Update: In a new piece from The Wrap, “Blonde” writer/director Andrew Dominik has responded to claims that the Marilyn Monroe portrait was an anti-choice platform, especially being released after the Supreme Court overturn of Roe v. Wade. Our original essay published September 17 is below Dominik’s interview, published September 28. “I don’t think the movie is anti-pro choice. I don’t think it is at all,” Dominik told The Wrap. “And I’m not convinced that she actually wants to have a baby....

Per the film’s official synopsis, the film “brings to life the creative process that culminated in choreographer-dancer-director Bill T. Jones’s tour de force ballet ‘D-Man in the Waters,’ one of the most important works of art to come out of the AIDS crisis. In 1989, ‘D-Man in the Waters’ gave physical manifestation to the fear, anger, grief, and hope for salvation that the emerging Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company (both partners at the time) felt as they were embattled by the AIDS epidemic....

Only 12 percent of the top 100 highest-grossing films of 2021 featured women directors at the helm, down from 16 percent in 2020. Female directors accounted for 17 percent of the top 250 highest grossers, down from 18 percent in 2020. Over 80 percent of 2021 films were directed by men, the study finds. However, women were up overall in key behind-the-scenes roles (not just directing, but also writing, executive-producing, editing, and cinematography) in 2021, at 25 percent, up from 23 percent in 2020....

“Yeah, I mean, it’s a great idea,” Theron said when asked if she would star in a lesbian spin on “Die Hard.” “That’s why I replied on Twitter. Because I just thought that was kind of brilliant. I was like, ‘This person needs to start pitching. That’s a great idea.’ And the fact that it would be two women, I was like, ‘Yeah, sign me on.’” A “Die Hard” reimagining would fit right at home in Theron’s action-packed filmography, which also includes “The Old Guard,” “Atomic Blonde,” and “Mad Max: Fury Road....

The 2020 winners are (listed alphabetically by author): James Acker, “SadBoi” Beth Curry, “Lemon” Vanar Jaddou, “Goodbye, Iraq” Kate Marks, “The Cow of Queens” Jane Therese, “Sins of My Father” The 2020 finalists are (listed alphabetically by author): Kris A. Holmes, “The Seeds of Truth” Fred Martenson, “Demons in America” Robin Rose Singer, “The Lions of Mesopotamia” David Harrison Turner, “Safe Haven” Andrew Wankier, “Three Heavens” The fellowships support each writer’s completion of a feature-length screenplay within the year....

The “Harry Potter” and “Queen’s Gambit” alum recalled working alongside Academy Award winner Bale for the mystery-thriller. Bale plays a former detective who is forced out of retirement to investigate a series of hangings alongside Edgar Allan Poe (Melling). The film is based on the novel by Louis Bayard and helmed by Scott Cooper (“Crazy Heart”), with Bale also producing. “My experience working on it was that we’d turn up, not really talk about the scene, and just start playing it,” Melling told The Independent of working with Bale, citing the fact that he “doesn’t really know” what constitutes Method acting....

“CNN This Morning’ debuted to an average of 387,000 total viewers, according to Nielsen numbers. Of that all-in tally, 71,000 came from the key news demographic of adults 25-54. On its final day of Halloween, “New Day” averaged 353,000 total viewers; of that number, 75,000 came from the main demo. For all of October, “New Day” averaged 404,000 total viewers (anyone age 2 and older) and 78,000 in the demo. From a year-to-date perspective, the “CNN This Morning” series premiere was down 6 percent in total viewers and -17 percent in the demo....