Top Movie News provided by the LA Times©

• Netflix's 'Train Dreams' is a 'happy cry movie.' Let star Joel Edgerton explain
  In our last episode before the Oscar nominations, Joel Edgerton describes the transformative experience of making 'Train Dreams' and our hosts share the names they'd like to hear called.
• How to watch the 2026 Golden Globes (and everything else you need to know)
  The 2026 Golden Globe Awards return to the Beverly Hilton hotel this Sunday. The ceremony will air live on CBS and stream live on Paramount+.
• 'I'm not done yet': George Clooney opens up about marriage, fame and his biggest risks
  With 'Jay Kelly,' the 64-year-old looks back on his life and career through a metafictional lens. But he's still got plenty he wants to do — including a guest shot on 'The Pitt.'
• The full list of 2026 Actor Awards nominations
  The nominations for the 2026 Actor Awards — formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards — have been announced. The top nominees include 'One Battle After Another' and 'The Studio.'
• The biggest snubs and surprises of the 2026 Actor Awards nominations
  Awards columnist Glenn Whipp breaks down the film nominations for the 2026 Actor Awards, and explains what SAG voters' preferences might mean for the Oscar race.
• Kate Hudson's 'Song Sung Blue' Oscar chances, by the numbers
  Twenty-five years after earning her first Oscar nomination for a star-making turn in 'Almost Famous,' another movie with deep musical roots could bring Kate Hudson a second.
• Cyclops unleashes a massive optic blast as the X-Men reassemble for 'Avengers: Doomsday'
  Marvel's third teaser for 'Avengers: Doomsday' spotlights Magneto, Charles Xavier and Cyclops to promise the X-Men's return for the superhero crossover.
• A killer job market leads to 'No Other Choice,' a darkly comic satire from Korea
  Directed by Park Chan-wook and starring Lee Byung Hun of TV's 'Squid Game,' the movie presents the desperate ends of a murderous man in free fall, scheming to land a new gig.
• Mickey Rourke rejects $100,000 pledged by fans as manager explains eviction backstory
  As actor Mickey Rourke firmly rejects $100,000 raised from fans in two days on his behalf, his manager says she's suddenly getting movie offers for him again.
• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas breaks out in 'Sentimental Value.' But she isn't interested in fame
  After receiving rave reviews and Oscar buzz for her turn as the levelheaded member of a fraying family, the Norwegian actor says her heart is in the work, not the trappings that come with it.
• Inside 3 Oscar-shortlisted docs that highlight the power of the exposé
  'Cover-Up,' 'The Alabama Solution' and 'My Undesirable Friends' all bring urgent attention to the challenges facing independent journalists — and the necessity of their work.
• How Jafar Panahi assembled a team of dissident artists to make his risky new film
  With Palme d'Or winner and Oscar hopeful 'It Was Just an Accident,' the legendary Iranian filmmaker brought together creatives who understood the project required high-stakes discretion.
• Guillermo del Toro announced death of his brother at Palm Springs International Film Awards
  Guillermo del Toro shared the news of his brother's recent death while accepting an award for 'Frankenstein' at the Palm Springs International Film Awards
• Evangeline Lilly says she has brain damage after a traumatic fall last year at Hawaii beach
  Evangeline Lilly says 'almost every area in [her] brain is functioning at a decreased capacity' after suffering a concussion due to falling at the beach.
• Mickey Rourke's supporters step up and donate to prevent his eviction, but is it too late?
  Actor Mickey Rourke, facing eviction over close to $60,000 in unpaid rent, sees that amount and more raised on his behalf via a GoFundMe started by his management.
• Inside the 'silly games' that fueled 'Bugonia' behind the scenes
  Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons and Yorgos Lanthimos talk about collaborating once again on 'Bugonia,' and how the filmmaker's distinct rehearsal style gets results.
• The casting Oscar is here. So we asked 6 top casting directors their secret to success
  With the Oscar for casting making its debut at the 2026 ceremony, we asked 6 leading casting directors to explain what it is they do, and how it shaped some of the year's best films.
• The writers of Netflix's 'Train Dreams' reflect on the trip to Idaho that shaped the film
  Co-writers Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley explain what drew them to adapt Denis Johnson's novella for the screen, and how a pilgrimage to Johnson's home helped bring it to life.
