‘The Innocents’ Film Review: Chilling Norwegian Thriller Gives Lonely Kids Supernatural Powers

Clayton Davis The 75th Cannes Film Festival returns with international auteurs, Palme d’Or winning filmmakers, potential summer blockbusters, and many films that will, if everything breaks their way,  be campaigning for Oscar come the fall.In short, the competition lineup is loaded with promise.The track record for Palme d’Or winners going onto Oscar success has varied over the years. Over the past two decades, Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist” (2002), Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” (2011), Michael Haneke’s “Amour” (2012) and Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” (2019) have received best picture nominations.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentKinology has dropped the trailer for “Alma Viva,” the feature debut of French-Portuguese actor-turned-filmmaker Cristèle Alves Meira which is world premiered today Cannes’ Critics Week. The Paris-based sales banner already hosted a press and industry screening for the film today and earned some strong reviews. “Alma Viva” follows Salomé, a little girl who returns to her family village nestled in the Portuguese mountains for the holidays.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentFive years after winning Cannes’ Camera d’Or prize with her debut feature, “Jeune Femme,” French writer-filmmaker Leonor Serraille graduated to a competition slot with “Mother and Son,” a timely family drama spanning three decades. Serraille is one of the five female directors competing for this year’s Palme d’Or.“Mother and Son” charts the lives of a young African woman, Rose, and two of her four children, Jean and Ernest, who come to France from the Ivory Coast in the 1980s with high ideals.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Chile’s burgeoning Sanfic Industria is returning to its pre-pandemic August slot in the calendar year along with the Sanfic Film Festival, which runs Aug. 14-21.

Reba McEntire is returning to the small screen after making a bold announcement about the future of her career. The singer and actress has just been named as a series regular in the third season of Big Sky. MORE: Reba McEntire shares she is having a 'lot of fun' wth boyfriend Rex LinnReba will play Sunny Brick, the matriarch of the Brick family and according to Deadline, her character is "a successful backcountry outfitter with a secret history of missing customers."WATCH: Reba McEntire reveals how she met her boyfriend Rex LinnBig Sky was created by David E. Kelley and based on The Highway book series by C.J.

Dolly Parton will star in a Christmas film for NBC, titled Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas.The network announced the collaboration on Tuesday (May 17), describing the film as a “modern-day musical about the making of a network TV special”.A description reads: “Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas is the frenetic backstage story and delightful on-camera results of Dolly’s desire to uplift an exhausted world’s spirits by sharing the unique ‘mountain magic’ she has always found in and around Dollywood at Christmas.“Throughout the movie’s production numbers and rehearsal chaos, Dolly finds herself taking a private journey into her past, guided by the mysterious appearances of her personal Three Wise Men.“When it’s time for her big special to air live, a renewed and inspired Dolly goes rogue and shows the world that the real magic of Christmas lies in the hearts of the children we all once were, the realisation that Christmas is about the people we share it with, and how her faith remains the common thread between Christmases past, present, and future.”The project is written and executive produced by David Rambo, Parton and Sam Haskell. It will be Parton’s third film with NBC, following 2015’s Dolly Parton’s Coat Of Many Colors and sequel Christmas Of Many Colors: Circle of Love in 2016.In 2020, the singer and actress starred in the Netflix musical film Dolly Parton’s Christmas On The Square, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie.

How soon is too soon for a COVID-centric miniseries? For Sky Atlantic, not soon enough, as their series on Boris Johnson and the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic “This England” hits small screens this Fall. READ MORE: Michael Winterbottom To Direct A TV Seris About UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s COVID-19 Response Kenneth Branagh stars as the blonde, mop-headed Prime Minister in the five-episode series.

Mabel, Oliver, and Charles are back and finding their podcasting groove.

from director Takashi Sano (“Tower of God”). Sano previously directed two anime shorts in the franchise, “Rick and Morty vs. Genocider” and “Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil).” Sano will adapt themes and events of the main series for “The Anime.”“The multiverse-straddling exploits of Rick and the gang pose challenges to the family bond, but they always rise to the occasion,” Sano said in a statement.

