Steve Pond's Blog, page 29

‘Roofman’ Review: Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst Are a Charmingly Doomed Couple in Dark Rom-Com

The saddest romantic comedy ever, or maybe the most lighthearted tragedy in years, Derek Cianfrance’s “Roofman” is a film that perfectly embodies the description of its lead character delivered by a correctional officer halfway through the movie.

“He’s a very smart individual, probably genius level,” says the prison guard. “He’s also a complete idiot.”

There you have Jeffrey Manchester, a real-life Army veteran who robbed 40-some McDonald’s restaurants by cutting holes in the roof, was sent to prison for 45 years, escaped, lived undetected in a Toys “R” Us for six months and risked it all by romancing a churchgoing single mother.

His glaring contradictions form the bedrock of Cianfrance’s film, which embraces the duality by playing up the charm and likeability of a rom-com couple whose meet-cute involves a prison break and a bag of stolen toys. Cianfrance’s last few movies — the harrowing relationship story “Blue Valentine,” the multi-generational epic “The Place Beyond the Pines” and the weighty “The Light Between Oceans” — have been predominantly dark. “Roofman” feels lighter, friendlier and funnier.

But as the Paramount Pictures film goes on, its pleasures play out under the shadow of an all-but-inevitable doom; this is a film that feels enjoyable, but only if you can ignore what’s coming for these characters.

Still, there’s a very good reason Channing Tatum was chosen to play Manchester. The film keeps telling us that Jeffrey is a good guy even though he robs McDonald’s in an attempt to provide for the three children he and his estranged wife have. It’s easier to shrug off that string of felonies if the felon is played by the effortlessly charming Tatum, who somehow gets us to believe he’s just a little misguided.

“This is the part of the story where I hope you’re wondering how a nice guy like me got involved in this,” he says in a voiceover in the opening moments of the film, and it’s to his credit that we swallow the “nice guy like me” line. (I mean, hey, he gave the McDonald’s manager his hoodie before locking the guy in the walk-in refrigerator!)

Jeffrey, we’re told by his old Army buddy Steve (Lakeith Stanfield), has the remarkable ability to notice things that other people don’t, which makes him an asset in war zones and also in small towns with restaurants ripe for robbing. And when he’s sent to prison for one of those robberies that goes bad, his skill set also means that he can figure out how to get out.

The problem is that whole genius/idiot thing. Jeffrey wants to stay in the Charlotte area because that’s where his kids are, though he knows to contact them would result in immediate arrest. He stumbles on a Toys “R” Us store and hides there, first in a crawlspace and later in a more luxurious hideaway he fashions behind a wall of bicycles.

All of this plays out with a light touch, and with music by Christopher Bear that manages to be playful and a little sentimental even in the prison scenes. Between the tone of the film and the easygoing appeal of Tatum, “Roofman” gives us little choice but to root for Jeffrey, even when he puts on roller skates and does some questionable Tom Cruise/”Risky Business” moves in the toy store aisles or attacks the Tickle Me Elmo display in a fit of frustration.

And while he doesn’t really mean to start romancing Leigh Wainscott (Kirsten Dunst) when he brings a bag of pilfered goods to the toy drive she runs at a local church, he does it so naturally and she responds so eagerly that we kind of have to root for them, too. It helps that Dunst is grounded as always, and under normal circumstances they’d be an ideal rom-com couple.

But these are not normal circumstances. Cianfrance’s movie may play like a rom-com, but the rom and the com are taking place under a giant shadow; no matter how much you want to see these crazy kids succeed, you can’t ignore that settling down to cozy domesticity in the city where law enforcement knows what he looks like and is searching for him is simply not going to happen.

So this is a rom-com with a big but. There’s a hysterical scene where Jeffrey is bathing himself in the toy store restroom when the store manager (Peter Dinklage) shows up unexpectedly and confronts the stark-naked intruder … but that just means he’s probably going to be caught sooner. There’s a fun scene where Jeffrey and Leigh shop for a used car and his wild driving helps mend tensions with Leigh’s teenage daughter … but a photo of the happy family with their new car can only be one more opportunity for someone to spot Jeffrey.

“Roofman” has it both ways; it’s funny and foreboding, sweet and troubling, light on its feet but with an inescapable undertone of uneasiness, even dread. Jeffrey works hard to keep way too many balls in the air — relationships, hiding places, escape plans put together by Steve and his girlfriend Michelle (Juno Temple) — while Leigh puts on a brave face that can’t hide her increasing doubts (something Dunst is exceptionally good at conveying without calling attention to what she’s doing).

