In the entertainment industry, you can work for years, and the progress can be frustratingly incremental. And then, in a moment, everything can explode. That’s been the whirlwind songwriters EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick have experienced since the animated musical “Kpop Demon Hunters” launched on Netflix June 20th. The duo was part of the teams that wrote a number of the charting songs off the soundtrack, but they are the only two credited with the global smash, “Golden.” And if you haven’t heard it, you might have been stuck on a desert island for the past three months. Continue reading ‘Kpop Demon Hunters’: EJAE Cried Writing The Demo For The Smash Hit ‘Golden’ at The Playlist.

The first real movie from the “Drag Race” universe is beginning to take shape. The untitled project, a recipient of a 2025 California Tax Credit (which reveals a real non-green screen budget of $6.6 million), has already announced that RuPaul Charles will star in a supporting role. Now, director Adam Shankman and World of Wonder are unveiling the main cast, which includes some popular queens and “Drag Race” winners, including Symone, Jujubee, Monet X Change, Latrice Royale, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Marcia Marcia Marcia, and Ginger Minj. Continue reading Adam Shankman’s ‘Drag Race’ Movie Casts Symone, Jujubee, Brooke Lynn Hytes & Latrice Royale at The Playlist.

We were ecstatic when living legend Daniel Day-Lewis came out of a self-imposed “acting retirement” to work with his son, director and co-writer Ronan Day-Lewis, for their acclaimed new film “Anemone,” as the highly-respected actor is sharing his frustration about the current era of using “gone full method” as pejorative (likey due to antics from actors like Jermey Strong and Jared Leto) within the industry connected to bad/rude behavior is getting under his skin. Continue reading Daniel Day-Lewis Cross “Gone Full Method” Has Become A Pejorative “Meant To Imply That A Person’s Behaving Like A Lunatic In An Extreme Fashion” at The Playlist.

After years of anticipation and slow development, Michael Mann’s long-awaited sequel “Heat 2” has found a new home. The filmmaker’s ambitious follow-up to his 1995 crime classic will now be produced and distributed by Amazon MGM Studios, following Warner Bros. exit after months of uncertainty about the project’s future. According to multiple industry reports, the sequel—based on Mann’s 2022 novel co-written with Meg Gardiner—is moving forward under Amazon’s umbrella after the filmmaker delivered a completed script earlier this year. Continue reading Michael Mann’s ‘Heat 2’ Shifts From Warner Bros. To Amazon MGM, Bradley Cooper Mentioned As Casting Possibility at The Playlist.

Another heavyweight addition to the cast of Sam Mendes‘ (“1917”) quadrilogy of “Beatles” biopics, as Oscar-nominee Saoirse Ronan (“Brooklyn”) has been enlisted to play Linda McCartney in the movies (potentially showing up in more than one). This would be a reunion between Ronan and fellow Irish actor/co-star Paul Mescal, who had been tapped to play Paul McCartney in Mendes’ four feature films. Continue reading Saoirse Ronan Enlisted To Play Linda McCartney In Sam Mendes’ ‘Beatles’ Films, Reunites With Paul Mescal at The Playlist.

The American experiment has rarely looked so fraught—or so eerily familiar—as it does in Ari Aster’s “Eddington.” In the multi-layered film—a political-cultural satire, a neo-Western, a dark comedy, and a thriller—a standoff between a small-town sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and mayor (Pedro Pascal) sparks a powder keg in Eddington, New Mexico, where neighbor turns against neighbor and civility fractures into tribal survival. The conflict begins as a local dispute but soon expands into a feverish portrait of a nation at war with itself. Continue reading Ari Aster On ‘Eddington,’ Polarization, & Finding Clarity In Chaos [Interview] at The Playlist.

The upcoming movie “King Ivory” sees James Badge Dale (“The Pacific,” “13 Hours”) playing a Tulsa drug cop trying to rid his community of the scourge of drug cartels and fentanyl (king ivory being the death drug’s street name), hailing from writer/director John Swab (from Tusla, Oklahoma himself) as the pic includes Mexican, Irish, and Indigenous criminal groups running the drug trafficking trade as things quickly esculate to violence. Continue reading ‘King Ivory’ Trailer: James Badge Dale & Ben Foster Lead Tulsa-Set Fentanyl Thriller Hitting Theaters November 14 at The Playlist.

