Venice 2021: The Jury

by Nathaniel R

With Cannes wrapped we move on to the fall festival buzz. Next up is Venice (September 1st-11th) and we are thrilled to report that Elisa Giudici, our Italian correspondent who did such a fine job covering Cannes, will repeat that trick for Venice. The 78th Venice festival has just announced the complete jury for its competition films. Like Cannes, they've chosen a majority female jury this time around. Unlike Cannes they went big on very recent Oscar nominees and winners...

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Borderlinks

• Deadline Master and Commander (2003) is finally getting a sequel... or rather a prequel based on an earlier book so new actors will be in the Crowe/Bettany roles
• Vanity Fair an interview with screenwriter Michael Waldron who is helping to shape Marvel's Phase 4
• The Guardian profiles After Love director Aleem Khan. We really want to see this film. The mother role sounds like a great part for undervalued and excellent Joanna Scanlon

More after the jump including Billy Magnussen, Borderlands, Cruella, Dick Van Dyke, The Conjuring franchise, and rumors about The Color Purple movie musical...

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The Link Purple

• /Film The Color Purple musical is getting a film version. It will be directed by Black is King helmer Blitz Bazawule. No word on casting yet but I think we can all agree that Cynthia Erivo should reprise her Tony-winning role!
• Broadway World meanwhile Erivo has launched her own production company

WHEW we have a lot to get through still. More after the jump including the business of movie theaters, Tenet's opening plans, Polanski's losing request, Netflix cancellations, Tiger King's spinoffs, and LGBTQ icons in comic books and on HBO...

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Would you rather?

We haven't played our dumb instagram game in a while. So here are celeb pics we felt the need to share (*sharing is not endorsement). Would you rather...?

• barbecue with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II?
• take allergy teests with Mark Wahlberg?
• receive flowers with Nicole Kidman?
• have a comfort food moment with Pierre Png?
• play with Jai Courtney's puppy?
• spend hammock time (in the 50s) with Natalie Wood?
• find positive energy with Cynthia Erivo?
• cosplay woodland creatures with Amanda Seinfried
• make Alec Baldwin mow your lawn?
• snake charming with Elle Fanning?
• dance on a mini-tramp with Goldie Hawn?
• pretend you're at a private nightclub with Kate Beckinsale?

Pictures are after the jump to help you decide. 

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Have you ever heard Cynthia Erivo sing 'The Last Five Years'?

by Nathaniel R

Twas very depressed last night scrolling through social media (rarely a good idea) when I chanced upon this reshare of a video from 2015 that I'd never seen. At some point just before The Color Purple' started its previews on Broadway a pre-fame (at last in regards to the US) Cynthia Erivo showed up at Marie's Crisis (for non New Yorkers, that's a very famous basement piano bar near Stonewall). She sang "I Can Do Better" in full (eagle eyes will spot her co-star Danielle Brooks right behind her). As a fan of Erivo and a crazy-obsessive Last Five Years stan (I went to the original Off Broadway run and listened to the cast recording on loop for a full year) this was pure heaven for five minutes...

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