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November 14 - November 20

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Apple Original Films has acquired the manuscript for Fallen Astronaut by J S Mayank and David Carlyle, a sci-fi novel that hasn't even been published yet. Apple made a six-figure deal for the book, with the adaptation being produced by Scott Glassgold from 1201 Films. Authors Mayank and Carlyle will serve as executive producers as well. Although the exact details of the book have yet to be revealed, the report describes it as "a tech-forward concept," with VR being a particular highlight. Given Apple's break into the VR market with their unique Apple Vision Pro, it makes sense for the brand to want to produce a film in association with the concept...

After years of false starts and several postponements, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has an opening date. Located in Los Angeles's Exposition Park, the building will have 35 galleries occupying 100,000 square feet. Galleries will be named to reflect the human experience, including love, family, community, play, work, and sports. The Lucas Museum will boast a permanent collection that holds more than 40,000 works representing one of the most significant collections of narrative art. "Stories are mythology, and when illustrated, they help humans understand the mysteries of life," stated Lucas. The collection will showcase works by artists including Norman Rockwell, Kadir Nelson, Jessie Willcox Smith, N. C. Wyeth, Beatrix Potter, Judy Baca, Frida Kahlo, and Maxfield Parrish; as well as comic art legends such as Winsor McCay, Jack Kirby, Frank Frazetta, Alison Bechdel, Chris Ware, and R. Crumb; and photographers Gordon Parks, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Dorothea Lange. The museum will also house the Lucas Archives, containing models, props, concept art, and costumes from Lucas's filmmaking career...

For over 20 years, FilmLight has been dedicating its work to providing high-end professional color grading and pipeline solutions for the film, television, and post-production industries for clients ranging from major studios like Warner Bros, to boutique post houses around the world. Headquartered in London, the company is committed to bringing the art and craft of color into the spotlight, and testament to this goal, the FilmLight Colour Awards were launched in 2021. The colorist is the DP's strongest ally," begins Daphné Polski, a FilmLight Colour Awards producer. "Color grading shapes the emotion of a film — through subtle shifts in hue, contrast and saturation, it can make a scene feel warm or distant, hopeful or bleak. It's about guiding how the audience feels in every moment, reinforcing the narrative and deepening the emotional journey." When asked about the more recent changes in the color grading industry, Doyle says an entirely new market is muddying the waters. "Color grading really serves three markets [now] — the theatrical market, cinema as we know it, and then what we now call streaming — it used to be broadcast — and then there's a third, the more web-based, it's very amorphous." He says colorists are finding themselves adapting to smaller screens, even YouTube, as more and more audiences seek out their content online. And yet, he also explains, there is an appetite to return to the retro, analog-based craft; nostalgia-driven resurgence for a dirtier, grainer look. "[But] it's become a lost craft."...

Pope Leo XIV has revealed his top four favorite films — a lineup of wholesome uplifting classics — ahead of a first-of-its-kind meeting with movie stars at the Vatican. The Chicago-born pontiff, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, will host a special audience on Saturday morning inside the Apostolic Palace, welcoming a delegation of Hollywood A-listers including Cate Blanchett, Chris Pine, Viggo Mortensen, Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Adam Scott and Monica Bellucci. Oscar-winning directors Spike Lee, George Miller, Giuseppe Tornatore and Gus Van Sant are also expected to attend. According to the Vatican, the gathering is part of the Church's ongoing Holy Year celebrations and aims "to deepen dialogue with the world of cinema … exploring the possibilities that artistic creativity offers to the mission of the Church and the promotion of human values." To mark the occasion, the Vatican released a video of the pope naming his four favorite movies: Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Robert Wise's The Sound of Music (1965), Robert Redford's Ordinary People (1980), and Roberto Benigni's Life Is Beautiful (1997). Each is a crowd-pleasing staple of the moral-uplift canon — though not all are without footnotes...

KPop Demon Hunters is presumed to be the winner of the 2026 Oscar for Best Animated Feature, miles ahead of Disney's Zootopia 2 and quieter releases such as Neon's forthcoming Arco. The Netflix film's hit single "Golden" is also a contender for Best Original Song, which is a uniquely competitive category this year with submissions from Wicked: For Good and Sinners. While it also has a clear path to winning Best Animated Feature at the 2026 Golden Globes, KPop Demon Hunters is now officially ineligible for the BAFTAs. Like in the U.S., films need to have a qualifying theatrical release in the UK to be eligible for the top British film awards. KPop Demon Hunters had a limited release before its Netflix debut in the U.S., but went directly to streaming elsewhere. Due to its two weekend releases since becoming a worldwide phenomenon on streaming, KPop Demon Hunters has grossed $24.6 million worldwide. Netflix is also aiming to release KPop Demon Hunters 2 sometime in 2029, and may be planning a bigger theatrical release ahead of its streaming debut this time around, guaranteeing its eligibility for all the awards...

Frankenstein costume designer Kate Hawley reveals that David Bowie was an important inspiration for some of the character looks featured in the film. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the Netflix movie stars Oscar Isaac as the titular scientist and Jacob Elordi as The Creature, and both sport some notable looks befitting the 1850s setting. What they landed on for Victor was a combination of several references, without losing that connection to Mary Shelley's novel. Hawley explains: "It's definitely a nod more to the world and time period of Mary Shelley herself." Still, the decision to evoke feelings of Shelley's own time period didn't overshadow del Toro's desire to see contemporary flourishes. According to the costume designer, del Toro said that he didn't want a movie with "lots of black top hats. I want a modern sensibility which is very much what was happening during the war in terms of technology and the time." There were the more contemporary references. It remains to be seen how Frankenstein will fare during awards season, but it's clear that the film may have looked a little different were it not for figures like Bowie and Prince...