Peter Debruge: Last News

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic “The Kingdom Exodus” begins with a joke, and for the next five hours, it never gets serious, not even for a second. That’s not what you might expect for the long-delayed finale to Lars von Trier’s made-for-TV horror series, though it sure makes this over-the-top return to the haunted Rigshospitalet — that big, brutalist medical center in the heart of Copenhagen — a lot more fun. For all of two minutes, von Trier tricks us into thinking that maybe this third season is going to look like a polished, peak-TV miniseries of the sort you might find on HBO or Netflix (after all, the original series came out in 1994, one year before the artifice-renouncing Danish revolution that was Dogme 95, and von Trier has since gone back to making dark fantasies with heightened style). We open on a closeup of a woman’s eye, ideally lit and steadily framed, reflecting a TV screen on which a tuxedoed von Trier appears, a quarter-century younger, over the credits of Season 2’s final episode.

Naman Ramachandran Vertigo Releasing has acquired Phyllis Nagy’s “Call Jane,” starring Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver, for U.K. and Ireland distribution.The film explores the true story of the Janes, an underground collective of women, who in Chicago during the 1960s, came together to secretly provide nearly 12,000 women and girls with safe and secure abortions.

Zack Sharf The first trailer for Ruben Östlund’s “Triangle of Sadness” is now online to watch, if you can stomach it. The satirical dark comedy won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and Media“Bullet Train,” a John Wick-ian romp with Brad Pitt in the aisle seat, arrived in theaters with a $30.1 million opening weekend. That’s enough to top the domestic box office chart, but it’s only a so-so result given “Bullet Train’s” $90 million price tag and Pitt’s star power.

J. Kim Murphy “I think I can, I think I can… be the top movie at the box office,” says Sony’s original action movie that could.The Brad Pitt vehicle “Bullet Train” should take No. 1 on domestic charts.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefLee Jung-jae, the Korean actor who has received an Emmy nomination for his role in Netflix hit series “Squid Game,” has re-edited “Hunt,” the film that marked his feature directorial debut. The new version will play at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival.“Hunt,” a 1980s-set espionage thriller about rival agents from North and South Korea, had its debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

David Leitch's action comedy Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt doesn't hit UK theaters until Wednesday and US theaters until Friday, but critics are not exactly loving the 'high-octane bore.'Many reviewers singled out their praise for the 58-year-old Oscar winner, the fight sequences, and performances from Hiroyuki Sanada, Brian Tyree Henry, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson - but not much else.THR's David Rooney called the Japan-set two-hour flick 'soulless' and wrote it was 'so busy delivering violent action with a self-satisfied wink that its contorted plotting and one-note characters get real tedious real fast.' Reviews are in! David Leitch's action comedy Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt (R) doesn't hit UK theaters until Wednesday and US theaters until Friday, but critics are not exactly loving the 'high-octane bore'Rooney added: 'It's dispiriting to see so many capable actors put to such poor use...We don't care about who gets pounded to a pulp or shot to pieces because there are no characters to root for - good guys or bad.'Variety's Peter Debruge called Bullet Train 'a Kill Bill-like mix of martial arts, manga, and gabby hitman movie influences, minus the vision or wit that implies.' 'It's essentially a live-action cartoon, with high-profile cameos sprinkled in for added laughs,' Debruge noted.'Stylistically, Leitch is trying his darnedest to channel the likes of Tarantino and Ritchie, even if the dialogue and mock-British accents aren't nearly strong enough to earn such comparisons.' Standouts: Many reviewers singled out their praise for the 58-year-old Oscar winner, the fight sequences, and performances from Hiroyuki Sanada (pictured), Brian Tyree Henry, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson - but not much else 'There are no characters

Christopher Vourlias Two-time Palme d’Or winner Ruben Östlund will receive an Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award at the 28th edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival, which will open Aug. 12 with the Swedish director’s 2022 Cannes winner “Triangle of Sadness.”Östlund’s English-language debut, which earned a rowdy eight-minute standing ovation in Cannes, is a provocative social satire starring Harris Dickinson as a male model struggling with his shallow industry and the unchecked capitalism he benefits from, and Woody Harrelson as the rabid Marxist captain of a cruise for the super-rich.