Anna Marie de la Fuente In response to shifting dynamics at film festivals, many of which have been impacted by the pandemic, a new curated Spanish film platform, Panoramic.film is entering the market.Spearheaded by curator Xavier Puerto, director of the Festival REC de Tarragona and a Spanish-language film programmer for the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia, Panoramica’s offer is two-fold: “We offer festivals the possibility of completing their line-up with especially curated programs and, through our selective catalogue, offer filmmakers the chance to see their films extend their rounds on the international festival circuit,” said Puerto.The idea for the platform came about after conversations with various festival heads and cultural institutions as they grappled with the changes brought about by the pandemic, with many forced to hold online or hybrid editions. “On the other hand, it is a common conversation among filmmakers that most films, for a variety of reasons, have a very ‘short’ life on the festival scene, regardless of their quality,” Puerto noted.With a number of festivals coming to realize that a hybrid version has enabled them to reach audiences beyond their borders, many have embraced it for the long term.“We want to help festivals with the sometimes rather complex process of presenting a hybrid version and help its audiences discover hidden gems,” said Puerto.In practice, Panoramica is integrated into the programming of the festival itself, as well as on its website with a series of conditions such as viewings with geo-blocking, specific dates or viewing limitations.

A judge has granted permission for a full judicial review into the inquest of Yousef Makki.

Rick and Morty will get the anime treatment at Adult Swim.

Fresh with an injection of $170 million in Castle Rock financing with a lead investment from Derrick Rossi — the stem cell biologist who is co-founder of the Moderna vaccine — Rob Reiner is here at the Cannes Market for a myriad of reasons. One of them is to shoot Sharon Stone in Cannes this week, as part of the documentary film Albert Brooks: Defending My Life.

Welcome to International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week, as the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival has just kicked off, we’re talking to Enrique Costa and María Zamora, co-founders of Spanish distribution and production banner Elastica Films. At just a year old, the company is already making waves in the independent sector. They tell us about the company’s first year, their love of cinema and how they build films that connect with audiences. 

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorA bright-red, child-size magical morphing creature is heading to Disney platforms.Disney Branded Television inked a deal with Moonbug Entertainment for 52 episodes of 7-minute CG series, “Morphle,” based on the YouTube short-form hit My Magic Pet Morphle. It’s the first partnership between Disney and Moonbug, whose properties include the CoComelon kids’ content juggernaut.The comedy adventure series is slated to debut in 2024 exclusively on Disney+ and Disney Junior globally, excluding China.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaRob Reiner is shooting a documentary about Albert Brooks and he’s lined up some major heavyweights to wax poetic about the filmmaker, actor and all-around comic genius.The director tells Variety that he’s already talked to or is planning to interview fellow comedians such as Larry David, Conan O’Brien, Sarah Silverman, Ben Stiller, James L. Brooks, Judd Apatow, Chris Rock, Wanda Sykes and Jonah Hill, as well as Sharon Stone, who worked with Brooks on 1999’s “The Muse.”“Albert is my really, really close friend,” says Reiner.

Paris Fury, wife of two-time world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, looked fantastic and relaxed as she sipped wine in her bikini aboard an £18k-a-night yacht with her family. Paris, 32, her 33 year old husband and their six children – Venezuela, 12, Prince John James, 9, Prince Tyson II, 5, Valencia 4, Prince Adonis Amaziah, 2, and baby Athena – are enjoying a family holiday in the sunshine in Cannes, France. Paris looked super chilled aboard the luxury yacht, wearing a blue-striped bikini with a matching sarong as she clutched a drink which she sipped from a straw.

A car flipped onto its roof after a driver swerved to avoid deer on a busy Scots road.

This England, starring Kenneth Branagh as Boris Johnson.The series, co-written and directed by Michael Winterbottom, is based on Johnson’s first months as prime minister and the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the UK.A synopsis reads: “The drama takes us inside the halls of power, as Johnson grapples with COVID-19, Brexit, and a personal and political life wracked by controversy.“The events in government are interwoven with first-hand testimonies from around the UK, from the experts and scientists racing against time to understand the virus; the doctors, nurses and care-home workers on the frontline working tirelessly and heroically to contain and overcome it; and ordinary people whose lives were thrown into turmoil.”Alongside Branagh, the show stars Ophelia Lovibond (Feel Good) as Carrie Johnson and Andrew Buchan (The Crown) as former Health Secretary Matt Hancock.While an exact release date is yet to be announced, This England is scheduled to be released on Sky Atlantic and NOW later this year.Branagh was recently cast in Christopher Nolan’s next film Oppenheimer, alongside Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, Florence Pugh and Rami Malek.The film follows theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Murphy) and his contributions to the Manhattan Project which led to the creation of the atomic bomb.