The tonal juggling act isn’t always seamless, but in a way, the contradictions are what give “Roofman” its life. It’s a sad movie, really, but it’s also a lot of fun. And if that doesn’t make sense, maybe it’s the whole point.

For TheWrap’s complete TIFF coverage, go here.

The post ‘Roofman’ Review: Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst Are a Charmingly Doomed Couple in Dark Rom-Com appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Rental Family’ Review: Brendan Fraser Fakes It Till He Makes It in Touching Japan-Set Drama

Recently someone asked me what movie I was about to review, which as you can imagine happens a lot. I told them, “It’s this new Brendan Fraser movie called ‘Rental Family.’” That’s when the phone went quiet. Chillingly quiet. After a moment they said they felt bad for Brendan Fraser, because he just won an Oscar and it sounds like he was already starring in another banal family comedy like “Furry Vengeance” — the one where forest critters splash water on his pants so he looks like he’s peed himself.

Trust me, the situation is nowhere near that dire. “Rental Family” may sound like a generic PG-rated family flick but the Searchlight Pictures film is actually a tender, modest drama that just happens to have a premise right out of a PG-rated family flick. It’s easy to see what attracted Fraser to this material, since it’s almost mechanically designed to make him look good as an actor, and enchanting as a star.

“Rental Family” stars Fraser as Phillip Vandarploeug, an American actor living in Japan, whose agent has apparently never once suggested he change his last name. Phillip isn’t terribly successful, but there are a lot of roles for token white guys and he doesn’t need a day job to supplement his income, so he can’t be doing very badly either.

One day Phillip gets hired for a mysterious new gig. He shows up and realizes he’s an extra in somebody’s funeral. Except nobody is filming it. Phillip has wandered into the very real world of rental family services, where people hire actors to fill otherwise empty roles in their lives. They need people to pad out the guest list at parties, or pretend to be friends and lovers, or stand-in for someone’s absentee father at parent-teacher meetings. And just like Phillip’s other acting gigs, there’s usually a role for another token white guy.

Rental family services aren’t common in America, and in a lesser movie they could be the source of cheap and judgmental comedy. So director Hikari (“37 Seconds”) and co-writer Stephen Blahut try to get Phillip’s culture shock out of the way quickly. In Phillip’s first big gig he has to pretend to get married to a young Japanese woman, fooling her family in the process, and Phillip finds that morally dicey. So much so that he almost backs out at the last second. This particular vignette concludes in the most heroic way possible, portraying rental family services in an exceptionally positive light.

Afterwards, Phillip’s co-worker gives him a stern talking to about his judgmental western attitude, taking him — and by extension, American audiences — to task for not even trying to understand the culture in which they are currently immersed. Phillip, who loves Japan and makes his home there, realizes he was wrong and embraces this new role. He becomes a fictional father to a little girl who temporarily needs one, even though he’ll eventually have to abandon her and break her heart. He also impersonates a film critic and conducts a series of interviews with an aging star, just to make the man feel like audiences haven’t forgotten him.

In short, “Rental Family” is about why we rely on actors. Movies and plays fill voids in our lives, giving us romance when we have none, and catharsis when fate fails to come through. The actors in “Rental Family” get off their stage and walk directly into their client’s lives, providing a more immersive experience. It’s a love letter to humane performances, the type of roles Brendan Fraser always excels at. This is no exception.

Hikari’s film doesn’t entirely shy away from the moral grey areas of rental family services. Phillip’s co-worker, played by Mari Yamamoto (“Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”), is often cast as the other woman in extramarital affairs, and takes all of the blame for a cheating husband’s betrayal. It’s humiliating and often abusive, and “Rental Family” considers it the dark side of this phenomenon. In these instances the job isn’t about contributing to people’s lives, it’s about aiding and abetting these manipulative men and their misogyny.

It’s all very interesting, even though it’s tonally chaotic. “Rental Family” is, in turns, wholesome and vicious, funny and severe, contrived and elegant. It is after all a film about actors with oodles of range, undergoing the unique challenges of their craft, and these shifts serve the material well but they don’t always work wonders for the audience. It’s easy to struggle with how exactly we’re supposed to feel about all this.

