Tag: Film

Who votes for the Oscars, and how does it work?

by Laurent BANGUET Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The ballots are almost all in! Millions of television viewers around the globe will tune in Sunday to watch the Oscars, the glitziest night in showbiz, but most don’t know how the winners are chosen. Less than 8,000 people in the entertainment industry select the honorees — and Tuesday marks the final day of voting. The following is a look at the complex, sometimes […]

Actor Liam Neeson fights to recover after sharing racist episode

  by Thomas Urbain Agence France Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — After sparking a scandal by recalling a racist episode from his distant past, actor Liam Neeson is now battling to save his career — a task experts predict will be difficult but not impossible. More than 40 years ago, Neeson recently told The Independent of London, he was enraged to learn of a friend’s rape by a man she said was black. […]

‘Glass’ shatter-proof atop N.American box office

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — “Glass” proved shatter-proof atop North American box offices for a third straight weekend, earning $9.5 million, industry estimates showed on Sunday. Directed and financed by M. Night Shyamalan, Universal’s superhero thriller unites narratives from his “Unbreakable” (2000) and “Split” (2016). Much of the film, starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L Jackson and James McAvoy, takes place in a psychiatric facility. Keeping it company in the number two spot was buddy […]

First Indian film museum opens in home of Bollywood

by Udita Jhunjhunwala and Peter Hutchison Agence France Presse MUMBAI, India (AFP) — From silent black-and-white films to colorful blockbusters bursting with song and dance, the evolution of Indian cinema is traced by a new museum in the home of Bollywood. Costing 1.4 billion rupees ($19.6 million), India’s first national film museum is spread across a stylish 19th-century bungalow and a modern five-storey glass structure in south Mumbai. “It showcases to the world outside what […]

‘Glass’ tops N. America box office for second week

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — M. Night Shyamalan’s latest thriller “Glass” bested the competition at the North American box office for a second straight weekend, taking in $18.9 million, industry figures showed Monday. The film unites the narratives of the director’s “Unbreakable” (2000) and “Split” (2016), and stars Bruce Willis, Samuel L Jackson, and James McAvoy. The second and third spots at the box office remained unchanged from last weekend. Buddy drama “The Upside” […]

‘Glass’ stays full in N. American box offices

HOLLYWOOD, United States (AFP) — Universal’s thriller “Glass” has kept clear of the competition in North American box offices for a second straight weekend, taking in an estimated $19 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday. Financed and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, “Glass” is a sequel to his “Unbreakable” (2000) and “Split” (2016). It stars Bruce Willis as a superhuman locked in a psychiatric ward with a mass murderer — “Mr. Glass” — played […]

‘Black Panther’ scores big win at Screen Actors Guild Awards

by Laurent BANGUET Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Groundbreaking superhero blockbuster “Black Panther” on Sunday won the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards — a major boost to its campaign for Oscars glory next month. The film won for best ensemble cast, besting musical romance “A Star Is Born,” Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman,” Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” and rom-com “Crazy Rich Asians.” Chadwick Boseman, who plays the title role in what […]

Oscar nominations: all the fun facts

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The nominations for the 91st Oscars were announced Tuesday, with “Roma” and “The Favorite” leading the pack. But the statistical quirks that the annual event throws up can be as intriguing as tracking which movies get the most nods. Here are some fun facts and figures from this year’s list of nominees: – Netflix’s big step forward – Streaming giant Netflix took a major step forward in its quest […]

Shyamalan’s ‘Glass’ dominates N. American box office

HOLLYWOOD, United States (AFP) — “Glass,” a superhero thriller both financed and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, dominated North American box offices this weekend, taking in $40.6 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday. The Universal film, a sequel to Shyamalan’s “Unbreakable” (2000) and “Split” (2016), stars Bruce Willis as the superhuman known as “The Overseer” locked in a psychiatric ward with nemesis and mass murderer Samuel L. Jackson, AKA “Mr. Glass.” Its estimated three-day […]

CIA agent Tony Mendez, hero of film “Argo,” dead at 78

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Former CIA agent Tony Mendez, who engineered a creative way to smuggle US hostages out of Iran in 1980 and was immortalized in the Hollywood film “Argo,” died of complications from Parkinson’s Disease, his family said. He was 78. Mendez, who will have a private burial in Nevada, died on Saturday, his literary agent Christy Fletcher said via Twitter, relaying a family statement. “The last thing he and his wife […]

Netflix shares slip as spending weighs on profits

by Glenn CHAPMAN Agence France Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Netflix shares swung lower Thursday as spending on original shows at the leading streaming television service weighed on quarterly revenue and competition heated up. Shares sank nearly four percent to $339.70 in after-market trades that followed release of earnings figures that showed the Silicon Valley company logged profit of $134 million on revenue of $4.2 billion in the final three months of last […]

‘Upside’ in surprise number one spot at N. American box office

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) – “The Upside,” a Hollywood remake of a French smash hit, was a surprising box office hit over the weekend, raking in more than $20 million — double industry expectations — as it opened in North American theaters. The feel good movie, about a wealthy quadriplegic played by Bryan Cranston and his caretaker, played by Kevin Hart, took in $20.4 million, ending the three-week reign of “Aquaman,” which earned $17.4 […]