As the pandemic winds down and theaters reopen with many movies postponed from last year, including such high-profile pictures as rival New York musicals from Jon M. Chu (“In the Heights”) and Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”), the Academy is staying flexible about eligibility requirements. There will be two methods of qualification for awards consideration in Best Picture and general entry categories. First, films intended for theatrical release that are initially made available through commercial streaming, VOD, or broadcast may qualify under these provisions: the film is available on the secure Academy Screening Room member site within 60 days of the film’s streaming/VOD release or broadcast, and it meets all other eligibility requirements....

“Whatever the vision was, I didn’t articulate it clearly because the movie never got made,” Greengrass said. “I loved the graphic novel, and I loved Zack [Snyder‘s] movie, by the way, which was a very faithful rendition of it. My view was, I didn’t want to do a faithful adaptation, and that might have been a disastrous endeavor and perhaps why I didn’t get the movie made.” Greengrass detailed his vision for “Watchmen” by explaining, “I wanted to believe these characters lived in the real world and that a lot of what they were thinking and doing was delusional....

Allain and De Line reacted to the news via a press statement, saying “As proud members of the PGA for over twenty years, it’s a great privilege to serve as Presidents. Gail and Lucy’s excellent leadership has grown and strengthened the Guild, and we will build on their progress.” They added, “Along with [National Executive Director] Susan Sprung and her team, we will continue to educate the industry on the role of the producer, support producers’ efforts for fair and commensurate compensation and benefits, welcome and encourage a more diverse membership, and endeavor to attain broader healthcare coverage while educating members on the current benefits and opportunities available to them....

“We joined forces with our partners to find a turnkey solution for filmmakers to interface with our team to place his or her characters anywhere in the world in real-time and interactively,” said Frank Patterson, president and CEO of Pinewood Atlanta Studios. Patterson emphasized that the LED-stage capability is intended as much for indie filmmakers as the MCU and TV series. The group’s first installment of this technology at Pinewood Atlanta can be expanded to fit any production need, as well as be transferred to any stage on the lot....

While the film earned raves, it helped that the movie was well-watched by both the documentary branch and the international committee voters. In 2020, the most recent international submission is Chile’s World Documentary Sundance selection “The Mole Agent,” which won the Audience Award at San Sebastián. Directed by Maite Alberdi, the dramatic non-fiction film tracks ex-Interpol detective Rómulo Aitken, who selects elderly spy Sergio Chamy to embed in a nursing home and report back the treatment of a woman there....

It starts strong. The drug that gives its users five minutes of otherworldly abilities is offered up to a cadre of dealers (for free!) to sell to, well, anyone who wants it. And plenty of people want it. A series of 911 calls play out via energetic voiceover during the film’s opening minutes as people detail the “weird shit” they see, including crazy feats of strength and the occasional explosion....

It’s an evolution headed by title designer Saskia Marka, whose recent work has spanned some of the more fascinating TV work across multiple languages. Marka helped create the striking art deco-inspired opening title card sequence for the undersung Netflix Original “Babylon Berlin,” also adapting those for the series’ subsequent seasons. “Deutschland 89” wastes no time grabbing your attention. Over the sounds of the chorus intro to Peter Schilling’s “Major Tom” (“4…3…2…1…”), Marka lays out in giant red all-caps letters the famous Brandenburg Gate exhortation “Tear down this wall....

Since “Alex Wagner Tonight” began in mid-August, it has averaged 1.581 million total viewers per evening according to Nielsen. Of that tally, 147,000 viewers come from the 25-54 demographic — the key age range sought by news programming advertisers. Wagner’s averages are down 30 percent and 49 percent, respectively, from “The Rachel Maddow Show” during the same eight-week period in 2021. Yes, Wagner has shed nearly one-third of Maddow’s audience and roughly half the nightly demo number....

But now she’s set to take to the Oscars stage as a presenter, along with Jacob Elordi, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jill Scott, J.K. Simmons, and Serena and Venus Williams (previously singled out by Jane Campion in a controversial Critics Choice Awards speech), as the Academy announced on Wednesday evening. Josh Brolin and Jason Momoa are also confirmed to present. It was reported earlier that the “Dune” co-stars may be emceeing the eight pre-telecast awards, controversially cut from the live broadcast: best documentary short, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, original score, production design, animated short, live-action short, and sound....