But again, it’s not about how we “feel” about rental families, it’s about how well we understand them. After watching this film I understand rental families better, but I still don’t understand the practice well enough to judge, and that also means I don’t understand rental families well enough to determine if “Rental Family” does any justice to this topic. All I can say for certain is that Hikari’s film is a complex conversation about the craft of acting, but often gets sidelined in its own contrivances and emotional manipulations, calling attention to the artifice of, admittedly, a story about artifice.

“Rental Family” opens in theaters on Nov. 21.

The post ‘Rental Family’ Review: Brendan Fraser Fakes It Till He Makes It in Touching Japan-Set Drama appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Wake Up Dead Man’ Review: Rian Johnson’s Glorious, Goofy Gothic Horror Is the Best ‘Knives Out’ Movie Yet

Although “Wake Up Dead Man” is the “Knives Out” movie that’s most preoccupied with existential questions surrounding death, writer/director Rian Johnson’s third film in the series is also the one that’s most full of life. Yes, it brings back a delightful Daniel Craig as the fast-talking detective Benoit Blanc, but he is not the one who unlocks this movie’s mysteries. No, in addition to Craig not saying a word for the film’s entire opening act, he is merely there to serve the outstanding Josh O’Connor.

Not only does the franchise newcomer give an excellent comedic performance, the “Challengers” and “God’s Own Country” actor also brings a genuine amount of grace to a film that ends up becoming precisely about that. It’s Johnson’s most elaborate murder mystery movie yet, but also his most emotional.

What that entails requires being vague so as not to rob the film of its fun (this is a “Knives Out” movie after all), but the greatest revelation comes in how effective Johnson is in his exploration of faith, community, anger and redemption. He never sacrifices entertainment in the pursuit of doing so, moving at a rapid pace with one killer joke after another, including a couple of sly shots that it takes against its streaming home Netflix and even Johnson’s former film series Star Wars.

But the film’s greatest strength comes in how it settles into something more thoughtful and reflective when you least expect it. In between extended jokes about masturbation, the film tackles the perilous rise of right-wing extremism and how religion can be a way to heal but also a convenient cover for hate. If this sounds like it could be too much for Johnson to pull off, have patience — your faith will be rewarded tenfold. 

The darker mystery Johnson plays around with this time centers on Rev. Jud Duplenticy (O’Connor), who we first hear as he is recounting a long and winding story. To put it simply, after getting in a fight with another member of his faith, he is sent to a remote church with a dark past that is now struggling in the present. The cause for the struggles, both past and present, is that it is run by the tyrannical Msgr. Jefferson Micks (Josh Brolin), who is more interested in his own power than with any of his flock. Jud, though prone to swearing and many more ungodly things, soon tries to push back against this in any way he can.

He tries to connect with those still caught in Micks’ orbit, which is where we get to know the pitch-perfect new ensemble cast of Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Jeremy Renner, Glenn Close, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church. Matters become even more dire when there is a sudden death at a service that makes everyone a suspect. 

This is when Blanc enters the story, but there is never a moment when you’re impatient for him to arrive. Johnson is so confident in setting up all the new characters and their various hilarious dynamics that you get completely swept up in the lengthy introduction. With a profoundly funny O’Connor as our guide into this entire new scenario, you’re always completely enraptured with Johnson’s commitment to both silliness and sincerity.

Though “Wake Up Dead Man” has the most confined setting of all the films, cinematographer Steve Yedlin, a close collaborator of Johnson’s who shot “The Last Jedi,” the original “Knives Out” and “Glass Onion” among others, shoots the hell out of the whole thing. There are so many brilliant visual moments that make revealing use of lighting changes or become more haunting images of gothic horror when we get plunged into darkness. It’s as though there are entire worlds contained within the church and surrounding forest from all the different ways they get captured. As we make our way through all of them, with O’Connor and Craig both having mountains of chemistry to spare, you get to take in a production that’s just as handsome as the two leading men.

The ultimate triumph of all these already great parts is how Johnson guides us into something more radical and contemplative once all the pieces of the mystery fall into place. Yes, there are many great monologues by Craig and pure fun to be had in seeing him stumble about before arriving at the eventual answer. However, it’s the smaller, more subtle moments from O’Connor that make “Wake Up Dead Man” the surprisingly transcendent — yet still plenty silly — experience that it is.

When we have the big reveals, of which there are a magnificent many, Johnson never loses sight of the spiritual core that O’Connor carries with him. That it fits this all into one movie and comes out on the other side intact is a miracle, though one with the power to make even the director’s greatest doubters into believers.

“Wake Up Dead Man” opens in select theaters on November 26 and comes to Netflix on December 12.

