The TWCU, or Ti West Cinematic Universe, expands with an “X-traordinary origin story” for Pearl, the titular serial killer first introduced to audiences in A24’s SXSW breakout hit “X.” Mia Goth reprises the role in a prequel “Pearl” origin story to the ’70s-set slasher that debuted at SXSW 2022. After “X” saw Pearl (Goth) murder an amateur adult film production in rural Texas, including Brittany Snow, Kid Cudi, and Jenna Ortega among the victims, Pearl’s roots will be uncovered in the upcoming film, in theaters September 16....

Executive produced by Aardman head of development Sarah Cox, “Robin Robin” features the voice of Bronte Carmichael as Robin, a charmingly awkward bird with an identity crisis, who is adopted into a loving family of burglar mice and plans an ambitious heist to bag the ultimate prize: an entire sandwich. Adeel Akhtar voices the caring but cautious Dad Mouse single-handedly raising a family of five, joined by Richard E. Grant as the obsessive collector Magpie, and Gillian Anderson as the deliciously villainous Cat....

“Scream” is a horror-franchise reboot, the first installment since 2011 (the late Wes Craven directed the previous four) and the first from Paramount. It’s likely to be the biggest performer until March 4, when Warner Bros. will release “The Batman;” that’s a lot of pressure to put on a slasher flick. The Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend usually sees at least one major new release, limited-date expansions, and an array of Christmas releases still strong in theaters....

Per Apple, “Servant,” which is executive produced by Shyamalan, follows a Philadelphia couple in mourning after an unspeakable tragedy creates a rift in their marriage and opens the door for a mysterious force to enter their home. Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Nell Tiger Free and Rupert Grint reprise their roles from earlier seasons, with new addition Sunita Mani (“Spirited,” “Mr. Robot,” “GLOW”). The 10-episode Season 3 of “Servant” will debut January 21, 2022, followed by one new episode weekly, every Friday....

Ask an elevated horror devotee about their preferred metaphor, and you’ll often get the same response: trauma. Who could forget the viral montage of Jamie Lee Curtis telling everyone who would listen that “Halloween Ends” was actually about traumatic experiences? It’s not an incorrect analysis, but it’s not uncommon to hear horror lovers express a desire to see movies take themselves less seriously again. Enter: “Smile.” When it arrived in theaters at end of of September, Parker Finn’s feature directorial debut delighted audiences and critics alike, topping the box office for two straight weekend, making over $210 million in the process (against a $17 million budget)....

Host: Lizzo One thing about Lizzo is that she radiates positive, fun, light energy. As Aidy Bryant realized in “Aidy Bizzo & Lizzo,” that type of thing is empowering. That radiant, empowering energy was obviously present in the opening monologue, where Lizzo talked about being “50% that bitch, 10% boss bitch, and 40% flute playing, band nerd bitch.” (For those watching unfamiliar with Lizzo, that last one — as well as her mention of her TED Talk about twerking — at least set the stage for the penultimate sketch of the episode....

When the trio are dumped into the world, Jack trades the $40 he’s been given for a night at Rooster’s mom’s house. Gloria gets on board as well, after being picked up in the family’s ‘76 Pacer. Barb (Martha Plimpton, in a “Raising Hope” reunion with Garcia and Dillahunt) is a grade-A character. She’s got hair like Jerri Blank, schemes for days, and a no-nonsense attitude when it comes to her new housemates....

The show definitely struck a nerve during the pandemic, resulting in a slew of “Squid Game” Halloween costumes and cosplay pieces; a “Saturday Night Live” musical parody starring Rami Malek and Pete Davidson; and YouTuber MrBeast’s “$456,000 Squid Game In Real Life!” video. Meanwhile, director Hwang Dong-hyuk and the “Squid Game” cast have already parlayed that popularity into awards season success, with 22 voting bodies recognizing the series, and major, history-making wins for stars Lee Jung-jae, Jung Ho-yeon, and O Yeong-su....

The duo star in Claire Denis’ latest romance-thriller “Stars at Noon,” distributed by A24. Qualley plays a young American journalist who is stranded in present-day Nicaragua and falls in love with an enigmatic Englishman (Alwyn) who seems like her best chance of escape. However, she soon realizes that he may be in even greater danger than she is. Danny Ramirez and Benny Safdie also star in the film, premiering in theaters October 14 and debuting on Hulu October 28....

The new trailer will likely have many fans counting down the days until the last two episodes drop on July 1. But if you are not caught up yet, that’s nothing to be ashamed of. If there’s one word that can describe “Stranger Things 4,” it would be “long.” The new season of the Duffer Brothers’ show has a running time that’s more than double that of any previous season, and it took two entire years to film (while working from nearly 800 pages of scripts)....

