ACORN TV
Programming from several countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Ireland, New Zealand, and UK. AMC Networks chief Josh Sapan told The Hollywood Reporter that Acorn TV has "among the lowest churn" among major services owing to its focus as well as viewers' "dedication and affinity" for its content.

Higher Ground, the production company founded by former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, has signed on to Netflix’s adaptation of author Rumaan Alam’s Leave the World Behind, which stars Julia Roberts and Mahershala Ali. Sam Esmail, the creator of Mr. Robot and Homecoming, wrote and directed the adaptation, which also stars Ethan Hawke and Myha’la Herrold. The novel, which was published by HarperCollins in October 2020, follows a husband and wife as they head out to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a vacation with their teenage son and daughter...

Pixar is well known for its research and attention to detail and work on Lightyear was no different. With the help of a pair of astronauts —Thomas Marshburn and Kjell Lindren — a  team from the studio were given a unique tour of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Producer Gayln Susman relates that during that NASA visit, they “tried on hundreds of pounds of spacesuits and gear.” Tailoring and simulation supervisor Fran Kalal adds that they also met with a spacesuit design consultant. The purpose of a launch and entry spacesuit, Kalal explains, is “to keep a human alive in space or water long enough for a rescue operation. They’re structured with layers upon layers of cooling wires, heavy metal rings, an impermeable outer shell, utility gauges and instruments. And all those layers add structure and change the way a wearer can move.”...

Among the 47 films announced for Cannes this year, only four are American. That’s business as usual at Cannes, which favors European auteurs new and old. But if Cannes is a portal to the greatest cinema of the moment — a goal worth fighting for — its selections beg the question of what it would take for more American movies to gain the festival’s recognition. That’s business as usual at Cannes, which favors European auteurs new and old. But if Cannes is a portal to the greatest cinema of the moment — a goal worth fighting for — its selections beg the question of what it would take for more American movies to gain the festival’s recognition. American directors whose careers take off are more likely to work on preexisting IP or on TV. They might create strong work and make a good living, but this process doesn’t prioritize singular artistry. My recommendation: American directors should start thinking like Europeans. Make movies there, or in other parts of the world, with government incentives. (Courtesy Eric Kohn)...

Western noir series “Dark Winds” ushers in the future of AMC post-“Walking Dead,” premiering June 12 on AMC and AMC+. Set in the 1970s, “Dark Winds” centers on two detectives, Leephorn (Zahn McClarnon) and Chee (Kiowa Gordon), who are tasked with finding a murderer behind multiple homicides. Yet nothing is as it seems as the case takes a turn towards the spiritual. Creator Graham Roland adapted the six-episode limited series based on the detective novels by Tony Hillerman. Star McClarnon is also executive producing, along with George R. R. Martin and Robert Redford. Martin expanded beyond his “Game of Thrones” universe with “Dark Winds.” Meanwhile, Redford has previously produced two other screen adaptations of the Leaphorn and Chee novels...

Director David Dugan actually revealed that he got in trouble with the studio for letting Gilbert Gottfried improvise on set of the film "Problem Child," I got called by the vice president of Universal at the time, going, 'What are you doing? You're shooting so much film!' If you normally shoot 6,000 feet of it — this is when you had film — one day, I shot 18,000 feet, and the next day, I shot 20,000 feet. Now it doesn't matter, but at that time, film cost, and it was a low-budget film. So they were yelling: 'What are you doing there? You're way over budget on film.' And I go, 'Well, we're doing a comedy, right?' And they go, 'Yeah.' And I said, 'Well, we got Gilbert Gottfried. And when I'd say action, Gilbert Gottfried does the script, and then he just starts going. You don't say cut. You just let him go. Don't look at how long it is — watch the film, and see what you think.' And so they called me back, and they go, 'All right. You're OK because he's that funny." The film follows Amy Yasbeck and John Ritter as a married couple dealing with the trials and tribulations of adoption, with Gottfried lending his talents to the role of adoption agent...

If you've ever had the nagging sense that your fingers are too short, too functional, and not at all prone to being slathered in mustard and ketchup, A24 has the product for you! In celebration of the wide release of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert's mind-and-heart-melting new film "Everything Everywhere All At Once," the studio is releasing some truly unique merch. For just $36, you can now be the proud owner of a pair of officially licensed Hot Dog Finger Gloves. The pair of gloves comes in a classic Oscar Mayer color, with a packaging design to match. The movie, which is being widely praised as one of the year's best, follows a woman named Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) who suddenly develops the ability to pull from and shift into other realities within a vast multiverse...

Netflix is throwing its weight behind female Arab filmmakers, teaming with the Lebanon-based Arab Fund for Arts and Culture on a new grant. The one-off grant of $250,000 — which comes via the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, set up in 2021 to invest in underrepresented communities in the entertainment industry — will go to women producers and directors in the Arab world, with five projects shortlisted...