Read all of our Toronto Film Festival coverage here.

The post ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ Review: Rian Johnson’s Glorious, Goofy Gothic Horror Is the Best ‘Knives Out’ Movie Yet appeared first on TheWrap.

‘EPiC’ Review: Baz Luhrmann Doesn’t Need Austin Butler to Make Another Rockin’ Elvis Movie

Baz Luhrmann came to the Toronto International Film Festival thee years ago with his movie “Elvis,” which survived a lengthy, pandemic-delayed production to land eight Oscar nominations and earn almost $300 million worldwide. You’d think that he’d be ready to move on at rhetorical end of that journey, but Luhrmann was back at TIFF on Saturday with another Elvis movie, this one titled “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert.”

The title seems as if it could tell you everything you need to know about the movie, but Luhrmann has grander ambitions than that. The film is an Elvis concert movie of sorts, drawn mostly from footage filmed for a pair of early 1970s documentaries, “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is” and “Elvis on Tour.” But it’s far from a straight concert film, because it mixes concert footage with rehearsals, studio sessions, archival materials and voiceovers in which Elvis describes his life in a way that seems more casual and perhaps more honest than most of his public statements.

Luhrmann calls it a “tone poem,” but you can also think of it as a remix along the lines of the nerviest moments from Luhrmann’s last Elvis movie, when a song might start with the familiar Elvis version, performed by Elvis or by star Austin Butler or by a mixture of the two, but also bring in hip-hop elements before it’s done.

“EPiC” is Elvis through the Baz lens, where big and bold is always preferable to straightforward and where going over-the-top is never considered a bad thing. If it’s not revelatory for people who’ve seen the existing films from the era, it’s the most imaginative, generous and entertaining look at a time in which Elvis’ comeback still had real life to it.

It’s also got a great beat and you can dance to it, as the audience at the Princess of Wales Theatre did.

(Of course, Luhrmann may have helped prompt that by his pre-screening comment that he’d be looking for the most enthusiastic audience members and giving them swag.) 

The film is based around shows Elvis did at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in the summer of 1970; it wasn’t his return to live performances, which had happened in the previous year, but a later engagement that was filmed for the movie “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is.” But a few other shows also went into the mix,which means we get to chart a year or two of Elvis by his jumpsuits: the white, studded look of those ’70 first Vegas shows; a light blue number that found Elvis a little paler and puffier, featured in “Elvis on Tour,”; a dark blue suit that fell in between.

And the performance veer between playful and passionate, with Elvis in great voice throughout on the raw rock ‘n’ roll songs from his past and the full-throated ballads to which he would increasingly turn for the remainder of his career. Highlights include the first-ever live performance of “Burning Love,” a tantalizing few moments of Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released” and the arrival of “Suspicious Minds” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” as true showstoppers.

“EPiC” is a film that more or less follows an Elvis show but is always on the move in and around that show. Offstage Elvis informs onstage Elvis and vice versa, and the zeal with which Luhrmann whips it all up into an undefinable Elvispalooza is fit for a King.

The post ‘EPiC’ Review: Baz Luhrmann Doesn’t Need Austin Butler to Make Another Rockin’ Elvis Movie appeared first on TheWrap.

Zuckerberg, Trump Hot-Mic Moment Caught by MSNBC: ‘Wasn’t Sure What Number You Wanted’ | Video

When tech billionaires and politicians throw around dollar figures beyond our imagination, what are they drawing upon, exactly? Their own imaginations, most likely.

At least that seemed to be the case this week, when Mark Zuckerberg sat next to Donald Trump at a White House meeting of the biggest tech, AI and crypto moguls in America including Tim Cook, Sam Altman and Bill Gates (Notably absent: Elon Musk).

MSNBC “The Weekend” anchor Jackie Alemany had a hearty giggle at an edit showing Cook, Altman and Gates all gushing at the president as they took turns speaking from around a large table, thanking him for the invitation and his business-friendly leadership.

“The dinner comes as big tech pushes for a hands-off approach to AI from the government,” Alemany said. “And in a scene reminiscent of one of Trump’s Cabinet meetings, each billionaire took turns showering him with praise.”

But anchor Eugene Daniels was particularly interested in the moment when Zuckerberg, seated directly to Trump’ right, was asked by the president how much Meta would be spending in the U.S. over the next few years.

“Oh, gosh,” Zuckerberg began, hesitating. “I mean, I think it’s probably going to be something like, I don’t know, at least $600 billion through ’28 in the U.S., yeah.”

