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Few directors boast the consistent excellence of German auteur Christian Petzold. (We previously analyzed the tricks of his trade here, on the occasion of the release of his “Undine.”) The puckish filmmaker got on Zoom from New York to unwind some of the surprises in Berlin’s Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize winner “Afire,” his tenth feature and third to star Paula Beer. It started out being called “The Lucky Ones.” “I love this title,” he told IndieWire during a recent interview. “But it was forbidden, because there was a wave of copyright problems.” When he came up with “The Red Sky,” referring to the film’s wildfire encroaching on his trio of Baltic Sea vacationers (Beer, Thomas Schubert, and Langston Uibel), “This was also forbidden...

Production designer Jason Baldwin Stewart met his share of aesthetic and logistical challenges in his collaboration with Sam Levinson on HBO’s “Euphoria,” but when he reunited with Levinson as a visual consultant for “The Idol,” he was faced with a whole new set of problems to solve. Working in conjunction with production designer Charlie Campbell, who began the series before Stewart came on board, Stewart found himself working largely with preexisting locations — including the home of series co-creator and star Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, which served as pop star Jocelyn’s (Lily-Rose Depp) estate on the show. With the full season over, Stewart spoke to IndieWire in detail about the creative choices that went into creating the world of...

The cast of Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” were only at their premiere in spirit. Following the breakout of the SAG-AFTRA strike, the stars of the film skipped out on the Saturday night premiere for the theme park film adaptation The movie, the second adaptation of Disney’s iconic Haunted Mansion attraction after the 2003 Eddie Murphy film, stars a large ensemble cast that includes LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Winona Ryder, Dan Levy, Hasan Minhaj, Chase W. Dillon, Marilu Henner, and Lindsay Lamb. None of the actors attended the red carpet at Disneyland in Anaheim, according to Variety. Under the terms of the SAG-AFTRA strike, which began on Thursday, guild members are not able to take...

Maybe Tom Cruise won’t be playing Ethan Hunt at 80. “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” (Paramount) grossed $80 million in five days in the U.S./Canada, with a worldwide total of $235 million. That’s needed money for theaters and stronger than expected Thursday-to-Sunday results elevated the gross from what some thought might be as low as $70 million. With its A Cinemascore, this seems like a film that might not suffer the falloff experienced this summer by several other multi-hundred million dollar productions. Less clear is whether it can maintain the stellar longer run of “Mission: Impossible — Fallout” in 2018 ($61 million three-day opening, $220 million total domestic, $791 million worldwide). “Barbie”Warner...

Few actors have been sustained by a single ongoing franchise more than Tom Cruise, and the hype surrounding “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” proves that more than two decades after the former ‘60s spy show became a blockbuster, the formula remains as potent than ever. The longevity, and consistency, of the franchise is an unusual sight, as the “Mission: Impossible” films have so thoroughly eclipsed the original TV show it was based on in the cultural consciousness. Created by Bruce Geller, the original “Mission: Impossible” starred Peter Graves as an agent of the IMF (or “Impossible Mission Force”), recruiting a group of highly talented agents to fight Cold War foes, crime lords, and other major targets. In 1996, the...

James Cameron loves the water, but he isn’t diving into the story of the OceanGate submersible anytime soon. The “Avatar” and “Titanic” director has denied false reports that he is developing a new project based on the Titan submersible explosion. On Thursday, British tabloid The Sun published an “exclusive” story claiming that Cameron is in discussions with a major streaming service to direct a drama series based on the destruction of the Titan, which occurred in June. In a tweet Saturday, Cameron denied the story, calling it an “offensive” rumor and saying he will never direct any project about OceanGate. “I don’t respond to offensive rumors in the media usually, but I need to now,” Cameron wrote. “I’m NOT in talks about an...

