Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Beyonce, Led Zeppelin, Talking Heads: They’ve all been on big screens in the past few years, to enthusiastic audience response. And here comes George Michael, with “Faith,” in IMAX. The legendary, late, gay pop icon is the subject of “George Michael: The Faith Tour,” shot in 1988 at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. The “Faith” album was unusual for a pop star at the time because Michael wrote, arranged and produced it, and this concert doc, filmed over two nights, is a time capsule and a timeless record of an artist at the height of his fame and power. Co-directors Andy Morahan (the music videos for “Faith,” “Last Christmas” and “Careless Whisper”) and David Austin (“George Michael: Freedom Uncut”) have assembled the footage into what they promise will be a cinematic event. It’ll definitely satisfy old fans and no doubt create new ones. Coming to theaters late this fall, jump on those tickets — “Odyssey” style — when they go on sale.
Rebel Wilson’s ‘Girl Group’ takes bow at TIFF
Rebel Wilson’s second feature film as director is about to have its premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. “Girl Group,” written and directed by and starring Wilson, sees her circling her old “Pitch Perfect” milieu: the world of pop music. She plays a difficult diva kicked out of her own group and then handed a community service court order, during which she coaches a teen girl group in the hopes of landing a recording contract. And the cast is catnip: Jennifer Coolidge, former Pussycat Dolls Nicole Scherzinger and Ashley Roberts, All Saints alum Shaznay Lewis and Spice Girls star Melanie Chisholm, the legendary Sporty Spice herself. No word on when the music-based comedy hits theaters after TIFF, but all you Millennial pop gays know where you’re going to be opening weekend.
Colman Domingo meets Princess Tiana?
This is the earliest of early announcements, but two-time Emmy nominee Colman Domingo is planning to relaunch Disney’s Princess Tiana, of “The Princess and The Frog,” Disney’s last hand-drawn animated feature from 2009. A live-action film is the goal, and Domingo is teaming up with playwright Robert O’Hara, the Tony-nominated director of “Slave Play,” to work on the script. Now, live-action remakes of classic Disney animated features are a dime a dozen these days, and there are as many misses as hits when it’s all said and done. Fatigue has set in. But this project appears to be charting a new course for its characters: a new story rather than a simple, somewhat-less-animated remake about the young woman who must return a frog prince to human form. We like the sound of that, and we know Domingo and O’Hara have the goods to make it something special. More as this one develops.
‘A Talent for Murder’ brings Patricia Highsmith back to the movies
It’s been a few years since this project was announced, but finally “A Talent for Murder” will be seen on screens this fall. From director Anton Corbijn and playwright Joanna Murray-Smith, on whose play “Switzerland” the film is based (it was also the working title), it stars Helen Mirren as legendary lesbian novelist Patricia Highsmith. Alden Ehrenreich (“Weapons”) plays a man trying to convince the author to write a final installment of the Tom Ripley series, though his motives for this request are highly suspect. The thriller has its premiere at September’s Toronto International Film Festival, with Bleeker Street releasing it to theaters Oct. 23, just in time to be a less gory (one assumes) treat for Halloween.
Romeo San Vicente is currently blasting “Freedom 90.”