“It’s a lot,” Trump replied.

Moments later – and with the mics still on – Trump came back to the topic, though it appears Zuckerberg didn’t know his audio was being recorded.

“It’s — it’s significant,” Zuckerberg said. “Sorry, I wasn’t ready to do a — a big announcement. I wasn’t — I wasn’t sure what number you wanted.”

And with that, the veil had been lifted, as Daniels took note.

“It’s like, these men are not in business together!” Daniels said. “They’re not supposed to be. The president has his hands so much in how some of these folks are operating. … But should the president be kind of as involved as it seems like he might be.”

Watch the entire exchange in the video above.

The post Zuckerberg, Trump Hot-Mic Moment Caught by MSNBC: ‘Wasn’t Sure What Number You Wanted’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Mehdi Hasan Respond to Trump’s Chicago ‘War’ Rhetoric: ‘Impeachment-Worthy’

Chicago’s Mayor Brandon Johnson, British broadcaster Mehdi Hasan and more responded to a Truth Social from Donald Trump that appeared to indicate plans for U.S. military action in the city. As Hasan put it, such a post from any other preceding president “would be impeachment-worthy.”

Trump shared an AI-generated image of himself dressed like Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore (Robert Duvall) from “Apocalypse Now” in front of the Chicago skyline. The AI-generated Trump is crouched in front of flames as helicopters enter the city to his right.

“‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning,'” the image is captioned. “Chicago is about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.” The image also bears the phrase “Chipocalypse Now.”

The president of the United States just declared war, actual military war, not a metaphorical one, on a major American city, and one governed by his political opponents.In any other period, this would be impeachment-worthy.

— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan.bsky.social) 2025-09-06T15:54:46.222Z

“The president of the United States just declared war, actual military war, not a metaphorical one, on a major American city, and one governed by his political opponents,” Hasan wrote on Bluesky. “In any other period, this would be impeachment-worthy.”

The President’s threats are beneath the honor of our nation, but the reality is that he wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution.

We must defend our democracy from this authoritarianism by protecting each other and protecting Chicago from Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/B7AH1ufByH

— Mayor Brandon Johnson (@ChicagosMayor) September 6, 2025

Mayor Johnson also slammed the message.

“The President’s threats are beneath the honor of our nation, but the reality is that he wants to occupy our city and break our Constitution,” he wrote on X. “We must defend our democracy from this authoritarianism by protecting each other and protecting Chicago from Donald Trump.”

My response to Trump as a proud resident of the city of Chicago: Go fuck yourself. Stay the hell out of our city, you fascist. pic.twitter.com/k1lPFXvf85

— Mike Nellis (@MikeNellis) September 6, 2025

Political strategist Mike Nellis, who worked as the former senior advisor to then-Vice President Kamala Harris, had a strong response as well: “My response to Trump as a proud resident of the city of Chicago: Go f–k yourself. Stay the hell out of our city, you fascist.”

President Trump’s military threats against Chicago are reckless and un-American.
Chicago won’t be bullied. pic.twitter.com/Jil8pZ5PY5

— Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (@CongressmanRaja) September 6, 2025

“President Trump’s military threats against Chicago are reckless and un-American,” wrote Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, who represents the state’s 8th district, on X. “Chicago won’t be bullied.”

The post Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Mehdi Hasan Respond to Trump’s Chicago ‘War’ Rhetoric: ‘Impeachment-Worthy’ appeared first on TheWrap.

Creative Arts Emmys: ‘The Studio’ and ‘The Penguin’ Win Big on Night 1 (Complete Winners List)

“The Studio” was the big winner at Night 1 of the Creative Arts Emmys, ending the evening with nine wins. It was a hard-fought victory: The Apple TV+ comedy series was locked in a continual back-and-forth with HBO Max’s “The Penguin,” which went home with eight wins.

Apple TV+’s “Severance,” which is the overall nomination leader at the Emmys this year with 27 nods total, won six categories, including guest actress in a drama (Merritt Wever) and production design. “Andor,” which only has three nominations at the Primetime Emmys, was next in line with four CAE wins, including outstanding special visual effects and production design. “The Boys” and “Bridgerton” each trailed with three.

Then came “Adolescence” with two wins, followed by “The Last of Us,” “The Righteous Gemstones,” “The White Lotus” and “Monster: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story,” which all managed to sneak in one victory — which is one more than the former champ, FX’s “The Bear,” eked out on Saturday.

