MOVIES

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A new chapter in filmmaking is unfolding with the upcoming film As Deep as the Grave, where the late Val Kilmer appears on screen through advanced generative AI. The project blends technology, personal legacy, and storytelling in a way that is already sparking conversation across the industry.

Five years before his death in 2025, Kilmer had been cast as Father Fintan, a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist. The role was written specifically for him by director Coerte Voorhees, who envisioned the character as deeply connected to Kilmer’s own heritage and his ties to the American Southwest. However, Kilmer’s battle with throat cancer prevented him from ever stepping onto the set.

Despite that setback, Voorhees has now realized his original vision. With the support of Kilmer’s family, including his daughter Mercedes Kilmer and son Jack, the filmmakers used generative AI to recreate the actor’s presence in the film. According to Voorhees, that family support played a key role in moving forward with what some might consider a controversial decision.

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The producers behind this year’s Academy Awards are opening up about some of the biggest moments from the ceremony, including the surprising “host for life” comment directed at Conan Obrien, the controversial omissions in the In Memoriam segment, and several creative choices that shaped the broadcast.

According to Walt Disney Television executive vice president Rob Mills, the comment suggesting that Obrien could be the Oscars host for life was not meant as a throwaway joke. Mills said the offer is very real, at least for the remaining two years of ABC’s current deal to broadcast the awards. Speaking the morning after the ceremony, Mills said the team is treating the moment as genuine even though Obrien has not formally accepted the role.

One of the most talked about parts of the broadcast was the ambitious opening sequence. In the sketch Obrien appeared as Aunt Gladys from the film Weapons while moving through scenes inspired by several of the year’s biggest movies. Producers explained that the segment required extensive work and was filmed only a few weeks before the ceremony. The shoot itself took several days and involved complex staging and post production work. Mills compared the approach to earlier comedy film segments Obrien created during special events such as the Emmys, noting that those creative films helped inspire the Oscars opener.

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Two major franchise returns are officially on the calendar for Summer 2028, as Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures lines up Lilo & Stitch 2 for May 26 and Pixar's Incredibles 3 for June 16. The announcement came Wednesday from incoming CEO Josh D'Amaro, signaling a continued focus on proven, billion-dollar properties.

The studio had quietly held both dates on industry release schedules, leaving room for the sequels to land prime early-summer slots without direct competition. The move underscores Disney's confidence in the enduring appeal of its animated and hybrid storytelling brands.

The 2025 reimagining of Lilo & Stitch, inspired by Chris Sanders' original 2002 film, exceeded expectations with a record-breaking holiday debut and more than $1 billion worldwide. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, the film revisited the story of a young Hawaiian girl and her unlikely bond with a mischievous alien. For the sequel, Sanders is set to write, while Jonathan Eirich returns to produce. A director has not yet been confirmed.

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The psychological thriller The Housemaid starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried is preparing for its streaming debut after a successful theatrical run. Directed by Paul Feig, the film will begin streaming on Starz on April 1. The release on the streaming platform comes after the movie first arrived on premium digital and premium video on demand on February 3, just forty six days after its theatrical premiere on December 19.

Based on the best selling novel by Freida McFadden, The Housemaid brings a tense and dramatic story to the screen. The film follows Millie, played by Sydney Sweeney, a young woman trying to escape a troubled past. In search of a fresh start, she takes a job working as a housemaid for the wealthy Nina Winchester, portrayed by Amanda Seyfried. What initially appears to be a stable and promising opportunity quickly begins to unravel.

As Millie settles into her new role inside the Winchester home, she begins to discover that the life she has stepped into is far from perfect. The elegant household hides secrets and unsettling truths. The story unfolds as a psychological game filled with manipulation, tension, and shifting power between the characters. Beneath the polished appearance of the Winchester family lies a web of shocking twists that keeps viewers guessing until the very end.

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Tom Holland swings back into action as Spider-Man in the first trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the next chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe set to hit theaters on July 31. The film marks Holland's return following the massive success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which reshaped the character's world in dramatic fashion.

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The 95th Annual Academy Awards were presented on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theater, and it was hosted by Conan O'Brien.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” took home six Oscars, including best picture, best director, and adapted screenplay at the 98th Academy Awards.

“Sinners,” which earned a record 16 nominations, won four awards, including Michael B. Jordan for actor in a leading role and Ryan Coogler’s original screenplay.

Jessie Buckley was another first-time winner, taking the Oscar for actress in a leading role for “Hamnet.” Amy Madigan won for supporting actress for “Weapons.”

See the full list of winners and nominees below.

Best picture

· WINNER: One Battle After Another

· Bugonia

· Frankenstein

· F1

· Hamnet

· Marty Supreme

· The Secret Agent

· Sentimental Value

· Sinners

· Train Dreams

Best actress

· WINNER: Jessie Buckley - Hamnet

· Rose Byrne - If I Had Legs I'd Kick You

· Kate Hudson - Song Sung Blue

· Renate Reinsve - Sentimental Value

· Emma Stone - Bugonia

Best actor

· WINNER: Michael B Jordan - Sinners

· Timothée Chalamet - Marty Supreme

· Leonardo DiCaprio - One Battle After Another

· Ethan Hawke - Blue Moon

· Wagner Moura - The Secret Agent

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By blending spectacle with introspection, Denis Villeneuve is steering his desert epic into darker territory. The first teaser for Dune: Part Three has arrived, offering a sweeping glimpse at a future shaped by power, prophecy, and consequence.

Set 17 years after Dune: Part Two, the film revisits Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, now older and burdened as emperor. Alongside him stands Zendaya's Chani, no longer distant but reconnected, with the teaser hinting at a pregnancy that raises the emotional stakes of an already volatile galaxy.

War dominates the horizon as Paul's empire faces resistance from all sides. "War feeds on itself," he reflects in voiceover, capturing the film's central tension: power gained, but never controlled.

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Universal Pictures has announced a significant change to its film release strategy, committing to longer exclusive theatrical runs for its movies. Beginning in 2026, the studio will guarantee that its films remain in theaters for at least five weekends before becoming available on home entertainment platforms. The window will grow even further in 2027, when Universal plans to extend the exclusive theatrical period to seven weekends.