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Shortlist •

Bella Ramsey on finding comedy in cancer for Sunny Dancer

You’ve seen Bella Ramsey as a survivor in an apocalypse, a noble woman in a high-fantasy kingdom and heard them as a sheep on a mission to solve a murder. But the young star’s next big film adventure is something a little more down-to-earth.In Sunny Dancer, Ramsey plays Ivy, a rebellious, self-isolating teenager trying to return to everyday life after going into cancer remission. Her parents decide to send Ivy to a summer camp programme, which she dubs “chemo camp,” to inspire her and allow her...
Shortlist •

Rising stars David Jonsson and Tom Blyth talk being prison cellmates in new movie Wasteman

What do you get when you bring together two up-and-coming British actors and shove them in a nail-biting prison thriller? A BAFTA-nominated movie and a bromance for the ages.David Jonsson has made a name for himself as the scene-stealer after his supporting roles in Hollywood blockbusters, The Long Walk and Alien: Romulus, were lauded by fans and critics alike. Meanwhile, Tom Blyth made his first big splash in Hollywood by leading the last entry of the billion-dollar Hunger Games movie series, T...
Business Insider •

Kelly Marie Tran says after years of therapy, she can look back on 'Star Wars' with 'fondness'

Kelly Marie Tran says she's ready to celebrate "all parts of herself," years after facing a toxic hate campaign from "Star Wars" fans.

The film "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," released in 2017, was supposed to be Tran's big break in Hollywood. She was the first Asian American cast in a lead role in a "Star Wars" movie.

But some fans disliked the movie and Tran's character and sent racist, misogynistic, and body-shaming comments and death threats on social media. The hate continued for months, with...
The Set Set •

'Knives Out' Production Designer Rick Heinrichs Crafts the Perfect Crime Scene | The Set Set

From a grand mansion in Massachusetts to a sparkling, impractical glass compound perched on a private Mediterranean island, the locations—or crime scenes—of “Knives Out” have always been central to deciphering the puzzles writer-director Rian Johnson lays out for audiences. Their importance is more pronounced than ever in the third film, “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Story.” Set in Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude, a neo-Gothic church nestled in a bucolic—but insular—community in upstate New Yo...
Business Insider •

Stephanie Hsu bagged an Oscar nomination for the absurdist movie 'Everything Everywhere All At Once.' Now, she's ready for her rom-com era.

Stephanie Hsu is ready for her rom-com era.

When Hsu first played a romantic lead on a major stage in 2019, she was filled with self-doubt. She was the love interest in "Be More Chill," which had just moved from regional theater to Broadway, and she had never seen Asian Americans in such roles growing up.

"I remember being like, 'Oh my gosh, this is so crazy. Hundreds of thousands of people are about to see me as a love interest.'" she told Business Insider.

"It wasn't until then that I reali...
Shortlist •

4 lessons making 'André is an Idiot' taught me about life

Many people have considered what they would do if they knew they were about to die. For André Ricciardi, an advertising creative director from San Francisco, he planned to spend his last years in front of a camera, creating a documentary he never got to see in its entirety.Ricciardi died in 2023, a few years after he had been diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. His funny, imaginative spirit lives on in “André Is An Idiot,” a comedy documentary that offers an intimate portrait of Ricciardi’s...
Business Insider •

'Groundhog Day' is turning 30. Here is how it inspired a generation of time-loop stories from 'Palm Springs' to 'Happy Death Day.'

It's 1993 and Bill Murray is stuck living the same day over and over again.

One could describe his condition as the mundanity of regular life, but in "Groundhog Day," Murray is literally stuck living the same 24 hours for an entire movie.

"Groundhog Day" is not the first time-loop story told on screen, but it was critical to inspiring an entire genre. Over the 30 years since "Groundhog Day," time loops have become a storytelling staple of Hollywood, with some movies and TV shows even winning E...
Business Insider •

33 'Bridgerton' couples ranked by their chemistry — including Benedict and Sophie

"Bridgerton" and its spinoff series, "Queen Charlotte," are filled with romances, but only a few couples have great chemistry.

Every season of "Bridgerton" focuses on one main couple: Daphne and Simon in season one, Kate and Anthony in season two, Colin and Penelope in season three, Benedict and Sophie in season four, and Queen Charlotte and King George in the "Queen Charlotte" spinoff.

While these couples are the most developed in their respective seasons, there are also background couples wi...
Business Insider •

Ryan Murphy says 'Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez story' is the best thing to happen to the brothers in decades. There is one way the show could help their case.

Ryan Murphy thinks "Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez Story" is the best thing to happen to the brothers, who are serving life sentences for killing their parents, in decades. Legal experts told Business Insider the show could indeed help their case — but only if it helps to unearth compelling evidence.

Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez killed José and Kitty Menendez in their family home in 1989. While the prosecution argued they murdered their parents for money, the brothers and other family...
Shortlist •

From The Running Man to A Quiet Place: These are the most iconic sci-fi movie locations you can visit in London

From a military base of a space empire to an entire Pokémon city, London has become the not-so-secret location hub for the sci-fi movie genre over the last decade.Edgar Wright’s remake of The Running Man is the latest to join the trend, with many key scenes of the American-set dystopia filmed on London streets and buildings. Eugene Strange, a supervising location manager who worked on The Running Man production in the planning stage before it was greenlit, told Shortlist that London was chosen t...
Business Insider •

Marvel knows you're bored of superhero movies. 'Thunderbolts*' is its latest attempt to lure back real film fans.