Night 1 set up an interesting playing field for the Primetime Emmys on September 14. In the Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series category, the spin-off of “The Batman” has the burden of facing off against Netflix’s social commentary phenomenon “Adolescence.”

With nine statuettes already in hand, “The Studio” is in prime position to beat “Hacks” (which took home a single early win for guest actress Julianne Nicholson) for the top comedy award next week and best the record set by “The Bear” last year for the comedy series with the most wins (11) in a single season. In what is perhaps another sign of the turning tides among Academy voters, last year’s guest actor winner from “The Bear,” Jon Bernthal, lost on Saturday to Bryan Cranston from “The Studio” — one of the show’s five nominees in that category.

As for “Severance,” its six CAE wins would seem to put it in a strong position to take home best drama series next Sunday, beating out its prime competitor, HBO Max’s “The Pitt,” which earned Shawn Hatosy an Emmy for guest actor in a drama in addition to a win for casting.

Part 2 of the Creative Arts Emmys unfolds at the same place on Sunday, Sept. 7. The two evenings will be edited into a single broadcast airing Saturday, Sept. 13, at 8 p.m. PST on FXX. (The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards will air live on September 14 at 8 p.m. EST / 5 p.m. PST on CBS and Paramount+.)

Below is the complete list of winners.

Outstanding Animated Program
“Arcane”

Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series
“The Studio”

Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series
“The Pitt”

Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
“Adolescence”

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Julie Andrews, “Bridgerton”

Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming
“Étoile”

Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
“Adolescence”

Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (Half-Hour)
“The Studio”

Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (One Hour)
“Severance”

Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Series
“The Studio”

Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
“The Penguin”

Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling
“The Penguin”

Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic)
“The Penguin”

Outstanding Costumes for Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Programming
“Beyoncé Bowl”

Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes
“Andor”

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Bryan Cranston, “The Studio”

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Shawn Hatosy, “The Pitt”

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Julianne Nicholson, “Hacks”

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Merritt Wever, “Severance”

Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation: Background Design
“Arcane”

Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation: Color
“Arcane”

Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation: Character Animation
“Love, Death + Robots”

Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation: Character Design
“Love, Death + Robots”

Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation: Production Design
“Love, Death + Robots”

Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation: Storyboard
“Love, Death + Robots”

Outstanding Innovation in Emerging Media Programming
“White Rabbit”

Outstanding Motion Design
“Octopus!”

Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score)
“The Penguin”

Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
“Severance”

Outstanding Music Supervision
“The Studio”

Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music
“The White Lotus”

Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
“The Boys,” “Let’s Put the Christ Back in Christmas”

Outstanding Performer in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series
Desi Lydic, “The Daily Show”

Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Hairstyling
“Bridgerton”

Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup (Non-Prosthetic)
“House of the Dragon”

Outstanding Period Costumes
“Bridgerton”

Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama Series
“Andor”

Outstanding Picture Editing for a Multi-Camera Comedy Series
“Frasier”

Outstanding Picture Editing for a Single-Camera Comedy Series
“The Studio”

Outstanding Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”

Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More)
“Severance”

Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More)
“Andor”

Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour)
“The Studio”

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup
“The Penguin”

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour)
“The Studio”

Outstanding Sound Editing for an Animated Program
“Arcane”

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)
“The Last of Us”

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special
“The Penguin”

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation
“The Studio”

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)
“Severance”

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
“The Penguin”

Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie
“Andor”

Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Single Episode
“The Penguin”

Outstanding Stunt Coordination for Comedy Programming
“The Righteous Gemstones”

Outstanding Stunt Coordination for Drama Programming
“The Boys”

Outstanding Stunt Performance
“The Boys”

Outstanding Television Movie
“Rebel Ridge”

Outstanding Title Design
“Severance”

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‘Hamnet’ Began With a Telluride Meeting Between Chloé Zhao and Paul Mescal

Filmmaker Chloé Zhao has returned with her fifth feature film, “Hamnet,” a tragedy based on Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 bestselling novel, but the movie traces its origins to a meeting at a film festival between Zhao and her lead actor for the movie, Paul Mescal.

In a conversation with TheWrap’s Sharon Waxman at TIFF 2025, Zhao said she had been approached by Amblin Partners to adapt “Hamnet,” a bestselling novel and tragedy based on the real-life death of William Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, at the age of 11. While she was considering it, she was convinced by Mescal to take the project when they met at the Telluride Film Festival.