Cinephiles seemed to mourn when the filmmaking duo Josh and Benny Safdie (“Uncut Gems,” “Good Time”) parted ways creatively. But rather than a breakup, it’s more like a branching out. Benny Safdie has leaned into acting—with roles in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza,” and the upcoming “Odyssey”—while still directing, most recently with the series “The Curse.” Josh Safdie, meanwhile, has spent the past few years developing his own solo effort and directing some Adam Sandler comedy specials. Continue reading Benny Safdie Talks “Definitive Nature” Of Safdie Brothers Directing Split: We “Wanted To Explore” Different Things at The Playlist.

This month, Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow (“The Hurt Locker,” “Zero Dark Thirty”) returns to the military thriller genre with the highly anticipated Netflix movie “A House of Dynamite,” heading to both theaters and the streaming service. Lead actress Rebecca Ferguson reveals in a new interview what it was like being vibing and linking up with Bigelow, who is considered the top-tier director to work in this genre, also her “top bucket list director” on top of things, along with their relationship on the film “To be honest, Kathryn has been on my top bucket list,” the actress said during a chat with IndieWire in New York. Continue reading ‘A House Of Dynamite’ Star Rebecca Ferguson Says Kathryn Bigelow Was A “Top Bucket List” Director, Cautions Minor ‘Dune 3’ Return at The Playlist.

The Playlist has learned that actress Jessica Henwick (“Glass Onion,” “The Matrix Resurrections”) is joining Taron Egerton in the new film “Everybody Wants To F*ck Me” from writer/director Jonathan Schey with STUDIOCANAL, Film4, Parkville Pictures, and Margot Robbie‘s LuckyChap Entertainment also behind the film. Set in London, “Everybody Wants To F*ck Me” is a thriller within the world of dating as cameras roll in November with the aim to get the movie in theaters sometime in 2026 (stay tuned for a future date once they’ve completed shooting/editing). Continue reading Jessica Henwick Joins Taron Egerton In London-Set Dating Thriller ‘Everybody Wants To F*ck Me’ At StudioCanal at The Playlist.

Rachel Sennott’s HBO Max comedy, “I Love LA,” has dropped its first trailer, teasing a raw and humorous look at friendship, ambition, and heartbreak in the city of dreams. The series, created by and starring Sennott, premieres November 2 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and streams on HBO Max. READ MORE: Fall 2025 TV Preview: 45 Series To Watch Developed by Emma Barrie and executive produced by Aida Rodgers, Max Silvestri, and Lorene Scafaria, “I Love LA” follows Maia, a writer and comedian, as she navigates her late twenties in Los Angeles, grappling with fractured relationships and creative burnout. Continue reading The ‘I Love LA’ Trailer Lands — And Rachel Sennott’s Messy, Ambitious Vision of L.A. Is Front & Center at The Playlist.

Over the weekend, Benny Safdie and Dwayne Johnson‘s new film “The Smashing Machine” was only able to earn a meager $6 million during its domestic opening weekend (A24 releases aren’t exactly known for their huge numbers, mind you). The actor has taken to social media to share a rather calm and introspective response to the film struggling to be a commercial success out of the gate for the dramatic biopic of MMA fighter Mark Kerr. Continue reading Dwayne Johnson Shares Classy & Measured Response To ‘The Smashing Machine’ Struggling With Audiences: “You Can’t Control Box Office Results” at The Playlist.

Auteur filmmaker Park Chan-Wook is back with his latest thriller, “No Other Choice,” led by Lee Byung-hun (“I Saw The Devil”) as Man-su, the disturbed protagonist, as the pic is heading to the big screen later in the year, and domestic distributor NEON has dropped a new trailer highlighting the limited holiday release. Others among the cast of “No Other Choice” include Son Yejin, Park Hee Soon, Lee Sung Min, Yeom Hye Ran, and Cha Seung Won, with a script penned by Chan-Wook, Lee Kyoung-Mi, Don McKellar, and Jahye Lee. Continue reading ‘No Other Choice’ Trailer: Park Chan-Wook’s Acclaimed Thriller Arrives This Christmas at The Playlist.

