Cate Blanchett Receives TIFF 2024 Award
Australian actor and producer Cate Blanchett will be honoured with the TIFF Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival.
Its proceeds will be donated to TIFF’s Every Story Fund, which champions diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in film, reported Deadline. The TIFF Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award is given to a leading woman in the motion picture industry who has championed the careers of others and paved the way for the next generation.
Blanchett, 55, will also participate in an In Conversation With… event looking back on her career. “Cate Blanchett is a marvel. One of the finest actors in film history, she has consistently shown range, depth and audacity on screen. Off screen, she has been a tireless champion of increased equity and justice in many sectors.
TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said
“Cate’s passion for the transformative power of storytelling, and her commitment to breaking down barriers for women, align with the goals of our Share Her Journey initiative. We’re honoured to present Cate Blanchett with this year’s Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award, and can’t wait to welcome her back to Toronto”
Blitz Opens London Film Festival 2024
The opening night gala of the London Film Festival has been announced with Oscar and BAFTA award winning writer-director
Steve McQueen’s Apple Original WWII drama Blitz securing the coveted festival spot. The film stars Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson, and nine-year-old newcomer Elliott Heffernan.
Having opened LFF twice before first with 2018′s Widows and then again in 2020 with Small Axe anthology feature Mangrove, McQueen is no stranger to the festival and the premiere venue Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall. Many of McQueen’s other films such as Hunger and 12 Years a Slave have also been part of the BFI London Film Festival, making him something of a firm fixture during the past 16 years.
In recent years, that coveted opening slot at the festival has been taken by films such as Saltburn, Matilda The Musical, and The Harder They Fall.
Official Synopsis below for Blitz:
Blitz follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to Rita and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, ensues on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.
This year the 68th BFI London Film Festival — which will run from Wednesday 9 October to Sunday 20 October. Sat tuned for more exciting festival coverage.
Inside Out 2 Hits Billion Dollar Box Office
Pixar sequel Inside Out 2 had a record breaking $295 million opening weekend. Since then the emotion packed animated film has continued to dominate global box offices and has now in only it’s third week since release, pushed past the much coveted $1 billion milestone.
Not only does this achievement mark it out as the first bllion dollar success of 2024, but it also sees Inside Out 2 surpass Frozen 2 as the fastest animated film to accomplish this feat. Inside Out 2 reached the impressive box office haul in just 19 days, comparing favourably to the 25 days Frozen took to join the billionaire film club.
The stunning success for Inside Out 2 stands in very stark contrast to the commercial failure of other supposed early summer blockbusters like Furiosa and The Fall Guy.
Forthcoming releases for Despicable Me 4, Twisters and Marvel effort Deadpool & Wolverine will be hoping to follow suit in winning back cinema crowds this summer.
Highlander Reboot Sets 2025 Shoot Date
Chad Stahelski’s much anticipated Highlander reboot staring Henry Cavil is set to commence filming in January 2025, as confirmed by the director himself during a recent appearance at the Malta Mediterranean Film Festival this past weekend.
Speaking during an interview with Collider the director said
“We start shooting in January, I go to Scotland on Monday to do the final location scout… We have the right people, we have the right cast, we have the right trainers, so it’s more about how do you bring it all together and make it something [new]. It’s not Princess Bride , it’s not Crouching Tiger, it’s not Master & Commander, it’s not Zorro. What’s this new look of action or sword fighting that people could be excited about? That keeps me up at night.”
The confirmation of a firm filming date will put an end to years of development hell that have seen the proposed reboot of the classic 80s franchise stalled repeatedly since 2008. Stars such as Tom Cruise and Ryan Reynolds are amongst those who were previously linked to the project at various times only for plans and directors to regularly change.
Given The Witcher stars Henry Cavill’s devoted fanbase and his proven gifts for supernatural sword fighting excitement and the latest director seem set to finally bring the tale of duelling immortals back to the big screen.
Bob Odenkirk Back For Nobody 2
Better Call Saul & Breaking Bad star Bob Odenkirk has closed a deal to return as former government assassin and would be family man Hutch Mansell in sequel to brilliant 2021 action film Nobody.
Nobody 2 sees original director Ilya Naishuller this time replaced by Indonesian filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto, previously responsible for Headshot and The Night Comes For Us.
John Wick creator and writer Derek Kolstad who penned the first film, has written the sequel’s screenplay alongside Aaron Rabin, Odenkirk, and Umair Aleem.
Details of the plot for the sequel remain under wraps for now but likely to deliver on the first flm’s post credits scene which saw Hutch making a fresh start with his family, only to receive a mysterious phone call implying he may have returned to being a gun for hire.
Production is expected to begin on Nobody 2 later this year, with the film currently aiming for a 15 August, 2025 release date.