• Small roles, big performances: 4 under-the-radar standouts from the last year in film
  In 'One Battle After Another,' 'Hamnet' and 'The History of Sound,' these four performers elevated small roles into indelible moments with their performances.
• The 14 movies we're most looking forward to in 2026
  We asked the film staff to name the titles they were most stoked for in 2026. They were happy to see the returning likes of Nolan, Spielberg, Gerwig and Wile E. Coyote.
• Women still face steep challenges securing top movie jobs
  A San Diego State University report found that women made up 23% of all directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors and directors of photography on the 250 top-grossing films in 2025.
• Meet Cliqua, the Mexican American director duo that caught the eye of Bad Bunny and the Weeknd 
  Under the artistic name Cliqua, director duo RJ Sanchez and Pasqual Gutiérrez have made a name for themselves in the music world directing videos for a variety of major acts. Their next goal is feature filmmaking.
• Cary Elwes channels 'Princess Bride' in a final farewell to Rob Reiner: 'Life is pain without you'
  'The Princess Bride' star Cary Elwes says he will remain in mourning long after the shocking deaths of beloved friends Michele and Rob Reiner earlier this month.
• Is Timothée Chalamet as good at pingpong as his character in 'Marty Supreme'?
  Timothée Chalamet plays table tennis extremely well in 'Marty Supreme.' How much of it is because of practice, dedication and skill? Did CGI play a role?
• Tyler Perry's new sexual assault accuser allegedly texted about health woes months before lawsuit
  Tyler Perry faces fresh allegations of sexual assault and sexual battery in a lawsuit from an actor who appeared in his movie 'Boo! A Madea Halloween.'
• The real stand-ups who helped punch up Bradley Cooper's comedy-drama 'Is This Thing On?'
  Bradley Cooper cast real stand-up comedians Chloe Radcliffe and Jordan Jensen from NYC's iconic Comedy Cellar to ensure the film captured authentic comedy scene dynamics.
• Brigitte Bardot, actor, muse and prototype of liberated female sexuality, dies at 91
  Brigitte Bardot, known for her reckless love affairs with men and women, quit acting at 39, devoted herself to animal rights activism and lived out her life in near seclusion. She died at 91.
• Making a bold musical about the Shakers? Daniel Blumberg's songs brought the world in tune
  After winning an Oscar for "The Brutalist," the English composer takes on a musical about the founder of the Shakers — a close collaboration with Amanda Seyfried.
• Jim Jarmusch returns in a melancholy mood with 'Father Mother Sister Brother'
  A fine cast including Adam Driver, Cate Blanchett, Charlotte Rampling and Tom Waits brings thoughtfulness to the indie legend's latest — a turn toward mortal thoughts.
• Of course Steve Rogers is in 'Avengers: Doomsday'
  The first teaser for 'Avengers: Doomsday' has finally (officially) been released and it confirms Chris Evans' Steve Rogers is back — with a baby.
• 'Song Sung Blue,' starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, is corny comfort cinema with bittersweet notes
  Filmmaker Craig Brewer of 'Hustle & Flow' returns with a quirky music biopic about a Neil Diamond cover band that opened for Pearl Jam only to be stricken with bad luck.
• Russell Brand charged with new counts of rape and sexual assault in U.K.
  British comedian Russell Brand faces additional charges of sexual assault and rape, U.K. authorities announced Tuesday.
• The battle for control of Warner Bros.: A timeline of key developments
  Netflix wants to buy Warner Bros. and HBO, but Paramount refuses to go away, launching a hostile bid. Here's a timeline of key developments.
• The best entertainment photos of 2025
  Photographers share behind-the-scenes anecdotes about some of their favorite entertainment shoots of 2025 and reveal how they got 'the' shot.
• Ho-ho-rror for the holidays: 15 scary watches for the dead of winter
  Ghost stories have long been a holiday tradition, so gather 'round the electronic hearth and watch some (or all) of these.
• Snoopy is everywhere right now — from jewelry to pimple patches. Why?
  Snoopy's star has been steadily rising in recent years, with Peanuts collabs hitting retailers from Coach to Starface. Here's why.
• 'Marty Supreme' spins pingpong into a gaspingly funny critique of the American hustle
  Writer-director Josh Safdie follows up 'Uncut Gems' with a loosely true post-WWII table tennis caper in which paddles and egos clash on a global stage.
