But before those tributes, Smith and “King Richard” had much to celebrate March 2 at the 13th annual African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA), where Smith won the Leading Male in a Motion Picture and Aunjanue Ellis picked up Best Supporting Actress, in addition to two more wins for the film: Breakout Actor (Saniyya Sidney) and Emerging Director (Reinaldo Marcus Green). Netflix’s “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix) took home Best Picture, Best Ensemble, Best Music (Jeymes Samuel, Kid Cudi, Jay-Z), and Best Director (Jeymes Samuel)....

At last week’s Screen Actors Guild awards, “CODA” took home the top prize for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. The film, which features Derbez as choir director “Mr. V,” immediately saw its Oscar buzz skyrocket. Now there’s more good news for Derbez: His Apple TV+ comedy series “Acapulco” has just been renewed for Season 2. “Acapulco” stars Derbez as the present-day iteration of Maximo Gallardo Ramos, a wealthy man living in Malibu who recounts his rags-to-riches journey to his nephew....

When the script for “Christmas Ever After” came her way, Stroker — who has been a vocal proponent of inclusive casting and casting disabled performers in any role — was immediately drawn to how the role didn’t require a disabled performer specifically. “I was so thrilled to see disability wasn’t necessarily a part of the story,” Stroker told IndieWire. “I believe that is progress. We don’t always need to talk about addressing a disability in a narrative....

To call the film timely is both stating the obvious and an understatement; while “America After 9/11” is one of numerous media productions being published this month to coincide with the 20th anniversary of World Trade Center attacks, the film’s release also comes just weeks after the United States’ contentious exit from Afghanistan. As its title implies (and as is to be expected from Frontline), “America After 9/11,” which is directed by longtime political documentarian Michael Kirk, centers on the United States’ political and military actions following the 2001 terrorist attack — it’s a must-watch deconstruction of the War on Terror explained in clear and illuminating terms by numerous experts involved in or affected by the last 20 years of American politics....

At the same time, the Atlanta-based Floyd County Productions had to make some adjustments as well. Creator Adam Reed stepped further into the background after providing the premise to pursue other projects, which gave more creative control to executive producers Casey Willis and Matt Thompson, who also directed the Sony/Netflix animated feature, “America: The Motion Picture,” produced by “Spider-Verse’s” Phil Lord and Chris Miller. They consequently divided the scripts among five writers....

First-time feature directors Clare Knight and Harry Cripps previously worked together on “Larrikins,” the Outback-themed feature from DreamWorks Animation that was scuttled in the wake of the studio’s acquisition by NBCUniversal in 2016. Cripps was set to co-direct the film alongside “Puss in Boots” director Chris Miller, while Knight, a DWA veteran who had worked on the “Kung Fu Panda” trilogy, was to serve as editor. “’Larrikins’ had focused on the cute animals, and so I didn’t want to go back down that same road,” Cripps said....

“He’s a very substantial part of the emotional impact of the movie,” Muschietti said. “The interaction and relationship between Barry and Affleck’s Wayne will bring an emotional level that we haven’t seen before. It’s Barry’s movie, it’s Barry’s story, but their characters are more related than we think. They both lost their mothers to murder, and that’s one of the emotional vessels of the movie. That’s where the Affleck Batman kicks in....