A about the all-new original movie in this beloved sci-fi saga.
*Talent is subject to change. Additional talent will be announced as confirmed.
About The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart:
In The Venture Bros: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart, Doc’s latest invention will either bankrupt Team Venture or launch them to new heights, Hank searches for himself, Dean searches for Hank, The Monarch searches for answers, and a mysterious woman from their pasts threatens to bring their entire world crashing down on them. From Adult Swim, Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment and Titmouse, The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart will be available to purchase Digitally on July 22, 2023 and on Blu-rayTM on July 25, 2023
About Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar
Picking up after the heroic rescue of Toki Wartooth, Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar finds DETHKLOK frontman Nathan Explosion traumatized in a BRUTAL professional and romantic flat-spin all while he is tasked with fulfilling the prophecy and confronting the ultimate songwriting challenge: write the SONG OF SALVATION and save the planet. Can Nathan Explosion look beyond his brutally damaged ego to save his band, stop the Metalocalypse, and finally face the ultimate evil: Salacia? From Adult Swim, Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment and Titmouse, Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar will be available to purchase Digitally and on Blu-ray on August 22, 2023.
About Justice League: Warworld
Until now, DC’s Justice League has been a loose association of super-powered individuals. But when they are swept away to Warworld, a place of unending brutal gladiatorial combat, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and the others must somehow unite to form an unbeatable resistance able to lead an entire planet to freedom. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, DC and Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, Justice League: Warworld will be available to purchase Digitally and on 4K Ultra HDTM and Blu-ray on July 25, 2023.
About Babylon 5; The Road Home
Return to Babylon 5 as the epic interstellar saga continues with Babylon 5: The Road Home. Travel across the galaxy with John Sheridan as he unexpectedly finds himself transported through multiple timelines and alternate realities in a quest to find his way back home. Along the way he reunites with some familiar faces, while discovering cosmic new revelations about the history, purpose, and meaning of the Universe. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, Babylon 5: The Road Home will be available to purchase Digitally and on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on August 15, 2023
MOVE ME NO MOUNTAIN opens L.A.’s Micheaux Film Festival Monday, July 10th
Real estate agent Jenna Anderson is crippled by guilt from the violent and sudden death of her daughter. The experience and the unbearable weight it places her under, leads Jenna to abandon the life she knew to live on the streets of Sin City, Las Vegas. There, she finds herself among people who have different reasons for being homeless. Then, Jenna meets an exploited homeless girl who lives with her addict caretaker. After a violent attack, she helps the homeless girl escape her situation. Now, the two of them must try to find a way out of unforgiving life they have been living on the streets before it consumes them.
BLACK ICE – Exclusively at AMC Theaters Nationwide July 14
Black Ice, the award-winning UNINTERRUPTED documentary that exposes a history of racism in hockey through the untold stories of Black hockey players, both past and present, in a predominantly white sport.
Directed by Academy Award® and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Hubert Davis, Black Ice masterfully navigates the challenges, triumphs, and unique experiences faced by these athletes through poignant firsthand accounts from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) hockey players past, including Willie O’Ree, the first Black player in the National Hockey League, and former professional hockey player Akim Aliu, with the stories of present stars, including P.K. Subban and Wayne Simmonds. The film explores the deep BIPOC roots of the game, dating back to 1865 and the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes (CHL), the first all-pro league, which not only introduced the slapshot but shaped the game of hockey we know today. Davis exposes racist patterns that span generations, even highlighting stories of how sports institutions have exerted pressure on players seeking change to remain silent.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid Arrives on Digital Retailers on July 25th Exclusively, and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on September 19th
Relive the magic of one of Disney’s most beloved films when the “radiant and romantic live-action retelling” (Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com) of The Little Mermaid becomes available to audiences to enjoy at home. Rob Marshall’s sparkling new take “captures the magic of the original” (Ross Bonaime, Collider) while “Halle Bailey simply soars” (Pete Hammond, Deadline) as she brings viewers into the world of Ariel and on a magical journey. Disney’s The Little Mermaid arrives at digital retailers (Apple TV, Prime Video and Vudu/Fandango) on July 25 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on September 19. Fans can add the film to their collection and access exclusive bonus features including a sing-along version of the film, song breakdowns, bloopers, and exclusive featurettes.