• Arellano: 'It's a Wonderful ICE?' Trumpworld tries to hijack a holiday classic
  Last weekend, the Department of Homeland Security posted two videos celebrating its mass deportation campaign. In one, titled "It's a Wonderful Flight," the protagonist is a Latino man crying that he'll "do anything" to return to his wife and kids and "live again."
• In this year's Oscar race, the revolution will be stylized
  Rebels political and cultural stand out in some of the year's best work by costume designers, from 'Wicked: For Good' to 'Pillion.'
• Paul Thomas Anderson's 'One Battle' Oscar chances, by the numbers
  It's been one nomination after another for the filmmaker, with no trophies to show for it. His most successful film to date looks to change that.
• One Shot: The story behind 'Hamnet's' defining image
  Cinematographer Łukasz Żal explains the connection between audience and artwork that provides 'Hamnet' with its most indelible frame.
• Why movie stars are dressing more like movie characters on the red carpet
  From 'Marty Supreme'-era Timothée Chalamet to the stars of 'Wicked: For Good,' the phenomenon known as 'method dressing' is taking awards season by storm. Here's what to know.
• 'Animation's a team sport': How a 2,000-person hive mind shaped 'Zootopia 2'
  Directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard explain the highly collaborative process by which Disney's animated blockbuster came together.
• The 25 best Latino movies of 2025
  From absurdist metafictions involving doppelgängers to a documentary about a slain music star that utilizes never-before-seen home footage, these were the best Latino films of 2025.
• James Cameron explains 'the power couple from hell' at the core of 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'
  With the help of the VFX experts at Wēta FX, the filmmaker turned his focus to the physics of fire for 'Avatar 3' — and forged a villain alliance like no other.
• Maggie O'Farrell didn't want to write 'Hamnet's' script. How Chloé Zhao changed her mind
  From their first Zoom call to a 58-minute voice note, Maggie O'Farrell details how she and Chloé Zhao came to co-write the screenplay for 'Hamnet' across continents and time zones.
• How animated Oscar contender 'Arco' imagines not one climate apocalypse but two
  The filmmakers behind the French animated sci-fi epic discuss the creation of two distinct futures for the story, one beset by fire and the other after the flood.
• How Michael B. Jordan found the 'subtle differences' in 'Sinners'' identical twins
  'I locked myself away,' the actor says of his preparation for Ryan Coogler's horror blockbuster. He emerged with twins whose distinct qualities animate an awards-worthy dual performance.
• Phil Wickham and 'David' face the Goliath of 'Avatar'
  Grammy-nominated Christian artist Phil Wickham makes his acting debut voicing Biblical hero David in an animated musical film released today.
• 6 directors on 'wasting' (and saving) money, the future of movie theaters and more
  On our Oscar Directors Roundtable, Jon M. Chu, Nia DaCosta, Guillermo del Toro, Mona Fastvold, Rian Johnson, Benny Safdie discuss the challenges, and delights, of making movies.
• In 'Is This Thing On?' a dumped dad finds a new chapter in stand-up. His wife's a fan
  After 'A Star Is Born' and 'Maestro,' director Bradley Cooper relaxes into a dramedy starring Will Arnett as a separated husband finding new purpose as a stand-up.
• 'The Voice of Hind Rajab' re-creates a rescue mission with the real pleas of a terrified girl
  Dramatizing a real-life incident with a tense one-location framework, the movie deploys a horrifying audio recording and the well-meaning efforts of actors.
• The job may be tidying up, but 'The Housemaid' brings plenty of trash
  Co-starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, both exploring shades of over-the-top crazy, the movie supplies the juicy empty calories you may be craving.
• The 12 best needle drops of 2025
  These songs made their scenes indelible, from classic rock and dance pop to old-timey blues and thrash. There's even a former Beatle on here.
• How do Lifetime and Hallmark keep Christmas movies fresh? Pickleball and the NFL
  For the two cable networks, tapping into niches, hobbies and sports teams allows the them to invite new audiences in, while keeping loyal viewers satisfied with a break in formula.
• Imax just had a $1-billion year. Why 2026 looks to be even bigger
  Filmmakers, fans and executives explain the growing enthusiasm for the half-century-old format — and why 2026 looks to be its biggest year yet.