In James Vanderbilt’s “Nuremberg,” justice is both a spectacle and a crucible. The first trailer for the historical thriller—based on the true story of the Nuremberg Trials—introduces a tense battle of intellects and ideology as the world attempts to reckon with the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust. The film premiered at TIFF 2025 and will open in theaters nationwide on November 7, 2025. READ MORE: Fall 2025 Preview: 61 Movies To Watch Set in the immediate aftermath of World War II, “Nuremberg” follows a U.S. Continue reading ‘Nuremberg’ Trailer: Rami Malek and Russell Crowe Clash in James Vanderbilt’s Psychological WWII Drama at The Playlist.

Being squarely in spooky season, we have a new horror film coming to theaters later this month, as a trailer for Radu Jude‘s bonkers “Dracula” has come our way and includes buzzy pull-quotes from glowing reviews for the exploitation horror comedy. The cast put together for “Dracula” features a lineup such as Adonis Tanța, Oana Maria Zaharia, Gabriel Spahiu, Ilinca Manolache, Alexandru Dabija, Andrada Balea, Doru Talos, Serban Pavlu, Lukas Miko, and Alexandra Harapu. Continue reading ‘Dracula’ Trailer: Radu Jude’s Absurdist Vampire Comedy Coming To Theaters On October 29 at The Playlist.

Later this month, Liam Hemsworth takes on the role of Geralt of Rivia after former lead actor Henry Cavill exited the mature fantasy Netflix series over “creative differences” with the creative team, as “The Witcher” returns with two more seasons before everything is wrapped up. Lauren Schmidt Hissrich is the showrunner, writer, and executive producer overseeing the series based on the string of fantasy novels authored by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski and thrust into the global gaming zeitgeist from the popular video games made by developer CD Projekt Red (also known for “Cyberpunk 2077” that was turned into the anime show “Cyberpunk Edgerunners“). Continue reading ‘The Witcher’ Trailer: Season 4 Starring Liam Hemsworth Arrives October 30 On Netflix at The Playlist.

Some new comments coming from actor/producer George Clooney sound super optimistic that “Ocean’s 14,” a fourth installment in the Las Vegas heist franchise moving forward potentially by next year, as Warner Bros. has given approval of a budget. Speaking with E! News (via Variety) during the New York Film Festival to promote his new film “Jay Kelly,” Clooney said of the gestating sequel, who is producing through his production banner Smokehouse, “We just got the budget approved at Warner Bros. Continue reading George Clooney Teases 2026 Shoot For ‘Ocean’s 14’ Without Naming Director at The Playlist.

In a new interview, “Marty Supreme” actor Timothée Chalamet reveals his commitment to the Marty Mauser character, a table tennis champion, goes back even further than we previously imagined, as he has been dedicated to training for this role since 2018, back before the young actor had even reached star status. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, the pair’s first big interview for the buzzy A24 sports epic (reactions have been glowing), it was revealed that Chalamet had been prepping for the role back in the year that his addiction drama “Beautiful Boy” was released, when he started taking table-tennis lessons at a 24-hour facility in Lower Manhattan. Continue reading Timothée Chalamet Started Training For ‘Marty Supreme’ Table Tennis Scenes Back In 2018 at The Playlist.

What happens when progress and humanity collide? The frenzied growth of early 20th-century America is the backdrop for “Train Dreams.” Its story follows Robert Grainier, a man whose survival depends on destructive industries. A tragic event forces him to reevaluate his perspectives on life, death, and the enduring beauty of nature. The adaptation of Denis Johnson’s novella is a haunting examination of our embedded connections to the world around us.  Continue reading ‘Train Dreams’ Trailer: Joel Edgerton & Felicity Jones Star In Acclaimed Sundance Drama at The Playlist.