“I met with him by the creek. I was looking at him talking…it’s a little bit like when I met Brady, the cowboy from ‘The Rider,'” said Zhao, referring to her 2018 film in which real-life former rodeo rider Brady Jandreau starred as a cowboy who can never ride horses again due to a serious brain injury that leaves him vulnerable to seizures.

It was Mescal who convinced her to read Maggie O’Farrell’s book, and as she did, she imagined Mescal and Jessie Buckley starring in the film as Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes. Before Zhao even wrote the script, she had the two actors do chemistry tests using scenes improvised from the book, and her instincts were confirmed.

After winning over critics with “The Rider,” Zhao became the second woman to win the Best Director Oscar with “Nomadland,” which also won Best Picture, before taking a jump into blockbuster filmmaking with the Marvel film “Eternals.” With “Hamnet,” Zhao said she needed to take on something completely new, and not just because of the subject matter.

“With the first four films, I chased a lot of sunsets, lots of horizons. I went far and wide, and I knew at midlife, with a lot of things that was going on in my own life, I needed to descend,” she said. “I needed to have one stage, one room, one family, and there’s no sunsets in ‘Hamnet.’ I needed that kind of depth in my own life. So making the film was exhilarating because of that.”

“Hamnet” also gave Zhao a new perspective on “Hamlet,” Shakespeare’s legendary play, thanks to O’Farrell’s story which suggests that the Bard’s famous tragic tale about mortality came from a personal place.

“The discomfort of impermanence makes so many of us afraid to live and to love and to feel. I think Shakespeare was definitely touching on that in a really deep level in ‘Hamlet,’ and Maggie assumed the name resemblance and the timing the death of his son must have some influence on this and his attempt to try to make sense of impermanence,” she said.

“Hamnet” will be released by Focus Features on Thanksgiving weekend.

Catch up with all of TheWrap’s TIFF coverage here.

The post ‘Hamnet’ Began With a Telluride Meeting Between Chloé Zhao and Paul Mescal appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Upload’ Season 4 Release Schedule: Are More Episodes on the Way?

“Upload” is finally complete on Prime Video.

The final season of Greg Daniels’ comedy series, starring Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards and more, hit Prime Video on Monday, wrapping up a journey that began all the way back in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic truly took hold.

The season picks up shortly after the cliffhanger of season 3, with Nora (Andy Allo) grieving the loss of her Nathan — at least, until he suddenly starts projecting in her home. Like past seasons of “Upload,” the final episode available ends on just ambiguous enough of a note that you might be wondering, are more episodes on the way?

Here’s what you need to know.

What is the release date?

The final season of “Upload” premiered on Prime Video on Monday, August 25.

How many episodes are there?

There are four episodes in the final season of “Upload.”

When do new episodes come out?

As has been typical for “Upload,” Prime Video opted for another binge rollout for the final season of the show. That means all episodes of the series are now streaming.

Watch the trailer

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Everything New on Peacock in September 2025

There you have it, summer is over and fall leaves are coming down. And so are new TV shows and movies from Peacock.

Let’s be honest, of course the No. 1 title everyone is waiting to watch is Greg Daniels and Michael Koman’s “The Paper,” which sees the film crew that documented the hilarious fictional paper company Dunder Mifflin take on its new subject, The Toledo Truthtellers, a newspaper based in Toledo, Ohio.

In addition, “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” Season 6 will also be dropping on the platform, giving Bravo fans more drama and fun for the fall season.

Between family-friendly features like the “Shrek” movies and some spooky franchises like “Chucky” that prep you for the Halloween season, there’s lots for everyone to enjoy. Check out the full list of everything coming to Peacock for September 2025.

