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The openers are “Jungle Cruise” (Disney), “Stillwater” (Focus), and “The Green Knight” (A24). As originals, they stand as outliers. (Only “Jungle Cruise” represents the potential start of a franchise.) While no single weekend determines the future health of the box office, strong results here will be critical if studios are to believe there’s benefit in theatrical releases for less-familiar IP. In the 15 highest-grossing films this year, only “Raya and the Last Dragon” (Disney) was a standalone....

Here’s the synopsis, courtesy of HBO Max: “A beloved Hollywood starlet known for a number of iconic roles – gone at 32 years old. Unanswered questions, controversial figures, and surrounded by speculation: what really happened to Brittany Murphy? This two-part documentary explores her life beyond headlines, celebrating her legacy and investigating her tragic and untimely death.” The documentary hails from Blumhouse Television and Pyramid Productions. The film is directed by Emmy nominee Cynthia Hill, best known for her 2014 documentary about domestic abuse “Private Violence,” which premiered the same year in the U....

Quick: How many films can you find on Netflix from before 1980? Gems can be uncovered there — shout-out to Youssef Chahine’s 1958 Egyptian classic, “Cairo Station” — but the burden is on those cinephiles already interested enough to seek them out. Lovers of film history aren’t born, they’re made. Discussions with other film fans, nights out at your university rep cinema, and serendipitous discoveries on Turner Classic Movies, certainly help....

As for why Lana’s sister Lilly isn’t involved, Lilly herself recently opened during a Television Critics Association Summer Tour virtual panel for her Showtime series “Work in Progress” (via Entertainment Weekly). “That’s a tough one,” Lilly Wachowski began. “I got out of my transition [in 2016] and was just completely exhausted because we had made ‘Cloud Atlas’ and ‘Jupiter Ascending,’ and the first season of ‘Sense8’ back-to-back-to-back. We were posting one, and prepping the other at the exact same time....

The Academy was originally scheduled to meet via Zoom on April 18. Smith officially resigned from the Academy April 1 after winning Best Actor, adding that he is prepared to “fully accept any and all consequences” for his behavior. The Academy approved Smith’s resignation, writing, “We have received and accepted Mr. Will Smith’s immediate resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr....

In Janus Metz’s spy thriller “All the Old Knives” — the kind of old-school espionage drama that studios, sadly, don’t make these days — author Olen Steinhauer adapts his own novel into a stylish and cerebral outing for a decidedly adult audience. One part ticking-clock thriller, one part intense chamber drama, “All the Old Knives” cleverly combines two sub-genres into one satisfying outing, complete with some big ethical questions that linger long after the credits roll....

“Every Leos Carax film is an event,” Pierre Lescure, President of the Festival de Cannes, said in a statement. “And this one delivers on its promises. ‘Annette’ is the gift that lovers of cinema, music and culture were hoping for, one that we have been yearning for during the past year.” Added Thierry Frémaux, Cannes’ General Delegate, “We couldn’t have dreamed of a more beautiful reunion with cinema and the silver screen, in the Palais des Festivals where films come to assert their splendor....