Under the federal government’s American Rescue Plan to aid economic recovery from the pandemic, the National Endowment for the Arts received funding for grants to support operating costs at arts organizations. Nearly 600 festivals and film organizations applied for the competitive grants, offered in tiers of $50,000, $100,000, and $150,000. This week, the rejection letters started rolling in. I don’t expect Netflix to lose sleep over the skeleton crews that run beloved local festivals from Seattle to Philadelphia, where non-profits struggle to make rent and hold on to their staffs....

According to Insider, a brief scene in the second “Knives Out” film “Glass Onion” features Craig’s Benoit Blanc living with a man during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the heavy implication from the scene that the brilliant detective and the other man are in a romantic relationship, it isn’t explicitly stated within the film, and Blanc’s sexuality largely has no bearing on the rest of the feature, which sees the character travel to Greece to tackle a new murder case....

Speaking to Total Film magazine, Scott called the Gucci family’s response to his casting “alarmingly insulting.” The director reminded the Gucci family that Aldo is being played by Al Pacino, an Oscar winner and one of the most iconic actors of all time. “The people that were writing from the family to us at the onset were alarmingly insulting, saying that Al Pacino did not represent physically Aldo Gucci in any shape or form,” Scott said....

During a recent sit-down with IndieWire’s Eric Kohn alongside Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal ahead of the festival, De Niro detailed what went down that caused the injury earlier this week. “I tore my quad somehow,” he said. “It’s just a simple stepping over something and I just went down. The pain was excruciating and now I have to get it fixed. But it happens, especially when you get older, you have to be prepared for unexpected things....

It marks a creative reunion of Brooks and Leon after previously working together on an all-Black contemporary production of “Much Ado About Nothing” for the Shakespeare in the Park series at the Public Theater in New York City. This pleasure derived from that experience made Brooks comfortable under Leon’s direction once again. “I just knew that I was going to be in good hands,” said the actress during the Lifetime’s CTAM Winter 2021 Press Tour, on Tuesday....

In the public filing, Roku estimated the layoffs will cost the company $28 million to $31 million in severance, benefits, and related costs. Those charges will mostly be recognized in the fourth quarter, and will be “substantially complete” by the end of Q1 2023. “Due to the current economic conditions in our industry, we have made the difficult decision to reduce Roku’s headcount expenses by a projected 5%, to slow down our OpEx growth rate,” Roku said in a statement that didn’t differ much from the filing....

“Who cares!” Trump exclaimed in reference to the impending disciplinary action against him. “I no longer wish to be associated with your union. As such, this letter is to inform you of my immediate resignation from SAG-AFTRA. You have done nothing for me.” By tendering his resignation, Trump avoided the embarrassment of a disciplinary process that would have likely resulted in his explosion, based on the union leadership’s public distaste for the former president....

Sam Elliott, an actor who has built a career in Westerns that celebrate American masculinity, has taken issue with “The Power of the Dog,” a film that challenges the way Westerns celebrate American masculinity. While his recent comments on Marc Maron’s “WTF Podcast” reek of sexism and homophobia, the irony of his wild tirade is that he basically understood the point of the film — almost. Directed by Jane Campion (whom Elliott gets to later), “The Power of the Dog” uses the Western form to explore the stifling ways expectations around masculinity inflict damage on the men tasked with upholding it....

After longtime collaborator Quentin Tarantino spoke out on the “Marvel-ization” of Hollywood driven by IP over star power, Jackson said that audiences “can’t refute” the superstardom of Marvel actors, much like the late Chadwick Boseman. “It takes an actor to be those particular characters, and the sign of movie stardom has always been, what, asses in seats? What are we talking about?” Jackson, who plays Nick Fury in the MCU, said on “The View” (via Entertainment Weekly)....

Variety reported that Jackson is attached to star in the untitled series, which will be written and executive produced by Kyle Bradstreet (“Mr. Robot”). No plot details, additional casting information, or a prospective release date were provided. Disney and Marvel representatives did not return a request for comment. Jackson first portrayed Nick Fury, the founder of the Avengers who frequently helps the team’s various superheroes, in the post-credits scene in 2008’s “Iron Man,” the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film....

“Nobody’s dead,” King said. “Nobody.” (That also includes Mr. Big, who was once-rumored to not be returning to the show but now most definitely is as evidenced by Chris Noth’s appearance in recent trailers.) While the series will pick up back in New York City with the Girls now in their 50s, one key element missing will be Cattrall, who starred as the outspoken and sex-positive Samantha Jones. The actress has long been vocal about never wanting to return to the beloved franchise, and so she won’t be appearing in the new series....