Sasha Urban editorWednesday night was the premiere of “The Gray Man,” the Russo Brothers’ ambitious action thriller that, with a budget of $200 million, is the most expensive movie Netflix has ever made. On Thursday, the review embargo for the film lifted, bringing with it a generally underwhelmed response from critics.The film stars Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans as Court Gentry and Lloyd Hansen.

J. Kim Murphy It’s official —the Minions are back.Universal’s “Minions: The Rise of Gru” is setting off fireworks at the Fourth of July box office, projecting a $129.2 million opening over the four-day holiday weekend.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaRLJE Films and Shudder have acquired Nyla Innuksuk’s “Slash/Back,” an alien invasion thriller that premiered to raves at this year’s SXSW.The two companies are business units of AMC Networks. The film is expected to be released in theaters and on VOD/Digital before streaming on Shudder later this year.

Christopher Vourlias Alejandro Loayza Grisi’s “Utama,” which won the grand jury prize in the World Cinema Dramatic competition at Sundance this year, took home top honors at the closing ceremony of the Transilvania Film Festival on Saturday night.Grisi’s feature debut tells the story of an elderly couple in the Bolivian highlands who refuse to relocate to the city despite the constant threat of drought. In a glowing review, Variety’s Peter Debruge described the film as a “sublime, quietly elegiac” character study that “looks quite unlike anything else.”“By relying on the simplicity, purity and poetry of his cinematic approach, the director takes the audience on a universal journey, talking about the essence of life, death and everything in between,” said the Transilvania jury, praising a film that “gives the audience a deep, multilayered feeling of how fragile our future is.” “Utama” was also feted with the festival’s Audience Award.

Ben Croll Beginning midday at the halfway mark of a weeklong expo, Netflix’s first ever animation showcase was in many ways the centerpiece event of this year’s Annecy Animation Film Festival.Over the course of a ninety-minute presentation hosted by Variety’s Peter Debruge, executives and creative teams previewed upcoming films and series from the streamer’s adult, family, and preschool divisions while directors Henry Selick and David Fincher beamed in with behind-the-scenes looks at projects “Wendell & Wild” and “Love, Death & Robots” released episode “Bad Travelling” and rapper Kid Cudi made a surprise appearance to boost his visual-album “Entergalactic.”And then Guillermo del Toro took the stage, receiving a hero’s greeting as he announced, “Animation is not a f—ng genre. Animation is film!” When the cheers died down, he world premiered eight minutes of footage, finished and unfinished, from his stop-motion fable about a wooden boy with a borrowed soul.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterWith “Top Gun: Maverick,” Tom Cruise pulled off a seemingly impossible mission: Getting moviegoers to leave their house and pay money to watch a sequel to a 36-year-old film.The follow-up to 1986’s “Top Gun” jetted past box office expectations, collecting $154 million over the long Memorial Day weekend in North America and $248 million worldwide. COVID times or not, those are impressive ticket sales, as well as a career-best start for Cruise.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Only a little more than a month after premiering in theaters, the newest installment of the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise will hit streamers on May 30.The Secrets of Dumbledore” will be available to stream exclusively on HBO Max, joining the series’ first two films “Fantastics Beasts: And Where to Find Them” and “The Crimes of Grindelwald.” The latest “Harry Potter” offshoot continues to delve into the backstories of the most iconic characters from J.K Rowling’s wizarding world.

The Square,” which won the Palme d’Or in 2017. This film marks his English-language debut.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum’s adventure comedy “The Lost City” arrives on Paramount+ today, following a surprise box office success last month.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic“Downton Abbey: A New Era” is bookended by a wedding and a funeral. In between, a good deal happens: Babies are born and paternities questioned, long-simmering romances clinched and fresh ones set to bloom; an excursion takes a fraction of the family to France while a film crew keeps the rest of them busy back home.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaMagnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights to “I Love My Dad,” one of the biggest breakouts from this year’s SXSW.Critics loved “I Love My Dad” reserving particular praise for the direction of James Morosini and for Patton Oswalt’s lead performance. The movie, which won the Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Feature as well as the Narrative Feature Competition Audience Award at the festival, certainly gets points for originality.

J. Kim Murphy After three weeks of “The Batman,” the domestic box office has a new leader.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaThe rom-com may be showing signs of life.After being written off as a theatrical proposition, Paramount’s “The Lost City” appears to be scoring with audiences. The film, which puts a fresh coat of varnish on “Romancing the Stone” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” earned $2.5 million in Thursday previews.