Film Synopsis
The Little Mermaid is visionary filmmaker Rob Marshall’s live-action reimagining of Disney’s beloved animated musical classic, the story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy. “The Little Mermaid” is directed by Rob Marshall with a screenplay by David Magee, and is produced by Marc Platt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, John DeLuca and Rob Marshall.
Bonus Features*
- Sing Along Version –Sing along with your favorite songs while watching the movie with on-screen lyrics.
- Hotter Under The Water – Discover how director Rob Marshall and his team brought the story of The Little Mermaid to life with this documentary in five chapters:
- A Tale Of The Bottomless Blue – Join Rob Marshall on the set of one of the most ambitious and challenging films he’s ever directed.
- I Know Something’s Starting Right Now – Join cast members Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, Jonah Hauer-King and more and learn how they were cast in the film and what it was like to bring director Rob Marshall’s vision to life.
- Down Where It’s Wetter – Dip your toes into the virtual ocean and learn about how the breathtaking underwater world was created with visual effects, imagination and a lot of talented artists.
- Explore That Shore Up Above – From Prince Eric’s castle to the beach, explore the above-the-sea locations and the elaborate production design behind them.
- Do What The Music Say – Discover how legendary composer Alan Menken teamed up with Lin- Manuel Miranda to write new songs to accompany the original classics
- Song Breakdowns
- Wild Unchartered Waters – Prince Eric, played by Jonah Hauer-King, gets his own song, written by Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Go behind the song, from the writing to the recording, to the filming on a practical ship.
- Under the Sea – Get a first-hand look at how professional dancers helped bring director Rob Marshall’s vision to life as they stood in for the various animated sea creatures that sing and dance in this showstopping number.
- Kiss The Girl – Float along and get a frog’s-eye view of the beautiful set built to film the live-action version of this classic song.
- Poor Unfortunate Souls – Join Melissa McCarthy (Ursula) as she takes us on the journey of making her character’s signature song.
- Featurettes
- The Scuttlebutt On Sidekicks – Dive in and meet Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle, who not only have their own song, “The Scuttlebutt,” but also fresh looks as they work hard to make sure Ariel and Eric kiss before Ursula’s deadline.
- Passing The Dinglehopper – Ariel met Ariel when Halle Bailey worked with Jodi Benson — the voice of Ariel in the original animated movie — who appears in a clever cameo in the live-action film..
- Bloopers – Laugh along with the cast as they have the time of their lives making The Little Mermaid.
FOR THE ANIMALS | IN SELECT THEATERS AND VOD July 28th
With catastrophic numbers of stray dogs roaming the streets of Houston TX, twin activists and philanthropists Tena Lundquist Faust and Tama Lundquist lead the charge and take matters into their own hands to save the animals they love. As more and more strays plague the city causing a public health crisis and attacking its residents, the sisters take to the streets for a hands-on approach.
There are too many citizens not caring for their pets and this problem has gone unchecked for decades, resulting in the worst animal crisis the city and county have seen. Through community outreach, direct work with local shelters and stray dog “feeders,” the sisters rescue strays right off the street, run weekly programs to provide free spay and neuter services to the community and work with politicians to take on the dark practices of Houston’s largest shelters that euthanize due to overcrowding. This was all exacerbated by COVID and the new policy of “managing the animal intake/limiting animal intake” in the shelters. As Tena and Tama seek to create a better life for the animals they love, they fight to prove that it takes just one person caring to make a difference.
Although For The Animals is set in Houston, it reflects the same issues cities across the U.S. face where approximately 6.3 million companion animals enter shelters yearly, according to the ASPCA. The film highlights both the grassroots efforts and the multiple animal welfare organizations struggling with the complex nature of solving this overwhelming issue where lack of resources and local bureaucracy each play a role.
Sadhvi Siddhali Shree and Sadhvi Anubhuti co-directed and co-produced the film with the support of human and animal rights activist Alyssa Milano as an Executive Producer.
Night of the Assassin – on Hi-YAH! July 21, before landing on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD August 8th
Written and directed by first-time auteur Kwak Jeong-deok, the action-packed adventure NIGHT OF THE ASSASSIN exclusively debuts on Hi-YAH! July 21, before landing on Digital, Blu-ray™ and DVD August 8 from Well Go USA Entertainment. Set in Korea’s Joseon-era and featuring spectacular swordplay, the film follows a deadly assassin who comes out of retirement to exact revenge on a group waging a brutal campaign of terror against local villagers. NIGHT OF THE ASSASSIN stars Shin Hyun-joon (Guns & Talks, Son of a General II & III), Lee Mun-sik (Night in Paradise), and Kim Min-kyung (Pipeline, Spiritwalker).