Marvel Studios has a new strategy for combating superhero fatigue: appeal to cinephiles.

Although Marvel is still the highest-grossing movie franchise of all time, it has struggled to maintain its popularity over the past four years.

A trend of diminishing box office returns and fans and critics complaining that Marvel projects are declining in quality has resulted in the narrative that audiences are tired of superhero movies.

While the billion-dollar-grossing 2024 movie "Deadpool & Wolverine...
Business Insider •

Mattel is planning 19 movies based on its famous toys and brands after the success of 'Barbie' — here they all are

Mattel is building its own cinematic universe after its blockbuster success with the "Barbie" movie.

In 2018, the toy company behind Barbie and other famous brands created a division to make movies inspired by its toys, games, and brands and appointed Robbie Brenner, an acclaimed film producer, to oversee it.

"Barbie" was the first movie to be co-produced by Mattel Films, and it made $1.4 million in ticket sales, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023.

In 2023, The New Yorker reported tha...
Business Insider •

A 'House of the Dragon' cinematographer broke down the dragon rampage in episode seven. He watched 12 stunt people being set on fire with a flamethrower.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for season two, episode seven of "House of the Dragon."

A cinematographer who worked on "House of the Dragon" broke down how the massacre scene at the end of episode seven was shot.

In episode seven of the hit "Game of Thrones" prequel, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) tries to build a team of dragonriders to help her win the war against her stepfamily.

Rhaenyra has the dragons but needs to recruit people from the Valryian bloodline — the only humans who can bond...
Business Insider •

'Barbie' and 'Doctor Who' star Ncuti Gatwa says he has to 'fight' to protect his mental and physical health

Ncuti Gatwa has had a busy year between starring in "Barbie" and taking on the lead role in "Doctor Who." But with success comes pressure, and the actor told Business Insider he has to "fight" to protect his physical and mental health as his star continues to rise.

Like David Harbour, Jonathan Bailey, and Jenna Ortega before him, Gatwa has used Netflix as a launchpad to secure even bigger roles off the streaming platform.

Gatwa played the charming and charismatic Eric Effiong in Netflix's teen...
Business Insider •

I unwittingly signed up to the same dating show as my dad. We competed in a strip tease contest on the second day of shooting 'MILF Manor.'

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Joey Schifilliti about appearing on TLC's "MILF Manor," a much-talked-about reality dating show with a unique format. It has been edited for length and clarity.

My first 48 hours on "MILF Manor" season two may have been the wildest of my life and the strangest bonding experience that I've had with my dad.

Toward the end of 2023, I joined the cast of "MILF Manor," a show where older women and young men date to find their perfect match.

Seas...
Business Insider •

I was Ryan Gosling's stunt double on 'The Fall Guy.' Filming car crashes was dizzying, but I broke a Guinness World Record.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Logan Holladay about his experience being a stunt driver on "The Fall Guy." The following has been edited for length and clarity.

When I was hired as Ryan Gosling's stunt driver for "The Fall Guy," the film's stunt coordinator gave me one big objective.

He wanted me to beat the Guinness World Record for the most cannon rolls performed in a car, which is where a device below a vehicle shoots toward the ground and propels it to flip over.

I...
Business Insider •

The 'Challengers' ending explained — and why its screenwriter thinks that question you're asking yourself is irrelevant

The ending of the tennis movie "Challengers" has left many viewers questioning who wins the final match, but the film's director and screenwriter said it is not about a singular winner.

The new film stars Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor as three tennis players entangled in a messy, 13-year-long throuple. The movie centers on a Challenger tournament final between famous tennis star Art Donaldson (Faist) and his former friend Patrick Zweig (O'Connor).

Patrick must win to play at the US Op...
Business Insider •

I went to the London pub Taylor Swift name-dropped on her new album. Swifties are turning it into a fan club and the owners are thrilled.

It's a Monday evening in a residential neighborhood in London tucked away to the south of the city center, and I'm chatting to an excited trio of Taylor Swift fans.

Tracy, Joy, and Claudine met on a WhatsApp group that the fandom uses to plan trips to Swift-related landmarks and events in the city. (They'd previously indulged in a Swiftie brunch together and danced at the Swiftegeddon club night). Last Thursday, The Black Dog, once an unassuming watering hole mostly used by locals and the odd t...
Business Insider •

I won almost $5m on 'Squid Game: The Challenge' but lied to my family about it for months

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mai Whelan about her experience on Netflix's "Squid Game: The Challenge." The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I was the first winner of "Squid Game: The Challenge."

In January 2023, I was one of 456 contestants who competed in "Squid Game" themed games and social tests over the three weeks the show was filmed. I never thought I would win, especially since I came last in the first game, "Red Light, Green Light."

And then c...
Business Insider •

My sister tricked our family into watching 'Saltburn.' I wouldn't recommend watching the movie with your parents.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rebecca Schwartz Altholz about her experience watching "Saltburn" with her family. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

In hindsight, I would not choose "Saltburn" for a family movie night.

One night, during a family trip to Mexico between Christmas and New Year's Day, we were looking for something to do together when my older sister, Sarah, suggested we watch it.

She had watched the film with her friends but wanted to wat...
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