Available Sept. 1“1408”“2012”“21 Jump Street”“22 Jump Street”“3:10 To Yuma”“The 40 Year Old Virgin”“Almost Famous”“American Made”“Amityville 3-D”“Amityville II: The Possession”“Amityville Moon”“Amityville: The Awakening”“The Amityville Harvest”“The Amityville Uprising”“The Angry Birds Movie”“Bad Boys”“Bad Boys II”“Billy Madison”“The Birds”“The Breakfast Club”“Bride of Chucky”“Candyman III”“Carlos”“Child’s Play (2019)”“Child’s Play 2”“Child’s Play 3”“Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant”“Colombiana”“Coming To America”“The Craft: Legacy”“The Creature Walks Among Us”“Cult of Chucky”“Curse of Chucky”“Definitely, Maybe”“Devil”“Django Unchained”“Downton Abbey”“Drag Me To Hell”“Firestarter”“Flatliners” (2017)“Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman”“Goosebumps”“Halloween II”“Halloween III: Season of the Witch”“Hanna”“The Hateful Eight”“The Haunting In Connecticut”“Haunting In Connecticut 2: Ghosts Of Georgia”“The Hitman’s Bodyguard”“The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard”“Home”“I, Frankenstein”“Invincible”“The Invisible Man’s Revenge”“Just Go With It”“Knock Knock”“The Last Witch Hunter”“The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen”“Leatherface”“Lucy”“Miss Congeniality”“Miss Congeniality 2 Armed And Fabulous”“Mummies”“The Mummy”“The Mummy’s Ghost”“October Sky”“Phantasm II”“Psycho”“Puss In Boots”“The Raven”“The Replacements”“Reservoir Dogs”“Robin Hood”“Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark”“The Scorpion King”“Scream 4”“Seed of Chucky”“Shrek”“Shrek 2”“Shek the Third”“Sicario”“The Sixth Sense”“Son of Frankenstein”“Tales From The Crypt: Demon Knight”“Tales From the Hood”“Ted”“Ted 2”“Terrifier 3”“The Thing” (1982)“The Thing” (2011)“The Tillman Story”“United 93”“The Village”“A Walk Among The Tombstones”“Werewolf of London”“When a Stranger Calls”“World Trade Center”“You’re Next”“Zombieland”Available Sept. 2“American Ninja Warrior” Season 17 — Finale“Buried In The Backyard” Season 6 — Premiere “The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys” Season 2 — Finale’“Survival Mode” Season 1 — Finale Available Sept. 3“Botched Presents: Plastic Surgery Rewind” Season — FinaleAvailable Sept. 4“Easter Sunday” “Ninjago Dragons Rising” Season 3“The Paper” Available Sept. 5“Back to Black” “Brightburn”Available Sept. 9“Jeopardy!” Season 42 — Premiere “Wheel of Fortune, Season 43 — Premiere Available Sept. 10“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”“Songs & Stories with Kelly Clarkson” Season 1 — Finale Available Sept. 11“Downton Abbey Celebrates the Grand Finale”Available Sept. 12“Access Hollywood” Season 29 — Finale“Screamboat” — Premiere Available Sept. 15“Access Hollywood” Season 30 “American Me”“Aurora, Season” 1 “Buscando a Frida” Season 1 “Cheech & Chong Get Out Of My Room”“Corazon Valiente” Season 1 “Decisiones: Unos Ganan, Otros Pierden” “Dueños del Paraíso” Season 1 “El Arracadas” “El Baron” Season 1“El Chema” Season 1 “El Clon” Season 1 “El Coyote Y La Bronca”“El Cuerpo del Deseo” Season 1 “El Domo del Dinero” Season 1 “El Sinvergüenza” “Enemigo Intimo” Seasons 1 and 2 “Entre Monjas Anda El Diablo” (Telemundo)“Eva La Trailera” Season 1 “Guerra De Idolos” Season 1 “Honey”“Kings Court” Season 1 – Finale “La Casa de al Lado” Season 1 “La Querida Del Centauro” Seasons 1 and 2 “La Suerte de Loli” Season 1 “Los Herederos del Monte” Season 1 “Lowriders”“Mi Querido Viejo” “The Motorcycle Diaries”“My Son”“Pasion de Gavilanes” Season 1 “Perro Amor” Season 1 “Quien Es Quien” Season 1 “Sangre de mi Tierra” Season 1 “Santa Diabla”Season 1“Sin Nombre”“Un Poquito Tuyo” Season 1 “Zoot Suit”Available Sept. 16“Below Deck” Season 12 — Finale“Love Island Games” Season 2 — Premiere Available Sept. 17“The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” Season 6 PremiereAvailable Sept. 19“Abigail”Available Sept. 22“Jenna & Friends” Season 2 Available Sept. 23“Brilliant Minds” Season 2 — Premiere“Late Night with Seth Meyers” Season 13 — Premiere“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” Season 13 – Premiere “The Voice” Season 28 — PremiereAvailable Sept. 24“Knock At The Cabin”Available Sept. 25

“America’s Got Talent” Season 20 — Finale

Available Sept. 26“Law & Order, Season 25 – Premiere “Law & Order: SVU” Season 27 — PremiereAvailable Sept. 29“Epic Ride: The Story of Universal Theme Parks” Season 1 — Premiere

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