• 'There's no secrets': How Oscar Isaac bared his soul for 'Frankenstein'
  In this week's episode of The Envelope, 'Frankenstein's' Oscar Isaac and 'Sinners'' Wunmi Mosaku talk about making personal connections to their hit horror epics.
• Gil Gerard, 'Buck Rogers' star who was a hero to late-'70s latchkey kids, dies at 82
  Gil Gerard, an actor best known for his title roles in 'Buck Rogers in the 25th Century' on screens big and small, died Tuesday of cancer. He was 82.
• What the Oscars moving to YouTube means for broadcast TV
  The Oscars will stream on YouTube beginning in 2029, ending a more than five-decade run on broadcast television and marking the show's biggest distribution shift in its history.
• 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' has dynamite villains and dialogue that's surf-bro hysterical
  Bad guys Oona Chaplin and Stephen Lang add spark to James Cameron's third dazzling and surreal dispatch from Pandora, one that restates much of what's come before.
• 6 actresses on refusing the boxes Hollywood tried to put them in
  On our Oscar Actresses Roundtable, Sydney Sweeney, Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, Elle Fanning and Tessa Thompson open up about bad press, career boxes and inhabiting their roles.
• A famous father, a troubled son: How addiction tormented the Reiner family
  What we know about Nick Reiner before he was arrested on suspicion of murdering his parents, Hollywood legend Rob Reiner and wife Michele.
• Julia Roberts' 'After the Hunt' Oscar chances, by the numbers
  Roberts, a winner for 'Erin Brockovich,' was last nominated for an Oscar for the 2013 family drama 'August: Osage County.'
• Crying in secret, confident in public: How Mary Bronstein made 'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You'
  No one wanted to fund Bronstein's immersive portrait of a mother (Rose Byrne) on the verge. In an essay for The Envelope, she explains how she willed it into existence anyway.
• One Shot: The moment in 'After the Hunt' when two characters are unexpectedly connected
  Cinematographer Malik Hassan Sayeed and music supervisor Robin Urdang break down one of the most arresting scenes in 'After the Hunt,' punctuated by inserts of worrying hands.
• Appreciation: Rob Reiner found a way to please everyone — by going his own way
  Reiner made a perfect rom-com ('When Harry Met Sally…'), a perfect thriller ('Misery'), a perfect fantasy ('The Princess Bride') and never wanted to be pigeonholed.
• Michele Singer Reiner, photographer and creative partner to Rob Reiner, dead at 70
  A photographer who later became a producer, Singer Reiner collaborated with filmmaker Rob Reiner on civic causes and even affected the ending of "When Harry Met Sally."
• The story behind the Oscar-worthy real estate in 4 fall movies
  From a multigenerational family home to a frontier cottage, houses become key characters in a number of Oscar contenders. Here are the tales behind four of them.
• After 'The Whale,' Brendan Fraser was at a crossroads. Then he found 'Rental Family'
  Fraser and the film's director, Hikari, spoke to The Envelope about why 'Rental Family' was the right collaboration at the right time and why audiences shouldn't be 'afraid to feel.'
• Rob Reiner's 10 best films as a director
  Rob Reiner was a versatile director, crossing genres for a career that included 'This Is Spinal Tap,' 'The Princess Bride,' 'When Harry Met Sally,' 'Misery' and more.
• Scarlett Johansson and June Squibb bonded on 'Eleanor the Great.' Well, except that one scene
  The debut director and her 96-year-old star talk about their new collaboration — and the cut scene that had Squibb asking Johansson, 'What the hell happened?'
• Rob Reiner, 'When Harry Met Sally' director, 'All in the Family' actor and political activist, dead at 78
  Rob Reiner, a Hollywood scion who directed films including 'When Harry Met Sally' and 'The Princess Bride,' was found dead with his wife Sunday in Brentwood. He was 78.
• 'Hamnet' seemed 'completely lost.' How four days saved the year's most emotional film
  Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Chloé Zhao and more of the artists behind 'Hamnet' detail the making of the climactic sequence inside the Globe Theatre.
• 'La Grazia' reunites a dependable Italian duo for a rumination on the end of a political career
  Director Paolo Sorrentino and actor Toni Servillo collaborate on another study of political power, this one less explosive and more contemplative.