In “Hacks,” Hannah Einbinder plays a disgruntled Hollywood writer struggling to chart her career path in the soul-crushing studio system. Now, reality is catching up with fiction, and Einbinder is one of many SAG-AFTRA members striking alongside the WGA. “We’re living in a time where the average actor has to make $26,000 to qualify for health insurance and upwards of 80% of Guild members cannot qualify for health insurance. There are a list of very reasonable, very, basic human right demands that a lot of the people on the negotiating committee have been advocating for that the studios refused to be reasonable,” Einbinder told IndieWire on Friday, while on the picket line outside the Burbank studio of “Hacks” production company Warner...

They’re newly minted Oscar winners, but the Daniels remain men of the people. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the directors of “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” are giving away a free dinner to the highest bidder, in order to raise money for the Southern California branch of the American Civil Liberties Union. Kwan announced the giveaway via Twitter on June 10. “We’re helping @ACLU_SoCal celebrate their 100th year by auctioning off a Personalized Double Date in Los Angeles. Come get weird with us,” Kwan wrote. “Please help us raise a lot of money for the incredibly difficult and important work that the ACLU does everyday.” According to the terms of the raffle, the winner and one guest will be able to share a one hour dinner with...

On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age. First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing. Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation. The Pitch: Why Are We Entertained By This? Every Neil Hamburger stand-up set is a passionate rejection of the idea that the guy telling jokes on stage should endear himself to the audience in any way. The fictional comedian, portrayed by Gregg Turkington in comedy clubs and on talk shows for over two decades, has built a cult following for meticulously...

“Minx” is about to get freaky with it. Season 2 of the hit workplace comedy debuts on Starz after a network switcheroo from then-HBO Max. Critically acclaimed “Minx” was canceled by now-Max after wrapping production on Season 2 late last year, with Starz later acquiring the Lionsgate-produced series. Ophelia Lovibond is back as Minx Magazine founder Joyce, along with her publisher Doug, played by Jake Johnson. “Minx,” set in 1970s LA, centers around Joyce, an earnest young feminist who joins forces with a low-rent publisher to create the first erotic magazine for women. In Season 2, per the official synopsis, Doug, Joyce, and the entire Bottom Dollar crew grapple with Minx’s explosive success, which takes them all to thrilling new...

Christopher Nolan is joining his “Oppenheimer” cast in stepping out from Hollywood as the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes ensue. A day after the ensemble of his upcoming J. Robert Oppenheimer epic — including Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., and Florence Pugh — walked out of the film’s London premiere as the SAG-AFTRA strike began simultaneously, Nolan told BBC News that he will not attempt another film project until the work stoppages are resolved. “No, absolutely. It’s very important that everybody understands it is a very key moment in the relationship between working people and Hollywood,” Nolan told the outlet amid SAG-AFTRA protesting the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’ (AMPTP) refusal to offer a...

If she could do “Project Greenlight” again, executive producer Issa Rae told IndieWire, she wouldn’t do a genre film. On the same day that Max dropped the 10-episode reality series about a first-time filmmaker’s journey to the screen, the streamer also dropped “Gray Matter,” the sci-fi thriller that director Meko Winbush shot in 18 days while “Greenlight” documented the process. At a tight 86 minutes, the film is visually compelling and makes sound use of its lead actors — a solid debut for Winbush and ultimate victory for “Greenlight.” “Gray Matter” is primarily the story of mother Ayla (Jessica Frances Dukes) and daughter Aurora (Mia Isaac), two superpowered beings living in isolation while Ayla hounds her daughter to control and...

Sometimes, when you’re looking to be entertained, only a thriller will cut it. If you ever find yourself feeling like life is getting inexplicably dark, and morality is becoming more ambiguous, immersing yourself in a tense world of serial killers, drug dealers, and crooked sleazebags of all kinds is a pretty great form of escapism. The genre is broad enough to encompass a wide variety of tropes, so you could probably watch thrillers forever and never get bored. Netflix’s thriller offerings are surprisingly well-rounded, offering a good mix of undisputed classics from the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh as well as newer indie flicks that you may have missed. Whether you’re looking to revisit an old favorite, fill an...