In brief: Michelle Williams, Daisy Edgar-Jones to star in new thriller and more
Michelle Williams and Daisy Edgar-Jones are set to star in A Place in Hell, the new film from director Chloe Domont. Deadline reports that Domont will write and direct the film, which is described as a thriller that follows two women at a high-profile criminal law firm …
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is making its streaming debut. The animated film from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation will be available to watch exclusively on Max on Feb. 28. It’ll debut on HBO linear on March 1. Set 183 years before the events of the original trilogy, the film tells the story of the House of Helm Hammerhand, who is the legendary King of Rohan …
Kumail Nanjiani and Molly Shannon are joining forces on their next project. Deadline reports that the pair will star in the film Driver’s Ed, which will be a teen road trip comedy directed by Bobby Farrelly. The film, which will begin shooting in North Carolina in March, follows a group of teens who steal their school’s driver’s ed car for a road trip to help a high school senior win back his college freshman former girlfriend …
David Lynch, the Oscar-nominated director of films including Eraserhead, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive, and co-creator of the cult drama series Twin Peaks, has died. He was 78.
“It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,” a statement on his official Facebook account said. “We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.'”
The statement added, “It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”
The filmmaker revealed in August 2024 that he had developed emphysema after years of smoking. “I’m homebound whether I like it or not,” Lynch told Sight and Sound magazine. “I can’t go out. And I can only walk a short distance before I’m out of oxygen.”
Lynch added in a social media post at the time that he was “in excellent shape” otherwise, declaring, “I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire.”
An acclaimed film director and screenwriter, visual artist, musician and composer known for his surreal, sometimes macabre, works, Lynch was nominated for four Academy Awards over his more than six-decade career, though he only directed 10 feature films between his 1977 debut, Eraserhead, and his most recent film, 2006’s Inland Empire. So singular was his artistic vision, however, that in 2019 Lynch received an honorary Academy Award in recognition of his body of work and contribution to cinema.
He also received eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his 1990s TV series Twin Peaks, which introduced the broader public to his eclectic style that often juxtaposed fantastical or dreamlike elements with mundane environments – a signature aesthetic that came to be described as “Lynchian.”
Zoe Saldaña responded to a reporter who had critiques of Emilia Pérez in the press room following her best supporting actress win at the 2025 Oscars Sunday.
The Mexican reporter set up their question by saying a lot has been said about trans people and empowering women, “but less has been said about Mexico, which is the heart of it.” The reporter asked Saldaña for her thoughts on that, a topic they said was “really hurtful for us Mexicans.”
Saldaña began by saying, “First of all, I’m very, very sorry that you and so many Mexicans felt offended. That was never our intention. We spoke and came from a place of love, and I will stand by that.”
“I don’t share your opinion,” Saldaña continued. “For me, the heart of this movie was not Mexico. We weren’t making a film about a country. We were making a film about four women. And these women could have been Russian. They could have been Dominican. They could have been Black from Detroit. Could have been from Israel. Could have been from Gaza. And these women are still very universal women that are struggling every day at trying to survive systemic oppression and trying to find their most authentic voices.”
Saldaña ended her response by saying, “So I will stand by that, but I’m also always open to sit down with all of my Mexican brothers and sisters and with love and respect having a great conversation on how Emilia could have been done better. I have no problem. I welcome it.”
Saldaña’s response has received mixed reaction on social media, with some calling her response dismissive and disrespectful.
Heading into awards season, Emilia Pérez was a juggernaut film.
It was nominated for 13 awards at the 2025 Oscars, ultimately winning two: best supporting actress for Saldaña and best original song for “El Mal,” which Saldaña actually sang in the film.
The film has faced criticism for how it tackled its central themes — including from LGBTQ+ critics over its trans representation, those who took offense to previous comments by the film’s director, Jacques Audiard, about the Spanish language, and how the film depicted Mexican cartels and their victims.
In recent weeks, star Karla Sofía Gascón also came under fire for past offensive social media posts.
Ben Affleck has made his first public comments about his divorce from Jennifer Lopez.
The actor spoke about the dissolution of his marriage in a recent cover story for GQ, which was published on Tuesday.
Affleck opened up about why he chose to be involved in the 2024 documentary about their marriage, called The Greatest Love Story Never Told.
“Part of it was, ‘Okay, if I’m going to participate in this, I want to try to do it in an honest way and in a way that’s interesting.’ Because I thought it was an interesting examination,” Affleck said. “There are a lot of people who I think have handled celebrity more adeptly and more adroitly than I have, Jennifer among them. My temperament is to be a little bit more reserved and private than hers. As happens in relationships, you don’t always have the same attitude towards these things.”
Affleck said he found the documentary to be interesting because it discussed how a couple is able to reconcile such a large difference in belief.
“I love and support this person. I believe in them. They’re great. I want people to see that,” Affleck said. “You don’t marry a ship captain and then say, ‘Well, I don’t like going out in the water.’ You’ve got to own what you knew going into any relationship.”
The actor said he was happy to open up about the relationship, as long as his actual feelings and intentions were accurately communicated.
“I hope I was clear that really this is somebody I have a lot of respect for. And I get wanting to divine or explore the kind of differences in perspective that we have in terms of how a person feels comfortable approaching the line between public and private life,” Affleck said. “But I really hope that whatever you use doesn’t suggest that I have any negativity or judgment or anything regarding that. I have nothing but respect.”
