Timothee Chalamet And Monica Barbaro Strike An Oscars Chord
Eight years ago, less than two weeks after a shock election that saw he who will not be named on their way to the White House, 20th Century Fox held a screening of “Hidden Figures” on the Fox lot. The…
Read more
Ethan Slater And Marissa Bode Reflect On Their Wonderful Journey To ‘Wicked’
To be frank, when the interview confirmations came through we were a bit disappointed we didn’t get to speak to “Wicked” stars Cynthia Erivo or Ariana Grande. And we’re still scratching our heads as to why Jeff Goldblum and Michelle…
Read more
Conan O’Brien Is Your Surprise 2025 Oscars Host
Seemingly out of nowhere, Conan O’Brien is hosting the 97th Academy Awards. The announcement was made by ABC and The Academy early this morning, on a Friday, no less, with a subdued amount of fanfare. This will be O’Brien’s first…
Read more
‘Nosferatu’ Steps Out From The Oscars Shadows
[This edition of the Contender Countdown was originally published in The Breakdown newsletter on Monday, Nov 11. Get all of The Playlist’s Oscar rankings including Best Picture, Best Actress, and more in The Breakdown first. Subscribe here.] A week before…
Read more
Steve McQueen Reflects On The ‘Useful And Urgent’ Message Of ‘Blitz’
Steve McQueen will tell you the toughest part of making his new WW II period drama wasn’t the set pieces. It wasn’t the visual effects. It was finding “the love.” For the two-time Oscar winner, the most important part of…
Read more
‘The Room Next Door’ And ‘Emelia Perez’ Top 2024 European Film Awards Nominations
If you are curious as to what films Oscar voters overseas may be inclined to support, look no further than the nominees for the 37th European Film Awards. The European Film Academy revealed this year’s crop of honorees this morning…
Read more
How Will Sharpe Found A Complicated Character In ‘A Real Pain’
Here’s the thing. Will Sharpe has taste. He’s starred in Joe Barton‘s critically acclaimed series “Girl/Haji.” He wrote and directed the critically acclaimed HBO limited series “Landscapers,” and he earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the smash second…
Read more
Saoirse Ronan Sings In ‘Blitz’ But Wants Greta Gerwig To Direct Her In A Musical
This impressive Saoirse Ronan performance in Steve McQueen’s “Blitz” wasn’t supposed to happen. Her role as Rita, a young mother protecting her son George (newcomer Elliott Hefferman) during the Nazi bombing of London in World War II could have gone…
Read more
Ariana Grande Will Cast A Spectacular Spell As ‘Wicked’ Drops On Oscar Season
An October, well, November surprise has arrived this awards season. Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked,” which some early box office forecasts have penciled in for a $100 million+ U.S. opening the weekend of November 14, has screened for select members of…
Read more
Introducing The Breakdown, A New Newletter Colum From The Playlist
We hope you’re signed up and enjoying the daily Playlist Newsletter but are you ready for even more exclusive Playlist content? Later this month, The Playlist will launch a brand new newsletter column, The Breakdown. Written by yours truly, this…
Read more
Ralph Fiennes Isn’t Distracted By Oscar Buzz For ‘Conclave,’ Just Doing “Good Work”
There is always a shortlist of actors deserving of an Academy Award. Ralph Fiennes is one of them. He earned a Supporting Actor nomination in 1994 for “Schindler’s List,” but lost out to Martin Landeau for “Ed Wood.” He landed…
Read more
For His Contemporary ‘Conclave,’ Edward Berger Embraces The Discourse
Some of the best films of the year are finally arriving in theaters. This week’s entry is “Conclave,” a sly thriller from Edward Berger that has been generating strong reviews and audience enthusiasm since its debut at the 2024 Telluride…
Read more