• In 'Dust Bunny,' a girl hires an assassin to take out her bedroom terrors
  Bryan Fuller, a TV visionary, makes a belated move to film directing with this skillfully wrought but thin fantasy about a girl doing battle with monsters.
• A micro-indie with a huge heart, 'Burt' tells a slender, stirring story of belated connection
  Directed by Joe Burke, the resourceful movie takes a keen, sympathetic interest in the granular details of unglamorous North Hollywood lives.
• Lucy Liu hits a career high as an unraveling mom in 'Rosemead,' based on a true crime
  Directed by Eric Lin, this downbeat, superbly acted drama presents a family in crisis and a worried mother who contemplates the unthinkable.
• She'd like to change the world, but the script of 'Ella McCay' is running against her
  Writer-director James L. Brooks all but invented a warm, urbane way of telling complex women's stories, but his first movie in 15 years feels retrograde.
• 'Resurrection' is a sumptuous, transporting dive into the pure pleasures of the image
  'Resurrection' contains one of director Bi Gan's signature long takes — lasting 30 minutes — but the movie is also a euphoric, reference-laden expression of cinephilia.
• Noah Baumbach doesn't love L.A. But in 'Jay Kelly' and other films, he is fascinated by it
  With 'Greenberg,' 'Marriage Story' and now his Hollywood dramedy 'Jay Kelly,' the Brooklyn native continues to be genuinely (not satirically) interested in L.A.
• You can't fool a hawk. So for her new film, Claire Foy had to learn their ways
  Much of 'H Is for Hawk' finds the actor performing solo opposite a bird. Go 'along for the ride' with Foy, Philippa Lowthorpe and the film's animal handlers.
• 'Almost Famous,' 'Song Sung Blue' star Kate Hudson: 'A good music movie is hard to do'
  In this week's episode of The Envelope podcast, Tonatiuh discusses 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' and Kate Hudson talks 'Song Sung Blue.'
• 6 actors on striking 'the most difficult balance,' from fatherhood to the artistic process
  On our Oscar Actors Roundtable, Jacob Elordi, Jesse Plemons, Benicio Del Toro, Will Arnett, Wagner Moura and Stellan Skarsgård open up about fame, work/life balance and how they prepare for roles.
• San Francisco supervisor proposes boost to city's film and TV tax incentive
  San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman has proposed an increase to the city's film and TV tax incentive program.
• Sundance announces its lineup, preparing for one last celebration in Park City
  The Sundance Film Festival announced its programming for the 2026 edition, the last in Park City, Utah, and the first since the death of Robert Redford.
• George Clooney's 'Jay Kelly' Oscar chances, by the numbers
  Clooney is no stranger to the Oscars, but he hasn't been nominated since 2013. 'Jay Kelly' gives the actor and activist a chance to return to his awards heyday.
• One Shot: How 'Die My Love' captures the 'rotten' underbelly of a marriage
  Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey and director Lynne Ramsey chanced upon this 'phantasmagorical' image — which turned out to contain the spirit of the film as a whole.
• The 16 best documentaries of 2025
  The documentary films and series that captured our attention this year feature famous people and ordinary people, as well as new ideas and perspectives.
• Laura Dern channels her 'muses' — her parents — in every role. Including two this fall
  Having grown up on set, Dern feels comfortable there. Which made stepping into very different roles in 'Is This Thing On?' and 'Jay Kelly' feel like second nature.
• Inside 'The Smashing Machine's' brutal fight scenes
  The team behind 'The Smashing Machine' wanted to make every slam, punch and knee to the head reverberate all the way to the cheap seats. Here's how they did it.
• As films compete for Oscar voters' attention, celebrity EPs make their mark
  As independent and international films vie for Oscars against hundreds of competitors, celebrity executive producers are helping draw voters' divided attention.
• 34 movies and shows to watch on a plane — or trapped at the airport — this holiday season
  In addition to getting you where you want to go, those hours spent on a plane — or trapped at the airport — are a guilt-free opportunity to catch up on or revisit great movies and shows.
• How Tom Cruise, Katy Perry and James Gunn's bad dog shaped these VFX Oscar contenders
  Some of this year's top visual effects Oscar contenders blended real with unreal and surprising inspirations to express their films' unique personalities.
• The writer of Netflix's 'A House of Dynamite' explains its ambiguous ending
  Noah Oppenheim was interested in why the world hasn't already ended in nuclear apocalypse. In 'A House of Dynamite,' he explores the knife's edge between us and that very fate.