Synopsis:
After a deadly, long-dormant health condition surfaces during a mission, Joseon’s most lethal assassin goes into hiding to seek a cure without revealing his identity. But upon witnessing a ruthless campaign of terror against local villagers, the region’s deadliest killer comes out of retirement in order to exact his own brutal brand of vigilante justice.
RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE – Streaming on Amazon PrimeVideo August 11th
Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez), the son of the President of the United States (Uma Thurman), and Britain’s Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) have a lot in common: Stunning good looks, undeniable charisma, international popularity … and a total disdain for each other. Separated by an ocean, their long-running feud hasn’t really been an issue, until a disastrous—and very public—altercation at a royal event becomes tabloid fodder, driving a potential wedge in U.S./British relations at the worst possible time. Going into damage-control mode, their families and handlers force the two rivals into a staged “truce.” But as Alex and Henry’s icy relationship unexpectedly begins to thaw into a tentative friendship, the friction that existed between them sparks something deeper than they ever expected. Based on Casey McQuiston’s critically acclaimed New York Times best seller, Red, White & Royal Blue marks the feature film co-writing and directing debut of Tony Award-winning playwright Matthew López (The Inheritance).
SMILING FRIENDS: The Complete First Season is Bringing Happiness to Your Homes on Blu-ray™ & DVD on August 29th
Turn that frown upside down! From creators Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack, go on a journey across a bizarre and colorful world with SMILING FRIENDS: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray™ and DVD August 29, 2023. You’ll be grinning ear to ear while you binge on all 8 episodes, alongside a bonus special and audio commentary. The series is available now to purchase Digitally.
The quarter-hour animated series is co-created by Cusack (YOLO: Crystal Fantasy) and Hadel (Hellbenders) and animated by Princess Bento Studio. SMILING FRIENDS has been viewed over 7 million times across linear, digital, and streaming.
SYNOPSIS:
Who are the Smiling Friends? They’re Pim, Charlie, Allan, and Glep and they’re here to make you SMILE!! And they guarantee to put a smile on YOUR face, if you buy this disc (*Smiles not actually guaranteed*). Watch 8 wonderful adventures into this fantastic, odd, beautiful, sometimes scary, but always amazing world. Plus, they go to Brazil in a special bonus episode. Get yours and start smiling today!
SMILING FRIENDS: The Complete First Season is available now to purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more. Blu-Ray Discs and DVD will be available August 29, 2023 to purchase online and in-store at major retailers. Pre-order your copy now.
BONUS FEATURES
- Audio Commentary
Nine 11-MINUTE EPISODES
- Desmond’s Big Day Out
- Mr. Frog
- Shrimp’s Odyssey
- A Silly Halloween Special
- Who Violently Murdered Simon S. Salty?
- Enchanted Forest
- Frowning Friends
- Charlie Dies and Doesn’t Come Back
- The Smiling Friends Go To Brazil!
THE NUN II – In Theaters September 8th
On September 8th, the greatest evil in the conjuring universe returns #TheNun2
New Line Cinema brings you the horror thriller “The Nun II,” the next chapter in the story of “The Nun,” the highest grossing entry in the juggernaut $2 billion “The Conjuring” Universe.
1956 – France. A priest is murdered. An evil is spreading. The sequel to the worldwide smash hit follows Sister Irene as she once again comes face-to-face with Valak, the demon nun.
Taissa Farmiga (“The Nun,” “The Gilded Age”) returns as Sister Irene, joined by Jonas Bloquet (“Tirailleurs,” “The Nun”), Storm Reid (“The Last of Us,” “The Suicide Squad”), Anna Popplewell (“Fairytale,” “The Chronicles of Narnia” trilogy) and Bonnie Aarons (reprising her role from “The Nun”), surrounded by an ensemble cast of international talent.
Michael Chaves (“The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It”) directs, from a screenplay by Ian Goldberg & Richard Naing (“Eli,” “The Autopsy of Jane Doe”) and Akela Cooper (“M3GAN,” “Malignant”),with a story by Cooper, based on characters created by James Wan & Gary Dauberman.
The Safran Company’s Peter Safran and Atomic Monster’s James Wan produce, continuing their collaboration as filmmakers on all of the previous “Conjuring” films. “The Nun II” is executive produced by Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Victoria Palmeri, Gary Dauberman, Michael Clear, Judson Scott and Michael Polaire.
