‘Batman Forever’: Akiva Goldsman Says The “Schumacher Cut” Exists & Releasing It Would Be “A Nice Way To Honor” The Director

After debuting the first footage from Paul King’s Wonka at CinemaCon last year, Warner Bros today unwrapped the latest trailer for the prequel to Roald Dahl beloved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Timothée Chalamet stars as the enigmatic Willy Wonka in the pic that focuses on the candymaker’s origins.

Wonka,” starring Chalamet as the eccentric chocolatier created by renowned author Roald Dahl. The musical fantasy film follows the adventures of a young Willy Wonka, including how he met the Oompa-Loompas. Along with Chalamet, the film stars Olivia Colman, Sally Hawkins, Keegan-Michael Key, Matthew Baynton, Matt Lucas, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Natasha Rothwell, Simon Farnaby, Paterson Joseph, Tom Davis, Rakhee Thakrar, Justin Edwards, Colin O’Brien, Ellie White, Freya Parker and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.

One year after Saw hit theaters in 2004, House of Wax — loosely based on the 1953 horror film of the same name — gave Us more creepy torture scenes and grotesque scares than we knew what to do with. But unlike Saw, all of House of Wax’s most heart-pounding moments were aimed at an A-list roster of the hottest TV talent in the 2000s.

Katie Thurston is venturing outside of Bachelor Nation to find her next love interest.

Comedy doesn’t always have the easiest time being taken seriously come Oscar season. Movies based on established toy brands don’t either. But, based on reaction to Sunday night’s huge world premiere at the Shrine in Downtown Los Angeles, as well as my own feelings watching it with the packed (6000+) crowd of first nighters, Barbie just may have the stuff to not only become a smash boxoffice hit this summer (I would now guarantee it) but also a surprising genuine awards contender for Warner Bros and Mattel (I can’t believe I just wrote that sentence).

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Ryan Gosling is singing his heart out as Ken in “Barbie.” Warner Bros. has debuted an official music video from the upcoming Greta Gerwig-directed tentpole in which Gosling belts out “I’m Just Ken.” The song finds Gosling’s lovelorn doll wrestling with always being second to Barbie (Margot Robbie) and contemplating what his life means without her. The accompanying clip includes Gosling’s Ken shirtless, crying and incredibly emotional. “I’m Just Ken” is the latest original song released from the official “Barbie” soundtrack, which also includes artists such as Grammy winners Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish. Soundtrack producer Mark Ronson told Variety on the “Barbie” world premiere red carpet that Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash even played on Gosling’s record after being sent the track and finding it cool.

Naman Ramachandran The total U.K. and Ireland box office for June 2023 was £90.3 million ($114.8 million), 28% lower than June 2022, according to numbers released by Comscore. Year-to-date 2023 is currently running 7% behind the same period in 2022, the numbers reveal. The territory is very much weather-driven and June 2023 was the hottest June since records began, per the U.K. Met Office, meaning that potential cinema audiences spent a larger proportion of their leisure time outdoors. June’s highest-grossing film was Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse” with £26.7 million, which comfortably surpassed the lifetime total of its predecessor, “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse” (£10.8 million). The animated sequel is currently the third-biggest release of the year so far.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer In a display of pink visible from outer space, Greta Gerwig’s  “Barbie” held its lush world premiere on Sunday in Los Angeles. The Shrine Auditorum, located smack in the middle of the USC campus, was hosed down in colors of blush and bashful for the anticipated Warner Bros. release (as in, the security guards wore pink polo shirts), which drew the film’s stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.  One notable absence was Noah Baumbach, the film’s co-writer and Gerwig’s partner. “My co-writer and co-creator, my partner in love and art, Noah Baumbach is not here. He is passionately supporting the fight of the Writers Guild of America,” Gerwig said. “He is a Barbie girl. Nothing in ‘Barbie’ happened without him, and nothing in Hollywood happens without writers.”

When it comes to horror movies at the box office, Sony resurrected its track record this past weekend with the opening of Blumhouse/Stage 6 Films’ fifthquel, Insidious: The Red Door which had a $32.65M domestic opening, $64M Worldwide debut.

Two it-girls of their respective generations are officially linking up for a horror-tastic classic.

In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo explores the mind of a criminal in “The Crowded Room.” Created by Akiva Goldsman (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” “I Am Legend”), the show follows Danny (Tom Holland), a young man who is arrested for a violent crime in 70’s Manhattan, and the complex case that arises from the accused man’s unique condition.