• The art of the movie poster: 3 of this year's most striking one-sheets, explained
  The one-sheet wizards behind the movie posters for 'Bugonia,' 'No Other Choice' and 'Sinners' explain how their concepts came together.
• The women of 'One Battle After Another' aren't afraid to 'shake the table'
  The camaraderie among Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti and Regina Hall is on display as they discuss Paul Thomas Anderson, the 'uncomfortable' conversations around the film and more.
• Cynthia Erivo makes history with second 'Wicked' Golden Globe nomination
  Cynthia Erivo, who stars as Elphaba in 'Wicked' and its sequel, 'Wicked: For Good,' made history as the first Black woman nominated twice in her Golden Globes category.
• Column: The Golden Globes' ethics are worse than ever, and no one seems to care
  The Golden Globes came back from the brink of scandal. But the awards' suspect ethics haven't really changed, our columnist writes.

NY Times©

• Can Timothée Chalamet Break This Oscar Curse?
  The best actor Oscar almost never goes to young men, though the 30-year-old has his best chance yet with “Marty Supreme.”
• The Cast and Creators of ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ on How the Movie Came to Be
  As the filmmakers, songwriters and actors tell it, their “wackadoo” concept evolved over nine years and eight versions of “Golden” into a global phenomenon.
• To Be or Not to Be: That Is the Question Filmmakers Can’t Resist
  The Shakespearean monologue that is featured twice in “Hamnet” has long informed the movies, often in surprising ways that can make us rethink the words.
• Bela Tarr, Titan of Slow-Moving Cinema, Dies at 70
  The master Hungarian filmmaker’s movies included “Satantango” and “Werckmeister Harmonies.”
• Critics Choice Awards 2026: The Complete Winners List
  “One Battle After Another” won best picture, while the top acting honors went to Timothée Chalamet (“Marty Supreme”) and Jessie Buckley (“Hamnet”).
• Kevin O’Leary on ‘Marty Supreme’ and Notes He Gave Josh Safdie
  When it came to his film acting debut, the“Shark Tank” investor had some notes for the director Josh Safdie.
• The Top Movies of 2025, According to Times Readers: ‘Marty Supreme’ and More
  We asked you to vote on the best films of the year. The results ranged from big box office hits to small art-house indies.
• Park Chan-wook and the Funny Thing About Stomach-Churning Horror
  When American studios wouldn’t back his film about a laid-off manager committing gruesome murders, the director returned to Korea. Now he has a hit on his hands.
• How a Deadly Bond Develops in ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’
  James Cameron narrates a sequence from his film, featuring Oona Chaplin and Stephen Lang.
• The Movie That Inspired Michael Mann to Direct
  “The Joyless Street” is among the most chopped-up films of the silent era. A restoration at MoMA’s To Save and Project series proves eye-opening.
• ‘Young Mothers’ Review: Teen Parents, Breaking Cycles
  The Dardenne brothers’ latest film is a tender portrait of four teenage moms in a Belgian maternity shelter.
• ‘OBEX’ Review: An Analog Nightmare
  In this indie oddity boasting visceral D.I.Y. effects, a gentle loner enters the world of a video game to save his beloved dog.
• ‘My Neighbor Adolf’ Review: The Nazi Next Door
  The actors Udo Kier and David Hayman square off in this domestic drama where a man is convinced that his neighbor is Adolf Hitler.
• ‘Holding Liat’ Review: Hostage Situation
  This unpredictable documentary follows a man and his family as they wait for news of his daughter and her husband, who were kidnapped in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.
• Can Shawn Levy Resuscitate ‘Star Wars’?
  Lucasfilm hopes that Shawn Levy, who made “Deadpool and Wolverine” and helped make “Stranger Things,” can bring that same touch. The key may be his inner child.
• ‘Dead Man’s Wire’ Review: When the Action Is Razor Thin
  Dramatizing an odd news item from 1977, Gus Van Sant’s crime film isn’t crazy enough.
• ‘All That’s Left of You’ Review: Hearts, Minds, History
  The Palestinian American director Cherien Dabis offers eloquent context with her generational drama about Palestinian men.
