As the pandemic winds down and theaters reopen with many movies postponed from last year, including such high-profile pictures as rival New York musicals from Jon M. Chu (“In the Heights”) and Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”), the Academy is staying flexible about eligibility requirements. There will be two methods of qualification for awards consideration in Best Picture and general entry categories. First, films intended for theatrical release that are initially made available through commercial streaming, VOD, or broadcast may qualify under these provisions: the film is available on the secure Academy Screening Room member site within 60 days of the film’s streaming/VOD release or broadcast, and it meets all other eligibility requirements....

None of this means that other contenders, such as “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “The Banshees of Inisherin,” have zero chance at Best Picture. But Hollywood is embracing big commercial movies in awards season because Hollywood needs big commercial movies, period. In this week’s episode of Screen Talk, Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson discuss what this means as Hollywood is at a crossroads and less likely to greenlight vanity projects from name directors going forward as a result....

When asked what age Tarantino would be comfortable having Leo see his movies, the director said, “If we’re judging by me, I saw a lot of stuff early on when it came out, you know, so I would imagine [early]. If I had to imagine, he would probably, as a little boy, be most attracted to ‘Kill Bill,’ anywhere between five, six, or seven.” Tarantino seemingly wants his son to have the same formative cinematic education he did, which meant watching serious films at a young age....

Ryan Murphy’s “Ratched” tells the origin story of Nurse Ratched, a character made famous by Louise Fletcher’s Oscar-winning portrayal in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” but the debut season does not end where “Cuckoo’s Nest” begins. Far from it. Sarah Paulson, the star of Murphy’s Netflix series, tells The Wrap “the goal” for the show is to continue beyond Season 2 so it can end up in the 1970s era where “Cuckoo’s Nest” is set....

News of Cyborg being dropped from “The Flash” screenplay comes just a week after Fisher vowed never to work under DC Films president Walter Hamada. Fisher posted on Twitter: “Walter Hamada is the most dangerous kind of enabler. His lies, and WB PR’s failed Sept 4th hit-piece, sought to undermine the very real issues of the ‘Justice League’ investigation. I will not participate in any production associated with him.” Warner Bros....

One he said was particularly revelatory for his course as an actor was Jacques Audiard’s “The Sisters Brothers.” While not a financial success, the western become something of a cult favorite, with Ahmed starring as a man John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix are tasked with killing. Ahmed said that it completely reinvented the kinds of roles he wanted to play. “That was a turning point for me actually as an actor in realizing I want to do something a little bit different,” Ahmed said....

The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Roku aimed to acquire the defunct streamer’s shows, which would be added to its free, ad-supported Roku Channel. Quibi, the mobile-only streaming service that launched in April 2020, premiered dozens of original titles during its short life-span, including the Emmy-winning “#FreeRayshawn” and the Will Forte and Kaitlin Olson-led “Flipped” comedy, as well as titles starring Chrissy Teigen, Liam Hemsworth, and Christoph Waltz. Quibi also boasted revivals of old television shows, such as new takes on “Reno 911” and “Punk’d....