Joining Chaves behind the camera are director of photography Tristan Nyby (“The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,” “The Dark and the Wicked”), production designer Stéphane Cressend (“Les Vedettes,” “The French Dispatch”), editor Gregory Plotkin (2022’s “Scream,” “Get Out”), visual effects producer Sophie A. Leclerc (“Finch,” “Lucy”) and costume designer Agnès Béziers (“Oxygen,” “The Breitner Commando”), with composer Marco Beltrami (2022’s “Scream,” ”Venom: Let There Be Carnage”) providing the score.
“The Conjuring” Universe is the highest grossing horror franchise in history with $2+ billion worldwide. Globally, four of “The Conjuring” Universe titles have earned more than $300 million worldwide each (“The Nun,” $366 million; “The Conjuring 2,” $322 million; “The Conjuring,” $320 million; “Annabelle: Creation,” $307 million), and all seven have each grossed more than $200 million. “The Nun” is the top-earning film in the franchise, with more than $366 million worldwide.
New Line Cinema presents an Atomic Monster / Safran Company production, “The Nun II,” distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is set to open in North America on September 8, 2023 and internationally beginning 6 September, 2023.
Dreaming of Utopia: 50 Years of Revolutionary Hope and Memory,’ Starts September 8th
Master documentarian Patricio Guzmán (b. 1941) has documented the tumultuous political history of his native Chile for over fifty years. From the democratically elected socialist government of President Salvador Allende in the early seventies to the US-backed coup led by General Augusto Pinochet, and more recently to the social uprising that opened the door for the rewriting of a new constitution, Guzmán has served as a witness and chronicler of the history of the South American nation. His commitment to filming the lived history of his country for more than 50 years is unprecedented in world cinema.
This September 11th marks the 50th anniversary of the 1973 coup led by General Pinochet and his army, which drastically changed the history of Chile and Latin America.
To mark the occasion, Icarus Films is proud to announce a special film series in New York City celebrating the work of the influential and lauded Chilean director and his five-decade career.
The series, presented with Cinema Tropical, in partnership with Anthology Film Archives, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the IFC Center, includes the following programs:
- His feature-length debut The First Year captures the first 12 months of Allende’s democratically elected, socialist government. It was released in 1972 in Chile and in France (where Chris Marker produced a French-language version of the film), but never in North America. Now fully restored in 4K, Anthology Film Archives will host a one-week run in its North American premiere.
- Guzmán’s monumental, three-part epic The Battle of Chile, filmed in 1973, chronicles the escalating conflicts in Chilean society that led up to and ended with General Pinochet and his army’s coup, on September 11th of that year. Widely considered one of the greatest documentary films ever made, the Brooklyn Academy of Music will present the North American premiere run of the 4K restoration.
- The IFC Center, where Guzman’s most recent films have all premiered theatrically in the US, will host special screenings of his memory and landscape trilogy: Nostalgia for the Light, The Pearl Button, and The Cordillera of Dreams, as well as last year’s My Imaginary Country, on September 13th and 14th.
Killers of the Flower Moon will premiere in select theaters on October 6th
At the turn of the 20th century, oil brought a fortune to the Osage Nation, who became some of the richest people in the world overnight. The wealth of these Native Americans immediately attracted white interlopers, who manipulated, extorted, and stole as much Osage money as they could before resorting to murder. Based on a true story and told through the improbable romance of Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), “Killers of the Flower Moon” is an epic western crime saga, where real love crosses paths with unspeakable betrayal. Also starring Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons, “Killers of the Flower Moon” is directed by Academy Award winner Martin Scorsese from a screenplay by Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, based on David Grann’s best-selling book.
Hailing from Apple Studios, “Killers of the Flower Moon” was produced alongside Imperative Entertainment, Sikelia Productions and Appian Way. Producers are Martin Scorsese, Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas and Daniel Lupi, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Rick Yorn, Adam Sommer, Marianne Bower, Lisa Frechette, John Atwood, Shea Kammer and Niels Juul serving as executive producers.
BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE – In Theaters January 12th, 2024
BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE celebrates the life and music of an icon who inspired generations through his message of love and unity. On the big screen for the first time, discover Bob’s powerful story of overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music. Produced in partnership with the Marley family and starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as the legendary musician and Lashana Lynch as his wife Rita, BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE is in theatres January 12, 2024.