movies

Steven Spielberg to Be Honored at Museum of Modern Art’s Film Benefit

Published

39 minutes ago

August 12, 2026

Steven Spielberg will soon have a special night at the museum.

The icon has been chosen as the honoree for the Museum of Modern Art‘s Film Benefit presented by Chanel. The gala will take place at the New York institution on Nov. 12. As part of the honoree spotlight, MoMA will present a screening series toasting Spielberg in the Roy and Niuta Titus theaters. Eight Spielberg films are in MoMA’s collection: 1974’s The Sugarland Express, 1975’s Jaws, 1977’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1982’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, 1984’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1985’s The Color Purple and 1987’s Empire of the Sun.

News of the honor comes on the heels of the EGOT winner’s most recent film, Disclosure Day, starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, Eve Hewson and Wyatt Russell. He comes to the shine after receiving a dozens of accolades like a Kennedy Center honor, the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama, a National Medal of Arts from President Joe Biden, and three Oscars from a record nine nominations for best director and the most best picture nominations as a producer with 14.

“MoMA’s support of Steven Spielberg extends back over a half-century, beginning when we helped introduce him to audiences as part of New Directors/New Films in 1974,” said Rajendra Roy, MoMA’s Celeste Bartos chief curator of film. “Since then, he has repeatedly demonstrated that being an artist and an entertainer can be simultaneous aspirations, though few have mastered the combination as expertly as he has. His global influence is unparalleled, and his dedication to film preservation is inspiring and completely aligned with the Museum’s mission to save and celebrate film history.”

Chanel, a longtime champion of the cinematic arts, has been a sponsor of MoMA’s annual Film Benefit since 2011 and has served as the lead sponsor of film at MoMA since 2021. Spielberg will follow in the footsteps of previous honorees like last year’s, Sofia Coppola, and Samuel L. Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, Penélope Cruz, George Clooney, Laura Dern, Martin Scorsese, Julianne Moore, Tom Hanks, Cate Blanchett, Alfonso Cuarón, Tilda Swinton, Quentin Tarantino, Pedro Almodóvar, Kathryn Bigelow, Tim Burton and Baz Luhrmann.

MoMA’s Department of Film cares for more than 30,000 films and 1.5 million film stills. The fundraiser supports the continued maintenance and growth of the collection in addition to virtual programming and a schedule of film series, premieres, festivals and retrospectives.

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Sundance Film ‘Run Amok’ Gets US Distribution With Greenwich

Published

4 minutes ago

August 12, 2026

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EXCLUSIVE: Greenwich Entertainment has acquired North American distribution rights to Sundance dramedy Run Amok, the feature directorial debut of NB Mager.

The Tandem Pictures and Greenmachine production stars Alyssa Marvin, Margaret Cho, Sophia Torres, Elizabeth Marvel, Bill Camp, Yul Vazquez, Grace Reiter, Jim Kaplan, Nuha Jes, Pilot Bunch, Molly Ringwald, and Patrick Wilson.

Greenwich plans to release the film in theaters early next year after the company’s Andy Bohn negotiated the deal with CAA Media Finance on behalf of the filmmakers.

In Run Amok, “a” teenage girl stages an elaborate musical about the one day her high school wishes it could forget, a school shooting. Her artistic endeavor brings her into conflict with the adults in her community, whose platitudes and empty promises obscure the genuine needs of the students.”

Pic was produced by Tandem Pictures’ Julie Christeas and Greenmachine’s Frank Hall Green with executive producers Patrick Wilson, Allison Franco, Tom Franco, Tad Selby, Derek Strum, Joav Bally, Allison Stockel, Jon Stockel, Lela Meadow-Conner, Jaykant R. Patel, Rajesh Penta, Rama Penta, Andy Bruer, Elia Petridis, Jay Rittberg, Ken Hayes, Brian Troy and Ahish Bansal.

“Run Amok is a modern coming-of-age story that unflinchingly mirrors the times we live in— so it always had to walk a fine line between humor and pain, absurdity and heartbreak,” said director NB Mager. “Greenwich felt like the ideal partner from our first conversation— they have the sort of vision, daring, and authenticity that perfectly encapsulates Run Amok‘s fearless young protagonists.”

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‘Coyote vs Acme’ Review: Will Forte & John Cena In Looney Tunes Movie

Published

11 minutes ago

August 12, 2026

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What in the world was Warner Bros. thinking?

In 2023 they canceled, shelved, ditched the finished animated/live action hybrid feature, Coyote vs. Acme in favor of a tax writeoff rather than releasing the movie in theatres, or even streaming. This sort of corporate move would indicate the studio thinks the movie itself just wasn’t very good, certainly not one audiences would want to see. It definitely isn’t encouraging (and followed the 2022 shelving of their $90 million Batgirl movie which remains buried) to the creators and everyone who worked so hard on the film, no matter what the ultimate quality. But along to rescue the movie (for a reported $50 million) came Ketchup Entertainment, a rising indie who also had put Warners fully animated The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie out in theatres, and now Coyote vs. Acme is getting a full theatrical release after Warner Bros Discovery seems to have bigger fish to fry, even as their logo and name are still all over it.

Three years later we finally get to see what it is all about and I can tell you this delightful gem of a movie is, for me at least, ironically not only the best Warner Bros. film released so far this year, it also is, hands down, the best animated/live action ‘toon since Robert Zemeckis’ classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit hit screens four decades ago (sorry Space Jam). I laughed out loud throughout this terrific concoction that is smart, funny, heartwarming, and winning in every way.