Italian director Pietro Marcello (Martin Eden) shifts his focus to France in Scarlet (L’Envol), a period drama in Directors’ Fortnight. Set in the rural north after the First World War, it’s a decade-spanning story of family, small town politics and — ultimately — romance.

Naomi Judd left Kimberly Williams-Paisley with a gift before she passed. Williams-Paisley recounted to Fox News Digital a special moment she shared with the late musician. "Naomi Judd was always very sweet to me.

EXCLUSIVE: Glass House Distribution President Tom Malloy, bitcoin veteran Charlie Shrem and producer Shyam S. Sengupta are unveiling a new digital finance company, Defiine, here at the Cannes Market.

Nick Jonas gushed about being a dad as he spoke to Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday’s “Tonight Show”.

Zack Sharf Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy told Vanity Fair that the company has learned never to recast iconic “Star Wars” characters following the flop that was “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” The Ron Howard-directed 2018 movie cast Alden Ehrenreich as a younger version of Han Solo, the hot  shot space pilot famously brought to life by Harrison Ford. Many critics and fans felt Ehrenreich just couldn’t capture Ford’s magic.“There should be moments along the way when you learn things,” Kennedy sad. “Now it does seem so abundantly clear that we can’t do that.”Ehrenreich, stating: “He is enduringly watchable: He nails Ford’s cocky gait, his roguish eye-twinkle, his puffed-cheeked finger-pointing, and while the performance may initially come across as a highly skilled bit of mimicry, by the film’s end he’s managed to give the role a satisfying new spin.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have "only themselves to blame" as their "star appeal" has now "died", royals fans have claimed.

Marnie Simpson has welcomed a second child, a baby boy with fiancé Casey Johnson. The Geordie Shore star shared the news on Instagram, posting an adorable snap of the newborn. She wrote next to the picture: "Baby boy has arrived safe and sound.

Uncharted makes it to a third big week at Number 1 on the Official Film Chart.

Manori Ravindran International EditorBérénice Bejo was thrilled to be asked how she came to be involved in Michel Hazanavicius’ “Final Cut.”The French-Argentine actor — who plays a mad make-up artist in the zombie romp that opened Cannes on Tuesday — revealed that it wasn’t easy convincing director Hazanavicius, who is also her husband, to let her have a role.“He said, ‘I’m really sorry but this time I don’t think we’ll be working together.’ He said I was ‘too pretty’ and I said, ‘What is that?’ I got a bit upset,” said Bejo.“Final Cut,” Hazanavicius’ eighth feature, is a remake of Japanese zombie comedy “One Cut of the Dead” (2017), which became a cult sensation. The film begins as a French zombie comedy, but soon lifts the lid on how the film was made and becomes more a commentary on — in Variety critic Owen Gleiberman’s words — the “creative innocence of terrible filmmaking.” Bejo seemingly took great pleasure in explaining how it was only when Hazanavicius caught COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic in 2020 and she took care of him morning, noon and night that he finally relented.“After a week of agony, he said, ‘Can you please read my screenplay?’ and I said, ‘Well, I’m too busy and I’m not even going to be in the film,'” said Bejo.

Naman Ramachandran Australian film “The Laugh of Lakshmi,” by renowned theater director turned filmmaker S. Shakthidharan, will be one of the first films to make use of the newly announced Indian filming incentives.The film, a dance drama, is the story of a mother and a son separated by war.

Marvel has released the first trailer for upcoming Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney Of Law.Starring Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) as lawyer Jennifer Walters, the cousin to Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), the series follows her transformation into She-Hulk after receiving an emergency blood transfusion.As shown in the trailer, the show is pitched as a straight-up comedy – with She-Hulk taking advantage of her powers in her career – as a lawyer who specialises in superhuman-orientated legal cases – and dating life.Alongside Ruffalo’s return as the Hulk, Tim Roth reprises his role as Emil Blonsky aka Abomination from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Benedict Wong also returns as Wong from Doctor Strange.

EXCLUSIVE: Argentinian Distributor FilmSharks has taken on international sales of horror Karem the Possession from Dark Water creator Junichiro Hayashi and sold the Russian and Baltic Rights to Big Film at Cannes.

Ricky Gervais has revealed what fans can expect in his new Netflix special “SuperNature”.

Naman Ramachandran India’s long awaited location shooting incentive scheme is now a reality. At the Cannes Film Market on Wednesday, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur revealed a 30% reimbursement scheme for international productions shooting in India.The Indian federal government will reimburse up to 30% of qualifying production expenditure to a maximum of INR20 million ($260,000).