Ted and Norm will now be George and Billy. Real-life uncle/nephew pair George Wendt and Jason Sudeikis are slated to play the roles of George Bailey and Uncle Billy for this year’s virtual table read of It’s a Wonderful Life. In Partnership with Turner Classic Movies and sponsored by MeTV, fans of the classic holiday … Continue reading “Jason Sudeikis, George Wendt lead virtual It’s a Wonderful Life table read”
On Thursday, December 10, 2020 during The Walt Disney Company’s Investor Day webcast, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy announced an incredible number of new films, series, and surprises that will expand the Star Wars galaxy. After the show’s unprecedented success, winning seven Emmy Awards, The Mandalorian has inspired two spin-off series called The Rangers of the … Continue reading “Disney, Lucasfilm announce plans for ‘Starwars’ & more”
Take this with a Death Star-sized grain of salt. But according to several different reports surfacing on various outlets, George Lucas has apparently told someone to hold his lightsaber, because he is reportedly interested in returning to the galaxy he created a long time ago. If…. And that, friends, wookies and X-wing pilots is a … Continue reading “Rumor mill: Lucas open to returning to ‘Star Wars’”
Laverne & Shirley and American Graffiti star Cindy Williams passed away this week at age 75. Williams played the title role of Shirley Feeney opposite Penny Marshall who played Laverne DeFazio on the hit show Laverne & Shirley, which was a spin-off of Happy Days. The two also appeared on Happy Days. Williams passed away … Continue reading “Remembering actress Cindy Williams”
Richard Miller, who was the Industrial Light and Magic sculptor behind Princess Leia’s golden slave bikini in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, has passed. Per the Hollywood Reporter, he passed after an extended stay in hospice care. Miller was 80. Fon H. Davis, a close friend of Miller’s, posted the sad news on Instagram. “I … Continue reading “Richard Miller, sculptor of Princess Leia’s gold bikini, passes at 80”
The Reel 360 News Team wonders if there will be snakes. You know, Indiana Jones famously hates snakes. The Walt Disney Company released the teaser and poster for Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the highly anticipated fifth installment of the iconic Indiana Jones franchise. Starring Harrison Ford as the legendary hero archaeologist, and directed by James … Continue reading “SPOILERS: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny teaser released”
Academy Award-winning producer Alan Ladd Jr, who was behind an array of iconic films, has passed away at age 84. Affectionately known as “Laddie”, Alan Ladd Jr. was involved in 14 best-picture nominees, including Young Frankenstein, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Chariots of Fire, and Blade Runner. As an independent producer, Ladd Jr. helped steer … Continue reading “Academy Award-winning producer Alan Ladd Jr. passes at age 84”
Three-time Academy Award nominee Douglas Trumbull, trailblazing special effects artist best known for 2001: A Space Odyssey Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Blade Runner and the first Star Trek movie passed away at age 79. His passing was announced by his daughter, Amy Trumbull, in a Facebook post. She wrote: My dad, Doug Trumbull … Continue reading “Visual Effects icon Douglas Trumbull passes at 79”
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced the 2022 Documentary Motion Picture and nominees that will advance to the final round of voting for the 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards. The awards honor excellence in motion picture and television productions, as well as the most notable names in the industry who are shaping the producing … Continue reading “PGA announces Documentary and Specialty TV noms”
This year, three acclaimed and beloved films from The Walt Disney Company’s rich history—Flowers and Trees (1932), Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983) and WALL•E (2008)—are among the annual selection of 25 influential motion pictures to be inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Each of the films was selected for its cultural, historic or … Continue reading “National Film Registry adds Flowers and Trees, Return of the Jedi and WALL•E”
Super Bowl Greatest Commercials 2021, an interactive countdown special where viewers will be able to vote LIVE for the top Super Bowl commercial from the past 20 years, will be broadcast Wednesday, Feb. 3 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on CBS and will also be available to stream live and on-demand on CBS All Access. The special, celebrating its 20th anniversary, … Continue reading “CBS special celebrates Super Bowl commercials”
UPDATED: While acclaimed actor James Earl Jones will alway be synonymous with injecting iconic Star Wars villain Darth Vader with his malevolent personality and voice, it will be British actor David Prowse who embodied the Dark Lord of the Sith. Literally. Sadly Prowse has passed away at the age of 85. According to the New York … Continue reading “David Prowse, Darth Vader dies from COVID”
Bi-coastal production company Supply&Demand has added American film director and producer Michael Bay to its roster of award-winning talent. One of the most commercially successful directors in history, Bay is perhaps best known for his big-budget and excitement-rich action films, yet the filmmaker also has an extensive pedigree in advertising and music videos. A graduate … Continue reading “Michael Bay signs with Supply&Demand”
Francis Ford Coppola tinkered with the Godfather and Apocalypse Now forever. George Lucas made Star Wars Episodes 4-6 barely recognizable from when the films were first released. And now we have Zack Snyder and Justice League. While few would put Snyder on the same pedestal as Coppola or Lucas, the director, like them, is still … Continue reading “Zack Snyder to film new scenes for ‘Justice League’”
Well cinephiles and Jedis, The Rise of Skywalker is no Avengers: Endgame, Toy Story 3 or Return of the King. But it’s also nowhere near as bad as Twilight: Breaking Dawn or Hunger Games: Catching Fire. In other words, director J.J. Abrams landed the behemoth 9-film saga, but he didn’t stick it. Like the Millennium … Continue reading “Non-spoiler review: ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’”
There is no doubt that The Mandalorian, which can now be seen on Disney+, is a deservedly massive hit. While audiences got the action they were craving, they were surprised to discover during the pilot that the breakout star was not the titular character, but a creature referred to as “Baby Yoda.” The series follows … Continue reading “Yes Virginia, Baby Yoda merch is coming for holidays”
He was the man who came up with the title, The Empire Strikes Back. Not George Lucas. Gary Kurtz. And today, The BBC is reporting that the producer on Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, lost his battle to Cancer and passed away on Sunday in North London, England. According to a statement by … Continue reading “Gary Kurtz, Producer on ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Empire Strikes Back’ dies”
(Editor’s note: Chicago music giant Butch Stewart passed away in May. There will be a memorial held for him June 23, 24 and 25 at 1900 Greenwood Street in Evanston, Illinois. Emma Young wrote this moving tribute about Stewart and his company in 2014.)
Good Stewart Productions sits on an industrial street in Evanston. From the outside it looks quiet, but inside — there’ a whole lot going on!
The highly anticipated Mammoth Film Festival 2023 confirmed to take place March 2-6th, 2023 is thrilled to announce the first round of the 2023 festival slate selection highlights and official judges panel names. The five-day festival will feature over 80 films selected from an overwhelming response of submissions via FilmFreeway, inclusive of U.S and International … Continue reading “2023 Mammoth Film Festival announces first films”
The Visual Effects Society (VES), the industry’s professional global honorary society, announced the nominees for the 21st Annual VES Awards. The prestigious yearly celebration recognizes outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation in features, animation, television, commercials and video games and the VFX Supervisors, VFX Producers and hands-on Artists who bring this work to life. Avatar: … Continue reading “Avatar, Pinocchio, Rings of Power lead VES noms”