Directed by Dave Green from a brilliantly constructed and witty screenplay by Oscar nominee Samy Burch (May December) it has an ingenious premise that takes the always scheming Wile E. Coyote into the courtroom to battle the heartless Acme corporation over the quality of their products which keep blowing up in his face. The idea was inspired by the 1990 Ian Frazier article in the New Yorker magazine. Since then there have been several attempts to brings this to the screen but with Green and Burch the perfect combo was found. Right off the bat we know we are in good hands after the Warner Bros. logo appears at the beginning of the film followed immediately by a card that says “A fully owned subsidiary of the Acme Corporation”. That was the only sly reference to what happened to this film itself until the very very end with a dedication in fine print on the credits that thanked all those who protested, wrote emails, stood with signs outside and other things to support the efforts of the filmmakers to get this movie seen.

It all starts off with a classic sequence where eternal optimist Wile E. Coyote is once again, for the millionth time, trying to outrace uncatchable nemesis Road Runner in a madcap chase that ends like it does every single day with Wile the beleaguered loser and Road Runner whishing out of sight to his familiar ‘beep beep’. But one day while plotting his next moves, Wile sees a TV commercial for an ambulance-chasing lawyer, Kevin Avery (Will Forte) who offers his services to cartoon characters who feel they have been wronged, cheated, blown up, had a piano dropped on them, and other maladies. Realizing it could be him and looking around the room to see all the useless products he has bought from Acme including Rocket Sleds, POGO powered shoes, and so much more, Wile contacts Kevin in order to sue Acme for personal injury, mental suffering, and loss of business income. This is a case Avery (a name used in honor of famed animator Tex Avery) takes on in order to get the kind of quick settlement he always goes for. Much to his surprise Acme and their shady head counsel Buddy Crane (John Cena) offer a generous $50,000 which Avery loves but his client, Wile, tears up into little pieces. In no time Avery discovers Wile has an ulterior motive, a court trial that will require Road Runner to make an appearance as a key witness when Wile can then blow him up. Genius!

As the story continues though we see an empathetic human side to the ever-suffering Coyote, his bonding with Kevin who realizes settling for less isn’t something to be proud of, and a courtroom trial for the ages that brings out a host of Looney Tune favorites including Acme’s key witness, Foghorn Leghorn, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird and more. There are also some choice scenes with Bugs Bunny who turns out to be kind of a Deep Throat informant for Kevin and Wile, as well as a visit to a Looney bin where Daffy Duck is a patient who turns out to be not much help.

Forte is perfect casting here, the ideal foil to client Wile E. Coyote, a frustrated loser himself who finds honor and justice are worth fighting for. Also fine is his ever hopeful and useful niece Paige played by Lana Condor, and stepping out of his action mode for a change is a well chosen Cena as the opposing attorney. Voice work is exceptional from veterans Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, and Jim Cummings. The 2D animation style here is a perfect tribute to the artists who have created Looney Tunes over the decades.

Considering box office disappointments from Warner Bros. (most notably Supergirl) it is more than ironic to end the season with another jewel in the Looney Tune legacy that they handed over to a scrappy independent company who clearly know a good thing when they see it.

Producers are Chris DeFaria and James Gunn. Gunn, who is now responsible for Warner Bros DC movies including the aforementioned Supergirl (and the excellent Superman) , also has credit for the Screen Story with Jeremy Slater along with Burch who came aboard after previous attempts to save the day.

Title: Coyote vs. Acme
Distributor: Ketchup Entertainment
Release date: August 28, 2026
Director: Dave Green
Screenwriter: Samy Burch
Cast: Will Forte, John Cena, Lana Condor, Tone Bell, Martha Kelly, Dottie Jones, PJ Byrne, Luis Guzman, John Early, Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Jim Cummings
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hr 41 mins

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‘Reacher’ Spinoff ‘Neagley’ Trailer: Maria Sten Is Out To Snare A Killer

Published

17 minutes ago

August 12, 2026

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“The clock’s ticking.” Prime Video has released the first full trailer for Reacher spinoff Neagley starring Maria Sten. Reprising her role as Frances Neagley, Sten takes on a dangerous cult to snare the killer of a longtime friend.

“Looks like you had your hands full,” says Reacher star Alan Ritchson to Sten’s Frances Neagley seen tackling and battling with a knife-wielding suspect at the beginning of the trailer. “You know you could have called me if you needed help.”

“You always have my back,” Sten’s Neagley replies.

Per the official logline: Frances Neagley (Sten) is a private investigator in Chicago and former military protégé of Jack Reacher (Ritchson) in the Army’s 110th Special Investigations Unit. When she learns that a beloved friend from her past has been killed in a suspicious accident, she becomes hell-bent on justice. Using everything she’s learned from Jack Reacher and her time as a member of the 110 Special Investigators, Neagley puts herself on a dangerous path to uncover a menacing evil.

In addition to Sten, the ensemble cast includes Greyston Holt as Detective Hudson Riley, Adeline Rudolph as Renee Birdwhistle, Jasper Jones as Keno, Matthew Del Negro as Pierce Woodrow, and Damon Herriman as Lawrence Cole. Ritchson guest stars as Jack Reacher.

The spinoff was created for television by Reacher executive producer and showrunner Nick Santora, who developed the mothership series based on Lee Child’s books, and Nicholas Wootton, with whom he previously worked on Prison Break. Santora and Wootton serve as executive producers and co-showrunners. Lee Child, Don Granger, Sam Hill, Adam Higgs, and Lisa Kussner also executive produce. Sam Hill served as director on the first two episodes. Carolyn Harris, Kenny Madrid, and Niko Fernandez oversee the project for Paramount Television Studios.

Neagley will premiere with all episodes Wednesday, September 16 following the Reacher Season 4 finale.