• Josh O’Connor’s Masterly 2025 Performances: ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ and More
  The star’s nuance and emotional power, along with his natural charisma, quietly enriched a quartet of movies in 2025.
• Interview: Tilda Swinton on Her Favorite Books and Favorite Collaborators
  Starring in the 1992 film adaptation helped launch an eclectic career. “Ongoing” is the book that accompanies a retrospective on her work.
• Arthur Cohn, Film Producer With an Oscar-Winning Touch, Dies at 98
  Six of his movies received Academy Awards, including the Italian drama “The Garden of the Finzi-Continis” and the trade-union strike documentary “American Dream.”
• 2026 SAG Actor Award Nominations List: ‘One Battle’ and ‘Sinners’ Lead
  Timothée Chalamet and Ariana Grande also scored nods. Cynthia Erivo and the stars of “Jay Kelly” were left out.
• Nick Reiner’s Lawyer, Alan Jackson, Removes Himself From Murder Case
  Mr. Reiner, who is charged with killing his parents, will now be represented by a public defender. His arraignment has been rescheduled for next month.
• Rosa von Praunheim, 83, Dies; Captured Gay Life in Germany on Film
  His first feature-length movie, in 1971, was called his country’s “Stonewall moment,” for jump-starting a gay-rights movement. He became a leading voice of it.
• Mickey Rourke Declines $100,000 in Donations After His Eviction
  Rourke’s landlord said in court documents that the actor owed nearly $60,000 in rent. Rourke said he had opted not to pay rent after the home became uninhabitable.
• Critics Choice Awards 2026: Unforgettable Looks From Ariana Grande, Megan Stalter and More
  Saturated colors, sculptural silhouettes, doses of whiplash and more.
• The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to Disney+, Amazon, HBO Max, Peacock and More in January
  “The Pitt” Season 2, “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” “The Beauty,” “Wonder Man,” “Shrinking” Season 3 and more arrive.
• The Most Anticipated Book Adaptations of 2026: Movies and TV Shows
  “People We Meet on Vacation,” “Wuthering Heights” and “Project Hail Mary” are some of this year’s most anticipated adaptations.
• Five Horror Movies to Stream Now
  A new year brings thrillers galore, with evil emerging from a pandemic, a summer camp and a rideshare app.
• On ‘Best Medicine,’ Josh Charles Has a Heart
  After years of playing smarmy characters, the actor is stepping up as the lead in a comedy about a grumpy but charming doctor.

NPR©

• Timothée Chalamet brings a lot to the table in 'Marty Supreme'
  Chalamet stars as a scrappy shoe salesman who dreams of becoming the greatest table tennis player in the world — and is willing to steal, cheat, sweet-talk and hustle his way to the top.
• Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr — known for bleak, existential movies — has died
  Tarr's films were long, dark, and often abstract explorations of everyday life and politics.
• Coming of age takes a terrifying turn in Charlie Polinger's 'The Plague'
  NPR's Daniel Estrin talks with writer and director Charlie Polinger about his new horror film, "The Plague."
• A film sheds new light on the private life of the first U.S. woman to go to space
  NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with Cristina Costantini, director of the new documentary, Sally, about the life of astronaut Sally Ride.
• Progress for women movie directors stalled in 2025
  Only 8% of directors with movies in theaters in 2025 were women. That news comes from an annual study from USC Annenberg. It reveals a reversal of trends that were not great to begin with; in 2020, the best year for women directors on record, only 15% of movie directors were women.
• 50 wonderful things from 2025
  Each year, critic Linda Holmes looks back on the year and compiles a list of the things that brought her joy.
• 10 passion projects that stood out at the movies this year
  NPR critic Bob Mondello narrows down his favorite movies of the year — the ones that made audiences vibrate.
• A critic's year-end 'ghost list' wanders from Italian movie sets to 'Demon Hunters'
  Critic-at-large John Powers gives his due to the movies, TV and books he wasn't able to cover earlier in the year, including La Grazia, Andor, Mississippi Blue 42 and the documentary Mr. Scorsese.
• Undercover documentary reveals Russia's propaganda efforts after invasion of Ukraine
  "Mr. Nobody Against Putin," a film made secretly by a teacher in Russia, shows the propaganda efforts in a country at war.
• 'Raising questions' isn't enough. The best films of the year took a stance
  Now is not the time for subtlety, nostalgia or neutrality on screen.