“Hawkeye,” the fourth live-action MCU series to debut on Disney+, has all the trappings of a sought-after seasonal present: an O.G. Avenger at its center, three Oscar nominees leading the cast (plus “Better Call Saul’s” Tony Dalton!), and a genre at least as popular as superheroes laced into its six-episode season. In case its not clear from Disney’s marketing, the photo above, or this merry introduction, Jeremy Renner’s first standalone story as Clint Barton (aka Hawkeye) is also a holiday story, filled with steady snowfall, family bonding, and more gleaming evergreens than you can count....

This week, Warners clarified the terms: “Wonder Woman 1984” is the kickoff for a full year of HBO Max day-and-date — everything released in 2021, from “Dune” to “The Matrix 4.” Maximizing theatrical revenue is no longer the point for Warners; the goal is elevating its struggling streaming site to the level of Netflix and Disney+. AMC principal Adam Aron had a fit. In a statement released by the exhibitor, he snarled at the prospect: “Clearly, Warner Media intends to sacrifice a considerable portion of the profitability of its movie studio division, and that of its production partners and filmmakers, to subsidize its HBO Max start-up,” he said....

Steven Knight, creator of “Peaky Blinders,” released a statement: “Helen was one of the great actors of her generation. She was so powerful and controlled and this is so sad.” McCrory played Aunt Polly on the series, which announced this year that would it be ending with Season 6. “Peaky Blinders” star Cillian Murphy said, “I am broken-hearted to lose such a dear friend. Helen was a beautiful, caring, funny, compassionate human being....

Second: Do they have the right role in the right year? Without that quality and timing, justice can’t be served. (See: Renee Zellweger winning on her fourth go-round in “Judy” or Paul Newman winning for “The Color of Money” after seven nods.) Finally: Short of an Oscar itself, the best thing that can happen for a long-overdue actor is a SAG nomination. (The SAG nomination committee is voting now, with nominations announced January 11, 2023....

Of course, meta is the name of the game in “Irma Vep,” Olivier Assayas’ sly and self-reflective showbiz sendup that finds art imitating life imitating art. Building on the foundations of Assayas’ already meta 1996 feature (itself a French independent film about a Hong Kong icon acting in a French independent film) this limited series pulls at that Mobius strip, stretching it westward to follow an American in Paris and the baggage she brings when shooting a remake of the silent-era serial “Les Vampires....

In the years since Harry Potter mania first magicked itself upon our decidedly Muggle world, we’ve learned plenty more about Rowling’s own beliefs, most notably her transphobic stance and status as an unabashed TERF, one she has no problem showing off on her social media channels, in her own writings, and in her political leanings. At the very least, Rowling’s beliefs have put an awkward slant to her franchises — including both “Harry Potter” and its spinoff, “Fantastic Beasts,” which has so far inspired three films — which hinge on seemingly at-odds ideas about forging one’s own path in a world that doesn’t always accept that and being brave enough to nurture an identity that many will try to disavow....

Meantime, Neon — which had the last two breakout openings for subtitled films with “Parasite” and “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” — saw a terrific start for “The Worst Person in the World.” With a per-theater average of $33,760 in four New York/Los Angeles theaters, it gave fresh hope that a high-end specialized film could bring viewers back to theaters. At $60 million, this weekend’s total represents an improvement from the awful last two weeks — but you’d have to go back to 2000 to find a pre-Covid weekend that grossed less....