Updated every Friday 12:00 PM
July 3 - July 9

APPLE TV
s rare to see a TV show completely reinvent itself, but that's exactly what Apple TV's post-apocalyptic sci-fi epic "Silo," based on the books by Hugh Howey, has done with its upcoming third season. Thanks to a last-minute surprise scene in the Season 2 finale, approximately half of the running time (roughly) of Season 3 turns what was a mystery box show about what happens after the end of the world into a taut political thriller that is part Tom Clancy, part Robert Heinlein, and set in — if not the present — the very near, very potential future...

Released in 2023, Illumination's Migration hails from directors Guylo Homsy and Benjamin Renner, and follows a family of ducks as they attempt to convince their overprotective father to migrate from New England to Jamaica. The film, which was distributed by Universal Pictures, features a screenplay by Mike White and a story by White, Benjamin Renner, and Ken Daurio. Per TheWrap, White, Universal Pictures, Illumination, and White have now been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit, with writer Kenneth Giavara alleging that the film steals elements of his feature film script, South for the Winter. Giavara filed the lawsuit on Friday in the Central District of California. In the complaint, Giavara, who wrote South for the Winter in 2007, alleges that "Defendants brazenly have infringed upon and incorporated numerous [protectable] elements from 'South for the Winter' into 'Migration,' including plot, sequence, characters, theme, dialogue, mood and setting." He adds that "similarities between the movie 'Migration' and 'South for the Winter' are so substantial that it seems unlikely that the former could possibly have been created independently from the latter." The lawsuit goes on to add further details about the alleged story and character similarities between the two projects. It claims that both follow an anthropomorphic bird family in New England, with the father figure being overprotective. Both are also said to feature a curious kid who wants to see the world, a road trip that begins at a pond in Central Park in New York City, an older mentor bird character, and a conclusion in a tropical location. In South for the Winter, the overprotective father is named Mac, while in Migration he's named Mack. Giavara's screenplay, which he registered with the WGA in 2007, won first place at the Fresh Voices competition, one of several competitions he participated in. The first-place win, Giavara says, resulted in the script being "distributed to hundreds if not thousands of companies and persons in the movie industry in Hollywood."...

Nolan is an iconic filmmaker whose work is known for its unique narratives and creative vision. He is considered by many as one of the entertainment industry's most influential directors, with several commercially successful films under his belt throughout the decades of his impressive career. The Odyssey director said during an interview with the New York Times that taking a leap of faith is the key to success. He explained that the real risk that could actually threaten a project is playing it safe, as that can often make a movie boring. According to Nolan, studios and directors shouldn't avoid bold or untraditional creative choices out of fear. He added that audiences are more likely to enjoy films that offer fresh ideas than ones that follow the same format. Additionally, Nolan said that he believed mainstream movies struggle because they prioritize playing it safe over stepping outside the box to stand out. He says that audiences want original content, something that makes the films worthy of actually going to a theaters to watch instead of waiting to arrive on a streaming service. So, taking a risk could increase a project's chances of becoming a commercial success...

Hidari' is a samurai action film that blends the explosive energy of anime with the handcrafted aesthetic of stop-motion." In his story of revenge, a young master carpenter is working on the reconstruction of the Edo Castle. But then he gets involved in a ruthless conspiracy and loses his mentor, fiancée and also his right arm.  "He survives and reinvents himself – and transforms all his carpentry skills and tools into weapons." Its director, Masashi Kawamura, said: "Imagine 'John Wick' set in feudal Japan and performed by wooden puppets on steroids." "Our main character was actually designed as a hybrid between Keanu Reeves and Toshiro Mifune. He embodies the exact character we are looking for." The story is inspired by the works of Japanese artist and legendary carpenter Hidari Jingoro, who allegedly lived in the 17th century...

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has launched Alamo Exclusives to bring unreleased festival premieres directly to the company's US circuit as exhibitors seek to help filmmakers stand out in a challenging independent space and boost audience engagement. The distribution programme will offer limited-run theatrical engagements to popular titles from festivals including Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, TIFF, Cannes, Berlin, and Alamo's Fantastic Fest. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema's content team is not acquiring the films; rather it is making direct deals for one-off limited releases. It is hoped that by bringing additional exposure the programme will spur a life for the features through separate theatrical or non-theatrical deals with third parties. Screen understands Alamo Drafthouse Cinema CEO Michael Kustermann and his team hatched the idea around three years ago as the industry considered how to mitigate the pandemic's negative impact on theatrical film-going. The first Alamo Exclusives release will be Tom Sterns's 2025 SXSW documentary Butthole Surfers: The Hole Truth And Nothing Butt later this summer, with tickets going on sale on July 21. The film chronicles the story of the legendary punk band that has its roots in Austin, Texas, where the Alamo chain was born and Fantastic Fest takes place..

Today, studios are kneecapping themselves with irresponsible budgets. But Hollywood has been overspending on projects long before the days of $300 million movies. Just look at "The Conqueror," an absolute disaster of a film that saw John Wayne play the Mongol leader Temujin, better known as Genghis Khan. Yes, the Duke played Genghis Khan in Dick Powell's 1956 historical epic, which remains one of his biggest blunders, despite being the 11th-highest-grossing film of that year. How could a movie that seemingly enjoyed a solid return at the box office be considered a disaster? Well, it goes well beyond the shoddiness of the film itself, mostly thanks to producer Howard Hughes, who spent so much money on this one feature that he never stood a chance of making it back. As iconic a figure as Wayne remains, even he made the odd misstep. 1968's "The Green Berets" is one notorious example that prompted accusations of being "cruel and dishonest" from Roger Ebert. But "The Conqueror" remains Wayne's worst film and for good reason. It follows the 12th-century Mongol chief and his "blood brother," Jamuga (Pedro Armendáriz), as they abduct Bortai (Susan Hayward), the daughter of the Tartars' evil leader, Kumlek. This leads to a clash between Temujin's clan and the Tartar armies. Today, "The Conqueror" remains as infamous as ever, having failed to undergo any sort of critical reappraisal. Letterboxd users agree that it's Wayne's worst film, and its regrettable racial insensitivity will likely ensure that never changes...

GKids has acquired the Studio Ghibli library for the U.K. and Ireland, picking up rights across theatrical, home video, TV and digital for the Japanese animation studio's entire 23-film back catalog. GKids will kick off the new deal with a theatrical Imax release of Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) on Aug. 21. Hayao Miyazaki's second feature follows the adventures of Kiki, a young witch who moves to the port city of Koriko with her cat Jiji and starts a flying courier service. Future Ghibli titles slated for the Imax treatment include Hiromasa Yonebayashi's The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) and Yoshifumi Kondō's Whisper of the Heart (1995). GKids plans to roll out further titles of the new Studio Ghibli 4K Remasters in Imax and on physical media from Fall 2026 onwards...

Fangoria has announced its Chainsaw Awards nominees for 2026, which lets fans vote on the best horror works across film, television and gaming of the last year. Bryan Fuller's "Dust Bunny" and "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" lead this year's nominees with nine nods each, with "Backrooms" in the third spot with six nominations, followed by Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" and Damien McCarthy's "Hokum" with five apiece. "Obsession," which quickly solidified itself as a fan-favorite earlier this year, came in with four nominations, tying with "Weapons." Voting opens on July 2 and ends on July 15. The Fangoria Chainsaw Awards will be broadcast on Shudder on Oct. 25...