HBO confirmed that “Succession” Season 4 is officially underway, and the upcoming season has a very intriguing hint at the fate of the Roy family following that jaw-dropping Season 3 finale. The sale of the media conglomerate, led by Logan Roy (Brian Cox) and targeted by disowned son Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) in a coup, is underway. The 10-episode season will center on the sale of Waystar Royco to tech visionary Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) as it moves ever closer....

The film premiered at last year’s virtual Cannes Film Festival, where IndieWire’s Eric Kohn praised it as a “taut and emotional character study” and “the most intense look at a social media-obsessed loner since ‘Eighth Grade.’” And if that nod to Bo Burnham’s aching drama in any way prepares you for the honesty and intensity of von Horn’s film, consider yourself lucky, because “Sweat” has plenty of twists and turns to throw its audience’s way....

Past Nolan CinemaScores are as follows: “Insomnia” (2002): B; “Batman Begins” (2005): A; “The Prestige” (2006): B; “The Dark Knight” (2008): A; “Inception” (2010): B+; “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012): A; “Interstellar” (2014): B+; and “Dunkirk” (2017): A-. To be fair, the “B” stamp is also the first CinemaScore we’ve seen in some time, though YA dramedy “Words on Bathroom Walls” did score an A. (CinemaScore also reportedly doesn’t list movies on less than 1,500 screens on its website....

“When I write, I listen to music, and as I was writing the first act, I put on Nirvana’s ‘Something In The Way’,” Reeves said. It was within the music that Reeves decided to forego the standard portrayal of Bruce Wayne as a playboy and go for something edgier. “There’s another version who had gone through a great tragedy and become a recluse. So I started making this connection to Gus Van Sant’s ‘Last Days,’ and the idea of this fictionalized version of Kurt Cobain being in this kind of decaying manor....

The role of the Black church continues to be the subject of lively debate even among those who consider themselves “unaffiliated.” Some argue that it has lost its oracular voice and its ability to mobilize for reform. Others say that the church is very much alive, pointing to the 2008 presidential election, when then-leading Democratic contender Barack Obama from Chicago’s Trinity Church had to publicly denounce what was perceived to be inflammatory language from parishioner Rev....

Casting details, an episode count, and a release date were not provided. “Over eight episodes, ‘The Boys’ offers plenty of surprises. Some come through unexpected and exaggerated bloodshed — which, considering the regular rollout of graphic violence, it’s a credit to the writing and editing teams that so many of these moments are still shocking — while others are rooted in well-orchestrated plot twists,” Travers said in his review. “Season 2 gives casual fans plenty of entertainment value, even if the episodes run long, as well as plenty to chew on during the downtime; if you thought Season 1 did a good job twisting Homelander’s pristine red, white, and blue image into a knotty mess — well-suited for our current administration — just wait ’til you see what he comes to represent this year....

The long-running series, which celebrates its fifth anniversary with Noah as host this September, altered their runtime, their information, and their intimacy levels in order to create a beacon of light in the darkest of times. “We basically made a new show with the old show’s DNA in it,” long-time head writer Dan Amira said to IndieWire. Working from home to create a “socially distanced” interpretation of the show was just the start, and for showrunner and executive producer Jennifer Flanz that was enough to make her think it would be impossible....

The official synopsis for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” from Searchlight Pictures reads: “[The film] is an intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall, and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. In the 1970s and ’80s, Tammy Faye and her husband, Jim Bakker (Garfield), rose from humble beginnings to create the world’s largest religious broadcasting network and theme park, and were revered for their message of love, acceptance, and prosperity....

An engaging premise can go a long way. The nautical jaunt on “The Heiress” is the first adventure in “The Mandalorian” Season 2 that offers compelling stakes for the show’s key players and the set piece heavy action makes for the season’s best episode yet by a considerable margin. The third episode of the Disney+ show’s sophomore season opens with the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and co. arriving — well, crash landing — on the watery moon of Trask in search of other Mandalorians who can aid the protagonist in delivering Baby Yoda, AKA The Child, AKA social media’s little green friend, to the Jedi....

“The Sea Beast” stars voice actor Karl Urban as monster hunter Jacob Holland, who has to deal with runaway Maisie Brumble (Zaris-Angel Hator) aboard his esteemed ship while his team tries to track down a fabled whale. Together, the unlikely duo join forces to enter uncharted waters and make history. Academy Award-winning writer-director Chris Williams (“Moana,” “Big Hero Six”) is behind the latest family-friendly Netflix film, which premieres July 8....