The Venice Film Festival will start with Luca Guadagnino’s sexy sports comedy “Challengers,” featuring Zendaya as a former tennis prodigy turned coach involved in a love triangle with two professional tennis players, played by Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Of all the impressive skills Barbie has amassed in her 64 years as a working doll, who knew that cartography would be a focal point of her highly anticipated summer movie debut? But here we are. Trailers for the upcoming “Barbie,” from director Greta Gerwig and Warner Bros. Pictures, have led to the dissemination of a controversial map used in the film – one depicted in a scene with stars Margot Robbie and Kate McKinnon (known in the film as “Weird Barbie”) — and the studio is speaking up after days of international headlines. “The map in Barbie Land is a child-like crayon drawing,” a spokesperson for the Warner Bros. Film Group told Variety. “The doodles depict Barbie’s make-believe journey from Barbie Land to the ‘real world.’ It was not intended to make any type of statement.”

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor A mass exodus of Black women from senior leadership posts across Hollywood during the last few weeks is raising questions about the depth of the film and television industry’s commitment to diversifying the top ranks of the entertainment industry. The high-profile departures have sparked outrage on social media, with mounting concerns that major studios are only performing lip service after pledging to elevate more people of color to positions of influence. In the last month, six Black women executives in prominent leadership roles have abruptly left their positions in the studio system. Many oversaw DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) departments, putting them on the frontlines of larger effort to change corporate cultures and hiring practices. The exits include Karen Horne, who led DEI efforts at Warner Bros. Discovery and Jeanell English, executive VP of impact and inclusion at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. The other prominent executives are Netflix’s Vernā Myers, the streamer’s first head of inclusion; Disney’s LaTondra Newton, chief diversity officer and senior VP; and another Warner Bros. executive, Terra Potts, VP of worldwide marketing. On Monday, Joanna Abeyie, the BBC’s creative diversity director, joined their ranks. And even though the steady stream of departures is alarming, multiple industry sources tell Variety that more BIPOC executives are expected to join them in the coming weeks.

Back in April, it was revealed that Warner Bros. Discovery is hoping to capitalize on the “Harry Potter” brand with a new reboot of the film series.

Daniel Radcliffe is fine with sitting on the sidelines for Max’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series.

J. Kim Murphy Daniel Radcliffe is alright sitting out the next round of “Harry Potter” projects. Warner Bros. Discovery recently ordered a new adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s best-selling series of novels, conceived this time as a television series for its streaming service Max. The project will feature an entirely new cast — a decision that Radcliffe is at peace with. In a new interview with ComicBook to promote his TBS comedy series “Miracle Workers: End Times,” Radcliffe expressed his support for whatever comes for “Harry Potter,” but that he doesn’t feel he needs to be there. “My understanding is that they’re trying to very much start fresh and I’m sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere,” Radcliffe stated. “I’m definitely not seeking it out in any way. But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world and I’m very excited to have that torch passed. But I don’t think it needs me to physically pass it.”

Refresh for chart…On the bright side for Independence Day bomb Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, its first five days at the box office of $82M aren’t as bad as Paramount/Skydance’s Terminator Genisys.

Issa Rae’s Insecure has landed on Netflix.

Before Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie captured the zeitgeist with their Warner Bros-backed Barbie, the popular doll was the subject of a much darker indie pic directed by Todd Haynes.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Insecure” is now officially available to stream on Netflix, the first HBO original to launch on the streamer under a new licensing deal with Warner Bros. Discovery. It was first reported on June 20 that WBD was in talks to license some of their original shows to Netflix. In addition, the streamer has confirmed that “Band of Brothers,” “The Pacific,” “Six Feet Under,” and “Ballers” will be coming to the service at a later date. “True Blood,” which also currently streams on Hulu, will be available to Netflix subscribers outside the U.S. All of the shows remain available to stream on Max (formerly HBO Max) as well. The deal marks the latest shift in content strategy at Warner Bros. Discovery under the David Zaslav regime. In January, Warner Bros. Discovery made licensing moves by partnering with Roku and Tubi to launch free, ad-supported channels with HBO shows. The FAST channels included all seasons of shows like “Westworld,” “Raised by Wolves,” “Legendary,” “FBoy Island,” “The Nevers,” “Finding Magic Mike,” “Head of the Class,” “The Time Traveler’s Wife” and more. In 2014, HBO and Amazon reached an exclusive licensing deal to stream shows like “the Sopranos,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “True Blood” and more on Amazon Prime Video.