Barry Jenkins Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Barry Jenkins will be directing Mufasa: The Lion King, the upcoming prequel to the 2019 live-action adaptation of The Lion King.

Wilson Chapman editor Barry Jenkins is heading to Pride Rock. At D23, the acclaimed “Moonlight” director appeared on stage to officially announce “Mufasa: The Lion King,” a new prequel to the 2019 “Lion King” film. Originally announced in 2020 as a sequel to the 2019 film, “Mufasa” tells the origin story of the iconic Disney father, exploring his childhood growing up with his brother Scar. The film will feature the voice of Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as younger versions of the characters, filling in for James Earl Jones as Mufasa in both the 1994 original and the 2019 CGI remake, and Jeremy Irons and Chiwetel Ejiofor as the villainous Scar. In addition to announcing the title, exclusive preview footage of the film was shown to the audience of the D23 expo.

Gregg Goldstein The last time Fred Hechinger was in Toronto, he came to see a film that left his acting on the cutting room floor. Six years later, in one of several full-circle moments, the breakout star of HBO’s “The White Lotus” and Sony/Marvel’s upcoming Spider-Man Universe entry “Kraven the Hunter” returns with the Sept. 9 Gala premiere of “Butcher’s Crossing,” his first lead role in a feature. “It was my first time going to a festival to see something that I was a part of,” the actor recalls. “I was working behind the scenes on [the romantic drama] ‘Tramps,’ they put me in one scene and I got cut, but it was technically the first thing I’ve ever acted in.” Yet that trip ignited a bizarre series of events that helped launch his career. “To connect a lot of crazy dots, the next morning I saw the first [TIFF] screening of ‘Moonlight’ and a Q&A with Barry Jenkins.” When the director hired him years later for the 2021 Amazon Prime miniseries “The Underground Railroad,” Hechinger read some revivalist western novels on set for research … including John Williams’ 1960 book, “Butcher’s Crossing.”

Clayton Davis In the late summer of 2012, the indie film production and distribution company A24 was born. Drama, comedy, horror, documentary, animation – nothing has been off-limits for the New York outfit.

The Toronto International Film Festival announced its second big wave of programming for the 47th edition, a 54 feature title lineup across its Discovery, Midnight Madness and Wavelengths sections.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterHoly hot-dog fingers! A24’s zany black comedy “Everything Everywhere All at Once” has cleared a major box office milestone, crossing $100 million in global ticket sales. It’s the first A24 movie to hit that box office benchmark.Since the movie landed in theaters in March, the multiverse adventure turned into the rare indie sleeper hit at the box office on its journey to becoming A24’s highest-grossing film of all time.

Disney+ has unveiled the first trailer and poster for Lucasfilm and Imagine Documentaries’ “Light & Magic,” a new docuseries that chronicles the untold history of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the special visual effects, animation and virtual production division of Lucasfilm. “Star Wars” creator George Lucas founded the company in 1975. It has gone on to earn 16 Academy Awards while spearheading groundbreaking developments in the realm of special effects.

EXCLUSIVE: De’Adre Aziza (She’s Gotta Have It) is the latest addition to the cast of MGM’s boxing drama Flint Strong, marking the feature directorial debut of Oscar-nominated DP Rachel Morrison. She joins an ensemble led by Ryan Destiny, which also includes Oluniké Adeliyi and Brian Tyree Henry, as previously announced.

True Detective, led by Jodie Foster, has officially been confirmed by HBO.The Oscar-winning actress has been cast alongside professional boxer and Indigenous rights advocate Kali Reis.The fourth season, titled True Detective: Night Country, comes from writer-director Issa López, who will also executive produce alongside Foster, Barry Jenkins, Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson and Cary Fukunaga.“We are tremendously excited to return to the True Detective franchise and to be working with the multi-talented Issa López, whose singular vision for her ‘Night Country’ instalment will be beautifully realised with Jodie Foster and Kali Reis in the starring roles,” said Francesca Orsi, the Executive Vice President and Head of Programming at HBO.A synopsis for the upcoming season (via Deadline) reads: “When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the six men that operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace.“To solve the case, Detectives Liz Danvers (Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Reis) will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves, and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.”“It was all a dream…..” ✊

Ukonwa Ojo, who arrived at Amazon Studios and Prime Video close to two years ago as Chief Marketing Officer, is exiting.

“Catch the Fair One” star Kali Reis is joining Jodie Foster in the fourth season of HBO’s “True Detective,” it was announced Tuesday.HBO gave a series order for the fourth season — “True Detective: Night Country” — from Issa López who will serve as showrunner, writer, director and executive producer. Foster is also an executive producer.The new series is set to film in Iceland.