Actor Channing Tatum is back in theaters with his true-crime comedy “Roofman,” coming out this week, and is reflecting on his decades of experience in Hollywood by suggesting that folks are sadly “incentivized” to take on streaming films or offers they know are “bad” just to make money. Tatum, last month, while speaking with Variety, vented a little concerning the industry disruption from streaming services and the potential negative impact on theatrical, along with quality control as a whole, “The streamers came in and effed up the industry a bit, for good and for bad. Continue reading Channing Tatum Feels With Streamers “At Times, You’re Incentivized To Make Bad Things To Get Paid” Rather Than Make “Something Really Good” at The Playlist.

It has been confirmed by the folks over at IGN that the upcoming “Predator: Badlands” won’t be an R-rated, but a PG-13 installment, and the first time a theatrical solo installment has pursued a family-friendly rating. The outlet spoke with one of the film’s producers, Ben Rosenblatt, about the rating, and he confirmed that they don’t have humans in the off-world setting, so they were able to get away with a lighter rating than if they had a bunch of humans being torn or blown into pieces by alien weapons. Continue reading ‘Predator: Badlands’ Is PG-13, Bucking Longstanding R-Rated Tradition As Humans Won’t Be Showing Up at The Playlist.

Last night, attendees of the New York Film Festival were treated to a surprise screening of Josh Safdie‘s new feature film “Marty Supreme,” starring recent Oscar-nominee Timothée Chalamet (“A Complete Unknown“) as a table-tennis hustler named Marty Mauser on a mission to become great, any way he can. The A24 movie won’t be released to the general audience until Christmas Day, as the pic, co-written and directed by Safide (one half of the Safide Brothers), has a supporting cast that features a lineup that consists of Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Tyler the Creator, Fran Drescher, Sandra Bernhard, Penn Jillette, Kevin O’Leary, Abel Ferrara, and more. Continue reading ‘Marty Supreme’ Reactions: Josh Safdie & Timothée Chalamet Make Chaotic Magic Together In Buzzy Oscar-Bound “Madcap Odyssey” [NYFF] at The Playlist.

Under Macau’s flickering neon and the clatter of roulette wheels, Edward Berger returns with “Ballad of a Small Player,” a high-stakes descent into vice and hallucination. The trailer introduces Colin Farrell as Lord Doyle, a gambler with a fading fortune and a haunted past, whose salvation may lie in the shadowy corners of the city he once sought refuge in. READ MORE: Fall 2025 Preview: 61 Movies To Watch Based on Lawrence Osborne’s novel and adapted by Rowan Joffe, the film pairs Farrell with Fala Chen, Tilda Swinton, Deanie Ip, and Alex Jennings in a story of obsession, risk, and the illusions we chase. Continue reading ‘Ballad Of A Small Player’ Trailer: Edward Berger & Colin Farrell Bet On Desperation In A Feverish Macau Noir at The Playlist.

Writer/director Rachel Lambert has secured two impressive leads for “Carousel,” a follow-up to the 2023 Daisy Ridley-led Sundance comedy “Sometimes I Think About Dying,” which are Chris Pine (“Poolman”) and on-the-rise actress Jenny Slate (“Dying For Sex”). Details are scarce for the indie romance, according to the report hailing from Deadline, so we’ll have to be patient for more information, but Lambert provided the script. Continue reading ‘Carousel’: Chris Pine & Jenny Slate Lead Indie Romance From Rachel Lambert at The Playlist.

After yesterday’s huge news that Michael Mann‘s gestating “Heat 2” would be moving from Warner Bros. over to Amazon MGM Studios/United Artists, another interesting tidbit has squeaked out as Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio (“One Battle After Another”) is said to be circling the part of Chris Shiherlis (the only surviving member of Neil McCauley’s crew from the 1995 film), played by the late Val Kilmer in the original pic. Continue reading ‘Heat 2’: Leonardo DiCaprio Circling Chris Shiherlis Role, Previously Played By Val Kilmer at The Playlist.