Actor, professional boxer and Indigenous rights advocate Kali Reis is set to star opposite Jodie Foster in True Detective: Night Country. With both leads in place, Season 4 of the crime thriller anthology series has received a formal greenlight by HBO.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeAmazon Prime Video’s “The Underground Railroad” and Netflix’s “Bo: Burnham: Inside” are among the final round of entertainment series to be honored by the Peabody Awards this year. The last crop of winners were announced Thursday morning.“The Underground Railroad” award was presented by Ibram X.

True Detective. As reported by Variety, Foster will play the role of Detective Liz Danvers in the show’s forthcoming iteration True Detective: Night Country.The series will follow Detective Danvers and Detective Evangeline Navarro (who is yet to be cast), as they set about solving a case in Ennis, Alaska, in which six men operating the Tsalal Arctic Research Station mysteriously vanish. According to the show’s synopsis, the duo will “have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves, and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.”Foster has starred in a number of iconic films during her Hollywood career, including The Silence Of The Lambs, Taxi Driver, Nell and The Accused.Rumours of a fourth True Detective series started circulating in February this year, when HBO’s chief content officer Casey Bloys said they were looking at ways to move the story forwards following the third season.“It’s safe to say we’re working with a couple of writers to find the right tone and take,” he told Deadline.

Deadline reported.This marks Foster’s first major TV role as an adult. “When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the six men that operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace,” HBO explained in the official description of the story.

A new era of “True Detective” is on the way as HBO has recruited Mexican filmmaker Issa López (“Tigers Are Not Afraid”) to write/direct the pilot for “True Detective: Night Country” with Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight,” “The Underground Railroad”) set to produce. The anticipated project has landed a high-profile actor to the cast as Deadline reports that Oscar-winner Jodie Foster has nabbed a lead role in ‘Night Country,’ marking the actress’ first major adult television role (Foster hasn’t appeared on the small screen since 1975).

Jodie Foster is set to star in the upcoming season of “True Detective” on HBO.The new season will officially be titled “True Detective: Night Country.” Here’s a logline for the installment:When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the six men that operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, Detectives Liz Danvers (Foster) and Evangeline Navarro will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves, and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.Issa López has been tapped to write, direct, and executive produce.

Jodie Foster is heading into Night Country.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJodie Foster is set for one of the lead roles in “True Detective” Season 4 at HBO, Variety has learned.The new season of the anthology crime series was first reported as being in development in March 2022, though no official plot details were confirmed at that time.Now it is known that In the fourth season, when the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the six men that operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, Detectives Liz Danvers (Foster) and Evangeline Navarro will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves, and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.

“Black Panther” and “Dope” cinematographer Rachel Morrison is making the jump to feature directing. After COVID-19 led to the production of her upcoming film “Flint Strong” pausing for a good chunk of time, it’s finally resuming and has added a high-profile actor to the cast.

Oscar-nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison’s feature directorial debut Flint Strong has moved from Universal to MGM, with Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta) coming aboard to star, Deadline can confirm. Henry joins an ensemble that also includes Ryan Destiny and Oluniké Adeliyi, as previously announced.

review for TheWrap called it a “heart-achingly stirring and sensorially entrancing debut feature” from Wells, who also wrote the script. The film is produced by Adele Romanski, Barry Jenkins and Mark Ceryak for PASTEL and Amy Jackson for Unified Theory.

Manori Ravindran International EditorA24 has snapped up the Paul Mescal-led tearjerker “Aftersun” out of the Cannes Film Festival.The distributor has picked up North American rights for the movie, which premiered as part of the Cannes’ Critics’ Week section to rave reviews last week. The movie stars Mescal and newcomer Frankie Corio.“Aftersun” is produced by Adele Romanski, Barry Jenkins and Mark Ceryak for Pastel and Amy Jackson for Unified Theory.

A24 has won North American rights to Charlotte Wells’ Cannes buzz title Aftersun.

Guy Lodge Film CriticThere’s always an undertow of melancholy even to the most idyllic of summer vacations. Every blissed-out day that passes is another closer to it ending, and the shadow of normal life resuming — with its work and school and domestic obligations, shelving the freer, looser personae we adopt away from home — hovers beside our pleasure like a glum weather forecast.

Manori Ravindran International EditorLotfy Nathan, the director of Un Certain Regard title “Harka,” is set to make an elevated horror feature with the producers of “Armageddon Time.”Following the Cannes premiere of “Harka,” Nathan is moving forward with his sophomore film, which is tentatively titled “Son,” based on the apocryphal infancy gospel of Thomas, about the childhood of Jesus.The film continues the relationship between the U.S. director, Spacemaker Prods.